Diet: Insects, small mammals and birds, eggs, crabs, berries, and nuts Habitat: Widespread throughout North America, especially mixed woodlands and suburban greenspaces CaliforniaStatus: Least Concern
Skunks are famous for the powerful, smelly spray that they use to deter predators, but they give warning before spraying and are typically docile. We can thank them for eating insects and rodent pests.
Diet: Rodents, rabbits, birds, fruit Habitat: Rocky, wooded, and brushy regions as well as suburban habitats Status: Least Concern
While gray foxes are common throughout North America, deforestation and urban development have lead to increased competition from red foxes. The grey fox is the only member of the canine family that can climb trees, and they are also known to double back on their own tracks to confuse predators.
Deer are most active in the evening and early morning when they venture into open spaces to graze on grasses and other plants. During the day and night, they often seek cover under the canopy in forests or woodlands. Deer are an important food source for large predators like mountain lions. If predator populations decline, deer populations can boom, causing over-grazing of grasslands.
What relationship do you think humans have with deer, both historically, and today?
Scientific: Pituophis catenifer Spanish: Serpiente de Gopher del Pacífico Awaswas: Siwot
Diet: Small mammals, birds, lizards Habitat: Grasslands, open woodlands CaliforniaStatus: Least Concern
This strong constrictor will kill its prey by coiling its body or pressing the animal up against the wall of its burrow. While they are not venomous, gophers snakes will sometimes vibrate their tails to mimic a rattlesnake and warn off predators. You can differentiate these harmless reptiles from rattlesnakes by the lack of a triangular head and rattle.
Diet: Seeds, nuts, fish, frogs, invertebrates Habitat: Forests, marshes, urban and suburban areas Status: Least Concern
Bandits Or Just Well Adapted?
Raccoons are now common in urban areas, attracted to the availability of food found in our gardens, garbage cans, and pet food bowls. These intelligent animals can solve complex problems, which helps them thrive in urban environments.
What features might help racoons succeed in urban areas?
Diet: Nuts and seeds Habitat: Woodlands, coniferous forests, suburban greenspaces Status: Least Concern
Western gray squirrels live in Santa Cruz all year long. They use their long tails for balance as they run and leap among branches. Squirrels store acorns and nuts in shallow holes or caches in the ground but do not always re-find their stores, which can sprout into new trees. They mostly eat seeds and are known to steal from people’s bird feeders, making them a common neighbor for humans. They nest up in trees in “dreys”, which are made out of twigs and lined with moss or fur. Their alarm call sounds like a bird chirp and it is used to warn others of a predator or danger in the area.
Fun Facts:
Squirrels can live up to 8 years old.
Their teeth never stop growing – they can grow up to 6 inches per year. Their teeth are never that long though because they are constantly wearing them down when they eat hard seeds.
Squirrels are rodents and belong to the Family Sciuridae.
Scientific: Callipepla californica Spanish: Codorniz de California Mutsun: Heksen
Diet: Seeds, leaves and small insects Habitat: Coastal sagebrush, chaparral, foothills, woodland CaliforniaStatus: Least Concern
California’s State Bird California quail are hardy and adaptable birds found throughout the state. They scratch at the ground foraging for seeds, keeping close to cover in case predators approach. Quail are hunted by Native people for food and for their feathers which can be used to decorate baskets.
