Samwel Shasta salamander

Samwel Shasta salamander
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Urodela
Family: Plethodontidae
Subfamily: Plethodontinae
Genus: Hydromantes
Species:
H. samweli
Binomial name
Hydromantes samweli
Bingham, Papenfuss, Lindstrand, and Wake, 2018

The Samwel Shasta salamander (Hydromantes samweli) is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to Shasta County in California.[2][3]

Taxonomy

It was previously thought to be a population of the Shasta salamander (H. shastae) and is not physically distinguishable, but a 2018 phylogenetic study found it to be a genetically distinct species. It is named after its type locality, Samwel Cave, which originates from Sa-Wal, the Wintu name for grizzly bear.[4]

Distribution

It is found in a fairly small area around the north-central and northwest sides of Shasta Lake, but possibly extending 20 km further to the west.[2][5]

Threats

Its distribution was likely fragmented by the creation of the lake and the construction of the Shasta Dam. Proposals to raise the water levels would likely flood more habitats and further threaten it. However, in 2021 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found the species to not warrant Endangered Species Act protections.[6][7]

References

  1. ^ IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2022). "Hydromantes samweli". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2022: e.T181498477A181932409. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Hydromantes samweli Bingham, Papenfuss, Lindstrand, and Wake, 2018 | Amphibian Species of the World". amphibiansoftheworld.amnh.org. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
  3. ^ "AmphibiaWeb - Hydromantes samweli". amphibiaweb.org. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
  4. ^ Bingham, Robert E.; Papenfuss, Theodore J.; Lindstrand, Len; Wake, David B. (April 4, 2018). "Phylogeography and Species Boundaries In the Hydromantes shastae Complex, With Description of Two New Species (Amphibia; Caudata; Plethodontidae)". Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology. 161 (10): 403–427. doi:10.3099/MCZ42.1. ISSN 0027-4100.
  5. ^ "Samwel Shasta Salamander - Hydromantes samweli". www.californiaherps.com. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
  6. ^ "Study: California's Shasta Salamanders More Endangered Than Once Thought". www.biologicaldiversity.org. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
  7. ^ on 05.12.2021, David Miller. "Service Finds Salamanders Do Not Warrant Endangered Species Act Protection". www.endangeredspecieslawandpolicy.com. Retrieved 2021-12-22.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)