A Guide to the Amphibians
and Reptiles of California

Salamander Videos

This is a list of links to all the short videos of salamanders that you can find on the individual salamander pages.. The list is in alphabetical order using the Latin names. Some videos include sound, most do not. These simple videos are intended to show how a salamander moves or to show it in its habitat, but some of them show interesting behavior. They are kept short, and often without sound, to conserve bandwidth use. Most of them were shot quickly at the time and place where the salamander was found before it crawled away. In some cases this was at night with poor artificial lighting, and in many cases the salamanders were uncooperative. Because many herps quickly run away and hide and others only move for a few seconds then remain motionless even when prodded, it is often hard to film herps in motion without capturing and staging them. Consequently, many of these videos use a few short segments to avoid showing only motionless salamanders. Click on the camera icon to watch a video. Many of these videos are in the old Quicktime .mov format. The Quicktime plug-in has been removed from many browsers now so the videos may not play on your browser or your browser might download the video to your computer for you to play offline. Click on a link to visit the home page for a salamander.
The following links are shortcuts to the families of lizards listed below: Brook Salamanders - Eurycea Climbing Salamanders - Aneides Ensatinas - Ensatina Giant Salamanders - Dicamptodon Hellbender - Cryptobranchus Mole Salamanders - Ambystoma Newts - Taricha Slender Salamanders - Batrachoseps Torrent Salamanders - Rhyacotriton Web-toed Salamanders - Hydromantes Woodland Salamanders - Plethodon
	Mole Salamanders - Ambystoma
	Ambystoma californiense - California Tiger Salamander	California Tiger Salamander larvae swim around a murky pool in Contra Costa County in June, rising to the surface for a gulp of air and to try to eat Sierran Treefrog tadpoles, with no success.
	Ambystoma californiense - California Tiger Salamander
	Ambystoma californiense - California Tiger Salamander	Fairly young California Tiger Salamander larvae swim around a pool in Contra Costa County in early March. You can see them lunging at food at times.
	Ambystoma gracile - Northwestern Salamander	A look at a breeding pond during the February breeding season, including several egg masses, and a paedomorph in the water at night.
	Ambystoma gracile - Northwestern Salamander	An adult Northwestern Salamander paedomorph (still has gills and lives in water permanently - never transformed to live on land) swims around in a shallow pan of water. It's motion is slowed down at the end to showoff its graceful movement.
	Ambystoma macrodactylum macrodactylum - Western Long-toed Salamander	A Western Long-toed salamander crawls into the breeding pond on a cold February night in King County, Washington,
	Ambystoma macrodactylum macrodactylum - Western Long-toed Salamander	Western Long-toed salamanders swim around underwater at night in a King County, Washington breeding pond during the breeding season in early February.
	Ambystoma macrodactylum macrodactylum - Western Long-toed Salamander	Two female Western Long-toed salamanders underwater lay their eggs on submerged sticks at night in King County, Washington. After the first one is finished we see the eggs she left behind.
	Ambystoma macrodactylum macrodactylum - Western Long-toed Salamander	Unlike the much more visible Pacific newts, who breed in full daylight, Long-toed salamanders do their breeding and egg laying at night, and they seem to do it under the cover of leaves on the bottom of the pond. Here we can see a couple interacting under some leaves in a breeding pond in early February in King County, Washington.
	Ambystoma macrodactylum macrodactylum - Western Long-toed Salamander	Views of some Western Long-toed salamander eggs on submerged sticks. Some of the eggs are pulled out of the water for a better look.
	Ambystoma macrodactylum sigillatum - Southern Long-toed Salamander	A larval salamander swims around in an aquarium, using its legs, body and tail to propel itself.
	Ambystoma macrodactylum sigillatum - Southern Long-toed Salamander	Larval salamanders swim around in a pond in a forest clearing on a sunny September day in Siskiyou County.
	Ambystoma macrodactylum sigillatum - Southern Long-toed Salamander	A larval long-toed salamander in a pond in Siskiyou County.
