About Aneides flavipunctatus (Strauch, 1870)
Aneides flavipunctatus, commonly called the speckled black salamander, reaches an adult length of 60 to 75 millimeters (2.4 to 3.0 inches). Its base color is black, and it can have coarse or fine white spots, yellow spots, or a grayish or greenish sheen; the underside is paler than the upper body. Juvenile speckled black salamanders are greenish-gray or bronze, with yellow coloring at the base of their legs. This salamander inhabits forested areas and grassland in the coastal mountain ranges of California, United States. Most populations are found at elevations below 600 meters (2,000 feet), though individuals occasionally occur as high as 1,700 meters (5,600 feet). Its distribution extends from southern Humboldt and Trinity counties, California, south to southwestern Sonoma and northern Napa counties. A population of Aneides in Glenn County has been suggested to belong to this species, but this classification is debated. In the southern portion of its range, the speckled black salamander shelters under logs and rocks in damp locations and along stream banks within woodland. Northern populations live in more open terrain, and populations in the far northern extent of its range are found among mossy rocks and scree.
