Recent rainfall in the Long Beach area has revealed native amphibians garden slender salamanders that normally go unnoticed.
Garden slender salamanders are native to southern California and they usually hide under debris like rocks or logs, or will use earthworm burrows to hide from predators.
Their bodies are long and slender with their tails sometimes being longer than the rest of their bodies.
Like other amphibians, their diet consists of small insects.
Amphibians do not dwell only in the tropics like most think, but in fact California has many native species.
Daniel Nigro is a professor at LBCC who has been teaching wildlife biology for about 16 years.
“There are quite a few species of slender salamanders in California… I think a lot of people don’t see them because they are so well camouflaged and many people might mistake them as a worm, until they see the cute little face and tiny legs,” the professor said.
Professor Nigro also explained what makes slender salamanders so unique.
“It is lungless, and instead uses its moist skin to absorb oxygen from the air. It must stay moist for this to work, so it prefers moist locations. Most other salamanders use lungs,” Nigro said.
The Save the Frogs organization was founded in 2008 by Kerry Kriger, who has a Ph.D in environmental science.
The organization has worked to protect amphibian species all over the world.
Despite its name, Save the Frogs has also saved other animals like salamanders.
“We successfully petitioned the U.S. government to ban the importation of 201 salamander species into the country, to reduce the likelihood of an amphibian disease entering the USA,” said Kriger.
Due to human activity damaging natural environments, amphibian populations worldwide have been rapidly declining.
“Protecting habitat is the best way to ensure the survival of salamanders in California,” said Dr. Kriger.
Dr. Kriger also shared what people can do if they want to help their local amphibians.
“Build a frog pond, do not introduce non-native species, let vegetation grow on part of your property, and go pesticide free,” said Kriger.