	Ambystoma maculatum - Spotted Salamander	A juvenile Spotted Salamander is found under a log in some Virginia woods in July.
	Ambystoma mavortium mavortium - Barred Tiger Salamander	A Barred Tiger Salamander crosses a wet road on an August night in the grasslands of Southeast Arizona.
	Ambystoma mavortium nebulosum - Arizona Tiger Salamander	An Arizona Tiger Salamander crosses a road in the mountains of Arizona on a rainy summer night, moving away from a breeding pond and back into the woods.
	Climbing Salamanders - Aneides
	Aneides ferreus - Clouded Salamander	A small Clouded Salamander is discovered under some loose bark in the woods.
	Aneides flavipunctatus flavipunctatus - Speckled Black Salamander	A salamander is discovered under a rock on a sunny late November afternoon in Mendocino County. Several adults and a juvenile move slowly and with amazing bursts of speed.
	Aneides flavipunctatus flavipunctatus - Speckled Black Salamander	Sprinting salamanders from Humboldt County.
	Aneides flavipunctatus flavipunctatus - Speckled Black Salamander	A black salamander in Mendocino County.
	Aneides hardii - Sacramento Mountains Salamander	A Sacramento Mountains Salamander climbs on a fallen log.
	Aneides lugubris - Arboreal Salamander	An Arboreal Salamander resting and running.
	Aneides lugubris - Arboreal Salamander	Several Arboreal Salamanders are seen hiding in cracks in a rock wall at night. A large one out on the rocks crawls back into a hiding spot.
	Aneides vagrans - Wandering Salamander	A couple of Wandering Salamanders discovered by a creek in the redwoods.
	Slender Salamanders - Batrachoseps
	Batrachoseps altasierrae - Greenhorn Mountains Slender Salamander	A Greenhorn Mountains Slender Salamander and its habitat in the Greenhorn Mountains.
	Batrachoseps attenuatus - California Slender Salamander	A few quick looks at several California Slender Salamanders sitting still, coiled up, and quickly wriggling away
	Batrachoseps attenuatus - California Slender Salamander	On a late winter day in Northern California when the ground is green and wet it seems like there's a California Slender Salamander under everything you turn over.
	Batrachoseps bramei - Fairview Slender Salamander	A tiny juvenile under a rock.
	Batrachoseps diabolicus - Hell Hollow Slender Salamander	Hell Hollow Slender Salamanders in Mariposa County.
	Batrachoseps gabrieli - San Gabriel Mountains Slender Salamander	An adult salamander crawling in leaf litter under a shrub.
	Batrachoseps gavilanensis - Gabilan Mountains Slender Salamanders	Several Gabilan Mountains Slender Salamanders are seen on a cold late winter day along with some of their habiat.
	Batrachoseps gregarius - Gregarious Slender Salamander	A look at some Gregarious Slender Salamanders in the Sierra Nevada foothills of Kern County.
	Batrachoseps gregarius - Gregarious Slender Salamander	As I lift a fallen branch with a Gregarious Slender Salamander underneath it, the salamander's tail comes off and begins wriggling on the ground. This is a defensive tactic used to distract a predator towards the moving tail and away from the animal which remains still. The salamander may have intentionally released its tail here, or it could have just been a result of lifting the log. I pick up the tail and you can see an edited version of it slowly wriggling to a stop.
	Batrachoseps kawia - Sequoia Slender Salamander	A look at several Sequoia Slender Salamanders in Tulare County.
	Batrachoseps luciae - Santa Lucia Mountains Slender Salamander	Several Santa Lucia Slender Mountains Slender Salamanders are uncovered in Monterey County.
	Batrachoseps major major - Garden Slender Salamander	A Garden Slender Salamander is discovered under some trash in a Los Angeles County canyon.
	Batrachoseps nigriventris - Black-bellied Slender Salamander	Black-bellied Slender Salamanders squirming around in Santa Barbara County
	Batrachoseps regiius - Kings River Slender Salamander	A salamander found under a rock sits still then races into a hole with the typical frantic springing back and forth movement of a slender salamander in a hurry.
