Ensatina

The subspecies Ensatina e. eschscholtzii, the Monterey ensatina, can be found in Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties and into the California coastal mountains. With a head-to-tail length of just between 3–5 in (7.6–12.7 cm), E. e. eschecholtzi can be identified primarily by its tail, which is narrower at the base; it is the only subspecies that has such a tail structure, as well as five toes on the hind limbs. Males often have longer tails than the females, and many of these salamanders have lighter-colored limbs, compared to the rest of the body. The adult females lay eggs underground, often in sets of threes, which hatch directly into fully-formed salamanders, skipping the usual aquatic juvenile phase. The subspecies Ensatina eschscholtzii klauberi, or the large-blotched ensatina, can be found along the mountain ranges of Southern California, and south into a small region of the Sierra Juarez in northern Baja California. E. e. klauberi is similar in size to E. e. eschscholtzii; it is mid-sized, with adults growIng a total length of 3–6 in (7.6–15.2 cm). Females tend to have shorter, wider bodies compared to the males. However, this subspecies differs from E. e. eschscholtzii in its coloration—nearly black, with blotches of orange, tail, and dark eyes.

As a ring species. …

They are generally thought to be found in high elevations, from 520 to 2400m, in conifer forests and oak woodlands. However, populations were discovered along the coast in Volcán Riveroll, a volcanic area located in Baja California. It is thought that they are able to survive in this anomalous region due to the high moisture that comes in from the coast. It is unclear how these populations were able to end up in this coastal region, but it is hypothesized that "the subspecies was once more broadly distributed and became isolated as a result of climate change during the late Pleistocene and Holocene." If this is true, then it is estimated that Ensatina klauberi has been living in this region for thousands of years.