Getting preyed upon by Natrix natrix (https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/229015472). The snake actually let go of it after a few minutes, so it could subsequently escaped.

Weather: No rain, no wind (heavy raining until about 3 hours before sunset)
18°c

I'm sure this is a palmate newt. I saw it last summer and it was smaller, but still has the gills. Not sure if this is standard for palmate newts?

Update: checked with colleague who is an ecologist and they believe it to be a neotenous (paedomorphic) palmate newt. This agrees with commenters below.

West slope Temblor Range. I have not found any range maps that include the Temblors in the range of Ensatina (?).

https://californiaherps.com/salamanders/pages/e.e.eschscholtzii.html

https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=1439&inline=1

Update: whereas no range maps include the Temblor Range, including the Stebbins, Wake, and others work on ring species, not surprisingly Dr. Sam Sweet has collected an Ensatina from this area, http://portal.vertnet.org/o/ccber/herps?id=urn-catalog-ccber-herps-31720

This leucistic individual is Salamander C. This one has been photographed and observed since 2010 many times by Don Scallen and it had at least been alive two years before that, making it thirteen years old- two years older then me!

One is definitely a red spotted newt but the other is much lighter, yellowish although small red dots are visible. Adults in the pool were definitely engaged in mating behaviors. Could this be a female? But I thought that red spotted were fairly monomorphic.

One of the coolest individuals I have ever seen. Had the normal zigzag pattern but it was gray instead of red! I've seen it on a few other individuals at this location like that but not as profound as this.

Eyeing a bristletail.

The active bristletails share this rock spot with the slender salamander. I often see them together. I read that the very diminutive springtail are the prey-size that slender salamanders are interested in so I don't think this one wants to eat the bristletail but it certainly looks like some interaction might be about to take place.

Nikkor 105mm Micro lens with a 24mm extension tube and ring flash shot at f/11. Lens adapted to Sony E mount, RAW image file. Hand held at arm's length. I think I have a feel for the minimum focus distance of this manual lens. I expected to miss the focus completely but I gave it a try and succeeded!