	Batrachoseps robustus - Kern Plateau Slender Salamander	Kern Plateau Slender Salamanders beside a small seep in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
	Batrachoseps simatus - Kern Canyon Slender Salamander	An adult under a rock.
	Batrachoseps stebbinsi - Tehachapi Slender Salamander	A fallen branch is overturned exposing a Tehachapi Slender Salamander.
	Batrachoseps wrighti - Oregon Slender Salamander	An Oregon Slender Salamander is discovered under some wood in the forest.
	Hellbender - Cryptobranchus
	Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis - Eastern Hellbender	An adult Hellbender walks around in the shallow part of a stream in Graham County, North Carolina
	Giant Salamanders - Dicamptodon
	Dicamptodon copei - Cope's Giant Salamander	Some views of an aquatic neotenic Cope's Giant Salamander and its habitat and a second one at the end next to an Olympic Torrent Salamander on the Olympic Peninsula in Mason County, Washington.
	Dicamptodon ensatus - California Giant Salamander	A juvenile California Giant Salamander under the redwoods.
	Dicamptodon ensatus - California Giant Salamander	This short video shows some of the sounds this salamander is capable of making. A hiker in mid February observed this huge adult CA Giant Salamander walking on a dirt trail at 1 PM in Santa Cruz County. He had no idea what it was when he got close with his video camera, and was startled to hear a loud rattling bark - and the camera movement shows it. You can just barely see the salamander opening its mouth as it produces this first roar. Then we can hear the salamander making some more raspy rattling sounds as it stands in a defensive posture. After using this site to identify the huge mysterious rattling beast he saw in the forest, he sent me the video so that we can all admire this salamander's performance.
	Dicamptodon tenebrosus - Coastal Giant Salamander	Coastal Giant Salamander larvae shown walking and swimming in shallow water and on streamside stones.
	Dicamptodon tenebrosus - Coastal Giant Salamander	You can see the gills working on this tiny larva shown underwater in a small aquarium.
	Dicamptodon tenebrosus - Coastal Giant Salamander	A neotenic salamander in Siskiyou County is seen in water pumping its gills and gulping air. © Ryan Aberg
	Ensatinas - Ensatina
	Ensatina eschscholtzii croceater - Yellow-blotched Ensatina	An adult Yellow-blotched Ensatina crawls around on a fallen log trying to get back under cover.
	Ensatina eschscholtzii eschscholtzii - Monterey Ensatina	A juvenile and an adult Monterey Ensatina are uncovered in the redwoods.
	Ensatina eschscholtzii klauberi - Large-blotched Ensatina	An adult Large-blotched Ensatina crawls around in the forest on a San Diego County mountain.
	Ensatina eschscholtzii klauberi - Large-blotched Ensatina	A juveinle Large-blotched Ensatina in San Diego County.
	Ensatina eschscholtzii oregonensis - Oregon Ensatina	An adult Ensatina crawls around on the forest floor. A juvenile shows it can move very fast when it wants to.
	Ensatina eschscholtzii oregonensis - Oregon Ensatina	Several adult Oregon Ensatinas and a tiny black juvenile which has lost its tail wish they could crawl back under their logs in Washington.
	Ensatina eschscholtzii picta - Painted Ensatina	Adult and juvenile painted Painted Ensatinas roam the redwood forest. One climbs up to the edge of a large downed log then jumps way down to the ground showing off its acrobatic skills.
	Ensatina eschscholtzii picta - Painted Ensatina	Ensatina are often found hiding under the bark of fallen trees, like this one in Del Norte County.
	Ensatina eschscholtzii picta - Painted Ensatina	An Ensatina in defensive mode makes a series of faint squeaking sounds. © Cory Walker
	Ensatina eschscholtzii platensis - Sierra Nevada Ensatina	A Sierra Nevada Ensatina in the mountains of Kern County.
	Ensatina eschscholtzii xanthoptica - Yellow-eyed Ensatina	Views of two Yellow-eyed Ensatina, the first from Contra Costa County, the second from the Santa Cruz Mountains.
