Aneides vagrans
Silhouette: Benjamin Monod-Broca · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%
The wandering salamander (Aneides vagrans) is species of climbing salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It has a disjunct distribution, with one population in northern California and another on Vancouver Island. It is unclear whether this distribution is natural or the result of unintentional human introductions. While it can be found terrestrially, the species is known for its habitation of the forest canopy, particularly in the crowns of coast redwood trees. When disturbed, individuals of this species may leap from trees, gliding and controlling their descent in the air with various physical adaptations.
The wandering salamander is a long, slender salamander that grows to a snout-vent length of approximately 80 millimetres (3.1 in) and a total length of 130 millimetres (5.1 in). Its base color ranges from brown to light grey, with lighter bronze-grey mottling distributed across its dorsal surface. Juveniles also have a coppery-bronze stripe down the spine. The species has between 14 and 16 costal grooves, though 15 is most common. The head is broader and more triangular in males than in females. Like other plethodontid salamanders, they possess a pair of naso... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Redwood National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Pacific Rim National Park Reserve | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Great Bear Rainforest | 🇨🇦 Canada |
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Wandering Salamander sighting in Redwood National Park on a given day, based on 56 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 11th most-seen of the 14 amphibians we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March
In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Wandering Salamander in Redwood National Park on a given day, against about 10% in November, the lowest month. That is one of Redwood National Park's wettest months, with about 270 mm of rain against almost none in July.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Wandering Salamander sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
Yes
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Wandering Salamander sightings, Redwood National Park has the highest daily chance: about 30%. Next come Pacific Rim National Park Reserve (Canada, about 20%) and Great Bear Rainforest (Canada, about 10%).
Same family: Plethodontidae
The closest relatives of the Wandering Salamander that you can see in Redwood National Park (family Plethodontidae, Lungless Salamanders) are Ensatina (about 60%), California Slender Salamander (about 50%) and Del Norte Salamander (about 40%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Wandering Salamander is recorded against all the amphibians logged in Redwood National Park (56 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
