Bobcat Brush Rabbit California Buckwheat Bushtit California

Bobcat Brush Rabbit

Bushtit California Buckwheat

California Harvester Ant California Sagebrush

Coyote Chamise Brush Rabbit (Sylvilagus bachmani) Bobcat (Lynx rufus) A small rabbit. Reddish-brown, mottled with black in Yellowish-brown coat with dark spotting. Short, stubby summer; paler, but still mottled, in winter. Short legs, tail. Ears have tufts of hair. Males are larger than small tail, short, dark ears. females. Diet: California buckwheat, seeds, young plant growth, Diet: Big-eared Woodrat and other small rodents, birds, and grasses. Predators: Red diamond rattlesnake, hawks, and larger animals. coyotes. fish,Predators: insects, Foxes, carrion owls, (dead and animals), adult male and bobcats sometimes prey on Interesting fact: Look for a maze of runways in the young. brush and small pellet-like scat. Interesting fact: Bobcat tracks will not have claw

CONSUMER marks because their claws are retractable (pullCONSUMER inside).

California Buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum) Bushtit (Psaltriparus minimus) - Small bird that is gray above with a light underside. ers that develop into brown-colored seed heads during Small bill and relatively long tail. the summer. The small, narrow, leathery leaves are in Low-spreadingbundles along the shrub stems. with large clumps of white flow Diet: Spittlebugs and other insects. Hawks and other birds. Edibles: Nectar, seeds, pollen. Predators: Often harvests insects from plants Consumers: Interesting fact: small birds. while it is hanging upside down. Interesting fact: Brush Native rabbits, Americans butterflies, used lizards, it for food. and Have you heard of “buckwheat pancakes”?

PRODUCER CONSUMER

California Sagebrush (Artemisia californica) California Harvester Ant (Pogonomyrmex californicus) Shrub with a woody base and soft, gray-green, needle- Less than 1 inch long, colors are mostly black, brown, like leaves that grow in clusters along the stem. The or reddish. They live in colonies in underground tun- leaves have a very distinctive fragrance. nels or in galleries in dead wood. Edibles: Leaves and seeds. Diet: Mission manzanita berries, other berries, and Consumers: Spittlebugs and other insects, deer, small leaves. mammals, and birds. Predators: Western fence lizards and other reptiles, Interesting fact: Native Americans used the plant to birds, spiders, and Argentine ants. treat colds and stomach disorders. Interesting fact: Ants have a complex social structure with special jobs for each ant. Some ants are gardeners growing small, underground fungi farms.

PRODUCER CONSUMER

Chamise (Adenostoma fasciculatum) Coyote (Canis latrans) An evergreen shrub with dry-looking stick-like branch- Dog-like animals with brownish-gray fur, triangular es. The leaves are small with a pointed tip and sprout ears, and a black-tipped tail. Usually carry their tails in clusters from the branches. The leaves are shiny straight down. Diet: Western fence lizard and other reptiles, small with flammable oils, especially in warmer weather. The branches Young end in leaves, bunches bark. of white tubular flowers with fiveEdibles: petals. Predators:mammals, insects, Mountain birds, lions, grasses, wolves, berries, humans. carrion (dead Consumers: Mule deer, woodrats. Interestinganimals). fact: Scat is often found on trails with Interesting fact: A member of the Rose family. twisted ends. Look for fur or berries.

PRODUCER CONSUMER Earthworm Fungi

Gopher Snake Big-eared Woodrat

Great Horned Owl Greater Roadrunner

Mission Mountain Lion Manzanita Fungi (Agaricus species) Earthworm Long, segmented body that tapers on both ends. chocolate-brown. They have a stem that holds the cap Roots, decaying plant material, bacteria. Aabove fleshy the cap ground. with gills on the underside. The spores are Diet: Birds. Diet: Dead plant and animal material. Predators: Earthworm droppings are important Predators: Humans, insects, and other plant eating Interesting fact: animals. nutrients for soil and healthy habitats. Interesting fact: Fungi are more closely related to animals than to plants.

DECOMPOSER DECOMPOSER

Big-eared Woodrat (Neotoma macrotis) Gopher Snake (Pituophis catenifer) Brown above, grayer on face. Grayish to whitish under- Large, heavy snake with a yellow or cream background side. Feet and ankles dark with white toes and claws. color and black or reddish-brown blotches on its back The tail has sparse hairs and is nearly half the total and sides. A dark stripe runs across its small head. length of the rat’s body. Diet: Toads, lizards, small birds and mammals, and Diet: Scrub Oak and other trees and seeds. other snakes. Predators: Bobcat, snake, fox, and coyote. Predators: Greater roadrunner, other large birds, and Interesting fact: Builds large nests out of sticks, twigs, mammals. leaves, and other objects. The nest has multiple entries Interesting fact: When threatened, it hisses loudly and and even rooms for eating and sleeping. vibrates its tail. This reaction causes them to be mis- taken for rattlesnakes.

CONSUMER CONSUMER

Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus) Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) Bigger than a crow. A long-legged, long-tailed, streaked, A large, dark brown and gray owl. White throat with gray-brown ground bird with a bushy crest. Bright yel- patchy underside. Large widely-spaced ear tufts and low eyes. yellow eyes. Diet: Gopher snake, scorpions, insects, rodents, and Diet: Western scrub jay and other birds, mammals, other birds. Predators: Hawks, raccoons, and some snakes. Predators: Eggs and young are eaten by foxes and Interesting fact: They prefer to walk or run and can coyotes.reptiles, fish and insects. reach speeds of 17 mph. Interesting fact: Their neck can turn 270 degrees in order to see in other directions.

