California Tiger Salamander

The California tiger salamander (Ambystoma californiense) is in the Central Valley and adjacent foothills and coastal grasslands.

It inhabits primarily annual grasslands and open woodlands of the foothills and valleys. California tiger salamanders are rarely seen except during their nocturnal breeding migrations which begin with the first seasonal rains, usually in November or December. Breeding sites are usually vernal ponds that fill during winter and may dry by summer. 
California Tiger Salamander
California tiger salamanders were kept away from the Los Vaqueros Dam construction area through the use of temporary fences. Buckets, buried in the ground, lined the fences. The salamanders were retrieved from the buckets daily and transported by hand to safer areas.