Seasonal migration between terrestrial upland habitat and vernal pools, is a critical life history component for the endangered Sonoma County California Tiger Salamander (CTS- Ambystoma californiense). To better understand migratory movements associated with classic clustered vernal pool habitat surrounded by varying land uses, we employed a two-year pitfall trapping study of adult CTS. Pitfall traps and drift fences were installed around four pools on a preserve in Santa Rosa, CA. Using a non-invasive individual identification system, we investigated orientation of individual adult salamanders leaving their breeding pools, influences of surrounding land use on movement, and levels of among-pool movement. We found that individuals moved non-randomly, maintaining a relatively consistent direction toward original entry points when exiting. Furthermore, the direction between entry and exits was significantly affected by surrounding land use; individual entries associated with rural residences tended to stray further, relative to entries associated with preserve and cattle grazed preserve. Within a breeding season, only a small proportion of individuals visited a second pool; however, by far, most individuals visited only one pool despite the high density of clustered pools available.

Victoria Brunal-Byrd works as a wildlife biologist for Swaim Biological Inc. (SBI) and works with local zoo Safari West as research coordinator. She completed her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at Sonoma State University. She has worked with SBI since 2019 and has participated in native herpetofauna research projects with species including northwestern pond turtles, Alameda whipsnake, San Francisco garter snake, California red-legged frog, and foothill yellow-legged frog. In 2022 she began work as research coordinator at Safari West assisting with ongoing research projects with subject species such as Southern white rhinos and reticulated giraffes among others.