CONSUMER CONSUMER

Mountain Lion (Felis concolor) Mission Manzanita (Xylococcus bicolor) A large, pale brown to golden cat. Underbelly is lighter A shrub with a single trunk and a roughly-rounded than top coat. Long, dark-tipped tail. Ears are short and crown. Leaves are oblong, glossy dark green on the top rounded with dark backs. Long legs with large feet. and very light-colored with a velvety texture on the Diet: underside. Leaf edges curl under as they age. Bark is mammals. smooth and a red-gray color. Fruit is glossy dark red Predators:Mule deer, Killed birds, by hunters, fish, coyotes, diseases, bobcats, and starvation. and other Berries, nectar, and leaves. Interesting fact: Keep deer herds healthy by preying withEdibles: little flesh. on the weak individuals. Consumers: Harvester ants, birds, bears, coyotes. Interesting fact: The name Xylococcus comes from the Greek word for “wood berry.”

CONSUMER PRODUCER Mule Deer Orb Weaver Spider

Red Diamond Red-tailed Hawk Rattlesnake

Western Scrub-Jay Coast Scrub Oak

Western Spadefoot Toad Spittlebug Orb Weaver Spider (Argiope species) Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus) Large ears and stocky body with long sturdy legs. Coat are much larger than males, growing almost an inch is reddish-brown or yellowish-brown on top. Under- Spidersand a half that long. spin a web in a circle (orb). Female spiders belly fur is cream to tan. Diet: Small insects. Diet: Chamise, young leaves, grasses and fruit. Predators: Hawks, birds, wasps, Western fence lizards, Predators: Mountain lions, bobcats and coyotes. and small rodents. Interesting fact: The mule deer has large ears that Interesting fact: Look for the unique zigzag pattern in move independently and almost constantly, like a mule. their web.

CONSUMER CONSUMER

Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) Red Diamond Rattlesnake (Crotalus ruber) A large, stocky hawk with whitish chest and rust- Stoutly built. Tan to brick-red, with diamond-shaped colored tail. Young are dull, streaked, and lack rust- blotches down the back. Blotches are usually light- colored tail of adult. edged but may be indistinct. Black and white rings encircle tail. Diet: Red diamond rattlesnake, other reptiles, small birds, and small mammals. Diet: Brush rabbits and other small mammals, birds and Predators: Eggs and young hawks are eaten by large reptiles. birds and raccoons. Predators: Red-tailed Hawks, large birds, and snakes. Interesting fact: It soars over open areas in search of Interesting fact: The longest ever recorded measured prey and perches in trees or light posts watching for the slightest movement in the grass below. over 5 feet, but most are 2 to 3 feet long. CONSUMER CONSUMER

Coast Scrub Oak (Quercus dumosa) Western Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica) Head, wings, and tail blue. Back is dull brown, under- thick, waxy, and dark green all year long. The fruit is a side is light gray. Grayish face mask. nut called an acorn, borne in a cup-like structure. Each Spirallyacorn contains arranged, one serrated seed. (toothed) leaves. Leaves are Diet: Toyon berries and other seeds, acorns, eggs, nest- lings, reptiles, and insects. Edibles: Acorns, branches and leaves. Predators: Great-horned owl, other large birds, and Consumers: Big-eared woodrats, most mammals and snakes. birds. Interesting fact: The jays bury many more acorns than Interesting fact: Called white oaks for their scaly, they eat and help restore oak forests that have been whitish bark brightened by sunlight.

destroyed by fire or drought. PRODUCER CONSUMER

Spittlebug (Aphrophora species) Western Spadefoot Toad (Spea hammondii) Small to medium-sized jumping insects, 1/8-1/2 inch A stout-bodied toad with a glossy black, spade-shaped wedge on each hind foot. Color varies from green, and shrubs, where they feed. (4-13 CAmm) Sagebrush, long, that wildhop aboutgrasses, like berries. tiny frogs on plants Diet: brown,spots on cream the tips. or gray, often with 4 light stripes and Bushtit and other birds. Predators: darkDiet: blotchesEarthworms, on the and back. other Tubercles invertebrates (warts) and have small red Interesting fact: insects. themselves with masses of bubbly, wet spittle. Each frothy mass contains 1 or more tiny nymphs, hiding Predators: Gopher snake, birds, coyotes and other them from predators Spittlebug as they nymphs suck plant (young) juices. cover mammals. Interesting fact: The spade shaped feet are used to dig in the soil. CONSUMER CONSUMER Toyon

Western Fence Lizard

Bacteria Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia) Has a rounded to irregular top. Its leaves are evergreen, alternate and sharply-toothed. In the early summer it pro- berry-like fruit is produced in large quantities. duces small white flowers in dense clusters. Small bright red, Edibles: Leaves and berries. Consumers: Western scrub jays, other birds, and coy- otes. Interesting fact: Sometimes called Christmas berry because the fruit is produced in the fall through winter.

PRODUCER

Western Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis) Spiny scales. Brownish or black with blotches or wavy crossbars down the back. Underside of legs is yellow- ish-orange. Blue patches on belly. Diet: Harvester ants, and other insects and spiders. Predators: Coyote, snakes, birds. Interesting fact: Also called ‘blue-belly.’ Males have a blue patch on their throat.

CONSUMER

Bacteria Microscopic single-celled organisms that contribute to decomposition in shrubland environments. Diet: Dead plant and animal material. Predators: Everything. Interesting fact: A teaspoon of soil contains billions of bacteria.

DECOMPOSER