The California tiger salamander was previously considered to be a subspecies of the tiger salamander, however these salamanders were recently designated as a separate species again. They face the threats of habitat loss and destruction at the hands of residential and commercial developments, as well as the timber industry; roads and railroads, that divide their territory and can result in vehicle strike (being hit by vehicles); invasive species, that can result in predation from the likes of bullfrogs, fish, and crayfish, as well as hybridization with western tiger salamanders; land pollution; water pollution; climate change, that can cause excessive heat and put these critters at risk of desiccation (drying out); and finally the reduction in ground squirrel populations result in the absence of burrows that are used to aestivate (hibernation for amphibians) during the dry season. The IUCN lists these salamanders as Vulnerable. Their population trend is listed as decreasing.
First the Stats…
Scientific name: Ambystoma californiense
Weight: Up to 4.6 ounces
Length: Up to 8 inches
Lifespan: Up to 15 years
Now on to the Facts!
1.) These salamanders rely heavily on fishless vernal pools and other seasonal ponds, as well as stock ponds for reproduction.
2.) They can be found at elevations of up to 3,200 feet.
3.) Adults migrate during the night from upland habitats to aquatic breeding sites beginning with the first major rainfall in the fall and winter months, and then return to their upland habitats after breeding. This migration makes them vulnerable to human developments, and road fatalities.
4.) On August 4, 2004, the US Fish and Wildlife Service listed these salamanders as threatened within the Central DPS, effective September 3, 2004, reaffirming the prior endangered listings of the other distinct populations and extending protection to all of the remaining populations.
5.) There’s a viable hybrid between these salamanders and the introduced barred tiger salamander, which genetic evidence suggests have been hybridizing for up to 60 years. Hybridization between a threatened and an invasive species makes it hard to protect these salamanders.
But wait, there’s more on the California tiger salamander!
6.) They are heavily fossorial (spend the majority of their lives underground), dwelling in burrows created by other animals, such as ground squirrels and gophers.
7.) Earthworms, snails, insects, fish, and even juvenile mice, rats, moles, and gophers are all consumed.
Did you know…?
The nighttime journey of adults from their burrow to a desired breeding pond can take them as far as 1.3 miles over the course of several days!
8.) Females lay upwards of 1,300 eggs that hatch in up to 14 days.
9.) Once the eggs hatch, the larval period can last up to 6 months. The larvae can also overwinter for up to 13 months.
10.) The larvae feed on aquatic invertebrates and tadpoles.
But wait, there’s still more on the California tiger salamander!
11.) When their pond dries up, they resorb their gills, develop lungs, and then they leave their pond in search of a burrow of their own.
12.) In a study, the average female bred 1.4 times and produced up to 8.5 young that survived to metamorphosis per reproductive event, resulting in roughly 12 lifetime metamorphic offsprings per female.
13.) These, like other salamanders, secrete toxins from their skin as a defense mechanism if threatened, which can make predators (or humans if ingested or handled improperly) sick. So, they are poisonous, not venomous.
14.) Even though Bsal (Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans) has been found to exist within their populations, it doesn’t seem to be to much of a risk factor, as of yet.
Now a Short California Tiger Salamander Video!
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Some source material acquired from: Wikipedia & IUCN
Photo credit: Clecker John
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