{"elementGlobalId":103251,"circumscripConfidence":{"id":1,"circumscripConfidenceDescEn":"1 - Strong","circumscripConfidenceDescEs":"1 - Fuerte","circumscripConfidenceDescFr":"1 – Forte"},"classificationLevel":{"id":7,"classificationLevelNameEn":"Species","classificationLevelNameEs":"Especies","classificationLevelNameFr":"Espèce"},"classificationStatus":{"id":1,"classificationStatusDescEn":"Standard","classificationStatusDescEs":"Estándar","classificationStatusDescFr":"Standard"},"iucn":{"id":11,"iucnDescEn":"Least concern","iucnDescEs":"Menos preocupante","iucnDescFr":"Moins préoccupante","iucnCode":"LC"},"nameCategory":{"id":1,"nameCategoryDescEn":"Vertebrate Animal","nameCategoryDescEs":"Animal vertebrado","nameCategoryDescFr":"Animal vertébré","nameTypeCd":"A","nameTypeDesc":"Zoological"},"rankMethodUsed":{"id":4,"rankMethodUsedDescEn":"Expertise without calculation","rankMethodUsedDescEs":null,"rankMethodUsedDescFr":null,"rankMethodUsedExternalDescEn":"Ranked by inspection","rankMethodUsedExternalDescEs":null,"rankMethodUsedExternalDescFr":null},"formattedScientificName":"<i>Ambystoma gracile</i>","scientificName":"Ambystoma gracile","scientificNameAuthor":"(Baird, 1857 [1859])","primaryCommonName":"Northwestern Salamander","relatedItisNames":"<i>Ambystoma gracile</i> (Baird, 1859) (TSN 173597)","uniqueId":"ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.103251","elcode":"AAAAA01040","conceptRefFullCitation":"Frost, D. R. 1985. Amphibian species of the world. A taxonomic and geographical reference. Allen Press, Inc., and The Association of  Systematics Collections, Lawrence, Kansas. v + 732 pp.","conceptName":"<i>Ambystoma gracile</i>","taxonomicComments":"Titus (1990) concluded that available genetic and morphological information do not support recognition of subspecies.","roundedGRank":"G5","conservationStatusFactorsEditionDate":"2008-01-11","conservationStatusFactorsEditionAuthors":"Hammerson, G.","primaryCommonNameLanguage":"EN","recordType":"SPECIES","elementNationals":[{"elementNationalId":165001,"classifConfidence":null,"nation":{"id":38,"nameEn":"Canada","nameEs":"Canadá","nameFr":"Canada","isoCode":"CA","region":"Canada"},"roundedNRank":"N4","elementSubnationals":[{"elementSubnationalId":277886,"subnation":{"id":61,"nameEn":"British Columbia","nameEs":"Columbia Británica","nameFr":"Colombie-Britannique","subnationCode":"BC","dnationId":38},"roundedSRank":"S4","dataSensitive":{"id":2,"dataSensitiveDescEn":"No","dataSensitiveDescEs":null,"dataSensitiveDescFr":null,"dataSensitiveCode":"N"},"dataSensitiveCategory":null,"srank":"S4","speciesSubnational":{"elementSubnationalId":277886,"hybrid":false,"exotic":false,"native":true}}],"nrankReviewYear":2022,"nrank":"N4","speciesNational":{"elementNationalId":165001,"exotic":false,"native":true}},{"elementNationalId":162896,"classifConfidence":null,"nation":{"id":225,"nameEn":"United States","nameEs":"Estados Unidos","nameFr":"États-Unis","isoCode":"US","region":"United States"},"roundedNRank":"N5","elementSubnationals":[{"elementSubnationalId":359345,"subnation":{"id":1,"nameEn":"Alaska","nameEs":"Alaska","nameFr":"Alaska","subnationCode":"AK","dnationId":225},"roundedSRank":"S3","dataSensitive":{"id":2,"dataSensitiveDescEn":"No","dataSensitiveDescEs":null,"dataSensitiveDescFr":null,"dataSensitiveCode":"N"},"dataSensitiveCategory":null,"srank":"S3","speciesSubnational":{"elementSubnationalId":359345,"hybrid":false,"exotic":false,"native":true}},{"elementSubnationalId":312807,"subnation":{"id":56,"nameEn":"Washington","nameEs":"Washington","nameFr":"Washington","subnationCode":"WA","dnationId":225},"roundedSRank":"S5","dataSensitive":{"id":2,"dataSensitiveDescEn":"No","dataSensitiveDescEs":null,"dataSensitiveDescFr":null,"dataSensitiveCode":"N"},"dataSensitiveCategory":null,"srank":"S5","speciesSubnational":{"elementSubnationalId":312807,"hybrid":false,"exotic":false,"native":true}},{"elementSubnationalId":382616,"subnation":{"id":44,"nameEn":"Oregon","nameEs":"Oregón","nameFr":"Oregon","subnationCode":"OR","dnationId":225},"roundedSRank":"S5","dataSensitive":{"id":2,"dataSensitiveDescEn":"No","dataSensitiveDescEs":null,"dataSensitiveDescFr":null,"dataSensitiveCode":"N"},"dataSensitiveCategory":null,"srank":