Ambystoma macrodactylum
Long-Toed Salamander
Identification/Variations: Long-Toed Salamanders are a small, common salamander that are a shade of gray or black with varying amounts of yellow to yellow/green. There are currently five variations of this salamander that are recognized, and all but one occurs in the Pacific Northwest. The Santa Cruz Salamander is the only variation found outside the northwest.
Range/Habitat: Long-Toed Salamanders are found from central sierras in California north into Oregon, Washington, most of British Columbia, and northern Idaho. They can be found in a variety of habitats from vernal pools, to alpine lakes, to slow-moving waters in sagebrush deserts.
Notes: Long-Toed Salamanders breed early in the spring. At high elevations, these salamanders will move to their breeding sites before the winter snows have melted so long as the waters are free of ice.
