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, mammals. amphibians and reptiles, birds and mammals. Please note that most fully protected species have also been listed as threatened or endangered species under the more recent endangered species laws and regulations.
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 and relocation of the bird species for the protection of livestock.
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 |
| Colorado River squawfish (=Colorado pikeminnow) |
Ptychocheilus lucius |
| thicktail chub |
Gila crassicauda |
| Mohave chub (=Mohave tui chub) |
Gila mohavensis |
| Lost River sucker |
Catostomus luxatus (=Deltistes luxatus) |
| Modoc sucker |
Catostomus microps |
| shortnose sucker |
Chasmistes brevirostris |
| humpback sucker (=razorback sucker) |
Xyrauchen texanus |
| Owens River pupfish (=Owens pupfish) |
Cyprinoden radiosus |
| unarmored threespine stickleback |
Gasterosteus aculeatus williamsoni |
| rough sculpin |
Cottus asperrimus |
| Amphibians |
| Santa Cruz long-toed salamander |
Ambystoma macrodactylum croceum |
| limestone salamander |
Hydromantes brunus |
| black toad |
Bufo exsul |
| Reptiles |
| blunt-nosed leopard lizard |
Gambelia sila (=Gambelia silus) |
| San Francisco garter snake |
Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia |
| Birds |
| American peregrine falcon |
Falco peregrinus anatum |
| brown pelican (=California brown pelican) |
Pelecanus occidentalis (=P. o. occidentalis) |
| California black rail |
Laterallus jamaicensis coturniculus |
| California clapper rail |
Rallus longirostris obsoletus |
| California condor |
Gymnogyps califonianus |
| California least tem |
Sterna albifrons browni (=Sterna antillarum browni) |
| golden eagle |
Aquila chrysaetos |
| greater sandhill crane |
Grus candadensis tabida |
| light-footed clapper rail |
Rallus longirostris levipes |
| southern bald eagle (=bald eagle) |
Haliaeetus leucocephalus leucocephalus
(=Haliaeetus leucocephalus) |
| trumpeter swan |
Cygnus buccinator |
| white-tailed kite |
Elanus leucurus |
| Yuma clapper rail |
Rallus longirostris yumanensis |
| Mammals |
| 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 |
| ring-tailed cat |
Genus Bassariscus (=Bassariscus astutus) |
| Pacific right whale |
Eubalanea sieboldi (=Balaena glacialis) |
| salt-marsh harvest mouse |
Reithrodontomys raviventris |
| southern sea otter |
Enhydra lutris nereis |
| wolverine |
Gulo luscus (=Gulo gulo) |
