SENSITIVE SPECIES

We are not an endangered species ourselves yet, but this is not for a lack of trying.

– Douglas Adams

Sensitive species are those that have been listed as such by federal or state resource agencies, or by special interest groups such as the California Native Plant Society (CNPS). At least 49 sensitive species are known to occur within the Lagoon and adjacent uplands. These include 35 plants, 1 insect, 6 reptiles, and 5 birds.

SENSITIVE PLANT SPECIES

Sensitive plant species that have been observed in the Lagoon and adjacent uplands are summarized in the table below. The majority of these occur in upland habitats or at the wetland/upland transition. Most are considered rare, threatened, or endangered by the CNPS; however, three upland species are federally listed as endangered. Below are some key sensitive plant species found in Los Peñasquitos Lagoon and a comprehensive list of all of the sensitive species found in the Lagoon and nearby uplands.

Common Name: Coulter’s Goldfields
Scientific Name: Lasthenia glabratta ssp. coulteri
Status: RE-1B (Rare and Endangered in California and elsewhere)
More Info

Common Name: Nuttall’s lotus
Scientific Name: Acmispon prostratus
Status: RE-1B (Rare and Endangered in California and elsewhere)
More Info

Common Name: Torrey Pine
Scientific Name: Pinus torreyana ssp. torreyana
Status: RE-1B (Rare and Endangered in California and elsewhere)
More Info

Sensitive Plant Species in Los Peñasquitos Lagoon and Adjacent Uplands

U = Wet/Upland Transition.

L = Lagoon/Dunes

Species Name

RE = Rare & Endangered Classification

1B = Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in CA and elsewhere

2 = Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in CA but more common elsewhere

4 = Plants of Limited Distribution – a Watch List

Common Name
1U Chaenactis glabriuscula var. orcuttiana (RE–1B) Orcutt’s Pincushion
2U Coreopsis maritima (RE-2) Sea Dahlia
3U Erysimum suffrutescens Island Wallflower
4U Lepidium virginicum var. robinsonii (RE-1B) Robinson’s Peppergrass
5U Ferocactus viridescens (RE-2) Coast Barrel Cactus
6U Atriplex pacifica (RE-1B) South Coast Saltscale
7U Dichondra occidentalis (RE-4) Ponyfoot, Western Dichondra
8U Quercus dumosa (RE-1B) Nuttall’s Scrub Oak
9U Pinus torreyana (RE-1B) Torrey Pine
10U Chorizanthe procumbens (RE-4) Spine-Flower
11U Mucronea californica (Chorizanthe californica) (RE-4) California Spine-Flower
12U Calandrinia maritima (RE-4) Seaside Red Maids
13U Ceanothus verrucosus (RE-2) Wart-stemmed Ceanothus
14L Artemisia palmeri (RE-2) Palmer Sagewort
15L Iva hayesiana (RE-2) San Diego Marsh-Elder
16L Lasthenia glabrata ssp. coulteri (RE-1B) Coulter’s Salt Marsh Daisy
17L Suaeda esteroa (S. californica) (RE-1B) California Sea-Blite
18L Suaeda taxifolia (RE-4) Woolly Sea-Blite
19L Acmispon prostratus (formerly Lotus nuttallianus) (RE-1B) Nuttal’s Acmispon (formerly Nuttall’s Lotus)
20L * Phacelia stellaris (RE-1B) Brand’s Phacelia
21L Abronia maritima (RE-4) Red Sand-Verbena
22L Nemacaulis denudata var. denudata (RE-1B) Coast Wooly-Heads
23U** Berberis nevinii (RE-1B) Nevin’s Barberry
24U Bergerocactus emoryi (RE-2)  Golden-Club Cactus
25U Aphanisma blitoides (RE-1B) Aphanisma
26U Dudleya blochmaniae ssp. brevifolia (RE-1B) Short-Leaved Dudlyea
27U Dudleya variegata (RE-1B) Variegated Dudlyea
28U ** Arctostaphylos glandulosa ssp. crassifolia (RE-1B) Del Mar Manzanita
29U Comarostaphylis diversifolia ssp. diversifolia (RE-1B) Summer-Holly
30U Agave shawii (RE-2) Shaw’s Agave
31U Muilla clevelandii (RE-1B) San Diego Goldenstar
32U Orobanche parishii ssp. brachyloba (RE-4) Short-Lobed Broomrape
33U ** Chorizanthe orcuttiana (RE-1B) Orcutt’s Spineflower
34U Chorizanthe polygonoides ssp. longispina (RE-1B) Long-Spined Spineflower
35U Myosurus minimus ssp. apus (RE-3) Little Mousetail
 

* Candidate for Federal Listing

** Federally Endangered

 

SENSITIVE WILDLIFE

Below are some key sensitive wildlife species found in Los Peñasquitos Lagoon and its nearby uplands, as well as some that can be found along Torrey Pines State Beach.