	Ensatina eschscholtzii xanthoptica - Yellow-eyed Ensatina	A couple of adult salamanders discovered out on the surface at night in Marin County
	Brook Salamanders - Eurycea
	Eurycea sosorum - Barton Springs Salamander	A couple of Barton Springs Salamanders move around in an aquarium, then views of three of their remaining habitats.
	Web-toed Salamanders - Hydromantes
	Hydromantes brunus - Limestone Salamander	An adult limestone salamander crawls down a limestone rock and underneath another one.
	Hydromantes brunus - Limestone Salamander	A tiny juvenile limestone salamander is discovered when a rock is turned over. It is allowed to crawl outside of the footprint of the rock before the rock is replaced.
	Hydromantes platycephalus - Mount Lyell Salamander	An adult climbs up a rocky seep high in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
	Hydromantes platycephalus - Mount Lyell Salamander	An adult salamander crawls up and over a large wet rock and under another one next to an Inyo County creek.
	Hydromantes platycephalus - Mount Lyell Salamander	An adult salamander is seen crawling down a large granite rock next to a creek in Inyo County.
	Hydromantes platycephalus - Mount Lyell Salamander	A tiny juvenile in Tuolumne County.
	Hydromantes platycephalus - Mount Lyell Salamander	A juvenile found on a steep rock face with water flowing down it.
	Hydromantes samweli - Samwel Shasta Salamander	A good look at adult and juvenile Samwel Shasta Salamanders refusing to move for the camera.
	Woodland Salamanders - Plethodon
	Plethodon dunni - Dunn's Salamander	A Dunn's Salamander is found under a rock at the edge of a mountain stream in Oregon.
	Plethodon dunni - Dunn's Salamander	Dunn's on the run. Like many salamanders when they move quickly, this one seems to hurl itself forward out of control while wriggling its long body from side to side.
	Plethodon elongatus - Del Norte Salamander	Several Del Norte Salamanders run away and hide in typical salamander style.
	Plethodon elongatus - Del Norte Salamander	Watch this salamander walk and get an overview of its habitat.
	Plethodon idahoensis - Coeur d'Alene Salamander	A Coeur d'Alene Salamander in Idaho.
	Plethodon larselli - Larch Mountain Salamander	A salamander sitting on a rock becomes alarmed and runs while quickly writhing its body back and forth until it rolls itself into a ball and rolls down off the rock where it bounces off another rock and springs and rolls again until it lands safely. This amazing escape behavior, developed as a defense for survival on steep rocky slopes, is shown in real time, then slowed down for a better look.
	Plethodon neomexicanus - Jemez Mountains Salamander	A brief look at a Jemez Mountains Salamander crawling back under its log.
	Plethodon stormi - Siskiyou Mountains Salamander	A rock is overturned exposing a Siskiyou Mountains Salamander.
	Plethodon vandkyei - Van Dyke's Salamander	A Van Dyke's Salamander is discovered under a rock below a waterfall.
	Plethodon vehiculum - Western Red-backed Salamander	Western Red-backed Salamanders are discovered under rocks below a waterfall.
	Torrent Salamanders - Rhyacotriton
	Rhyacotriton cascadae - Cascade Torrent Salamander	A few torrent salamanders found along a rocky creek.
	Rhyacotriton olympicus - Olympic Torrent Salamander	Olympic Torrent Salamanders move aroud the rocky bank of a forest creek on the Olympic Peninsula.
	Rhyacotriton variegatus - Southern Torrent Salamander	Southern Torrent Salamanders next to a creek, showing they are capable of wild bursts of speed.
	Newts - Taricha
	Taricha granulosa - Rough-skinned Newt	Pairs of Rough-skinned newts in amplexus in the breeding pond.
	Taricha granulosa - Rough-skinned Newt	Male newts in the breeding pond wrestling over and waiting for females.
	Taricha granulosa - Rough-skinned Newt	A male and a female Rough-skinned newt in their underwater amplexus ballet.
