The Stanford foothills near Lake Lagunita are a habitat of the California Tiger Salamander. This species, known by its scientific name of Ambystoma californiense is in real trouble! It is listed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service as a threatened speciesThreatened Species
A threatened species is one that the U.S. government has determined is likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future.. Threatened means that the government believes that the species is likely to become an endangered speciesEndangered Species
An endangered species is one that the U.S. government has determined is in danger of becoming extinct., and endangered means that the species is in danger of becoming extinctExtinct
An extinct species is one that can no longer be found anywhere in the world because it has died out..
Magic, in cooperation with the Center for Conservation Biology is working hard to make sure that the California Tiger Salamander does not become endangered. It is a fascinating creature and we hope that our efforts will ensure that it survives in our area.
On this website, we will tell you about the California Tiger Salamander, the vernal poolsVernal Pool
A seasonal body of water that does not have any permanent streams or rivers leading out of it. that are essential to its survival and what we are doing to make new vernal pools that are safer for the salamander to use.
There is a lot of work to do to make the world a safer place for the California Tiger Salamander and we are always looking for eager volunteers to work with us. After you have finished looking at this site and you want to get involved, talk with your teacher or parents about organizing a trip to the foothills and lending us a hand!