The objective of our study was to “spot” a potential correlation between canopy cover and yellow-spotted coloration in Aneides lugubris. We hypothesized that increased local canopy color decreases the size of salamanders’ spots, informed by other forest specialist Aneides, such as Aneides niger, which exhibits uniform, dark coloration. We tested this using community science data from iNaturalist, focusing on 3,495 observations of Aneides lugubris across 30 California counties up to May 22, 2023. Adult individuals were classified into "large spotted" or "small spotted" categories based on visible coloration, and a logistic regression was performed to analyze spot size against mean canopy cover as measured within 30, 100, and 100 meters from the salamander, using the GLAD 2010 dataset from Global Forest Watch. Logistic regression reveals a slight but statistically significant relationship between “smaller” spotting in observations and increased canopy cover (SE = 0.002, z = -5.08, p < 0.001), This suggests that canopy cover exerts a small yet significant influence on the species' spotting patterns. We also find a statistically significant relationship between higher latitudes and smaller spots, and demonstrate that canopy cover is still an important determinant of spotting patterns despite a strong latitudinal gradient in tree cover.

Recent graduate from UC Berkeley’s college of Natural resource with a BS in Conservation and undergrad researcher in Jim Mcguire’s lab at Berkeley. Currently employed on NSF grant at the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, studying mammal ranges and trait data. Concurrently, working as a curatorial assistant for Herps. Previous research experience involved working in a Macrosystems ecology lab, where I focused on Leaf venation patterns and co authored papers in the New phytologist and Ecology.