Rhyacotriton variegatus
Southern Torrent Salamander | family: Rhyacotritonidae genus: Rhyacotriton |
![]() © 2011 Chris Brown, USGS (1 of 66) |
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Description Distribution and Habitat Country distribution from AmphibiaWeb's database: United States U.S. state distribution from AmphibiaWeb's database: California, Oregon
The habitat of southern torrent salamanders is forested areas, with high humidity and dense canopy cover (Welsh and Lind 1996). Individuals are found near seepages and small streams, preferring to occupy the splash zone of cool, turbulent strams with small boulders and very little fine sediment. Adults are rarely found more than a meter from the streams edge (Leonard et al. 1993; Welsh and Lind 1996). Life History, Abundance, Activity, and Special Behaviors Adults and juveniles feed primarily on aquatic and semiaquatic invertebrates, including amphipods, collembolans, stoneflies, mayflies, beetles, flies, spiders, snails, oligochaetes, and hymenopterans. Natural predators have not been documented but larval and adult Pacific giant salamanders (Dicamptodon) are probably important. See Petranka (1998) and references therein. Rhyacotriton respond to attacks by coiling the body and raising and undulating the tail which contains poison glands (Nussbaum et al. 1983). Rhyacotriton variegatus may be locally abundant, with combined adult and larval densities estimates ranging from 0.18-5.5 animals/m2 (Diller and Wallace 1996; Welsh and Lind 1996) to as high as 14-22 animals/m2 (Welsh and Lind 1992) in northern California populations. In an Oregon population, larvae were estimated at 13 larvae/m2 (Nussbaum and Tait 1977). Trends and Threats Comments See another account at californiaherps.com.
References
Bury, R. B. (1983). "Differences in amphibian populations in logged and old growth redwood forest." Northwest Science, 57, 167-178. Corn, P. S. and Bury, R. B. (1989). ''Logging in Western Oregon: responses of headwater habitats and stream amphibians.'' Forest Ecology and Management, 29, 39-57. Diller, L. V. and Wallace, R. L. (1996). ''Distribution and habitat of Rhyacotriton variegatus on managed, young growth forests in north coastal California.'' Journal of Herpetology, 30, 184-191. Good, D. A., Wake, D. B., and Wurst, G. Z. (1987). ''Patterns of geographic variation in allozymes of the Olympic salamander Rhyacotriton olympicus (Caudata: Dicamptodontidae).'' Fieldiana, Zoology, 32, 1-15. Good, D. A., and Wake, D. B. (1992). ''Geographic variation and speciation in the torrent salamanders of the genus Rhyacotriton (Caudata: Rhyacotritonidae).'' University of California Publications in Zoology, 126, 1-91. Leonard, W.P., Brown, H.A., Jones, L.L.C., McAllister, K.R., and Storm, R.M. (1993). Amphibians of Washington and Oregon. Seattle Audubon, Seattle. Nussbaum, R. (1969). ''A nest site of the Olympic Salamander, Rhyacotriton olympicus (Gaige).'' Herpetologica, 25, 277-278. Nussbaum, R. A., Brodie, E. D., Jr., and Storm, R. M. (1983). Amphibians and Reptiles of the Pacific Northwest. University of Idaho Press, Moscow, Idaho. Nussbaum, R., and Tait, C. K. (1977). ''Aspects of the life history and ecology of the Olympic Salamander, Rhyacotriton olympicus.'' American Midland Naturalist, 98, 176-199. Petranka, J. W. (1998). Salamanders of the United States and Canada. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington D.C. and London. Sever, D M. (1988). "Male Rhyacotriton olympicus (Dicamptodontidae: Urodela) has a unique cloacal vent gland." Herpetologica, 44, 274-280. Stebbins, R. C. (1985). A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians. Houghton Mifflin, Boston. Stebbins, R.C., and Lowe, C.H., Jr. (1951). ''Subspecific differentiation in the Olympic salamander Rhyacotriton olympicus.'' University of California Publications Zoology, 50, 465-484. Welsh, H. H., Jr. and Lind, A. J. (1991). ''The structure of the herpetofaunal assemblage in the Douglas-fir/hardwood forests of northwestern California and southwestern Oregon.'' Wildlife and Vegetation of Unmanaged Douglas-fir Forests, USDA Forest Service, General Technical Report PNW-GTR-285. L. F. Ruggiero, K. B. Aubry, A. B. Carey, and M. H. Huff, eds., USDA Forest Service, 394-413. Welsh, H. H., Jr., and Lind, A. J. (1992). ''Population ecology of two relictual salamanders from the Klamath Mountains of northwestern California.'' Wildlife 2001: Populations. McCullough, D.R., and R.H. Barrett, eds., Elsevier Applied Science, New York., 419-437. Welsh, H. H., Jr., and Lind, A. J. (1996). ''Habitat correlates of the southern torrent salamander, Rhyacotriton variegatus (Caudata: Rhyacotritonidae), in northwest California.'' Journal of Herpetology, 30, 385-398. Originally submitted by: Meredith J. Mahoney and Lauren M. Chan (first posted 1999-02-16) Edited by: M. J . Mahoney (2018-02-23) Species Account Citation: AmphibiaWeb 2018 Rhyacotriton variegatus: Southern Torrent Salamander <https://amphibiaweb.org/species/4235> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed Jul 3, 2022.
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Citation: AmphibiaWeb. 2022. <https://amphibiaweb.org> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed 3 Jul 2022. AmphibiaWeb's policy on data use. |