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This is my first attempt at making a field guide and I'm excited to share it with you!
Tecolote Canyon, in San Diego, is a biodiversity hotspot and here I portrayed only a few of the many species that are found there. I was glad to see that these are not listed as endangered species.
Scroll down to read more!
(1) WESTERN FENCE LIZARD (Sceloporus occidentalis): common lizard of Arizona, New Mexico, California, Idaho, Utah, Oregon, Washington, Northern Mexico. As the ventral abdomen of an adult is blue, it's also known as the blue belly.
Favorite food: beetles, ants, flies, caterpillars, and spiders.
Listed as: LEAST CONCERNED
Population trend: STABLE
(2) GREAT BLUE HERON (Ardea herodias): large wading bird, common near the shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North America and Central America, as well as the Caribbean and the Galapagos Islands.
Favorite food: fish, frogs, salamanders, snakes, insects, rodents, and birds.
Listed as: LEAST CONCERNED
Population trend: INCREASING
(3) GREAT HORNED OWL (Bubo virginianus):
large owl native to the Americas. It's an extremely adaptable bird with a vast range. In ornithological study, the great horned owl is often compared to the red-tailed hawk, with which it often shares similar habitat, prey, and nesting habits.
Favorite food: rodents, frogs, and scorpions.
Listed as: LEAST CONCERNED
Population trend: STABLE
(4) BOBCAT (Lynx rufus): medium-sized cat native to North America. It ranges from southern Canada through most of the contiguous United States and Central America. Even though this species has been hunted both for sport and fur, populations have proven stable, though declining in some areas.
Favorite food: squirrels, birds, rats, and rabbits.
Listed as: LEAST CONCERNED
Population trend: STABLE
(5) GRAY FOX (Urocyon cinereoargenteus): omnivorous mammal, widespread throughout North America and Central America.
Favorite food: mice, rats, and rabbits, occasionally birds and insects.
Listed as: LEAST CONCERNED
Population trend: STABLE
(6) ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD (Calypte anna): medium-sized bird native to western coastal regions of North America. In early 1900, this species bred only in northern Baja California and southern California. Exotic ornamental plants were brought to residential areas throughout the Pacific coast, which provided expanded nectar and nesting places, allowing this species to expand its range.
Favorite food: nectar and insects.
Listed as: LEAST CONCERNED
Population trend: INCREASING
(7) RACCOON (Procyon lotor): mammal native to North America, nocturnal and omnivorous. Its grayish coat consists of dense underfur, which insulates it against cold weather. This species is noted for its intelligence: studies show that raccoons can remember the solution to tasks for at least three years.
Favorite food: crayfish, frogs, fish, snails, clams, insects, eggs, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and even dead animals.
Listed as: LEAST CONCERNED
Population trend: INCREASING
(8) RED-TAILED HAWK (Buteo jamaicensis): bird of prey that breeds throughout most of North America, from the interior of Alaska and northern Canada to as far south as Panama and the West Indies. This species can be found in deserts, grasslands, coniferous and deciduous forests, agricultural fields, and urban areas.
Favorite food: voles, rats, rabbits, ground squirrels, birds, snakes.
Listed as: LEAST CONCERNED
Population trend: INCREASING
(9) SOUTHERN PACIFIC RATTLESNAKE (Crotalus oreganus): venomous pit viper species found in western North America, from Baja California to the southern interior of British Columbia.
Favorite food: lizards, birds, snakes, frogs, insects, and small mammals including mice, rats and rabbits.
Listed as: LEAST CONCERNED
Population trend: STABLE