California Tiger Salamander - Anna Luehrs


www.biologicaldiversity.org/resourcespace/pages/search.php?search=%21collection489&k=b4e36ff628

California Tiger Salamander

by: Anna Luehrs

Description and Ecology of Organism
California Tiger Salamander, also known as the Ambystoma californiense, is an endangered amphibian. It is one of the 41% of the 6,800 amphibians that need our help to ensure their survival. This blog will discuss what is being done and what we can do to ensure that these salamanders are in their Central California habitat for years to come.

They require both aquatic and terrestrial habitats to survive for different parts of their cycle of life. At the beginning of their life, they are in aquatic areas such as vernal pools, natal ponds, and ponds. This is where the California Tiger Salamander develops as a larvae. Once they metamorph, they live in the terrestrial habitats underground.

Statistics from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Website
During rainy seasons, these salamanders will participate in mass migrations to breeding ponds and then back to underground. The California Tiger Salamander will participate in one or two of these mass migrations every year, making their lifetime reproductive success very low. This makes changing their habitat very destructive to their success as a species.  The California Salamander lives up to 10 years, but does not reach sexual maturity until 2 years. Only half of the California Tiger Salamanders survive during their first summer of life. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, of all the California Tiger Salamander offspring, only 5% reach sexual maturity. This means that many of them do not reach the physical ability to reproduce and increase their population.


Geographic and Population Change
californiaherps.com/salamanders/maps/acaliforniensemap.jpg
Not much is known about the California Tiger Salamander's habitat because after metamorphosis, they live underground. Their habitat being underground has made it hard for scientists to fully understand the extent of their habitat. Although not much is known about their habitats, their habitats are experiencing loss and fragmentation, making it harder for them to breed and making their survival rate even lower. 

These California Tiger Salamanders need to reach sexual maturity in order to continue their population. They are often found in vernal pools and terrestrial area surrounding these areas. This means that the water in these pools needs to be standing for long enough for them to breed and the larvae to mature. If these pools are disturbed, it causes problems for the animals.

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife, these salamanders are often found in pairs. Their population is highly variant depending on how many pairs are found together. These pairs are often in groups of less than a dozen, but sometimes more. They are almost never found in groups larger than one hundred pairs. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife also states that “their current distribution suggests that they may have been continuously distributed along the low-elevation grassland-oak woodland plant communities of the valleys and foothills” whereas now, they are found at higher elevations.

Listing Date and Type of Listing
This salamander has three Distinct Population Segments. The segments are the Sonoma County DPS, the Santa Barbara County DPS, and the Central California DPS. Originally, the Central California DPS of the California Tiger Salamanders was listed as threatened on August 4, 2004. In 2010 though, all three Distinct Population Segments were considered threatened. It is considered a recovery priority of 9C which means that this species, according to U.S. Fish and Wildlife, has a “moderate degree of threat, has a high potential for recovery, and is in conflict with construction or other development projects or other forms of economic activity”.


www.noozhawk.com/article/fish_wildlife_service_spells_out_ways_to_save_california_tiger_salamander
Cause of Listing and Main Threats to Continued Existence
The California Tiger Salamander needs our help to survive in the world that is changing. It is changing in a negative way on the species ability to survive. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service of Sacramento, California describes this species having many factors that are negatively affecting this animal. The main threats are habitat loss, fragmentation, and invasive species. They are in conflict with the non-native barred tiger salamanders, known as the Ambystoma tigrinum or Ambystoma tigrinum mavortium, for resources and hybridization. We are causing havoc with these animals when we interfere with their natural habitat. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service clearly states that “mortality from road crossings” and contaminants are killing these amphibians. 

There are many main threats to the continued existence of this salamander. Some, though, are ones that we can fix. Its first continued threat is habitat destruction, followed by an overuse of commercial, recreational, scientific, or educational reasons. Another is not being able to regulate the amphibians along with either natural or not natural factors that are restricting its existence. These are factors that we can fix or begin a program to ensure that these are kept to a very low minimum. A factor that will be harder to control are disease from non-native species.

Description of Recovery Plan
The recovery plan for the California Tiger Salamander has many steps to ensure that it survives for a long time. Its main goals are to ensure that the three DPS have self-sustaining populations, to eliminate the factors that caused them be on the threated list in the first place, and restore the healthy ecosystem of the Central California Tiger Salamander.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has decided on seven steps to ensure the complete the recovery of this salamander. Their plan is to one, maintain current distribution of species to ensure that no more damage done to the existing California Tiger Salamanders. Their second step is to make sure that the genetics of the salamander stay the same, instead of hybridizing with other salamanders that are starting to share the same habitats. Third, they will minimize road mortality by creating paths for their migration that do not include going on a road. Fourth, they will try to minimize the amount of disease introduction that these salamanders have. Their fifth step of action will be to minimize the amount of non-native predators because they are causing a negative effect on the salamander population. Next, the second to last action step, is to make sure that their efforts will continue and adapt to change that might occur. The last action step is to conduct research to make sure that all their efforts are making a difference in the California Tiger Salamander population.  

