California Tiger Salamander

Ambystoma californiense can only be found in the Central Valley and the central coastal region of California.
California Tiger Salamander
(Ambystoma californiense)
Copyright © 2002, William FlaxingtonUsing this Photo:

Permission is granted to use this photo for any personal or academic purpose as long as notification of use is sent to Fieldnotes@msn.com and the image is clearly credited with © 2002 William Flaxington. To obtain permission for commercial and other uses, or to inquire about reprints, fees, and licensing, or if you have other questions, contact William Flaxington Fieldnotes@msn.com.

Where Does the California Tiger Salamander Live?

Like its name suggests, you can only find the California Tiger Salamander in California. It does not live in any other place in the whole world! This is one very good reason that we need to do all that we can to make sure that we are good neighbours. If we do not do anything to help the salamander survive, the whole world will lose it.

Distribution Map

This map shows just how limited the remaining habitat of the California Tiger Salamander is. These salamanders cannot be found in any other place in the world.
Courtesy of the USGS, ARMI National Atlas for Amphibian Distritutions

Here is a map that shows in which parts of California you can find the California Tiger Salamander. You can see quite clearly where the habitatHabitat

The area or environment where a particular species lives of the salamanders has become fragmentedHabitat Fragmentation

The separation of one large habitat into several small, unconnected ones. Smaller habitats cannot support large populations and it is not possible for animals in one fragment to move to another.. We are worried that this fragmentation will become even worse since much of the remaining habitat is in urban areas where developers are eager to use more land or in areas under threat from farmland expansion. The situation in the Stanford foothills is an excellent example of habitat fragmentation. Junipero Serra Blvd. effectively fragments the habitat of the California Tiger Salamander, cutting the animals off from their breeding grounds.

previousWhy are the salamanders in the Stanford foothills threatened?

Here you will find out the specific factors that affect the salamanders in the Stanford foothills.  homeThe California Tiger Salamander

Click here to learn about why this fascinating creature is threatened, where it lives, how it lives its life and why we need to establish new vernal pools for it.  nextWhat is a salamander's life like?

How long do salamanders live? What do they eat? Find out these things and more here.