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.
Scientific: Buteo jamaicensis Spanish: Halcón de cola roja Awaswas: Káknu
Diet: Small mammals, song birds, snakes Habitat: Widespread in many types of habitats, especially open country CaliforniaStatus: Least Concern
Adapted For Hunting In Different Habitats There are at least a dozen species in the family Accipitridae that migrate through or reside in the county. They are collectively adapted to every habitat in the region and can often be found anywhere there are high perches available from which to hunt. Red-tailed hawks are the most common hawk you will spot in our region and can be easily identified by their red tail.
Scientific: Cicindela ohlone Spanish: Escarabajo tigre de Ohlone
Diet: Arthropods Habitat: Grasslands on coastal prairie terraces Status: Endangered
Named after the Indigenous culture of the area, the Ohlone tiger beetle is a federally endangered species that exists in only a handful of locations, all in Santa Cruz County. Adults are active on sunny days between January and May, and use bare ground for mating, basking, hunting, and larval development within burrows. Because of this, they tend to be found on trails, making them susceptible to trampling, especially by cyclists travelling at more than 5 mph along trails, too fast for the beetle’s ability to react and fly out of the way.
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: Deer, small mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds and sometimes plants Habitat: Widespread throughout North America Status: Least Concern
Features in Folklore Many Native American tribes, especially those in the West, have featured coyote figures in their stories and mythologies. Coyotes are cast as tricksters, warriors or thieves, but many tales take note of their intelligence and adaptability.
Friend or Foe? Coyotes often inhabit the wildland urban interface. Over 500,000 coyotes have been killed in California since 1891, mostly under the guise of protecting livestock. However, coyotes may do more good than harm to people by eating other animals that are considered pests.
What are some small mammals that might be the prey of coyotes and harmful to people, farms, and ranchland?
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: Enhydra lutris nereis Spanish: Nutria marina del sur Mutsun: Suuyu
Diet: Urchins, shellfish, crabs and other invertebrates Habitat: Kelp forests, estuaries Status: Endangered
Back From Extinction But Still Endangered Sea otters are mustelids, the same family as weasels, badgers and wolverines. Unlike other marine mammals, otters have thick fur rather than blubber, making them a target for the fur trade historically. They were nearly hunted to extinction in the 19th and early 20th century, but under protection the population has grown to over 3,000. Sea otters can routinely be seen in the Monterey Bay, where they play an important role in the kelp forest ecosystem as a keystone species.
What would happen if there were no otters to eat urchins (which eat kelp)?
Scientific: Lepus californicus Spanish: Liebre de cola negra Awaswas: Cheyyesh
Diet: Grasses, herbs and shrubs Habitat: Grasslands, chaparral CaliforniaStatus: Least Concern
Catch Me If You Can Black-tailed jackrabbits are one of the fastest animals in North America. They run in bursts of up to 30-35 mph and make quick maneuvers to escape predators. They can become agricultural pests if their natural enemies (coyotes, bobcats and eagles) are removed.
Diet: Deer, small mammals Habitat: Forests, mountainous deserts, urban wildland interfaces CaliforniaStatus: Specially Protected Species
Space to Thrive Male mountain lions require large areas of connected habitat to find food and survive. Their territories are around 100 square miles, and become threatened as human developments expand.
How Did the Museum get its specimen? Our male lion was shot under a California Department of Fish and Game depredation permit in the foothills near Carmel, California in December 1981. These permits are only issued if an animal is repeatedly killing livestock. This lion proved to be old and had an injured foot, probably taking livestock because it was unable to hunt wild prey successfully.
Also known as California Holly, this plant produces bright red berries in fall and winter, which can be cooked and eaten. Hollywood derived its name from the plants growing on the hills above the town.
