Managing ponds may help save native salamanders

by Max Esterhuizen, Virginia Tech
November 4, 2025

The California tiger salamander relies on seasonal ponds to breed. But for decades, the species has been under pressure from non-native salamanders introduced in the 1950s and 1960s for use as fishing bait.

These invasive barred tiger salamanders interbred with the native population, creating hybrids that grow faster, eat more, and often take over entire pond ecosystems.

Now, scientists have built detailed computer models to test how water duration, or hydroperiod, and targeted hybrid removal could help native salamanders recover. The findings, published recently in Ecological Applications, suggest that managing pond conditions may tip the balance in favor of native species. The web-based app to run the models is available online.

Keep reading: https://news.vt.edu/articles/2025/10/cnre-research-california-tiger-salamander.html

Read the Ecological Applications paper: https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/eap.70116