Mount Lyell Salamander

About the Mount Lyell Salamander

The Mount Lyell salamander (Hydromantes platycephalus) is a species of web-toed salamander in the family Plethodontidae. This species was first observed in 1915 on Mount Lyell in Yosemite National Park, during the Yosemite Natural History Survey conducted by the California Museum of Vertebrate Zoology. It is endemic to the Sierra Nevada mountains of California in the United States. It is usually found at high elevation, in microhabitats such as rock fissures, talus, caves and crevices. Its altitudinal range is 1,220–3,670 m (4,000–12,040 ft) above sea level. No significant threats to this species are known.

The Mount Lyell salamander has a flat, slender body that is a deep brown-black in color, with dorsal grey-green mottling. In juveniles, the mottling is usually more gold-green in color, but there is wide variation among individuals. Populations tend to have mottling that matches the color of the granite in the region.

The species' head is noticeably flattened, as its latin eponym (platycephalus, meaning "flat head") suggests. Its toes are webbed, as is typical of the Hydromantes genus, and it has short legs and a stubby tail. Adults grow to approximately 120... Wikipedia →