Santa Cruz Black Salamander Aneides niger  Myers & Maslin, 1948
An adult specimen from California Image © Suzanne L. Collins, 2001
Taxonomic Comments:
Highton (2000 Detecting Cryptic Species Using Allozyme Data. Pp. 215-241. In Bruce, Jaeger and Houck (editors). The Biology of Plethodontid Salamanders. Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, New York. xiii + 485 pp.) proposed that this race should be recognized as a species distinct from Aneides flavipunctatus. Collins & Taggart (2002 Standard Common and Current Scientific Names for North American Amphibians, Turtles, Reptiles, and Crocodilians. Fifth Edition) submitted for consideration the proposal by Highton (2000 op. cit.) to a salamander systematist group composed of Paul Chippindale, Richard Highton, David M. Sever, Stephen G. Tilley, Tom A. Titus, David B. Wake, and Addison H. Wynn, and they agreed. Rissler, Leslie J. & Joseph J. Apodaca (2007. Adding More Ecology into Species Delimitation: Ecological Niche Models and Phylogeography Help Define Cryptic Species in the Black Salamander ((Aneides flavipunctatus) Systematic Biology 56(6): 924-942) provided additional evidence that this allopatric taxon is a distinct species.