Photo by Walt Knufken
Common Name: Brown Pelican
Scientific Name: Pelecanus occidentalis
Status: Delisted from (Federally) Threatened in 2009
More Info

Photo by Walt Knufken
Common Name: Belding’s savannah sparrow
Scientific Name: Passerculus sandwichensis beldingi
Status: Endangered (State)
More Info

Common Name: Coastal cactus wren
Scientific Name: Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus sandiegensis
Status: Species of Special Concern (State)
More Info

Common Name: Coastal California gnatcatcher
Scientific Name: Polioptila californica californica
Status: Threatened (Federal), Species of Special Concern (State)
More Info

Photo by Walt Knufken
Common Name: Ridgway’s rail (formerly Light-footed clapper rail)
Scientific Name: Rallus obsoletus levipes
Status: Endangered (Federal & State)
More Info

Common Name: Least Bell’s vireo
Scientific Name: Viroe bellii pusillus
Status: Endangered (Federal & State)
More Info

Photo by Walt Knufken
Common Name: Western snowy plover
Scientific Name: Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus
Status: Endangered (Federal & State)
More Info

Common Name: Wandering skipper
Scientific Name: Panoquina errans
Status: Threatened (International Union of Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources)
More Info

Common Name: Belding’s orange-throated whiptail
Scientific Name: Cnemidophorus hyperythrus beldingi
Status: Endangered (State)
More Info

Common Name: California legless lizard
Scientific Name: Anniella pulchra
Status: Species of Special Concern (State)
More Info

Common Name: Coronado skink
Scientific Name: Eumeces skiltonianus interparietalis
Status: Species of Special Concern (State)
More Info

Common Name: Red diamond rattlesnake
Scientific Name: Crotalus ruber
Status: Threatened (Federal), Species of Special Concern (State)
More Info

Listed animal species currently present in Los Peñasquitos Lagoon and nearby uplands are provided in table below. All of the reptile species are listed as California Species of Special Concern. Bird species are either federally listed threatened and endangered, or state-listed endangered and California Species of Special Concern.

 

Sensitive Wildlife Species in Los Peñasquitos lagoon and Adjacent Uplands

Species Status Habitat Distribution at Los Peñasquitos Lagoon
Reptiles
Orangethroat whiptail (Aspidoscelis hyperythra) Federal Status: None

State Status: Species of Special Concern

Coastal scrub, chaparral, sandy areas with brush and rocks for cover. Observed in lagoon and adjacent uplands.
Northern red diamond rattlesnake

(Crotalus ruber ruber)

Federal Status: Threatened

State Status: Species of Special Concern

Chaparral, woodland, grassland, desert areas with rocky areas and dense vegetation. Observed in lagoon. Probable in adjacent uplands.
Coronado Island skink

(Plestiodon skiltonianus interpareitalis)

Federal Status: None

State Status: Species of Special Concern

Grassland, chaparral, pinyon-juniper woodland, juniper sage woodland, pine-oak and pine forests. Observed in lagoon and adjacent uplands.
Coast horned lizard

(Phrynosom blainvillii)

Federal Status: Endangered

State Status: Species of Special Concern

Lowlands along sandy washes with scattered bushes. Observed in uplands; appropriate habitat does not occur on the project site.
Two-striped garter snake

(Thamnophis hammondii)

Federal Status: None

State Status: Species of Special Concern

In or near permanent freshwater; streams courses. Not observed; appropriate habitat does not occur on the project site.
California legless lizard (Anniella pulchra), Federal Status: None

State Status: Species of Special Concern

In loose, sandy soils or leaf litter, typically in sand dunes along the coast. Observed in lagoon.
Birds
Belding’s savannah sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis beldingi) Federal Status: None

State Status: Endangered

Nests in pickleweed in coastal salt marshes. Observed in lagoon. Nests in lagoon.
Coastal cactus wren

(Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus sandiegensis)

Federal Status: None

State Status: Species of Special Concern

Coastal sage scrub. One individual observed in adjacent uplands in 1984.
Coastal California gnatcatcher (Polioptila californica californica) Federal Status: Threatened

State Status: Species of Special Concern

Coastal sage scrub. Observed and nests in adjacent uplands.
Light-footed Ridgway’s rail

(Rallus onsoletus brevipes) formerly referred to as Light-footed Clapper Rail (Rallus longirostris levipes)

Federal Status: Endangered

State Status: Endangered

Coastal salt marshes and brackish marshes. Observed in lagoon. Nests in lagoon.
California least tern

(Sturnula antillarum browni)

Federal Status: Endangered

State Status: Endangered

Sandy beaches, alkali flats, land fills, paved areas. Observed in lagoon in 1980s. Does not nest in lagoon.
Western Snowy plover (Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus), Federal status: Threatened

State status: Species of Special Concern

Sandy dunes, salt pannes, mudflats. Infrequent visitor to lagoon. Does not nest in lagoon.
Least Bell’s vireo

(Viroe bellii pusillus)

Federal Status: Endangered

State Status: Endangered

Summer resident of riparian habitats near water. Observed in lagoon. Does not nest in lagoon.
Insects
Wandering skipper

(Panoquina errans)

 

Federal Status: None

State Status; None

ICUN Status: Red List

High salt marsh with saltgrass as larval host plant. Observed and breeds in lagoon.