What can you do?

thepreachersword.com/2016/06/20/word-of-the-week-alert/
Individuals are key to ensuring that the California Tiger Salamander will survive. You can make a difference!

One of the threats is road mortality, so if you are a driver, you can watch the road and make sure that you are not hurting these salamanders. If you are a student or someone interested in amphibians, you can see what animals you are studying and make sure that you are not invasive.





Helpful Resources

www.californiaherps.com/salamanders/pages/a.californiense.html
www.biologicaldiversity.org/species/amphibians/California_tiger_salamander/index.html
hcp.stanford.edu/salamander.html

Last Thoughts
Help us save this amphibian! California Tiger Salamanders are unable to adapt to our changing environment, so we need to make sure that they have the space they need to survive. When we do this, we can make sure this California Tiger Salamander can continue to smile!

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2080336/Say-cheese-Smiley-happy-animals-greet-New-Year-grin.html


Citations

“Recovery Plan for the Central California Distinct Population Segment of the California Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma Californiense).” U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 6 June 2017, pp1-24. 
"A Guide to the Amphibians and Reptiles of California." California Herps, www.californiaherps.com/

Comments

  1. DrWildlifeMarch 8, 2018 at 3:24 PM

    I love your first image, the pie chart of the amount reaching sexual maturity. As simple as it is, it's interesting and informative making a great impact of the viewer as these creatures will never repopulate as long as they aren't reaching that age. I hope they have better luck crossing roads! - Brooke Lochhead

    ReplyDelete
  2. DrWildlifeMarch 11, 2018 at 1:20 PM

    I never even knew that salamanders were endangered!! Also, I definitely didn't expect one of the major issues to be death by drivers. I will be sure to be extra alert while driving on roads where these salamanders are found in California! - Ava Mattis

    ReplyDelete
  3. DrWildlifeMarch 12, 2018 at 4:41 PM

    It is crazy that 50 percent of the individuals don't even make it through their first summer, and even crazier that only 5 percent of them make it to reproductive age. That is a really good fact that is easy for people to understand the gravity of the situations
    _Shea Menzel

    ReplyDelete
  4. DrWildlifeMarch 12, 2018 at 5:52 PM

    It's really staggering that these salamanders can live up to 10 years, but only 5% have made it up the age of 2. Your blog is super engaging; the pictures/graph/map really add to it! - Hannah Lee

    ReplyDelete
  5. DrWildlifeMarch 12, 2018 at 8:27 PM

    Great post! I didn't know much about salamanders in general prior to reading this so your post was very educational! So sad that so many of them don't make it through their first summer. That alone makes it near impossible for them to expand as a species and grow in population. Hopefully with more research on their underground habitats we can find alternative ways to help, in addition to preventing habitat destruction and fragmentation. - Morgane McTighe

    ReplyDelete
  6. DrWildlifeMarch 12, 2018 at 10:44 PM

    I had no idea that salamanders were a migrating species! I thought that was interesting because I imagined only birds and large animals migrated, and I can see why they are so vulnerable to danger especially during these migrations, as they don't have the ability to fly and are so small. - Ashley Lam

    ReplyDelete
  7. DrWildlifeMarch 13, 2018 at 1:43 PM

    It is startling to read that only 5% of this species reach sexual maturity. Perhaps a head-start method of raising, similar to sea turtles, could be beneficial to this species. I also found it interesting that such a large portion of their life is spent underground. - Alijah Maldonado

    ReplyDelete
  8. DrWildlifeMarch 13, 2018 at 11:58 PM

    I liked that right away you pointed out the problem and solution that would be discussed in your blog. It’s interesting that the salamander can have existence in both aquatic and terrestrial areas. It’s crazy to think that such little percentage reaches sexual maturity. They fact that humans are participating in extinction of the California tiger Salamander, besides their already low chances of survival for being themselves is worrisome. I really hope they can be saved! - Samary Mayo

    ReplyDelete
  9. DrWildlifeMarch 14, 2018 at 11:26 AM

    I had no idea that salamanders live underground most of the time, makes sense since I never see them. I'm really surprised how short of a life they live too, only ten years. I liked the way you broke up your points, it was very easy and clear to read. -Sydney Meertens

    ReplyDelete
  10. DrWildlifeMarch 18, 2018 at 4:48 PM

    It was very interesting to me to how the salamander lives underground for the majority if the time. Also, it is unique how they can live in both water and land regions. The blog is a good format and I think the way you pointed out the problems and solutions is very essential. - Scott Martin

    ReplyDelete

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