"S5","speciesSubnational":{"elementSubnationalId":382616,"hybrid":false,"exotic":false,"native":true}},{"elementSubnationalId":355572,"subnation":{"id":7,"nameEn":"California","nameEs":"California","nameFr":"Californie","subnationCode":"CA","dnationId":225},"roundedSRank":"SNR","dataSensitive":{"id":2,"dataSensitiveDescEn":"No","dataSensitiveDescEs":null,"dataSensitiveDescFr":null,"dataSensitiveCode":"N"},"dataSensitiveCategory":null,"srank":"SNR","speciesSubnational":{"elementSubnationalId":355572,"hybrid":false,"exotic":false,"native":true}}],"nrankReviewYear":1996,"nrank":"N5","speciesNational":{"elementNationalId":162896,"exotic":false,"native":true}}],"lastModified":"2026-10-02T21:41:07.740139Z","lastPublished":"2026-10-02T21:32:08.892226Z","promotionalDescription":null,"conceptLineageSummary":null,"nsxUrl":"/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.103251/Ambystoma_gracile","grankAdjustmentReasons":null,"grankChangeDate":"2001-10-03","grankReviewDate":"2016-05-10","grankReasons":"Many stable populations exist throughout the historical range in the Pacific Northwest; not acutely sensitive to modern timber harvest practices; can coexist with introduced fishes and bullfrogs.","grank":"G5","rankInfo":{"elementGlobalId":103251,"aooPercentGood":null,"enviromentalSpecificity":{"id":5,"enviromentalSpecificityDescEn":"Narrow.  Specialist or community with key requirements common.","enviromentalSpecificityDescEs":"Estrecho.  Especialista o comunidad con requisitos claves comunes.","enviromentalSpecificityDescFr":"Étroit. Spécialistes ou communautés répondant aux critères clés sont répandues."},"intrinsicVulnerability":{"id":4,"intrinsicVulnerabilityDescEn":"Moderately vulnerable","intrinsicVulnerabilityDescEs":"Moderadamente vulnerable","intrinsicVulnerabilityDescFr":"Moyennement vulnérable"},"longTermTrend":{"id":38,"longTermTrendDescEn":"Decline of <30% to increase of 25%","longTermTrendDescEs":"Disminución de <30% a aumento de 25%.","longTermTrendDescFr":"Diminution de <30 % à augmentation de 25 %"},"numberEos":{"id":13,"numberEosDescEn":"81 - 300","numberEosDescEs":"De 81 a 300","numberEosDescFr":"De 81 à 300"},"numberGoodEos":{"id":22,"numberGoodEosDescEn":"Unknown","numberGoodEosDescEs":"Desconocido","numberGoodEosDescFr":"Inconnu"},"numberProtEos":{"id":14,"numberProtEosDescEn":"Many to very many (13 to >40) occurrences appropriately protected and managed","numberProtEosDescEs":"De varios a muchos casos (13 a >40) adecuadamente protegidos y controlados","numberProtEosDescFr":"De plusieurs à beaucoup d’occurrences (de 13 à >40) protégées et contrôlées convenablement"},"popSize":{"id":32,"popSizeDescEn":"10,000 - 1,000,000 individuals","popSizeDescEs":"De 10.000 a 1.000.000 de individuos","popSizeDescFr":"De 10 000 à 1 000 000 individus"},"rangeExtent":{"id":33,"rangeExtentDescEn":"200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)","rangeExtentDescEs":"200.000 a 2.500.000 kilómetros cuadrados (aproximadamente 80.000 a 1.000.000 millas cuadradas)","rangeExtentDescFr":"De 200 000 à 2 500 000 km carrés (de 80 000 à 1 000 000 miles carrés approximativement)"},"shortTermTrend":{"id":46,"shortTermTrendDescEn":"Unknown","shortTermTrendDescEs":"Desconocido","shortTermTrendDescFr":"Inconnu"},"threatImpactAssigned":{"id":11,"threatImpactAssignedDescEn":"Unknown","threatImpactAssignedDescEs":"Desconocido","threatImpactAssignedDescFr":"Inconnu"},"rangeExtentComments":"Range includes the Pacific coast of North America from extreme southeastern Alaska south through western Canada and the northwestern United States (mainly west of the Cascades) to the Gualala River, California, at elevations from sea level to about 10,200 feet (3,110 meters) (Stebbins 2003).","areaOfOccupancy":null,"areaOfOccupancyComments":null,"numberEosComments":"This species is represented by many occurrences (subpopulations).","popSizeComments":"Total adult population size is unknown but surely exceeds 10,000 and possibly exceeds 100,000.","viabilityComments":null,"threatImpactComments":"Ambient ultraviolet radiation causes increased mortality of eggs (compared to UV-B-shielded eggs) (Blaustein et al. 1995), but natural oviposition sites often may not be subject to damaging levels of