General Distribution
Monterey salamander is one of seven subspecies of Ensatina eschscholtzii that occur from British
Columbia south to Baja California, Mexico, primarily west of the Sierra-Cascade crest (Petranka 1998).
Monterey slender salamander occurs along the Coast Ranges from the vicinity of Monterey, California
south into Baja California. In southern California, this taxon ranges inland to Kitchen Peak above
Cabazon to Sawmill Canyon at the headwaters of the San Gorgonio River above Banning. Here, it
hybridizes with individuals that are intergrades between the yellow-blotched and large-blotched
salamanders (Stebbins 1985). A new population was discovered recently in a tributary of the West Fork
of City Creek, extending the known range in the San Bernardino Mountains to the north and west (Loe
pers. comm.). Systematics
Ensatina is a geographically and genetically variable taxon that has traditionally been treated as a single
species with seven recognized subspecies, including both blotched and unblotched color forms.
Ensatina has also traditionally been treated as a "ring" species, whose subspecies form a ring-shaped
distribution around the Central Valley of California and do not interbreed where the ends of the ring?overlap in Southern California (Stebbins 1949, Wake and Yanev 1986).
Three subspecies of Ensatina eschscholtzii occur in the mountains of southern California, and their
evolutionary relationships and taxonomic status have received considerable scientific attention (Brown
1974, Stebbins 1949, Wake and others 1986, Wake and Schneider 1998, Wake and Yanev 1986). E. e.
eschscholtzii is the most distinct of the three subspecies; it is a reddish-brown, unblotched salamander
that is believed to have originated in low-elevation coastal regions to the north. The other two
subspecies are darker with prominent yellow or orange blotches. They are believed to have originated in
the northern interior mountains and moved south through the Sierra Nevada and Tehachapi Mountains
(Wake and Yanev 1986). Habitat Requirements
Monterey salamanders are most common in oak woodlands with extensive leaf litter and downed wood;
however, they occupy a wide variety of other habitats as well (Stephenson and Calcarone 1999). They
have been found at elevations above 6,100 feet (1,860 meters) in some areas (e.g., Sawmill Canyon
north of Banning in the San Bernardino Mountains) (Wake and others 1986).
Colonies of Ensatina salamanders seem best developed in marginal belts between dense and sparse
vegetation-that is, in "edge" situations (Stebbins 1951). Downed logs, leaf litter, and woody debris
appear to be important habitat elements (Stebbins 1951).
Populations of Ensatinas in drier regions of southern California primarily occur on north-facing slopes
of deep canyons and in other microhabitats that provide cool, moist conditions. Ensatinas are frequently
found near streams where soils are relatively moist, or in shaded, moist habitats where there is good
canopy cover (Stebbins 1945, 1951). Reproduction
If Monterey salamander conforms to the patterns of other Ensatina salamanders, mating occurs in
February and March. The male and female perform a complex mating ritual that results in the female
picking up a spermatophore (Stebbins 1951). Females oviposit in late spring in central and southern
coastal populations, and in early summer in northern coastal areas (Norman 1986) and higher elevation
sites in the Sierra Nevada (Stebbins 1951). Each female lays a single cluster of eggs in an underground
passage, beneath bark, or in or beneath logs. The female stays with the eggs, protecting them from
drying and from other animals. The young hatch in the fall and must soon fend for themselves (Stebbins
1959). Daily/Seasonal Activity
The species is nocturnal and difficult to see near the surface, so it could be more widespread than current
data suggest. Juveniles and adults are most active when the ground is wet and temperatures are
moderate (Stebbins 1951, Storer 1925). Ensatina remain underground throughout the dry summer in
