Arboreal Salamanders
Valley Wilds article written by Ranger Vickie Eggert
Arboreal salamanders (Aneides lugubris) are a type of amphibian native to California and found here in Sycamore Grove Park. Most often found in wooded areas, these salamanders are excellent climbers thanks to their prehensile tails and long toes. They are often found in or under tree bark, branches, and other small crevices. Even their name, ‘arboreal,’ means having to do with trees.

To identify these salamanders, look for one about 7’ inches long with a triangle-shaped head and thick body. The colors are purple and brown with yellow or golden spots on the top and cream on the underside. Look for grooves along the sides of the body, called costal grooves, for further identification.
These are lungless salamanders. This means they breathe through their skin and membranes in their mouth, which makes them extremely sensitive to pollution. If you handle them, they absorb things from your skin such as oils, sunscreen, bug spray, or soap—anything you have touched—so it is best to look at them but avoid handling them much. They are also covered in slime, which aids in exchanging gas for breathing.
As predators, arboreal salamanders have many sharp teeth and can inflict a painful bite. This is another reason to avoid handling them. Food includes insects, centipedes, other salamanders, and sowbugs. Also, as prey items, they can become food for rattlesnakes and birds such as hawks.

Eggs are laid in late spring or early summer, and five to 25 eggs are laid in a moist burrow under a log or similar place. Both male and female salamanders stay at the burrow. The eggs hatch in three to four months, usually in late summer or early fall.
The best time to see these nocturnal amphibians is around the first rain. Then, they are out of their burrows, and the young have hatched. If you are lucky, looking under logs and in damp leaf litter may reveal a salamander.