It has a brown dorsal band of colour, blackish back and sides dotted with white specks grading to a pale grey ventral region.

The dorsal band starts at a golden-brown to tan region on the neck and extends along the spine as far as the tail.

[3] The gregarious slender salamander is endemic to the western slopes of the southern and central Sierra Nevada in California, United States.

The female deposits a clutch of eggs in a well-hidden location, under bark, under a fallen log or a rock, or in leaf-litter in a moist place, often near a seep or stream.

[4] Once laid, the eggs are not guarded by the mother, although male adults and young salamanders may continue to take refuge nearby.