Ensatina
Ensatina eschscholtzii
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAmphibia (Amfibis)
- OrderCaudata (Caudats)
- FamilyPlethodontidae (Lungless Salamanders)
- GenusEnsatina (Ensatinas)
- SpeciesEnsatina eschscholtzii (Ensatina)
The ensatina (Ensatina eschscholtzii) is a species complex of plethodontid (lungless) salamanders found in coniferous forests, oak woodland and chaparral from British Columbia, through Washington, Oregon, across California (where all seven subspecies variations are located), all the way down to Baja California in Mexico. The genus Ensatina originated approximately 21.5 million years ago. It is usually considered as monospecific, being represented by a single species, Ensatina eschscholtzii, with several subspecies forming a ring species. Wikipedia →
5–10% of wildlife watchers report a Ensatina sighting in Yosemite National Park, based on 30 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Yosemite National Park
Mount Lyell Salamander
Hydromantes platycephalus
Gregarious Slender Salamander
Batrachoseps gregarius
Arboreal Salamander
Aneides lugubris
Hell Hollow Slender Salamander
Batrachoseps diabolicus
Limestone Salamander
Hydromantes brunus
Sierra Newt
Taricha sierrae
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️🌙 When They're Spotted
Active throughout day and night · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Redwood National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Olympic National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Yosemite National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Great Bear Rainforest | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 6 | Pacific Rim National Park Reserve | 🇨🇦 Canada |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Ensatina in Yosemite National Park?
About 9% of wildlife watchers report a Ensatina sighting in Yosemite National Park, based on 30 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Ensatina in Yosemite National Park?
April has the highest sighting rate for Ensatina in Yosemite National Park in our monthly data.