The wandering salamander (Aneides vagrans) is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It has a disjunct distribution, with one population being found in northern California in the United States, and another in British Columbia, Canada. It is a matter of debate whether this distribution is the result of human introductions or whether it has natural origins, with the latter conclusion being supported by more evidence. Its natural habitat is temperate forests. It is threatened by habitat loss from logging. Description The wandering salamander is very similar in appearance to the clouded salamander (Aneides ferreus) and was at one time considered to be the same species. It is long and slender and grows to a snout to vent length of and a total length of . The head is broader in males than in females. Between the nostrils and the mouth it has a pair of naso-labial grooves which are involved in chemoreception and it has sixteen costal grooves on either side of the body. The legs are relatively long and the toes have expanded terminal pads with square cut ends. The tail is prehensile and is round in cross section and used when the salamander clambers around among the branches of trees. The back varies in colour from brown to light grey, mottled or marbled and speckled with bronze flecks. It sometimes has a greenish sheen. The juveniles have a bronze stripe down the spine. Distribution and habitat The clouded salamander was traditionally thought to have a range that extended from northern California through Oregon and north to Vancouver Island, but it is absent from the state of Washington. In 1998, Jackman examined the mitochondrial DNA and allozymes of populations from various parts of the range and determined that those from California and Vancouver Island were similar but were distinct from the populations found in Oregon. He named the species from the two extremities as Aneides vagrans, the wandering salamander, while retaining the name Aneides ferreus for the Oregon population. In California it inhabits a narrow coastal strip of forested land with redwood, Douglas fir, cedar and alder. It prefers clearings or forest edges and may be abundant in recently cleared areas with tree stumps, fallen trees and woody debris. In Vancouver Island it is more widely distributed. It occurs from sea level to . The cause of the disjunct distribution of A. vagrans is disputed. Jackman postulated