# Wandering salamander

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Wandering_salamander
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Wandering_salamander.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wandering_salamander
> Source revision: 1357138302
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

{{Short description|Species of amphibian}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Adult Wandering Salamander (Aneides vagrans).jpg
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 9 December 2022">{{cite iucn |author=IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group |date=2022 |title=''Aneides vagrans'' |volume=2022 |article-number=e.T59119A197437244 |url=https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/59119/197437244 |access-date=17 December 2022}}</ref>
| taxon = Aneides vagrans
| authority = Wake & [Jackman](/source/Todd_R._Jackman), 1998<ref name=jackman1998/>
}}

The '''wandering salamander''' ('''''Aneides vagrans''''') is species of [climbing salamander](/source/climbing_salamander) in the family [Plethodontidae](/source/Lungless_salamander). It has a [disjunct distribution](/source/disjunct_distribution), with one population in northern [California](/source/California) and another on [Vancouver Island](/source/Vancouver_Island). It is unclear whether this distribution is natural or the result of unintentional human introductions.<ref name="jackman1998">{{cite journal |author=Jackman, T. R. |year=1998 |title=Molecular and historical evidence for the introduction of clouded salamanders (genus ''Aneides'') to Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, from California |url=http://ib.berkeley.edu/labs/wake/1998_CanJZool_Aneides.pdf |journal=Canadian Journal of Zoology |volume=76 |issue=8 |pages=1570–1580 |doi=10.1139/z98-091}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, issuing body. |title=COSEWIC assessment and status report on the wandering salamander, Aneides vagrans, in Canada. |date=2014 |publisher=Canadian Wildlife Service = Service canadien de la faune |isbn=978-1-100-23928-6 |oclc=923013075}}</ref> While it can be found terrestrially, the species is known for its habitation of the forest canopy, particularly in the crowns of [coast redwood](/source/coast_redwood) trees.<ref name="spickler et al 2006">{{cite journal |last1=Spickler |first1=James C |last2=Sillett |first2=Stephen C |last3=Marks |first3=Sharyn B. |last4=Welsh Jr. |first4=Hartwell H. |title=EVIDENCE OF A NEW NICHE FOR A NORTH AMERICAN SALAMANDER: ANEIDES VAGRANS RESIDING IN THE CANOPY OF OLD-GROWTH REDWOOD FOREST |journal=Herpetological Conservation and Biology |date=2006 |volume=1 |issue=1 |pages=16–26 |url=https://research.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/25045 |access-date=9 January 2025}}</ref> When disturbed, individuals of this species may leap from trees, gliding and controlling their descent in the air with various physical [adaptations](/source/adaptations).<ref name="youtube vid skydiving">{{cite web |title=Watch Salamanders Skydive! Deep Look |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dk8r7O8KDqg |website=Deep Look Youtube Channel |publisher=KQED San Francisco and PBS Digital Studios |access-date=27 February 2025}}</ref>

==Description==
thumb|A sub-adult wandering salamander|left 
The wandering salamander is a long, slender salamander that grows to a [snout-vent length](/source/snout-vent_length) of approximately {{convert|80|mm}} and a total length of {{convert|130|mm}}.<ref name=AmphibiaWeb>{{cite web |url=https://amphibiaweb.org/cgi/amphib_query?where-genus=Aneides&where-species=vagrans |title=''Aneides vagrans'' - Wandering Salamander |publisher=AmphibiaWeb |access-date=2024-01-09}}</ref><ref name=Calherp>{{cite web |url=http://www.californiaherps.com/salamanders/pages/a.vagrans.html |title=''Aneides vagrans'' - Wandering Salamander |publisher=CaliforniaHerps |access-date=2025-02-27}}</ref> 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.<ref name="Calherp" /><ref name="working report bc 1993">{{cite book |last1=Davis |first1=T.M. |last2=Gregory |first2=P.T. |title=STATUS OF THE CLOUDED SALAMANDER IN BRITISH COLUMBIA |date=1993 |publisher=Wildlife Branch Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks |location=Victoria, BC |edition=Wildlife Working Report No. WR-53}}</ref> The species has between 14 and 16 costal grooves, though 15 is most common.<ref name="AmphibiaWeb" /> The head is broader and more triangular in males than in females.<ref name="Calherp" /> Like other plethodontid salamanders, they possess a pair of naso-labial grooves  between the nostrils and the mouth that are involved in [chemoreception](/source/Chemoreceptor).<ref name="brown and martof 1966">{{cite journal |last1=Brown |first1=Charles E. |last2=Martof |first2=Bernard S. |title=The Function of the Naso-Labial Groove of Plethodontid Salamanders |journal=Physiological Zoology |date=October 1966 |volume=39 |issue=4 |pages=357–367 |doi=10.1086/physzool.39.4.30152358 |url=https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/physzool.39.4.30152358 |access-date=9 January 2025|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

