Laserfiche WebLink
The California tiger salamander is a terrestrial species that spends most of its time <br /> underground in the burrows of small mammals such as California ground squirrels, emerging <br /> for only brief periods to breed. Breeding occurs in temporary pools and in the more <br /> .. permanent waters of grassland and open woodland. Mass movements of individuals to <br /> breeding places takes place during warm rains, mainly from December to February. <br /> (Stebbins 1985.) California tiger salamanders will migrate up to 1 mile to breeding sites. <br /> California tiger salamanders have been recorded at two locations, 0.5 and 1.5 miles <br /> from the project site (Natural Diversity Data Base 1990) (Figure 4). Vernal pools are the <br /> only suitable breeding habitat for salamanders on the project site. The project site lakes are <br /> unsuitable for breeding because they support predatory fish (Brode pers. comm.). Two stock <br /> ponds occur 0.5 mile south of the project site and may be potential breeding habitat for tiger <br /> salamanders. If tiger salamanders are breeding in either of these ponds or in the project <br /> site vernal pools, all upland habitat within 1 mile could be occupied. Our surveys were <br /> conducted too late in the year to detect salamander larvae. <br /> Fairy Shrimp <br /> — <br /> Two fairy shrimp species endemic to California could occur in vernal pools at the <br /> project site: the vernal pool fairy shrimp and California linderiella. These species will be <br /> placed on the next federal candidate list. (Nagano pers. comm.) <br /> Fairy shrimp occur in a rapidly declining habitat, and several fairy shrimp species are <br /> known from a limited number of locations. Holland (1978) found that by the late 1960s all <br /> but 11% of the original California grasslands that support vernal pools remained; habitat <br /> loss is continuing. <br /> The vernal pools were dry during our field surveys, so we could not sample for fairy <br /> shrimp. <br /> - <br /> - <br /> - <br /> 23 <br />