A Guide to the Amphibians
and Reptiles of California

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Some Animals Found In and Near the Contra Costa County
California Tiger Salamander Breeding Pond

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Contra Costa County California Tiger Salamander Breeding Pond

Unless noted, all of the animals shown below were found in or within site of the pond.

Salamanders

These short videos each show an adult California Tiger Salamander in the pond when it is very shallow during the breeding season in late December coming to the surface to take a quick breath of air before returning to the bottom to hide again. © Mark Gary		This short video shows an adult California Tiger Salamander swimming in the pond © Mark Gary	A mature California Tiger Salamander larva eating a Sierran Treefrog tadpole in the pond in early May. © Mark Gary

Mature California Tiger Salamander larva swimming in the pond © Mark Gary	Mature California Tiger Salamander larva swimming in the pond	Hatchling larval California Tiger Salamander in the pond. © Mark Gary	This short video shows mature California Tiger Salamander larvae swimming in the pond in June, rising to the surface for a gulp of air or to attempt to eat Sierran Treefrog tadpoles.

California Tiger Salamander eggs in the pond. © Mark Gary	Maturing California Tiger Salamander eggs in the pond © Mark Gary		California Tiger Salamander eggs in the pond © Mark Gary

Frogs

Juvenile California Red-legged Frog in the pond in July. These frogs are known to eat California Tiger Salamander larvae.	In the summer when mats of vegetation cover the water California Red-legged Frogs can be seen poking their heads above the pond.	Young adult California Red-legged Frog at the edge of the pond in May.

Juvenile California Red-legged Frog in the pond in August. © Mark Gary	This short video shows a large adult California Red-legged Frog sitting still under some vegetation at the edge of the pond until a grasshopper lands nearby and the frog explodes into action, grabbing the insect on the underside of its long sticky pink tongue.	This short video shows some California Red-legged Frogs at the pond and in a nearby pond in July.	This short video shows some California Red-legged Frog at the pond in August.

Mature California Red-legged Frogtadpole in the pond.	This short video shows a few large California Red-legged Frog tadpoles in the pond and a nearby pond.	Recently-laid California Red-legged Frog eggs in the pond © Mark Gary	This short video shows Sierran Treefrog tadpoles feeding in the pond and in a puddle in a creekbed.

Adult Sierran Treefrog found under a rock on the hill above the pond	This recently-metamorphosed juvenile Sierran Treefrog found in the pond has a rear leg deformity that is most likely caused by a parasite that is hosted by a snail before it attaches itself to a tadpole.	Sierran Treefrog tadpole found in the pond

Sierran Treefrog tadpole in the pond	Sierran Treefrog tadpole in the pond	Recently-laid Sierran Treefrog in the pond © Mark Gary	Three types of frog eggs in the pond in mid March: the large mass on top is from a California Red-legged Frog, the long strings of eggs are from the California Toad, and the small balls of eggs are from the Sierran Treefrog. © Mark Gary

Adult California Toad at the edge of the pond during the April breeding season © Mark Gary		Adult California Toad emerging from a California ground squirrel burrow next to the pond (lower left of photo on right).

Recently metamorphosed California Toad at the pond in May © Mark Gary	California Toads in amplexus at the pond in February © Mark Gary

Snakes

Adult Diablo Range Gartersnake eating a California Tiger Salamander larva in the pond © Mark Gary

Adult Diablo Range Gartersnake in the pond	This short video shows Diablo Range Gartersnakes swimming in the pond	Juvenile Pacific Gophersnake found under a rock above the pond	Huge adult Northern Pacific Rattlesnake photographed at the edge of the pond. © Mark Gary

Lizards

Juvenile Forest (California) Alligator Lizard found under a rock above the pond		Coast Range Fence Lizard found on a rock across the creek from the pond	Hatchling Coast Range Fence Lizard at the pond in the fall

Other Animals and Invertebrates

California Ground Squirrels live in burrows that surround the pond. These burrows also provide habitat for California Tiger Salamanders, California Toads, and other animals.	Grazing cows use the pond but when it dries up, a temporary fence is often erected around any remaining mud to prevent the cows from trampling it.	I watched two biologists wade across the pond with a net, looking for frogs with deformities caused by parasites. They took this deformed Sierran Treefrog with an extra leg out of the net.	A bull drinks from the pond in October © Mark Gary

Hooded Mergansers - small diving ducks that feed mostly on fish but also eat other aquatic life including aquatic invertebrates, tadpoles, frogs, and probably tiger salamander larvae, have been seen on the pond. © Mark Gary	Adult male Hooded Merganser with his crest raised. (Found in a different pond.)	Springtails in the pond in January © Mark Gary	Waterbug prowling the pond for prey

Tarantula Hawk nectaring on Narrow-leaved Milkweed © Mark Gary

These are a few other species that have been observed at or in the general area of the pond but were not photographed there.

This Alameda Striped Racer was found about a mile away from the pond.	This Northern Pacific Rattlesnake was found at the edge of a different pond in the area.	Western Yellow-bellied Racers have been seen on the shore of the pond similar to this one from Siskiyou County.	This juvenile Western Yellow-bellied Racer was found at a park in the same county.

Common Sharp-tailed Snakes have been found on the hill above the pond, like this one photographed at another location in the same county.	California Nightsnake found over the hill from the hill above the pond. © Mark Gary	This long-tailed adult Forest (California) Alligator Lizard was found not far from the pond.

This adult Pond Turtle with large patches of algae growing on its shell found in a permanent pond nearby. © Mark Gary	Hatchling Pond Turtle found in a permanent pond nearby. © Mark Gary	Red-eared Sliders are also found in a permanent pond nearby.	California Slender Salamanders like this one from the same area have been found in wooded areas nearby.

Yellow-eyed Ensatina like this one from a park in the same county have been found in wooded areas nearby.	This Bobcat was photographed nearby. © Mark Gary	This Coyote was photographed nearby. © Mark Gary	Convergent lady beetles (aka lady bugs) form congregations in winter not far from the pond. © Mark Gary

American Wigeon (ducks) have also been seen on the pond, but not photographed.	Golden Eagles (like these which were photographed elsewhere in California) have been observed in the area.