The species has adaptions conducive to an [arboreal](/source/arboreal) lifestyle, with relatively long legs and toes that have expanded terminal pads with square cut ends to aid in both vertical climbing and gliding.<ref name="AmphibiaWeb" /><ref name="odonell and deban">{{cite journal |last1=O'Donnell |first1=Mary Kate |last2=Deban |first2=Stephen M. |title=Cling performance and surface area of attachment in plethodontid salamanders |journal=Journal of Experimental Biology |date=2020 |volume=233 |page=jeb211706 |doi=10.1242/jeb.211706 |url=https://journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/223/17/jeb211706/225927/Cling-performance-and-surface-area-of-attachment |access-date=9 January 2025|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref name="aretz et al">{{cite journal |last1=Aretz |first1=J.M. |last2=Brown |first2=C.E. |last3=Deban |first3=S.M. |title=Vertical locomotion in the arboreal salamander Aneides vagrans |journal=Journal of Zoology |date=2022 |volume=316 |pages=72–79 |doi=10.1111/jzo.12934 |url=https://zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jzo.12934 |access-date=9 January 2025|url-access=subscription }}</ref> The tail is prehensile, round in cross section, and helps the salamander direct its descent when falling.<ref name="AmphibiaWeb" /><ref name="brown and kirk">{{cite journal |last1=Brown |first1=Christian E. |last2=Kirk |first2=Alexander M. |title=Characterizing lift, drag, and pressure differences across wandering salamanders (Aneides vagrans) with computational fluid dynamics to investigate aerodynamics |journal=Journal of Morphology |date=2023 |volume=284 |page=e21583 |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jmor.21583 |access-date=9 January 2025}}</ref><ref name="brown2022" />

thumb|A dark morph sub-adult wandering salamander

The wandering salamander is similar in appearance to the [clouded salamander](/source/clouded_salamander) (''Aneides ferreus'') and they were at one time considered to be the same species.

==Taxonomy==
The wandering salamander and the clouded salamander were considered the same species until 1998.<ref name="jackman1998" /> Prior to splitting, the clouded salamander's range extended from northern California to Oregon, with an adjunct population on Vancouver Island. However, an examination of the [mitochondrial DNA](/source/Ribosomal_DNA) and [allozyme](/source/allozyme)s of populations from various parts of the species' range determined that individuals from California and Vancouver Island were genetically similar to one another and distinct from the populations found in Oregon.<ref name="jackman1998" /> The species found in California and Vancouver Island was subsequently dubbed ''Aneides vagrans'', the wandering salamander, while the species found in Oregon retained the name ''Aneides ferreus''.<ref name="jackman1998" />

==Distribution==
In California, the wandering salamander's range extends from northern Siskiyou and Del Norte Counties, south along the coast through northwestern Sonoma County. The species is widespread in low elevation forests across Vancouver Island and its surrounding islands. The cause of the [disjunct distribution](/source/disjunct_distribution) of ''A. vagrans'' is not certain. There are many theories as to why the species has such an unusual range, but none have been directly studied and therefore remain merely speculative.

It has been postulated that ''A. vagrans'' was introduced to Vancouver Island in the nineteenth century via large sheets of [tanoak](/source/Notholithocarpus) bark imported from California for the [tanning](/source/tanning_(leather)) industry, and subsequently spread to nearly all the surrounding [islets](/source/islets) on floating logs.<ref name="jackman1998" /> Wandering salamanders are known to inhabit bark crevices, and several leather tanning facilities were established on Vancouver Island in the decades before the first recorded occurrence of the species in 1906.<ref name="jackman1998" /> There is also evidence of extensive tanoak bark importation from [San Francisco](/source/San_Francisco) to Vancouver Island in the late 1800s.<ref name="jackman1998" /> Tanoak bark shipped from San Francisco was harvested from both standing and fallen trees, and was usually not treated with harsh chemicals prior to shipping, making it possible that salamanders could have been incidentally collected and survived the travel process.<ref name="jackman1998" /> However, while there is circumstantial evidence for the tanoak bark importation theory, questions still remain as to how and why the salamanders were able to rapidly colonize the entirety of Vancouver Island and its surrounding islets from only six tanneries clustered on the southeast coast of the main island.

