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Hurt, Rachel. 2000. The Elusive California Tiger Salamander. Tideline Vol 20 No. 2 1-3. The Elusive California Tiger Salamanderby Rachel Hurt
A loyal volunteer and I quietly walk the grassy berm, enjoying the subtle beauty of an early sunrise, something so many of us miss each morning. We record the air temperature and begin our slow journey around the warm, shallow pond, side by side with only a three-foot fence between us. We lift handmade funnel traps in gleeful anticipation of finding a wet, black, slimy creature. We are in search of the California tiger salamander, Ambystoma californiense. It is a relatively large and stocky salamander. The average adult is 190 mm (7½ inches) in total length with males generally having longer tails than females. They are black with scattered pale yellow spots, each one with a unique pattern like a human fingerprint. But they are not easy to study, for California tiger salamanders are elusive creatures that spend the majority of the year aestivating (a sort of hibernation). They can be found underground |
Slowly I come to a
stop, trying not to disturb the large flock of black-necked stilts just rising
for the morning. I turn off the engine and climb out of the tall 4x4, slip
into my rain pants and slide into my plastic knee boots. The sun gently rises
above the East Bay foothills, lighting my path and warming the air. Dew-glistened
spider webs entwined in the vegetation sparkle brilliantly. The morning fog
hugs the moist ground, giving a surreal
feeling.Last updated:
May 27, 2008
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