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A welcoming, laugh-out-loud, conservation-minded guide to California's salamanders and frogs.
Frisky frogs and secretive salamanders: For these marvelous creatures, California is one massive wild water park. With California Amphibians and How to Find Them, expert herpetologist Emily Taylor presents an accessible guide to the part-water, part-land denizens of the Golden State. From Wandering Salamanders who glide between the tops of towering redwood trees, to Red-spotted Toads who drink water through their lower bellies, to Pacific Chorus Frogs who throw rowdy all-night parties, this book puts the curious lives of amphibians on full display.
Profiling over 50 native and introduced species, Taylor gives practical guidance for finding, watching, and responsibly catching amphibians. She shares hilarious descriptions of frog and salamander behavior, and she draws attention to amphibians' keen vulnerability in the face of environmental destruction, offering advice for how people can help protect them. Featuring over 125 full-color photographs and a pocket-size design for everyday use, this guide is for anyone who wants to know more about amphibians’ wondrous and watery world.
Also available in the California Herping Guides Series by Emily Taylor:
- California Snakes and How to Find Them
- California Lizards and How to Find Them
"California is home to a surprising number of salamanders and frogs—nearly 80 species—and many of them are found nowhere else. In this engaging and visually stunning book, Emily Taylor takes us on a tour of the state and invites readers to observe our amazing amphibians." —Robert W. Hansen, coauthor of California Amphibians and Reptiles
"Emily Taylor's books are indispensable. What Taylor has done and continues to do for popularizing California herpetology is unparalleled." —Obi Kaufmann, author of The California Field Atlas and The Deserts of California
Emily Taylor is a professor of biological sciences at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, where she conducts research on the physiology, ecology, and conservation biology of reptiles and amphibians with her students. Taylor is founder of the community science initiative Project RattleCam (rattlecam.org) and owner of Central Coast Snake Services (centralcoastsnakeservices.com). Her first two books are California Snakes and How to Find Them and California Lizards and How to Find Them. She lives in Atascadero, CA. Learn more at EmilyTaylorScience.com and follow her on social media @snakeymama.
Preface
Introduction
- California: Amphibians’ Wild Water Park
- What are Amphibians?
- Some California Amphibians Are in Trouble
- What Can We Do To Help California Amphibians?
- To Have and To Hold Amphibians
THE SALAMANDERS
Family Ambystomatidae
- California Tiger Salamander, Ambystoma californiense
- Northwestern Salamander, Ambystoma gracile
- Long-toed Salamander, Ambystoma macrodactylum
- Western Tiger Salamander, Ambystoma mavortium
Family Dicamptodontidae
- Giant Salamanders, Dicamptodon ensatus and D. tenebrosus
Family Plethodontidae
- Clouded and Wandering Salamanders, Aneides ferreus and A. vagrans
- Black Salamanders, Aneides flavipunctatus, A. iecanus, A. klamathensis, and A. niger
- Arboreal Salamander, Aneides lugubris
- Slender Salamanders, Batrachoseps spp.
- Ensatina, Ensatina eschscholtzii
- Web-toed Salamanders, Hydromantes brunus and H. platycephalus
- Shasta Salamanders, Hydromantes samweli, H. shastae, and H. wintu
- Woodland Salamanders, Plethodon asupak, P. dunni, P. elongatus, and P. stormi
Family Rhyacotritonidae
- Southern Torrent Salamander, Rhyacotriton variegatus
Family Salamandridae
- Rough-skinned Newt, Taricha granulosa
- Red-bellied Newt, Taricha rivularis
- Sierra and California Newts, Taricha sierrae and T. torosa
THE FROGS
Family Ascaphidae
- Coastal Tailed Frog, Ascaphus truei
Family Bufonidae
- Western Toad, Anaxyrus boreas
- Arroyo Toad, Anaxyrus californicus
- Yosemite Toad, Anaxyrus canorus
- Great Plains Toad, Anaxyrus cognatus
- Black Toad, Anaxyrus exsul
- Red-spotted Toad, Anaxyrus punctatus
- Woodhouse’s Toad, Anaxyrus woodhousii
Family Eleutherodactylidae
- Common Coquí, Eleutherodactylus coqui
Family Hylidae
- California Chorus Frog, Pseudacris cadaverina
- Pacific Chorus Frog, Pseudacris regilla
Family Pipidae
- African Clawed Frog, Xenopus laevis
Family Ranidae
- Red-legged Frogs, Rana aurora and R. draytonii
- Rio Grande Leopard Frog, Rana berlandieri
- Foothill Yellow-legged Frog, Rana boylii
- Cascades Frog, Rana cascadae
- American Bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana
- Mountain Yellow-legged Frogs, Rana muscosa and R. sierrae
- Northern and Southern Leopard Frogs, Rana pipiens and R. sphenocephala
Family Scaphiopodidae
- Couch’s Spadefoot, Scaphiopus couchii
- Western Spadefoot, Spea hammondii
- Great Basin Spadefoot, Spea intermontana
Acknowledgments
Recommended Further Reading
About the Author