Another theory holds that the wandering salamander's presence on Vancouver Island is the result of natural [log-rafting](/source/oceanic_dispersal) from California on the north-flowing [Davidson Current](/source/Davidson_Current).<ref name=":0" /> The Davidson Current is the dominant ocean current along the [Pacific coast](/source/Pacific_coast) of [North America](/source/North_America), and, during winter, flows along the [continental shelf](/source/continental_shelf) from California to the nearshore vicinity of Vancouver Island.<ref name="noaa">{{cite web |last1=NOAA Fisheries |title=Oceanography of the Northern California Current Study Area |url=https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/west-coast/science-data/oceanography-northern-california-current-study-area#:~:text=Over%20the%20continental%20shelf%2C%20flows,(%E2%80%9Cfall%20transition%E2%80%9D). |publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |access-date=25 February 2025}}</ref>

Prior being split from ''A. ferreus'', it was hypothesized that the wandering salamander's disjunct distribution was the result of [glaciation](/source/Glacial_period), with the species' once continuous population becoming [fragmented](/source/Population_fragmentation) by [glaciers](/source/glaciers) but persisting in [refugia](/source/Glacial_refugium) in California and Vancouver Island.<ref name="peabody and savage 1958">{{cite journal |last1=Peabody |first1=F.E. |last2=Savage |first2=J.M. |title=Evolution of the coast range corridor in California and its effect on the origin and dispersal of living amphibians and reptiles |journal=Zoogeography |date=1958 |volume=Edited by C.L. Hubbs. American Association for the Advancement of Science, Washington, D.C |pages=159–186}}</ref><ref name="working report bc 1993" /> Vancouver Island is known to have been ice-free during the last glacial maximum, and did serve as a refuge for many species.<ref name="glaciation in vancouver">{{cite journal |last1=Hebda |first1=C.F.G. |last2=McLaren |first2=D. |last3=Mackie |first3=Q. |last4=Fedje |first4=D. |last5=Pederson |first5=M.W. |last6=Willerslev |first6=E. |last7=Brown |first7=K.J. |last8=Hebda |first8=R.J. |title=Late Pleistocene palaeoenvironments and a possible glacial refugium on northern Vancouver Island, Canada: Evidence for the viability of early human settlement on the northwest coast of North America |journal=Quaternary Science Reviews |date=2022 |volume=279 |article-number=107388 |doi=10.1016/j.quascirev.2022.107388 |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277379122000191#:~:text=Parts%20of%20western%20Vancouver%20Island,woodland%20by%2014%2C200%20years%20ago.|doi-access=free }}</ref> However, population fragmentation typically leads to [genetic divergence](/source/genetic_divergence) over time, which would make the very close genetic similarity of the California and Vancouver populations somewhat surprising given how much time has passed since the last glacial period.<ref name="jackman1998" /><ref name=":0" />

==Habitat==
The species occurs from sea level to {{convert|1700|m}}.<ref name=Calherp/> They appear to have very small [home ranges](/source/home_ranges), and rarely venture far from their territories.<ref name="microhabitat" />

Adult salamanders can be found in the forest canopy, or moist terrestrial habitats such as rotting logs, bark crevices, stumps, and the underside of rocks.<ref name="AmphibiaWeb" /><ref name="Calherp" /><ref name="microhabitat">{{cite journal |last1=Davis |first1=Theodore M. |title=Microhabitat Use and Movements of the Wandering Salamander, Aneides vagrans, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada |journal=Journal of Herpetology |date=2002 |volume=36 |issue=4 |pages=699–703 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/1565945.pdf}}</ref> They are more likely to be found within bark on a log than under loose bark on the ground.<ref name=microhabitat/>

Individuals may climb up to {{cvt|80|ft}} in the branches of trees, and have been found living in the crowns of [coast redwoods](/source/coast_redwoods).<ref name="spickler et al 2006" /> Although research on arboreal microhabitat selection in this species has been minimal, they appear to associate with [epiphytic](/source/epiphytic) fern mats in the crotches of redwood branches.<ref name="spickler et al 2006" />

==Life History==

thumb|A juvenile Wandering Salamander (Aneides vagrans).

