Fully Protected Animals

The classification of Fully Protected was the State's initial effort in the 1960's to identify and provide additional protection to those animals that were rare or faced possible extinction. Lists were created for fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. Please note that most fully protected species have also been listed as threatened or endangered species under the more recent California Endangered Species Act.

Fully Protected species may not be taken or possessed at any time and no licenses or permits may be issued for their take except for collecting these species for necessary scientific research, relocation of the bird species for the protection of livestock, or if they are a covered species whose conservation and management is provided for in a Natural Community Conservation Plan (NCCP).

The following common and scientific names are those given in the Fish and Game Code Sections 3511, 4700, 5050 and 5515. However, some of these names are no longer consistent with current scientific nomenclature.

Fishes

Common Name Scientific Name
Colorado pikeminnow
(formerly Colorado River squawfish)
Ptychocheilus lucius
Mohave tui chub
(formerly Mohave chub)
Siphateles bicolor mohavenisis
(formerly Gila mohavensis )
Lost River sucker Deltistes luxatus and Catostomus luxatus
Modoc sucker Catostomus microps
shortnose sucker Chasmistes brevirostris
razorback sucker
(formerly humpback sucker)
Xyrauchen texanus
Owens pupfish
(formerly owens river pupfish)
Cyprinodon radiosus
unarmored threespine stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus williamsoni
rough sculpin Cottus asperrimus

Amphibians

Common Name Scientific Name
Santa Cruz long-toed salamander Ambystoma macrodactylum croceum
limestone salamander Hydromantes brunus
black toad Bufo boreas exsul

Reptiles

Common Name Scientific Name
blunt-nosed leopard lizard Gambelia sila
San Francisco garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia

Birds

Common Name Scientific Name
California black rail Laterallus jamaicensis coturniculus
California clapper rail Rallus longirostris obsoletus
California condor Gymnogyps califonianus
California least tern Sterna albifrons browni
golden eagle Aquila chrysaetos
greater sandhill crane Grus candadensis tabida
light-footed clapper rail Rallus longirostris levipes
southern bald eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus leucocephalus
trumpeter swan Cygnus buccinator
white-tailed kite Elanus leucurus
Yuma clapper rail Rallus longirostris yumanensis

Mammals

Common Name Scientific Name
Morro Bay kangaroo rat Dipodomys heermanni morroensis
bighorn sheep Ovis canadensis - except Nelson bighorn sheep
(ssp. Ovis canadensis nelsoni) in the area described
in subdivision (b) of Section 4902 (Fish and Game Code)
northern elephant seal Mirounga angustirostris
Guadalupe fur seal Arctocephalus townsendi
ringtail Genus Bassariscus
Pacific right whale Eubalanea sieboldi
salt-marsh harvest mouse Reithrodontomys raviventris
southern sea otter Enhydra lutris nereis
wolverine Gulo luscus