	Taricha granulosa - Rough-skinned Newt	A few gentle taps on the back of a Rough-skinned Newt causes it to take a passive defensive posture, raising its tail and head to display the bright orange color of its underside which signifies danger. This "unken reflex" shows a would-be predator that the newt is deadly poisonous, while at the same time, the newt releases deadly toxins from its skin.
	Taricha granulosa - Rough-skinned Newt	Rough-skinned newts move around the rocky shallow margins of a river in Douglas County, Oregon, occasionally coming up for air.
	Taricha granulosa - Rough-skinned Newt	Several Rough-skinned newts in Pacific County, Washington, interact with an underwater egg mass that could be from A. gracile - Northwestern Salamander, or possibly a Long-toed Salamander. Some of the newts appear to be trying to bite the eggs as if to eat them, while others seem to just thrash around without taking any bites.
	Taricha granulosa - Rough-skinned Newt	Solo male newts and males and females in amplexus swim underwater in a breeding pond in Pacific County, Washington in mid February.
	Taricha granulosa - Rough-skinned Newt	Several Rough-skinned newts in a Tillamook Co., Oregon coastal lake, 3.5 feet offshore and in 12" deep water feeding on largemouth bass eggs, most less than 1 mm in diameter. © Chris Rombough
	Taricha rivularis - Red-bellied Newt	Red-bellied newts at their breeding creek in the redwood forest.
	Taricha rivularis - Red-bellied Newt	Male Red-bellied newts walking around a creek at the beginning of the breeding season, waiting for females to arrive.
	Taricha rivularis - Red-bellied Newt	Two male Red-bellied newts try to steal a female from a male in amplexus with her, but they do not succeed.
	Taricha rivularis - Red-bellied Newt	Breeding male newts move around underwater in a small aquarium.
	Taricha rivularis - Red-bellied Newt	Red-bellied Newt Larvae only about an inch in length swim and crawl around in an aquarium.
	Taricha rivularis - Red-bellied Newt	Red-bellied Newt Larvae only about an inch in length crawl around on the bottom of a rocky creek in Mendocino County in late August.
	Taricha sierrae - Sierra Newt	A male newt, found crossing a road in the afternoon towards a breeding pool in a creek in Fresno County, is set down at the edge of the pool. He walks in and swims away quickly. Another male approaches him, either chasing him away from his territory or checking to see if he might be a female, and after only a few minutes in the pool, the new guy climbs back out of the water.
	Taricha sierrae - Sierra Newt	A Sierra newt crosses a road on a March afternoon in Fresno County.
	Taricha sierrae - Sierra Newt	A female Sierra Newt clings to several recently-laid egg masses in a shallow pool in Fresno County.
	Taricha sierrae - Sierra Newt	Sierra Newts in motion.
	Taricha sierrae - Sierra Newt	Male newts move around a shallow breeding pool in the Sierra Nevada foothills in early March.
	Taricha sierrae - Sierra Newt	Tiny Sierra Newt larvae move around underwater in a small aquarium.
	Taricha sierrae - Sierra Newt	A tiny Sierra Newt larva crawls around on the bottom of a shallow pool in a slow-moving creek.
	Taricha torosa - California Newt	Coast Range Newts on the move in the woods on a Fall morning.
	Taricha torosa - California Newt	A big ball of newts forms in the breeding pond when a male and female in amplexus are approached by several male newts who want to take the female.
	Taricha torosa - California Newt	Male and female newts in amplexus in the breeding pond. The males hold on tight and swim around the pond using their huge tails. One uses the toes on his hind feet to stroke a female, probably to make her receptive to take his spermatophore.
	Taricha torosa - California Newt	Views of a large mass of female newts in the breeding pond, as they go about laying and securing their eggs.
	Taricha torosa - California Newt	Female newts repeatedly attack and bite at newt egg sacs, probably in an attempt to eat them. Newts have been known to eat the eggs of their own kind.
	Taricha torosa - California Newt	Solitary males patrol the edge of the pond at the beginning of the breeding season waiting for females to arrive, and females are seen crawling overland and entering the water.
	Taricha torosa - California Newt	Coast Range Newt Larvae, about an inch in length, swim and crawl around in an aquarium.

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