Student Fact Sheet A-1 ’s Endangered Wildlife

Animals by the Bay legged lives in moist places like ponds, San Francisco is known streams and wetlands. Since many of these for landmarks like the habitats have been developed or built over, Bridge, the are rare now. That is why they are Coit Tower, and protected by the Endangered Act Alcatraz. Few people which is a national law designed to protect realize however, that the city of San in danger of extinction. Red-legged Francisco is home to many different frogs live in a couple of places in San species. Animals like the Red-Legged Francisco, and may be reintroduced, or Frog, the California Clapper and the returned to Mountain Lake in the Presidio San Francisco Garter are rare where they used to live. The red-legged animals that can be found living in the San frog is a favorite food of the San Francisco Francisco Bay Area. For a variety of Garter Snake. reasons, these animals are all threatened or California Clapper Rail endangered species. That means they The California Clapper could be, or are, in danger of becoming Rail is an endangered extinct. When an animal becomes extinct, it that lives in the salt disappears forever like the dinosaurs and marshes of San will never be born again. If we want to Francisco Bay, protect these animals from disappearing including ’s Head forever, we need to protect their natural Park in Bayview. It is a secretive bird that habitat or home. By protecting nature in prefers to run and walk rather than fly. It is San Francisco, we can help save these also a good swimmer, but will only swim animals! when necessary. Clapper Rails look a bit The Red Legged Frog like hens and are most active in the early Red-legged frogs are the morning and late evening. Both the male largest native frogs in and female Clapper Rail incubate or sit on California. The their eggs, and raise their young. The Celebrated Jumping California Clapper Rail is endangered with Frog of Calaveras extinction for several reasons. The main County, a short story by reason is because the salt marshes where Mark Twain, was about a California red- they live are being paved over and destroyed legged frog. The story took place in the for housing, shopping, and industry Sierra Nevada foothills, which is famous for development. Another reason is because the California Gold Rush. In fact, hungry native animals like and non-native gold miners harvested and ate the red-legged animals like the red fox are eating the frogs! Like other , the red- Clapper Rail and their eggs. The Clapper

SFEnvironmentKids.org Rail is also endangered with extinction her eggs on lupine –a beautiful purple because toxic or poisonous chemicals like wildflower—and its whole life-cycle, from mercury are polluting the bay. When to to chrysalis to are poisoned by mercury, their eggs often occurs around the lupine plants. When the won’t hatch. butterfly is in the caterpillar phase, it Western Snowy Plover secretes a sugary substance that ants like to The Western Snowy eat. The ants then protect the Plover is a threatened from predators. City staff and volunteers shorebird that can be protect the butterfly habitat on Twin Peaks found at different by pulling up harmful invasive weeds that beaches including San crowd out the lupine. Francisco’s Ocean Beach. This small bird San Francisco Garter Snake builds its nest right on the sand and eats Called one of the “most and other invertebrates. Hours after beautiful serpents in hatching, Snowy Plover chicks leave the ,” the San nest to search for food. Adult Snowy Francisco Garter Snake Plovers do not feed their chicks, but lead is an endangered species them to areas where they can find food that can live to be ten years old. This themselves. The chicks are not able to fly colorful snake has stripes that are red, until they are about one month old. One yellow, black, and greenish-blue. The San way that the adult Snowy Plover protects its Francisco Garter Snake likes to eat frogs, eggs and baby chicks is to pretend it has a , salamanders, , birds, small broken wing. This lures predators, like mammals and , and prefers to crows, away from their nest. A predator is live near water like marshes and ponds. It is an animal that hunts other animals for food. a very good swimmer and will dive into the Because the Snowy Plover lives right water when frightened. on the sandy beach, people, dogs, vehicles, Natural predators of the San Francisco and other activities are destroying the garter snake include the red-tailed , delicate nests and habitat that the Snowy great blue heron, and common king snake. Plover needs to survive. This is threatening Other predators include non-native species the Western Snowy Plover with extinction. like cats. The San Francisco Garter Snake is The National Park Service protects the endangered with extinction for the same Snowy Plover at wildlife protection areas at reason as many other endangered species; it Ocean Beach and Crissy Field. is losing its habitat. This snake is also being Mission Blue Butterfly taken illegally by people that like to collect The endangered different and snake skins.

Mission Blue butterfly What can we do to help? flies on Twin Peaks in By protecting nature in San Francisco, we the heart of San can help save these animals! Work with Francisco. It also flies local groups to restore native habitats like in the Headlands north of the Golden Gate marshes & creeks. Learn more: Bridge, and in the windy hills near the San SFEnvironment.org/Biodiversity Francisco Airport. The Mission Blue lays

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