Animal Ambassadors
Visitors get up close and personal with some amazing terrestrial animal, learn how their habitats may be affected by climate change, find out why animals from other regions are not able to live in Northern California, and get tips on simple actions they can take to help save energy.
To learn more about any of these animals, just click on any of the links below:
Animals that live in Northern California
California King Snake, Lampropeltis getula californiae
When a California King Snake flicks out its forked tongue, it’s ‘tasting’ the air to search for food. If the snake captures prey that’s bigger than its mouth, it’s not a problem—the snake just uses its amazing expandable jaws, lubricated with lots of saliva, to swallow the prey whole. More>
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Pacific Tree Frog, Pseudacris regilla
Pacific Tree Frogs are native Californians. They live in lots of places, from mountain tops to backyards, and are active after dark. If you want to find them in your neighborhood, look around creeks and ponds on a spring or summer night. You’ll probably hear them before you see them. More>
Honey Bee, Apis sp.
Would you go hungry if there were no honey bees? Maybe not, but bees are responsible for pollinating more than 50 different crops in California and about one third of all the food we eat. Without bees we might not have tasty snacks like apples, almonds and berries. More>
Banana Slug, Ariolimax columbianus
See the two sets of tentacles on the slug’s head? The upper ones, called optical tentacles, are like periscopes that support the slug’s eyes.They can move separately in any direction or even retract—so slugs can look in two different directions at once. The lower tentacles are for smelling and feeling. More>
Western Toad, Bufo boreas
Western Toads spend most of their time alone under logs or in burrows, but in the Spring the toads gather in large groups to mate. Females can lay as many as 12,000 eggs, but less than 1% will survive to become adults. More>
Western Pond Turtle, Clemmys marmorata
Curiously enough, Western Pond Turtles seldom live in ponds. They prefer streams, marshes and rivers, and seek out water with logs and rocks where they can sun themselves. They also spend time on land, laying their eggs or looking for a comfy burrow where they can hibernate. More>
Visitors from Far and Wide
Blue Tongued Skink, Tiliqua sp.
Blue-tongued skinks are gentle, curious lizards that enjoy munching on snails, slugs and other garden pests. In Australia, where they’re commonly found in backyards, they might even help themselves to a snack from the dog food bowl. More>
Pink-toed Tarantula, Avicularia avicularia
They’re big and hairy, but they’re not scary—unless you’re something they want to eat like insects or small lizards. Pink-toed tarantulas have strong jaws and a venomous bite, but will run and hide from humans if they have a choice. More>
African Pygmy Hedgehog, Atelerix sp.
Did you notice the hedgehog’s pointy spines? Those spines, called quills, are modified hair that’s hollow and stiff. An adult hedgie’s back and head are covered with 5,000 to 7,000 quills, which are not barbed or poisonous. More>
Chinchilla, Chinchilla laniger
Chinchillas are social rodents that like to talk. They live in groups and make lots of different sounds to communicate with other chins. When they want attention, they chortle. When they’re happy, they chirp or coo. If they’re feeling argumentative, they bark and growl. And, when they’re frightened, their teeth chatter. More>
Cherry-head Red-foot Tortoise, Geochelone carbonaria
A male Cherry-head Red-foot Tortoise does quite a song and dance to impress a potential mate. He moves his head back and forth, wrestles other males, sniffs the female’s tail, and makes clucking sounds like a chicken. How could a female resist? More>