Purisima Creek and Sierra Azul

September 18, 2011

We visited two sites for California Giant Salamander: Purisima Creek in Half Moon Bay, and Sierra Azul, near San Jose. We walked the creek at both locations, searching for salamanders.

We found several, and collected morphometric data and tail clippings for DNA analysis. At Purisima Creek, we also saw Rough-skinned Newts, and gorgeous GORGEOUS California Banana Slugs.

At Sierra Azul, we found some very strange California Giant Salamanders – with kind of crinkly tails, very different from the ones we saw at Purisima. Derek’s hypothesis is that inbreeding in this population is responsible for the strange phenotype.

I think this was my favorite trip of the class.

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Species List

Purisima Creek: California Banana Slug (Ariolimax californicus), California Giant Salamander (Dicamptodon ensatus), Rough-skinned Newt (Taricha granulosa), Signal Crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus), California Saxifrage (Micranthes californica)

Sierra Azul: California Giant Salamander (Dicamptodon ensatus), Button’s Banana Slug (Ariolimax buttoni), Pacific Poison Oak (Toxicodendron diversilobum)

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