UV. <br />Experimental data indicate that larvae are negatively impacted by the presence of trout (Tyler et al. 1998), yet salamanders and trout coexist in some areas (Leonard et al. 1993). Embryos in egg masses easily survive several weeks of prolonged exposure to air as may occur with recession of water level in breeding ponds (Marco 2001).","shortTermTrendComments":null,"longTermTrendComments":"Over the long term, extent of occurrence, area of occupancy, number of subpopulations, and population size probably have been relatively stable or have declined by less than 25 percent.","inventoryNeeds":null,"numberProtEosComments":"Many occurrences are in national parks or other well-proteced areas.","protectionNeeds":null,"otherConsiderations":null,"intrinsicVulnerabilityComments":null,"enviromentalSpecificityComments":null},"animalCharacteristics":{"elementGlobalId":103251,"majorHabitat":null,"nonMigrant":false,"localMigrant":true,"longDistanceMigrant":false,"mobilityMigrationComments":"Nonpaedomorphic populations migrate between breeding and nonbreeding habitats; usually migrates on rainy nights.","foodHabitsComments":"Larvae feed on zooplankton as well as many other aquatic invertebrates. Diet of terrestrial adults is not well documented, but they apparently feed on a wide variety of terrestrial invertebrates (Nussbaum et al. 1983).","animalPhenologyComments":"Nonpaedomorphic adults seldom seen except when breeding. Active day and night in deep water where fish absent; strictly nocturnal where fish present (Taylor 1984).","colonialBreeder":true,"length":22,"width":null,"weight":null,"animalPhenologies":[{"animalCagPhenologyId":102323,"animalPhenology":{"id":1,"animalPhenologyDescEn":"Hibernates/aestivates","animalPhenologyDescEs":"Hibernación/Estivación","animalPhenologyDescFr":"Hiberne/estive","displayOrder":1},"adult":true,"immature":true},{"animalCagPhenologyId":102324,"animalPhenology":{"id":2,"animalPhenologyDescEn":"Circadian","animalPhenologyDescEs":"Circadiano","animalPhenologyDescFr":"Circadien","displayOrder":2},"adult":true,"immature":true},{"animalCagPhenologyId":102325,"animalPhenology":{"id":4,"animalPhenologyDescEn":"Nocturnal","animalPhenologyDescEs":"Nocturno","animalPhenologyDescFr":"Nocturne","displayOrder":4},"adult":true,"immature":true}],"animalFoodHabits":[{"animalCagFoodHabitsId":104351,"foodHabits":{"id":3,"foodHabitsDescEn":"Invertivore","foodHabitsDescEs":"Invertívoro","foodHabitsDescFr":"Invertivore","displayOrder":3},"adult":true,"immature":true}]},"occurrenceDelineations":[{"eoSpecsDetailId":1000,"locationUseClass":{"id":1,"locationUseClassDescEn":"Not applicable","locationUseClassDescEs":"No se aplica","locationUseClassDescFr":"Sans objet","displayOrder":1},"eoSpecGroupName":"Ambystomatid Salamanders","subtypes":null,"inferredExtentDistance":0.3,"inferredExtentNotes":"Inferred extent distance pertains to breeding sites (with the center of the circle in the center of the breeding site). Most ambystomatids stay within a few hundred meters of their breeding pool (see separation justification section).","minimumEoCriteria":"Occurrences are based on evidence of historical presence, or current and likely recurring presence, at a given location. Such evidence minimally includes collection or reliable observation and documentation of one or more individuals (including larvae or eggs) in or near appropriate habitat where the species is presumed to be established and  breeding.","mappingGuidance":null,"separationBarriers":"Heavily traveled road, especially at night during salamander breeding season, such that salamanders almost never successfully traverse the road; road with a barrier that is impermeable to salamanders; wide, fast rivers; areas of intensive development dominated by buildings and pavement.","separationDistanceUnsuitableHabitatat":1.0,"separationDistanceSuitableHabitatat":3.0,"altSeparationProcedure":null,"separationJustification":"BARRIERS/UNSUITABLE HABITAT: Rivers may or may not be effective barriers, depending on stream width and hydrodynamics; identification of streams as barriers is a subjective determination. Bodies of water dominated by predatory fishes have been described as barriers but probably should be regarded as