===Reproduction===
Breeding takes place in spring and early summer, during which the female lays a clutch of 6-9 eggs in a concealed location.<ref name="AmphibiaWeb" /> Eggs have been found in terrestrial locations such as under logs, as well as at the base of tree branches {{convert|30-40|m}} above the ground.<ref name="welsh and wilson 1995">{{cite journal |last1=Welsh Jr |first1=Hartwell H. |last2=Wilson |first2=R.A. |title=Aneides ferreus (clouded salamander) reproduction |journal=Herpetological Review |date=1995 |volume=26 |issue=4 |pages=196–197 |url=https://www.fs.usda.gov/psw/publications/welsh/welsh7.pdf}}</ref> Adult salamanders have been found guarding eggs as they develop.<ref name="Calherp" />

The eggs of wandering salamanders hatch directly into adult form, with no aquatic larval stage.<ref name=":0" />

===Inactivity===
Like most salamanders, activity patterns in wandering salamanders are determined mostly by moisture. This species is more likely to be active and present at the surface when it is rainy or moisture is high.<ref name=Calherp/><ref name="microhabitat" />

On Vancouver Island, the species is most active during spring, summer, and fall, and likely becomes dormant during the cold winter.<ref name="microhabitat" />

In California, this species is generally most active in the rainy winter months and less active during the dry, hot summer.<ref name="jackman1998" /><ref name="Calherp" />

===Diet===
This species is a generalist feeder, consuming small invertebrates such as [ant](/source/ant)s, [mite](/source/mite)s, adult [beetle](/source/beetle)s and their larvae, [snail](/source/snail)s, [springtail](/source/springtail)s and [woodlice](/source/woodlouse).<ref name="AmphibiaWeb" /><ref name="Calherp" /> Ants appear to make up the largest proportion of its diet, followed by beetles and springtails.<ref name="ants in cali">{{cite journal |last1=Bury |first1=R.B. |last2=Martin |first2=M. |title=Comparative Studies on the Distribution and Foods of Plethodontid Salamanders in the Redwood Region of Northern California |journal=Journal of Herpetology |date=1973 |volume=7 |issue=4 |pages=331–335 |doi=10.2307/1562867 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/1562867?seq=1|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref name=":0" />

==Behavior==
===Gliding===
Wandering salamanders may leap from trees when disturbed, and have several adaptations that allow them to manipulate their descent. [Wind tunnel](/source/Wind_tunnel) experiments have found that wandering salamanders can control their pitch, roll, and yaw when in the air such that their body remains upright and stable in a "skydiving" posture that reduces descent speed.<ref name="youtube vid skydiving"/><ref name="brown2022" /><ref name="brown 2022 arboreality">{{cite journal |last1=Brown |first1=Christian E. |last2=Sathe |first2=Erik A. |last3=Dudley |first3=Robert |last4=Deban |first4=Stephen M. |title=Aerial maneuvering by plethodontid salamanders spanning an arboreality gradient |journal=Journal of Experimental Biology |date=2022 |volume=225 |page=jeb244598 |doi=10.1242/jeb.244598 |url=https://journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/225/20/jeb244598/277384/Aerial-maneuvering-by-plethodontid-salamanders |access-date=9 January 2025}}</ref> This posture generally involves spread legs and splayed feet, with the tail angled upwards.<ref name="brown 2022 arboreality" /> The large feet and long toes of this species appear to help increase drag when in the air, contributing to reduced speed.<ref name="brown2022" /><ref name="brown 2022 arboreality" />  The long legs of this species also position the feet far from the body, which may aid in aerial maneuvering.<ref name=brown2022>{{cite journal |last1=Brown |first1=Christian E. |last2=Sathe |first2=Erik A. |last3=Dudley |first3=Robert |last4=Deban |first4=Stephen M. |date=2022-05-23 |title=Gliding and parachuting by arboreal salamanders |journal=Current Biology |volume=32 |issue=10 |pages=453–454 |doi=10.1016/j.cub.2022.04.033|pmid=35609538 |doi-access=free }}</ref>  [Parasagittal](/source/Parasagittal) undulations of the tail and torso allow wandering salamanders to glide in a controlled manner similar to arboreal [squamates](/source/squamates).<ref name="brown2022" /> This enables them to land on the trunk or branch of a tree — often the same tree that they jumped from — instead of falling all the way to the ground.<ref name="brown2022" /><ref name="brown 2022 arboreality" />

