Yreka, Calif. - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced that after review, protection under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) is not required for the Siskiyou Mountains salamander.
The Siskiyou Mountains salamander is a terrestrial, medium-sized, slender-bodied salamander with short limbs and a dorsal stripe. Active during wet and warm periods in early spring and late fall, the salamander stays deep underground in rocky talus most of the year, especially during the dry summer and freezing winter months.
This terrestrial salamander is a “lie-in-wait” hunter. It lunges from hiding spots among the rock talus to grab prey such as spiders, beetles and moths as they move within range. Salamanders play a key role in the forest food web by eating small prey that is not available to larger predators.
As its name implies, the Siskiyou Mountains salamander is found in the Klamath-Siskiyou Mountains of southern Oregon and northern California. Although this salamander occurs within a very limited area, the Service found adequate and protected habitats exist for this species.
The Yreka Fish and Wildlife Office is working with the Klamath National Forest to develop a conservation strategy for the Siskiyou Mountain salamander, and in Oregon the Roseburg FWO is currently working with the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest and the Medford District Bureau of Land Management to implement a conservation agreement and strategy for this salamander. Together, these actions will help conserve the Siskiyou Mountains salamander on all federal lands across the range of the species.
The full notice of finding for the Siskiyou Mountains salamander is available for public view today in the Federal Register, and will officially publish in the Federal Register on August 15, 2019. All documents and supporting information for this finding will be available at www.regulations.gov. In the search window, enter docket number FWS-R8-ES-2018-0111.
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