Shasta Salamander
Hydromantes shastae
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
The Shasta Salamander faces significant threats from climate change, which is altering the cool, moist microhabitats essential for its survival in limestone caves and rock crevices. Forest management practices and potential quarrying activities in its limited range pose additional risks to cave systems and surrounding forest habitats. The species' extremely restricted distribution in the Shasta-Trinity region makes entire populations vulnerable to single catastrophic events or localized habitat degradation.
Habitat
The Shasta Salamander inhabits limestone caves, rock crevices, and talus slopes in mixed coniferous forests of the Shasta-Trinity region of northern California. It requires cool, humid microenvironments with stable temperatures and moisture levels, typically found in underground refugia and beneath surface rocks in forested areas between 400-1,200 meters elevation.
Other threatened species in Plethodontidae
Frequently asked questions
Why is Shasta Salamander classified as Vulnerable?
Where does Shasta Salamander live?
What are the main threats to Shasta Salamander?
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