HEALTH & WELLNESS
Photo © flickr.com/photos/johnclare
CREATURES OF THE NORTHWEST COAST L U NA L OISEA U -T RE M B LAY
THE WANDERING
SALAMANDER One of my favourite creatures to see on wet forest walks
it into perspective when we pass by a “salamander cross-
are salamanders, clinging to the moss-covered rock faces
ing" sign on the road, accidentally step on one, or take
dripping with maiden hair spleenwort, lichens, and fresh
down an old stump in the back 40. Specific habitat re-
green moss. In British Columbia we have nine species
quirements, such as tree size and decaying bark, and low
of salamanders, six of which are on Vancouver Island.
reproductive and dispersal rates are other reasons that
These are the Wandering Salamander, Western Long-
the wandering salamander is vulnerable.
toed Salamander, Western Redback Salamander, Ensatina, Roughskin Newt, and the Northwestern Salamander.
Although this species can be found in forest edges, logged areas and even residential yards, it is dependent on large
My personal favourite is the Wandering Salamander,
diameter fallen trees which are most abundant in intact
Aneides vagrans, which has a designation of “species of
old growth forests. Because of this, it is threatened by log-
special concern” (blue listed, 2014) with COSEWIC. It is
ging, residential development and an increase in events
long and slender, growing to around 3-5 inches in length.
related to climate change, such as severe droughts and
The tail is prehensile and the toes have square cut ends,
the potential for tsunamis which would damage any for-
thought to help in tree climbing. The body is a brown to
ested areas occupied by these salamanders. Their popu-
light grey, mottled with little goldish-bronze flecks. The
lation is restricted to southwestern BC and coastal Cal-
nature of these goldish flecks makes it look sparkly, like a
ifornia, and because of the genetic similarities of these
starry sky, which is why this salamander is such a lovely
two populations, it is likely that the wandering salaman-
species to find. It is a terrestrial salamander of the family
der came north on natural log rafting events as a result of
Plethodontidae, the lungless salamanders.
ocean currents.
Like many amphibians, the Wandering Salamander relies
My own experience with this species is finding them in
on cutaneous respiration and thus is restricted to damp
old plywood stacked in the yard, swimming in a plant
microhabitats, such as under bark or inside cavities of
pot filled with rainwater on my deck, and coming across
decaying wood. Females lay their eggs in these decaying
them on a forest walk or hike. A few months ago, a fall-
trees, such as large fallen timber or stumps; the young
er friend that was limbing a tree close by was surprised
emerge in the late summer or fall and take three years
to find one high up in the canopy, while some school
to reach sexual maturity. Incredibly, the average age of
kids found a handful of tiny juveniles in a deep hole in a
an adult is between 8-11 years but they can live up to 20.
stump they were playing on. We are so fortunate to live in
Reflecting on these aspects of their life cycle really puts
observation of the natural world around us.
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this beautiful temperate rainforest and learn from casual
W W W. C O M PA S S M A G A Z I N E . C A
