Endangered Species Research
Santa Cruz Long-toed Salamander (Ambystoma macrodactylum croceum), an endangered subspecies that only breeds in a handful of ponds in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties in California. Habitat development, climate change, and rising sea levels put this species future in jeopardy - none of its current breeding ponds will still be suitable within the next half century. Biologists investigate their ecology in order to construct artificial ponds to ensure their future.