$4.99Black-Bellied Slender Salamander Batrachoseps nigriventris

myminifactory

The black-bellied slender salamander is a small, slim-bodied salamander. Endemic to California, this species is mostly found in oak woodlands but also in grasslands and in oak and pine forests along streams. They are commonly found sheltering under bark, rocks and logs or in the burrows made by other animals. Adult salamanders are approximately 3 to 4cm long. They have a narrow head, a slender, worm-like body and cylindrical tail that can be twice the length of the body. There is variability in the basic colouration of the species but the dorsum is typically speckled with spotted grey sides whilst the underside and under the tail is dark in colour.   Interestingly these salamanders do not use lungs to breathe; instead, oxygen exchange occurs through the skin and mucus membranes. When threatened they will employ a range of defensive tactics including coiling their bodies and remaining still to avoid detection, flailing vigorously to push their bodies away from predators and detaching their tails as a distraction. If a salamander’s tail is severed or detached, they will grow a new one. The feeding behaviour of these salamanders is not well understood but other Batrachoseps species use projectile tongues to catch their prey, which consists of a variety of small invertebrates. Similarly, breeding behaviour is not well known. Eggs are laid in moist areas on land in the winter and the fully-formed young hatch in the early spring. Its conservation status is Least Concern. Pre-Supported in Large Scale and Mini Museum ScaleThis model comes with two pre-supported versions allowing for easy resin printing; a large sized model, and a 'Mini Museum' size, perfect for collecting and display. The chitubox files are also supplied if customisation of supports is required. As this model contains many fine details and delicate parts, care is recommended when removing supports to avoid damage. Clipping off the supports before cleaning up with a sharp blade or file is the best method. Hollowed VersionThis model includes a hollowed version. The hollowed version is made available in order to reduce the amount of resin consumed. If printing hollowed, curing the inside of the model is recommended.   All images of test prints were made with a Phrozen Sonic Mini 4k with a layer height of 0.05mm