Ensatina eschscholtzii
Silhouette: C. Camilo Julián-Caballero · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
The ensatina (Ensatina eschscholtzii) is a species complex of plethodontid (lungless) salamanders found in coniferous forests, oak woodland and chaparral from British Columbia, through Washington, Oregon, across California (where all seven subspecies variations are located), all the way down to Baja California in Mexico. The genus Ensatina originated approximately 21.5 million years ago. It is usually considered as monospecific, being represented by a single species, Ensatina eschscholtzii, with several subspecies forming a ring species.
The subspecies Ensatina e. eschscholtzii, the Monterey ensatina, can be found in Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties and into the California coastal mountains. With a head-to-tail length of just between 3–5 in (7.6–12.7 cm), E. e. eschecholtzi can be identified primarily by its tail, which is narrower at the base; it is the only subspecies that has such a tail structure, as well as five toes on the hind limbs.
Males often have longer tails than the females, and many of these salamanders have lighter-colored limbs, compared to the rest of the body. The adult females lay eggs underground, often in sets of threes, which hatch directly into... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Redwood National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Yosemite National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Olympic National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Great Bear Rainforest | 🇨🇦 Canada |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portland | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Seattle | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Vancouver | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | San Francisco | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vancouver Aquarium | 🇨🇦 Canada |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report an Ensatina sighting in San Francisco on a given day, based on 104 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 6th most-seen of the 8 amphibians we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
December to February
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report an Ensatina in San Francisco on a given day, against under 5% in March to November, the lowest months. Those are among San Francisco's wettest months, with about 100 mm of rain a month against almost none in July.
Between 1 and 4 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Ensatina sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
4th of 4
Of the 4 cities where we can rate Ensatina sightings, San Francisco ranks 4th at under 5%. The best odds are in Portland (United States, about 20%), Seattle (United States, about 10%) and Vancouver (Canada, about 10%).
Same family: Plethodontidae
The closest relatives of the Ensatina that you can see in San Francisco (family Plethodontidae, Lungless Salamanders) are California Slender Salamander (about 20%) and Arboreal Salamander (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Ensatina is recorded against all the amphibians logged in San Francisco (104 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.
