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sierraclub.org - sierra magazine - sept/oct 2011 - endangered-species - on the brink: animals fighting for survival

On the Brink: Animals Fighting for Survival

Photography by Joel Sartore | Captions by Della Watson

The elusive California tiger salamander spends much of its time sheltered by the underground burrows of other animals. During the rainy season, the salamander emerges to seek vernal pools, journeying up to a mile to reach the temporary ponds that serve as its breeding grounds. Much of the tiger salamander's historic habitat in California's Central Valley is now devoted to agriculture. Isolated populations in Sonoma and Santa Barbara are considered endangered. (Photographed at the Fresno Chaffee Zoo, Fresno, California)