Aneides lugubris
Silhouette: Benjamin Monod-Broca · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
The arboreal salamander (Aneides lugubris) is a species of climbing salamander. An insectivore, it is native to California and Baja California, where it is primarily associated with oak and sycamore woodlands, and thick chaparral.
Aneides lugubris is 6.5–10 cm (2.6–3.9 in) SVL (snout-vent length), with plain purplish-brown coloring, usually spotted dorsally with gold or yellow, although it may also be unspotted. This salamander has longer and sharper teeth than many others within the order, Urodela. Aneides lugubris are insectivorous and have been found to eat beetles, caterpillars, sow bugs, ants, and centipedes. The tail is prehensile. The juvenile is dark overall, clouded with greyish color and fine yellow speckling on the back. The male of this species can be distinguished by its broad triangular head, with the front teeth of the jaw extending beyond the bottom lip. A large adult can inflict a painful bite.
This species is an excellent climber and difficult to capture. It is nocturnal, spending daylight hours and dry periods in the cavities of oak trees, often with many other individuals of its species. Having their primary habitat being in the trees, arboreal... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | San Diego | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report an Arboreal Salamander sighting in San Francisco on a given day, based on 899 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 2nd most-seen of the 8 amphibians we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
November to March
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report an Arboreal Salamander in San Francisco on a given day, against about 10% in April to October, the lowest months. Those are among San Francisco's wettest months, with about 85 mm of rain a month against almost none in July.
Between 8 and 11 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Arboreal Salamander sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
Yes
Of the 2 cities where we can rate Arboreal Salamander sightings, San Francisco has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come San Diego (United States, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Arboreal Salamander is recorded against all the amphibians logged in San Francisco (899 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
