Department of Fish and Game

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Terrestrial Vertebrates Introduced into California

From “A Check-List of the Amphibians, Reptiles, Birds, and Mammals of California” by W.E. Grenfell, Jr., et al. Wildlife Habitat Relationships Program, California Department of Fish and Game, 2001.

Status Code:
I Introduced to California
I? Introduced to California; it is not known if populations are viable through time

Amphibians
Common Name Scientific Name Status Footnotes
Ambystomatidae (Mole Salamanders and relatives)
Tiger Salamander Ambystoma tigrinum I Populations of this species, other than those of the
California tiger salamander, have been introduced
Ranidae (True Frogs)
Rio Grande Leopard Frog Rana berlandieri I  
Bullfrog Rana catesbeiana I  
Pipidae (Pipid Frogs)
African Clawed Frog Xenopus laevis I  

Reptiles
Common Name Scientific Name Status Footnotes
Chelydridae (Snapping Turtles)
Snapping Turtle Chelydra serpentina I  
Emydidae (Box and Water Turtles))
Painted Turtle Chrysemys picta I  
Slider Pseudemys (Trachemys) scripta I  
Trionychidae (Softshell Turtles)
Spiny Softshell Trionyx spiniferus I  
Colubridae (Colubrids)
Diamondback Water Snake Nerodia rhombifer I  

Birds
Common Name Scientific Name Status Footnotes
Anatidae (Swans, Geese, and Ducks)
Mute Swan Cygnus olor I  
Phasianidae (Qualis, Pheasants, and relatives)
Chukar Alectoris chukar I  
Ring-necked Pheasant Phasianus colchicus I  
Common Peafowl Pavo cristatus I  
White-tailed Ptarmigan Lagopus leucurus I  
Wild Turkey Melegris gallopavo I  
Columbidae (Pigeons and Doves)
Rock Dove Columa livia I  
Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto I?  
Spotted Dove Streptopelia chinensis I  
Psittacidae (Lories, Parakeets, Macaws, and Parrots)
Rose-winged Parakeet Psittacula krameri I?  
Blue-crowned Parakeet Aratinga auticaudata I  
Mitred Parakeet Aratinga mitrata I  
Red-masked Parakeet Aratinga erythrogenys I  
Black-hooded Parakeet Nandayus nendey I  
White-winged (Canary-winged) Parakeet Brotogeris versicolurus I?  
Yellow-chevroned Parakeet Brotogeris chiriri I  
Red-crowned Parrot Amazona viridigenalis I?  
Lilac-crowned Parrot Amazona finschi I?  
Yellow-headed Parrot Amazona oratrix I?  
Sturnidae (Starlings)
European Starling Sturnus vulgaris I  
Emberizidae (Wood Warblers, Sparrows, Blackbirds, and relatives)
Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis I Cardinals are native to California only marginally in the Colorado River Valley, other populations are of introduced subspecies.
Passeridae (Old World Sparrows)
House Sparrow Passer domesticus I  
Plocidae (Weavers and Allies)
Orange Bishop Euplectes franciscanus I?  
Estrildidae (Waxbills and Allies)
Nutmeg Manakin Lonchura punctulata I?  

Mammals
Common Name Scientific Name Status Footnotes
Didelphidae (Opossums)
Virginia Opossum Didelphis virginiana I  
Leporidae (Rabbits and Hares)
European Rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus I  
Sciuridae (Squirrels, chipmunks, and Marmots)
Eastern Gray Squirrel Sclurus carolinensis I  
Eastern Fox Squirrel Sciurus niger I  
Castoridae (Beavers)
Beaver Castor canadensis I *Some populations were introduced into the Sierra Nevada and Southern California from stock taken from Oregon and Washington.
Cricetidae (Native Mice, Rats, and Voles)
Muskrat Onatra zibethicus I *Some populations in California were introduced.
Muridae (Old World Rats and Mice)
Black Rat Rattus rattus I  
Norway Rat Rattus norvegicus I  
House Mouse Mus musculus I  
Canidae (Foxes, Wolves, and relatives)
Red Fox Vulpes vulpes I Red foxes native to California are of the subspecies V.v. necator. Members of other subspecies of red fox have been introduced to California.
Felidae
Domestic Cat Felis cattus I  
Equidae (Horses)
Feral Horse Equus caballus I  
Feral Burro Equus assinus I  
Burchell’s Zebra Equus burchelli I  
Suidae (Pigs)
Wild Pig Sus scrofa I  
Cervidae (Deer, Elk, and relatives)
Wapiti or Elk Cervus elaphus I *Elk native to California are Roosevelt (C.e. roosevelti) and tule (C.e. nannodes)) elk. Rocky Mountain elk (C.e. nelsoni) have been introduced to California.
Fallow Deer Cervus dama I  
Sambar Cervus unicolor I  
Axis Deer Cervus axis I  
Bovidae (Sheep, Goats, an relatives)
Feral Cattle Bos taurus I  
Bison Bison bison I  
Blackbuck Antilope cervicapra I  
Barbary Sheep Ammotragus lervia I  
Himalayan Tahr Hemitragus jemlahicus I  
Feral Goat Capra hircus I