saving ca wildlife

Mountain lions are generalist carnivores that will eat most small animals, although deer make up 60-80% of their diets.  They are the largest cat still found in California (males weigh up to 200lbs) and they can live in every California habitat from the coast to 14,000 ft in elevation.  Mountain lions have the largest home ranges of any terrestrial mammal with males ranging from 100-200 sq miles.   

Black Bears are opportunistic omnivores that occur in a diversity of habitats, preferring biodiverse forests. Despite their name, Black Bears have variable colors from white to brown to black and are most often described as “cinnamon” color in California.  If you see a bear in California, it is a Black Bear; they are the only bear species that currently exists in the state.   

Island Foxes are a small species of fox only found on California’s Channel Islands.  Adults weigh 2.5-6lbs.  Island Fox are omnivores that predominantly eat insects but also eat mice, small reptiles, and fruit. Despite their small size, Island Foxes are top predators on the Channel Islands and function as “keystone species” having an outsized impact on their community structure.   

The Southern Sea Otter subspecies only occurs along the central coast of California.  Sea otters have high energy demands to stay warm in the cold waters of the Pacific Ocean.  They eat so much that they protect kelp forest and sea grass ecosystems which are otherwise destroyed by overabundant marine invertebrates, especially sea urchins.  This makes sea otters important “keystone species” for the sea grass beds and kelp forests iconic to the California coastline. 

The Riparian Brush Rabbit is a small cottontail rabbit and one of eight subspecies of brush rabbit native to California.  As their name suggests, Riparian Brush Rabbits occur along rivers, particularly in oak woodland.  Although their native range once encompassed the entire central valley north of Fresno, only three small populations remain.  

Pallid Bats are moderate sized “microbats” at 2-3 inches from head to tail. They are omnivores that eat both insects and cactus flowers and fruits.  This diet allows them to function both for pest control and as a pollinator species, particularly for columnal cacti.  Pallid bats are found throughout the western US especially in desert habitats.  They were named State Bat of California in 2023.   

Giant Kangaroo Rats are a communal species of rodent native to San Joaquin Desert habitats on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley and associated foothills.  They are important “ecosystem engineers” that develop large communal burrow systems called “precincts” that are visible from airplanes.  These burrow systems create shelters for other desert animals and till the soil creating opportunities for native plants.  

Gray Wolves are the largest living species of canid with adults ranging from 50-176 lbs. They were lost from California in the 1920’s along with other predators such as California Grizzly Bear but returned in 2011 when a lone animal entered the state from Oregon.  Since then, the Lassen Pack has made northern California their home and in 2023 a brand-new pack of 5 animals (1 adult female and 4 cubs) was documented in Sequoia National Forest outside Tulare.   

Spotted Owls are large owls that occur in mature, old-growth forests in western North America.   They are agile fliers adept at hunting small mammals in forests at night, and they use hollows in ancient trees for nesting.  Their primary threats are habitat loss and competition from larger, more aggressive, Barred Owls, which have expanded their range into the northwest and outcompete Spotted Owls, especially in disturbed habitats. 

California Condors are the largest flying birds in North America with adults weighing 15-22 lbs and having a 9-ft wingspan. In 1982, only 22 California Condors remained in the world.  All 22 were brought into captivity for a multi- organization captive breeding effort to save the species.  Today the wild population has grown to over 300 birds.   

Desert Tortoises are medium-sized tortoises native to the Mojave Desert in California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona. Desert Tortoises are “Ecosystem Engineers” that dig large burrows which provide shelter for many animal species and turns the soil creating habitat for native plants.  Desert Tortoises spend up to 95% of their time in these burrows and rely on them to escape extreme temperatures in both summer and winter.  

Leatherback Sea Turtles are the largest turtles in the world, with adults commonly weighing 750-1000lbs and up to 2000lbs. Despite their large size, they eat relatively small and soft-bodied prey, primarily open-ocean jellies. The Pacific Leatherback is the most endangered population of Leatherbacks and occurs along the coast of California where they can be observed foraging in Monterrey Bay and off the coast of San Francisco.   

San Francisco Garter Snakes are brightly colored, medium sized snakes, considered by many to be the most beautiful snake in North America.  This subspecies only occurs on the San Francisco Peninsula within ~10 small, disjunct populations separated by the intensely urban environment of San Francisco. Although they do not have a dangerous bite, they can become poisonous to predators by eating toxic newts and maintaining the newt’s toxins within their own bodies. 

