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Mosquito

…for sucking blood.  Males look different, with feathery antennae and mouthparts that cannot pierce skin.  Mosquito larvae are brown, black or gray and have a breathing tube on their tail….

Aquatic Beetles

The most common species of Aquatic Beetles in vernal pools come from two families: The Predaceous Diving Beetles (the Dytiscids) and the Water Scavenger Beetles (the Hydrophilids).  The larvae of…

California Tiger Salamander

…body is thick, with a rounded nose and a pudgy tail.  Larvae are pale and have no spots.  The larvae also have large fins on the back and feathery gills….

Dragonflies and Damselflies

…Dragonfly and Damselfly larvae are aquatic.  The larvae have large eyes similar to the adults.  The Damselfly larva has a long and narrow body with three feather-like tails which are…

Western Spadefoot

The Western Spadefoot is small and squat.  Its back is olive-brown or gray with dark blotches and little red bumps.  The skin on its back is mostly smooth, unlike that…

Water Flea

A Water Flea swims in a jerky, hopping motion like a flea.  A carapace (shell) covers most of its body.  The carapace is hinged on one side.  The other side…

Great Egret

The Great Egret is a wading bird with white feathers.  It has a long neck and very long, black legs.  Its bill is long, thick and yellow.  An adult Great…

Join us for a Vernal Pool Critter Walk in March!

…the wet phase, when the pools are teeming with tiny aquatic invertebrates! Visitors will get to see fairy shrimp, water fleas, flatworms, copepods, predatory aquatic beetle larvae, aquatic snails, beautiful…

Wildlife Wednesday Highlight

…rotting wood of fallen logs, including wood-boring beetle larvae, caterpillars, cockroaches, and other insects.  They also eat berries and acorns. Pileated Woodpeckers have a unique and unmistakable style when it…