It’s easy to see how the Santa Cruz Black Salamander (Aneides niger) got its name. Have you ever seen a creature with such abyssal coloration? These pieces of living obsidian are endemic to the Santa Cruz Mountains along the coast of central California. Despite the high amount of human development in this small mountain range, even local people rarely encounter these secretive amphibians. Like Tolkien’s dwarves, mysterious black salamanders dwell under the mountains, only occasionally peering out from the rocky crevices.
Photo and caption by Brandon Kong
Edited by Brady Nichols