Blunt-nosed Leopard Lizards are medium-large lizards that only occur in remnant San Joaquin Desert habitat within California’s San Joaquin Valley and surrounding foothills. Despite being listed on the inaugural US Endangered Species List in 1967, their populations have continued to decline.  In 2020, the Fresno Chaffee Zoo developed a captive breeding program and have produced over 100 offspring and began releasing animals back to the wild in 2023.   

Southern Mountain Yellow-legged Frogs are medium-sized true frogs that occur in high-elevation streams, lakes, and marshes.  They are endemic to California and only occur in small populations within the Southern Sierra Nevada Mountains and Transverse Ranges. Multiple zoos and aquariums in California are partnering with state and federal agencies to breed and rewild Southern Mountain Yellow-legged Frogs, and reintroductions began in 2010.  

California Tiger Salamanders are large-bodied salamanders found only in central California.  They are black bodied with random white or yellow spots and blotches and can live 10-15 years in the wild. One of their greatest threats comes from invasive Barred Salamanders which were introduced to California as fishing bait.  The Barred Salamander can outcompete, predate, and hybridize with native California Tiger Salamanders.    

Giant Black Sea Bass are huge fish, historically reaching lengths of 8.5ft and weighing more than 550 lbs.  They only occur in coastal waters off California and the Baja peninsula where they frequent kelp forests and rocky reefs. Giant Black Sea Bass can live 75-100 years and they became endangered largely due to overfishing.  In 2020, a collaborative effort between the Aquarium of the Pacific, Cabrillo Aquarium, and CSU Northridge began releasing captive-reared fish back to the wild.  

California Golden Trout are small-to-medium sized (average 7.5 in), brightly colored relatives of rainbow trout. They are the only predatory fish species that naturally occur in their habitat.  Due to their isolated history, they display low aggression and are outcompeted by non-native sport fish such as rainbow trout and brown trout when introductions cause them to co-occur.  

Monarch Butterflies are iconic insects found throughout North America.  They can occur in almost any habitat that includes milkweed plants, which are necessary for egg laying and as food for the caterpillars. Eastern populations of Monarch overwinter in the mountains of central Mexico whereas western populations overwinter along the Pacific coast of California.  At overwintering sites, Monarchs densely congregate within the branches of trees. 

Franklin’s Bumble Bee only occurs in Northern California and Southern Oregon between the Pacific Ocean and Northern Sierra Nevada mountains. They can be distinguished from other bumble bees by the characteristic U-shaped yellow patch on their thorax contrasting an otherwise black body.  They eat pollen and nectar, and require access to blooming flowers from spring to fall. Franklin’s Bumble Bee is extremely rare and was last observed in the wild in 2006. 

Sunflower Sea Stars are the largest species of sea star, with a diameter up to 32 inches and weighing up to 11lbs.  They also have the most arms; up to 24!  They are generalist predators of slow-moving, bottom dwelling marine animals, and important predators for maintaining the structure of coastal ecosystems. All populations of Sunflower Sea Star have been greatly reduced by Sea Star Wasting disease and the species has been lost from the southern third of its historic range, including most of California, within the last decade. 

Bakersfield Cactus is an endangered species of prickly-pear or beaver-tail cactus that only occurs in the SE portion of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County near Bakersfield. It can be distinguished from other beaver-tail cacti by having both bristles and spines coming from the eye-spots on the pads.  The primary reason for their decline is habitat loss. 

California Jewelflower is a small, annual herb endemic to (i.e. only found in) San Joaquin Desert habitat in the southern San Joaquin Valley.  The majority of California Jewelflower’s San Joaquin Desert habitat has been lost, and this plant is only known to exist at 34 small sites.  However, their seeds can remain dormant for extended periods meaning additional, unidentified sites could still have viable seed present.   

Whitebark Pine are endangered trees found in high-elevation habitats throughout western North America.  In California, they occur in the high Sierra.  They can be exceptionally long lived, with the oldest individuals over 1200 years old, and mature trees can be up to 66-ft tall.   Populations of Whitebark Pine are declining throughout their range as a result of multiple external pressures including an introduced fungal disease, infestation with mountain pine beetle, and overgrowth from historic fire suppression.