===Climbing===
Wandering salamanders have several toe adaptations that help with climbing. The ends of their square-shaped toes have a large [cavity](/source/sinus_(anatomy)) that can be rapidly filled or emptied of blood to change the toe's shape, possibly allowing for better grip and [surface adhesion](/source/adhesion).<ref name="climbing">{{cite journal |last1=Brown |first1=C.E. |last2=Goldenberg |first2=W.P. |last3=Hinds |first3=O.M. |last4=O'Donnell |first4=M. |last5=Staub |first5=N.L. |title=Vascular and Osteological Morphology of Expanded Digit Tips Suggests Specialization in the Wandering Salamander (Aneides vagrans) |journal=Journal of Morphology |date=2025 |volume=286 |article-number=e70026 |doi=10.1002/jmor.70026 |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/jmor.70026|pmc=11711880 }}</ref> When filled with fluid, these cavities may also serve as [shock-absorbers](/source/shock_(mechanics)), softening the salamander's fall after jumping from a tree.<ref name="climbing" /> Some [tree frogs](/source/tree_frogs) have similar structures devoted to softening landings.<ref name="frog toe pads 1">{{cite journal |last1=Barnes |first1=W.J.P. |last2=Goodwyn |first2=P.J.P. |last3=Nokhbatolfoghahai |first3=M. |last4=Gorb |first4=S.N. |title=Elastic Modulus of Tree Frog Adhesive Toe Pads |journal=Journal of Comparative Physiology A |date=2011 |volume=197 |pages=969–978 |doi=10.1007/s00359-011-0658-1 |url=https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00359-011-0658-1|pmc=3176399 }}</ref><ref name="tree frog toe pads 2">{{cite journal |last1=Scholz |first1=I. |last2=Barnes |first2=W.J.P. |last3=Smith |first3=J.M. |last4=Baumgartner |first4=W. |title=Ultrastructure and Physical Properties of an Adhesive Surface, the Toe Pad Epithelium of the Tree Frog, Litoria caerulea White |journal=Journal of Experimental Biology |date=2009 |volume=212 |issue=2 |pages=155–162 |doi=10.1242/jeb.019232 |url=https://journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/212/2/155/18462/Ultrastructure-and-physical-properties-of-an|pmc=2720997 }}</ref> Like many other species of arboreal salamanders and squamates, wandering salamanders also have curved toes, though it is unclear whether this toe shape actually improves grip strength.<ref name="climbing" /> Unlike some other arboreal salamanders however, evidence suggest that wandering salamanders do not rely on [mucous secretion](/source/mucous) to improve surface adhesion.<ref name="climbing" />

===Territoriality===
Wandering salamanders on Vancouver Island appear to be less territorial compared to other [plethodontid](/source/plethodontid) species. Lab studies have shown that they will not avoid cover objects that are already being used by individuals of either their own species or different species, with the exception of [rough-skinned newts](/source/Taricha_granulosa).<ref name="con and heterospecific territoriality">{{cite journal |last1=Garber |first1=T.W.J. |last2=Gregory |first2=P.T. |title=Tests of aggregative preferences of wandering salamanders (Aneides vagrans) |journal=Acta Ethol |date=2005 |volume=9 |pages=43–47 |doi=10.1007/s10211-006-0014-6 |url=https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10211-006-0014-6.pdf}}</ref> However, rough-skinned newts secrete [toxins](/source/toxins) from their skin, which may explain avoidance in this case. Aggressive encounters between wandering salamanders are also much less frequent compared to other similar species.<ref name="specific a vagrans behaviors">{{cite journal |last1=Davis |first1=Thodore M. |title=An Ethogram of Intraspecific Agonistic and Display Behavior for the Wandering Salamander, Aneides vagrans |journal=Herpetologica |date=2002 |volume=58 |issue=3 |pages=371–382 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/3893373.pdf}}</ref>

Behaviors that are considered threat displays in other plethodontid salamanders, such as raised bodies, looking at opponents, long bites, and jaw snapping, are either rare or not correlated with aggressive behavior in Vancouver Island wandering salamanders.<ref name="specific a vagrans behaviors" /> However, when combat does occur, it is most often between males.<ref name="specific a vagrans behaviors" /> Fighting individuals will most often engage in behaviors such as holding one another down, pushing, "circle-pushing", and chasing.<ref name="specific a vagrans behaviors" /> Threat posturing in this species involves raising the entire body of the ground while straightening their legs and arching their back and tail.<ref name="specific a vagrans behaviors" />

Territoriality has not been well-studied in  California wandering salamander populations.

