Quick Facts

Latin Name: Ambystoma californiense

Status: Endangered

Population: Sierra Nevada and northern California

Diet: Insects and small macroinvertebrates

Length: 7.5 inches

About the California Tiger Salamander

With a mouth outlined in yellow, the California tiger salamander gives off the appearance that it is smiling. However, the species is threatened by human activity and habitat loss, which is no laughing matter.

The California tiger salamander mates near ponds and seasonal pools where it lays its eggs underwater. Newly hatched larva take 3 to 6 months to reach the juvenile stage when they are able to move onto land. Juvenile California tiger salamanders are a dark olive green color, and as they mature, their skin becomes black with white or yellow spots.

Because of their seasonal migration to and from breeding sites, the California tiger salamander requires a variety of habitats, making it very sensitive to habitat loss and fragmentation. As a result of human development, many of the sites the species needs have been lost, broken up, or degraded, disrupting the salamanders’ way of life. Like many amphibian species, California tiger salamanders are endangered and vulnerable.

For more information: Center for Biological Diversity, Stanford Habitat Conservation, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Photography: Image #1 by John Cleckler, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Image #2 by Bill Stagnaro.