Salamanders: limit 4

In California, you need a Sport Fishing license to catch frogs, salamanders, lizards, and other local wildlife. If this is news to you, and you've been catching critters for some time- you're not alone, that seems to be most people's reactions. I see fairly regular content of people herping with bucket traps, which is illegal. I see TikToks of people bringing home more than the bag limit of species. I've seen YouTube channels about caring for pets that are illegal to possess in the state. For many people, this seems to come from ignorance of how bad what they are doing is. They aren't going to release their pet into the wild (although that's also a flat out lie more than i'd like) so what is the harm?

The risk of ecological collapse locally. Aquatic pets carry water borne diseases and parasites, and unless you treat your tank water before dumping it- you've probably participated in spreading some. Aquatic plants have been invading waterways in increasing levels since the aquarium hobby started really growing during quarantine. Species that are popular for being hard for beginners to kill, are destructive in local environments. Your local algae can't outcompete Subwasstertang. Your local copepods are wimps next to the imported ones filling pet stores. Canada has been besieged by frogbit, and it's still the go to choice for many aquarists. 

I say this as a formerly guilty party, if that wasn't clear. That's why I know it's easy to change this behavior, and well worth your time. You aren't doing this on purpose, there is no malice in wanting a cool aquarium species. Ignorance is bliss for the unaffected, but it's destructive to the vulnerable. 

Here is the 2023-2024 California freshwater fishing regulations. It's a huge booklet, but don't let that stop you. There's a search function! Just opening this booklet up and searching for the species you keep, capture, or are considering catching is a small behavior that can make a huge difference. Fishing licenses are generally not cost prohibitive, $34 bucks for a year is great IMO. Even if you don't have a license, behaving in a way that is recommended by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife has lasting benefits. 

You can also learn fun ways to help. Some species require you to submit report cards, how many you caught and where, as a way to track numbers as accurately as possible. Salmon is a great example of this, much of the data we get about Salmon in smaller waterways comes from people fishing. This applies for catch and release fishing too. You can go out fishing, drink some beers, keep nothing, and help preserve your local species in one online form. Noticing an invasive species, being able to recognize it, and being able to fill out the report form could save your hometown's rivers. 

This applies to other states as well, so have a look at your Fish and Wildlife website. Protect your local environments and keep herping- the two can go together. 

If I got anything wrong, please comment. I don't want to spread misinformation, and speaking up can help prevent this post from doing that. If you're not from California- comment some fun regulations in your state, and i'll reply with a fun one from here. We can trade weird regs.