Salamanders of the genus Batrachoseps are notable for deep evolutionary divergences and species radiations that reflect the movements of geologic plates over millions of years. In 2006, a new species within the Pacificus group was discovered on Vandenberg Space Force Base, which was formally described as B. wakei in 2020. The results of extensive surveys between 2006 and present indicate that this species likely only exists as an isolated, disjunct population with a very small range. It is currently known from less than 200 records within a narrow strip of coastal scrublands largely infested by invasive iceplant species. Molecular analysis showed that it is a relict species with closest relatives in the Los Angeles Basin and on the Channel Islands, with more distantly related taxa in San Luis Obispo County. B. wakei shows extremely little genetic variation, suggesting it has undergone population contractions in the recent past, potentially a result of ocean level rise and retraction of the coastal plain since the last glacial maximum. This species’ constricted range, lack of genetic variation, and susceptibility to climate change make it extremely vulnerable and worthy of further study and conservation stewardship.