Local native wildlife

When you visit the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park, you can see animals from all over the world. But did you know there are lots of cool critters that live right here in southern California? We share an environmentEverything that surrounds an animal or other living thing. For example, a pond is a frog's environment. with some amazing creatures that fly, walk, run, hop, and even swim!

Look up, and you might see an Anna's hummingbird. Think those wings move quickly? This little birdAn animal that has wings and is covered with feathers. Birds have a backbone, are warm-blooded, produce young from eggs, and walk on their two legs. Most can fly.'s heart beats over 1,200 times per minute! Another winged wonder in our midst is the red-tailed hawk. When it isn't soaring in the skies, the red-tailed hawk can sometimes be found making big nests--up to three feet across--for its babies. "Who" is another avianReferring to birds. local? The great horned owl, which is also called the "cat owl" or the "tiger owl." If you travel to parts of California, Arizona, and Mexico, you could see a California condor, which plays an important role in the ecosystemAll living things depending on one another to survive in a certain area. by eating dead things!

Animals that are ground-bound like we humans are all around us, too. You share the region with North America's only marsupialA type of mammal that develops in a pouch., the Virginia opossum, and the North American raccoon, which has fingers that are more nimble than a lot of people's! The not-so-sweet-smelling skunk is another neighbor, along with the lively, picnic-crashing ground squirrel. Larger regional residents include mule deer, with their long ears and big, sweet eyes, and the coyote, the howl of which you probably hear much more than you see the animalAny living thing that is not a plant. Most animals can move about freely. All use plants or other animals as food. All have sensory organs. itself. Another local, which you probably would rather also see than hear, is the mountain lion, which is also called a puma, cougar, or panther. Scuttling around on the ground, probably right around your backyard, is the alligator lizardAnimal that has a long, scaly body, four legs (usually), and a long tail. It is cold-blooded and has a backbone.. If a predatorAn animal that hunts and kills other animals for its food. latches onto this lizardAnimal that has a long, scaly body, four legs (usually), and a long tail. It is cold-blooded and has a backbone.'s tail, the tail comes loose and the lizardAnimal that has a long, scaly body, four legs (usually), and a long tail. It is cold-blooded and has a backbone. can escape to safety. One of the alligator lizardAnimal that has a long, scaly body, four legs (usually), and a long tail. It is cold-blooded and has a backbone.'s reptilian relatives, the rattlesnake, also can be found in our region. While they do have an important job with rodentGenerally, a small mammal with soft fur. Rodents have large front teeth (incisors) that never stop growing. Rodents are mammals. Guinea pigs, hamsters, mice, rates, and squirrels are all rodents. control, these snakes should be avoided.

Some of our animalAny living thing that is not a plant. Most animals can move about freely. All use plants or other animals as food. All have sensory organs. neighbors prefer the water as a home. The California sea lion likes to live in the Pacific ocean and on its rocky beaches. And the mountain yellow-legged frog, an endangeredAnimals or plants that survive in such low numbers that they could become extinct in a few years unless something is done to help the populations increase. amphibianA cold-blooded animal that lives both on land and in water and is able to breathe through its skin as well as, or instead of, through its lungs. Frogs and salamanders are amphibians., hops around lakes, ponds, meadow streams, isolated pools, and sunny riverbanks.

So as you can see, we aren't the only ones who love living in California. And we need to remember to share resources with our animalAny living thing that is not a plant. Most animals can move about freely. All use plants or other animals as food. All have sensory organs. neighbors.