The California Tiger Salamander by Jay Gubbi

Figure 1:California Tiger Salamander

Summary and Ecology


The California tiger salamander is a type mole salamander that is endemic to North America. Characteristics of the mole salamander include its iconic wide, protruding eyes, costal grooves, and thick arms. As seen in the photo, the salamander also possesses spots, which vary in color. These creatures are nocturnal, and fully grown, can reach a length of about seven to eight inches.

California tiger salamanders are endemic to the Santa Rosa Plain, the San Joaquin-Sacramento River valleys and bordering foothills, and the coastal valleys of Central California south to Santa Barbara. Ecologically, the California Tiger Salamander is found in annual grasslands and open woodlands, where the climate creates hot dry summers and cool, rainy winter. In order to reproduce, the California Tiger Salamander requires vernal pools or other seasonal ponds to lay their eggs.


Geographic and Population Changes


Source:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGJLDVqdFUM

In the Santa Rosa County in particular, the growth of the human population, leading to the encroachment of high and low-density urban growth to areas inhabited by the California tiger salamander has been on the rise in the past two decades. As a result, the surrounding wetlands have been lost to development, and the ecosystem in which the salamander reside in have been fragmented and degraded by urban development such as roads and buildings. As a result, the population of California Tiger salamanders have decreased dramatically over the past couple of years. As seen by the video, the habitat fragmentation also poses a human threat to the California Tiger Salamander, because in order to mate, they migrate to vernal pools. With man-made development between the Salamander and its ability to mate, the species is susceptible to roadkill as well as a decline in reproductive ability.

Although the total adult population is unknown, as of 2004, the population is greater than 10,000. However, over the past few decades, the California Tiger Salamander has been eliminated from 55-58% of historic breeding sites, and reportedly about 75% of the historical vernal pool-breeding habitat has been lost.1


source: http://s3.amazonaws.com/mongabay/charts/iucn-amphibians-salamanders.jpg


LISTING



Listing Date: 08/08/2004


Type Of Listing:Threatened


The California Tiger Salamander was listed as threatened due to habitat fragmentation and

encroachment by human development. Given that the California Tiger Salamander is

restricted to certain regions in California, development projects, such as conversion to

agriculture or urban development pose a large threat to its fitness as a species.





MAIN THREATS


source:http://ww3.hdnux.com/photos/12/14/61/2673746/6/1024x1024.jpg

The California Tiger Salamander is still faced with a number of threats. Along with habitat loss and
fragmentation, predation from, and competition with, invasive species, hybridization with nonnative
barred tiger salamanders mortality from road crossings, and small mammal burrow control efforts
all pose hazardous for the wellbeing of the species. Additionally, as seen in the picture above,
due to their sensitive skin, toxic contaminants can kill off the population of the California tiger
salamander, in the few places that they inhabit.

RECOVERY PLAN

This recovery plan was published on June 6, 2017. There are three main parts to the recovery plan
for the California Tiger Salamander:

1) Ensure that the California Tiger salamander populations are self-sustaining.

2) Minimize threats that caused species to be listed (road-kill,non-native predator population, etc.)

3) Adaptively manage and monitor the California tiger salamander population

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

Soruce:http://gregmillikan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/man-shrugging-shoulders.jpg


Donate to the Center for Biological Diversity to help pass reform to curb urban development in the species' native habitat, as well as mitigate the use of pesticides in and upstream of habitats for San Francisco Bay Area endangered species, including the California tiger salamander. To donate, please click here. Additionally, make sure to be conscious of your use of toxins and dangerous chemicals found in many cleaning products. By purchasing more sustainable and non-toxic products, you are helping to prevent these chemicals from getting incorporated into the water-stream and the environment, which helps protect not only the California tiger salamander, but the ecosystem at large.


FOR MORE INFORMATION...

To learn more about the California Tiger Salamander, feel free to visit these resources:

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Full Recovery Plan

Center for Biological Diversity









1.Geoffrey Hammerson. 2004. Ambystoma californiense. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2004: e.T1098A3234573. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2004.RLTS.T1098A3234573.en. Downloaded on 29 October 2017.

Comments

  1. DrWildlifeNovember 15, 2017 at 9:27 AM

    It is amazing what the Santa Rosa County is doing to try to help the California Salamander. Hopefully, people will understand these recovery efforts.

    Great blog!
    ~Brody Gill

    ReplyDelete
  2. DrWildlifeNovember 15, 2017 at 11:23 AM

    I really enjoyed the video you put in. It was funny and informative. I hope more people realize how important salamanders are and help fund the tunnel project.

    -Isabelle Farrell

    ReplyDelete
  3. DrWildlifeNovember 19, 2017 at 5:28 PM

    First video I've seen in a blog so far--was not disappointed. It was relevant and actually pretty entertaining. Sad to see that these little guys aren't attracting much attention. Hopefully that changes.

    Great job!
    -Cole

    ReplyDelete
  4. DrWildlifeNovember 28, 2017 at 2:32 PM

    I like that you chose a species that's close to home. It shows how there are a number of species that are endangered around the world that we don't always here a lot about. The video was informational in a creative way and hopefully will encourage people to be more conscious about how we can help species around us.

    -Samantha Friesen

    ReplyDelete
  5. DrWildlifeNovember 30, 2017 at 4:25 PM

    This salamander lives near the area I'm from, Sacramento, which is super neat! I like how the guy in the video uses a salamander costume to spread awareness of the fragmentation of their habitats. I hope the recovery plan can be executed and that their populations increase. And I like the picture of the guy with his arms up by the way!

    -Josh Gillespie

    ReplyDelete
  6. DrWildlifeDecember 2, 2017 at 12:01 PM

    I really enjoyed learning about these salamanders from your blog. It's interesting that it is such a problem in Santa Rosa in particular. I also like the video you added, it discussed the issues in an entertaining way.

    -Rebekah Fesmire

    ReplyDelete
  7. DrWildlifeDecember 4, 2017 at 10:08 PM

    I live in the Santa Rosa area yet I had no idea they were having such a hard time. What are the toxic contaminants that they are experiencing? It is so sad to hear their skin is being effected.

    Nice blog!

    -Katie Halstead

    ReplyDelete

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