unsuitable habitat. For A. barbouri, a stream-pool breeder, predatory fishes appeared to act as a barrier to larval dispersal and gene flow for populations separated by as little as 500-1000 m (Storfer 1999). Highly disturbed land, such as the cleared and bedded soils of some silvicultural site preparation, may serve as an impediment to movement of A. cingulatum (Means et al. 1996), although Ashton (1998) noted the species' use of pine plantations, pastures, and three-year-old clearcuts. Such areas should be treated as unsuitable habitat rather than barriers. <br><br>MOVEMENTS: Palis's (1997b) suggested use of 3.2 km between breeding sites to distinguish breeding populations of A. cingulatum was based on Ashton's (1992) finding that individuals may move as much as 1.6 km from their breeding ponds. Ambystoma californiense sometimes migrates up to 2 km between breeding ponds and terrestrial habitat (see USFWS 2004). Funk and Dunlap (1999) found that A. macrodactylum managed to recolonize lakes after trout extirpation despite evidence of low levels of interpopulation dispersal. Based on a review of several Ambystoma species (e.g., Semlitsch 1981, Douglas and Monroe 1981, Kleeberger and Werner 1983, Madison 1997), Semlitsch (1998) concluded that a radius of less than 200 meters around a breeding pond would likely encompass the terrestrial habitat used by more than 95 percent of adults. Faccio's (2003) study of radio-tagged A. maculatum and A. jeffersonianum in Vermont supports this conclusion. In New York, all movements of A. tigrinum occurred in areas within 300 m of the nearest breeding pond (Madison and Farrand 1998). However, most studies of these salamanders had small sample sizes and/or were not designed to detect long-distance movements, so migration distance may be somewhat underestimated.<br><br>In summary, ambystomatid salamanders generally stay within a few hundred meters of their breeding pool. Due to high breeding site fidelity and limitation of breeding to pool basins, populations using different breeding sites exhibit little or no interbreeding among adults. Thus one might argue that each pool constitutes a separate occurrence or that the separation distance for suitable habitat should be the nominal minimum of 1 km. However, little is known about how frequently first-time (or experienced) breeders use non-natal pools (pools from which they did not originate) or how far they may move to such sites. Frequent colonization of new and remote habitats by at least some species suggests that dispersal movements sometimes may be longer than typical adult migration distances. It seems unlikely that locations separated by a gap of less than a few kilometers of suitable habitat would represent independent occurrences over the long term.","versionDate":"2004-09-10","versionAuthor":"Hammerson, G.","versionNotes":null,"lastModified":"2020-04-30T02:04:15.597347Z"}],"plantCharacteristics":null,"elementManagement":{"elementGlobalId":103251,"eoManagementGroupName":null,"stewardshipOverview":null,"impacts":null,"restorationPotential":null,"siteConservationPlansConsidered":null,"managementMethods":"In Washington, a lake population increased after removal of non-native fishes (Hoffman et al. 2004).","monitoringMethods":null,"managementProgramContacts":null,"monitoringProgramContacts":null,"managementResearchPrograms":null,"managementResearchNeeds":null,"biologicalResearchNeeds":null,"additionalTopics":null},"occurrenceViabilities":[{"eoRankSpecsDetailId":104737,"eoRankSpecsGroupName":null,"locationUseClass":{"id":1,"locationUseClassDescEn":"Not applicable","locationUseClassDescEs":"No se aplica","locationUseClassDescFr":"Sans objet","displayOrder":1},"excellentViability":null,"goodViability":null,"fairViability":null,"poorViability":null,"viabilityJustification":"Use the Generic Guidelines for the Application of Occurrence Ranks (2008).<br>The Key for Ranking Species Occurrences Using the Generic Approach provides a step-wise process for implementing this method.","versionDate":null,"versionAuthor":null,"versionNotes":null,"lastModified":"2020-05-14T02:23:37.335365Z"}],"references":[{"id":762966,"citation":"Anderson, B.C. 2004. 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