===Scent-marking===
Wandering salamanders often use their nose to investigate their environment, tapping it against the ground, [fecal pellets](/source/fecal_pellets), and the noses of other salamanders.<ref name="specific a vagrans behaviors" /> When alert, this species will also raise its head.<ref name="specific a vagrans behaviors" /> Sometimes, individuals will rub their nose or underbelly against the ground, which may be a form of scent-marking.<ref name="specific a vagrans behaviors" /> However, fecal pellets do not appear to be used for territorial scent-marking, in contrast to many other plethodontid salamanders species.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Ovaska |first1=K. |last2=Davis |first2=T.M. |title=Faecal pellets as burrow markers: intra- and interspecific odour recognition by western plethodontid salamanders |journal=Animal Behaviour |date=1992 |volume=43 |pages=931–939 |doi=10.1016/S0003-3472(06)80006-0 |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0003347206800060|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

==Status==
The wandering salamander is listed as [Least Concern](/source/Least_Concern) in the [IUCN Red List of Threatened Species](/source/IUCN_Red_List_of_Threatened_Species), though populations are declining.<ref name="iucn status 9 December 2022" /> Habitat loss due to intensive, short-rotation [logging](/source/logging) practices and [land clearing](/source/land_clearing) for agriculture and residential development is believed to be the primary cause of population declines.<ref name="iucn status 9 December 2022" /><ref name=":0" />

In addition to removing trees in which the salamanders may live, over the long term logging also reduces the availability of coarse woody debris on the ground, which the salamanders use as habitat and for egg-laying. It is believed that salamanders may thrive initially after logging, but decline as remaining logs and stumps decay and are not replaced.<ref name="AmphibiaWeb" /><ref name="working report bc 1993" /><ref name=":0" /> However, logging in British Columbia does not appear to affect wandering salamander populations, and the species can persist in regenerating forests.<ref name="working report bc 1993" /> The effects of logging are therefore likely dependent on the frequency and intensity of tree removal, as well as the moisture regime of the region.<ref name="working report bc 1993" /> And in arid regions, stumps and woody debris created by logging might not make suitable habitat for wandering salamanders because they are too dry.<ref name="working report bc 1993" />

Climate change is likely a threat to this species due to drought and habitat shifts in the coastal Douglas-fir biogeoclimatic zone in which the salamanders dwell.<ref name="iucn status 9 December 2022" /><ref name=":0" /> The emerging [Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans](/source/Batrachochytrium_salamandrivorans) fungus also has the potential to affect wandering salamander populations, though it has not yet been confirmed to be present in North America.<ref name="iucn status 9 December 2022" /><ref name="bsal in aneides vagrans">{{cite journal |last1=Waddle |first1=J.H. |last2=Grear |first2=D.A. |last3=Mosher |first3=B.A. |last4=Campbell Grant |first4=E.H. |last5=Adams |first5=M. |last6=Backlin |first6=A.R. |last7=Barichivich |first7=W.J. |last8=Brand |first8=A.B. |last9=Bucciarelli |first9=G.M. |last10=Calhoun |first10=D.L. |last11=Chestnut |first11=T |last12=Davenport |first12=J.M. |last13=Dietrich |first13=A.E. |last14=Fisher |first14=R.N. |last15=Glorioso |first15=B.M. |last16=Halstead |first16=B.J. |last17=Hayes |first17=M.P. |last18=Honeycutt |first18=R.K. |last19=Hossack |first19=B.R. |last20=Kleeman |first20=P.M. |last21=Lemos-Espinal |first21=J.A. |last22=Lorch |first22=J.M. |last23=McCreary |first23=B. |last24=Muths |first24=E. |last25=Pearl |first25=C.A. |last26=Richgels |first26=K.L.D. |last27=Robinson |first27=C.W. |last28=Roth |first28=M.F. |last29=Rowe |first29=J.C. |last30=Sadinski |first30=W. |last31=Sigafus |first31=B.H. |last32=Stasiak |first32=I. |last33=Sweet |first33=S. |last34=Walls |first34=S.C. |last35=Watkins-Colwell |first35=G.J. |last36=White |first36=C.L. |last37=Williams |first37=L.A. |last38=Winzeler |first38=M.E. |title=Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal) not detected in an intensive survey of wild North American amphibians |journal=Scientific Reports |date=2020 |volume=10 |page=13012 |doi=10.1038/s41598-020-69486-x |url=https://amphibiandisease.org/dashboard/?id=Aneides+vagrans |access-date=27 February 2025|pmc=7400573 }}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q2720399}}
{{Authority control}}

Category:Aneides
Category:Amphibians described in 1998
Category:Arboreal amphibians
Category:Taxonomy articles created by Polbot
Category:Taxa named by Todd R. Jackman

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Wandering salamander](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wandering_salamander) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wandering_salamander?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.