most areas of their range and can tolerate substantial dehydration (Stebbins 1945). During dry weather,
they tend to frequent holes in the ground such as rodent burrows, rotted-out root channels, and openings
among rocks (Stebbins 1951). Except in areas where severe winter weather occurs, Ensatina emerge
with the first rains of autumn and are active on the ground through spring. Surface activity is highest
immediately following rains and continues while temperature and moisture conditions are favorable
(Stebbins 1951). Ensatina are commonly found in areas with considerable leaf litter. This litter serves
as an insulating blanket to help conserve moisture and to buffer temperature fluctuations (Stebbins 1951). Diet and Foraging
Insects, spiders, crustaceans, and earthworms that occur in and beneath the leaf litter serve as food for
these salamanders. Most feeding occurs above ground when the surface is damp and temperatures are
not too high (Stebbins 1951). The principle prey items of 45 specimens from southern California were
isopods, centipedes, spiders, collembolans, and beetles (Zweifel 1949). Predator-Prey Relations
Garter snakes (Thamnophis sp.) and Steller's jays (Cyanositta stelleri) prey upon Ensatina (Beneski
1989). Snakes often gape repeatedly after eating or attempting to eat Ensatina, a behavior suggesting
that the tail secretions are distasteful and serve to repel potential predators (Storer 1925). Literature Cited
Beneski, J.T., Jr. 1989. Adaptive significance of tail autonomy in the salamander, Ensatina. Journal of
Herpetology 23: 322-324.
Brown, C.W. 1974. Hybridization among the subspecies of the plethodontid salamander Ensatina
eschscholtzii. University of California Publications in Zoology 98: 1-56.
Jennings, M.R.; Hayes, M.P. 1994. Amphibian and reptile species of special concern in
California. Rancho Cordova, CA: California Department of Fish and Game, Inland Fisheries Division.
Norman, B.R. 1986. Ensatina eschscholtzii oregonensis (Oregon ensatina) reproduction. Herpetological
Review 17: 89.
Petranka, J.W. 1998. Salamanders of the United States and Canada. Washington and
London: Smithsonian Institution and Press.
Stebbins, R.C. 1945. Water absorption in a terrestrial salamander. Copeia 1945: 25-28.
Stebbins, R.C. 1949. Speciation in salamanders of the plethodontid genus Ensatina. University of
California Publications in Zoology 48: 377-526.
Stebbins, R.C. 1951. Amphibians of western North America. Berkeley, CA: University of California
Press.
1959. Reptiles and amphibians of the San Francisco Bay region. Berkeley and Los Angeles,
CA: University of California Press.
Stebbins, R.C. 1985. A field guide to western reptiles and amphibians. 2d ed., revised. Boston, MA:
Houghton Mifflin Company.
Stebbins, R.C.; Cohen, N.W. 1995. A natural history of amphibians. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University
Press.
Stephenson, J.R.; Calcarone, G.M. 1999. Southern California mountains and foothills assessment:
Habitat and species conservation issues. General Technical Report PSW-GTR-172. Albany, CA: Pacific
Southwest Research Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Storer, T.I. 1925. A synopsis of the amphibia of California. University of California Publications in
Zoology 27: 1-342.
Wake, D.B.; Schneider, C.J. 1998. Taxonomy of the plethodontid salamander genus
Ensatina. Herpetologica 54: 279–298.
Wake, D.B.; Yanev, K.P. 1986. Geographic variation in allozymes in a "ring species," the plethodontid
salamander Ensatina eschscholtzii of western North America. Evolution 40: 702-715.
Wake, D.B.; Yanev, K.P.; Brown, C.W. 1986. Intraspecific sympatry in a "ring species," the
plethodontid salamander Ensatina eschscholtzii, in southern California. Evolution 40: 866-868.
Wiltenmuth, E.B. 1996. Agonistic and sensory behaviour of the salamander Ensatina eschscholtzii
during asymmetric contests. Animal Behaviour 52: 841-850.
Zweifel, R.G. 1949. Comparison of food habits of Ensatina eschscholtzii and Aneides lugubris. Copeia
1949: 285-287.
Information gathered from California DFG - California Interagency Wildlife Task Group
