Ambystoma californiense

Endemic to the United States . The range is limited to the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California ^[1] .

The total length is 15-22 cm. The head is wide, the muzzle is round. Eyes bulging with black pupils. The body is stocky, the skin is smooth. On the sides of the body there are 12 transverse grooves. The forelimbs have 5, the hind limbs have 4 fingers. The tail is somewhat flattened laterally, and gradually tapers towards the end. The coloring of adults is black with yellow or cream spots on the back and tail. Larvae have a greenish-gray color ^[4] . Neotenic larvae, like other ambists, are called axolotls . Axolotl has external gills, a fin fold on the tail, a flatter and wider head. Axolotli is a traditional laboratory and amateur breeding site.

It lives in rocky, sandy places, on the banks of temporary and standing reservoirs. It occurs at altitudes of 500-1200 m above sea level ^[5] . Most of the time he spends underground, using burrows of various animals for shelters, most often California gophers ^[6] . Active at night or in rainy weather. Adults feed on various invertebrates , larvae on zooplankton . Life expectancy up to 15 years ^[7] .

The breeding season lasts from December to February. Reproduction occurs in temporary reservoirs that form during the winter and dry in the summer ^[8] . The female lays 2-4 eggs at the bottom of the reservoir, attaching them to aquatic vegetation. Several females can lay eggs in one pond ^[6] .

Egg development lasts about 30 days. When larvae appear, they are 15-17 mm long. Metamorphosis occurs with a body length of 8-9 cm, and the entire development lasts 3-4 months. In alpine populations, the development of larvae occurs during the year ^[9] .

Successfully reproduce in laboratory conditions.