Amphibians
Clouded Salamander
Aneides ferreus · also called clouded salamanders
Gripping the loose bark of a standing dead tree with unusually strong toe tips, a clouded salamander climbs several feet off the ground, a level of arboreal comfort rare among salamanders and well suited to the decaying wood-rich coastal forests of Oregon it calls home.
Overview
The clouded salamander, Aneides ferreus, is a lungless amphibian native to coastal forest habitat with abundant standing dead trees and rotting logs across parts of Oregon and far northern California. Its unusually strong climbing ability, mottled cloud-like pattern, and relatively recent split from its close relative the wandering salamander make it one of the more physically capable and taxonomically interesting climbing salamanders in the Pacific Northwest.
A salamander that would rather climb than crawl
While most salamanders stay confined to the forest floor, the clouded salamander’s unusually strong grip lets it treat standing dead trees and loose bark as just another part of its everyday habitat.
Status
Least Concern — present and stable across suitable coastal forest habitat with abundant decaying wood throughout its range in Oregon and far northern California.
Clouded Salamander: common questions
What is the difference between the clouded salamander and the wandering salamander?
These two species were once considered the same, but genetic studies in the late 1990s confirmed they are distinct, separated by a gap between their ranges, with the clouded salamander found in Oregon and the wandering salamander found farther south along the northern California coast, the latter believed to have dispersed there by rafting on drift logs after the last ice age.
How does the clouded salamander climb so well?
This species has slightly enlarged toe tips that give it an unusually strong grip for a salamander, allowing it to climb standing dead trees, rotting logs, and loose bark with an ease that most ground-dwelling salamander species simply cannot manage.
Why is it called the clouded salamander?
This species displays a mottled, blotchy pattern across its back reminiscent of clouds, a colouration distinctive enough to give the species its common name and to help it blend into the textured surface of the decaying wood it spends much of its time on.
Does the clouded salamander bite?
Yes, this species has comparatively strong jaw muscles for a salamander and will bite firmly during territorial disputes with rival individuals, a more pronounced level of aggression than seen in many other, more passive salamander species.