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La Brea Geology
La Brea Flora and
Fauna
Biodiversity
Plants and Their
Habitats
Invertebrates
Lower Vertebrates
Birds of Rancho La
Brea
Columbian Mammoth
American Mastodon
Ground Sloths
Western Horse
Ancient Bison
Dwarf Pronghorn
Extinct Camel
Rare Mammalian
Herbivores
Dire Wolf
Short-faced Bear
American Lion
Sabertoothed Cat
Other Carnivores
Human Exploration
and Excavations
Lower Vertebrates
Reptilia, Amphibia & Osteichthyes

Western rattle snake
Western rattle snake

Thousands of reptile, amphibian, and fish remains have been removed from the asphalt deposits. Commonly called lower vertebrates, most of these animals are still found today in the southern California area.

  • The reptiles include the western pond turtle, gopher snake, the common king snake, two types of garter snake and the western rattlesnake.
  • The western and southwestern toads, red-legged and tree frogs and a climbing salamander are the five kinds of amphibians recovered.
  • Rainbow trout, arroyo chub and the three-spined stickleback are the three species of fishes recovered from the asphalt.
The fossilized remains of frogs and turtles are further evidence that suggests that the Ice Age climate was more humid than today. The three types of fishes indicate the presence of year-round streams in the area of Rancho La Brea.		 Frog
Frog



Three-spined stickleback
Three-spined stickleback
Foot Note!
Small animal fossils are one of the best indicators of prehistoric ecosystems and environments. For example, a fossilized frog tells scientists that the habitat within which it lived must have been wetter because the frog was dependent on permanent water to breed. In other words, it was a captive within its environment. One scientist from the Page Museum's Laboratory put it, "The big animals just died here; the smaller animals really lived here at Rancho La Brea."

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