Detritus
Detritus is all the dead stuff that sinks to the bottom of a vernal pool. It contains pieces of dead plants, dead animals and animal wastes (feces or poop). It…
Mosquito
Adult Mosquitoes are gray or black and have two scaly wings. Females have a long, straw-like mouth for sucking blood. Males look different, with feathery antennae and mouthparts that cannot…
Bacteria
Bacteria are black or clear unless you stain them with special dyes to see them better. Bacteria are made up of one cell. It can be round, long and thin,…
Protozoa
Protozoa are single-celled animals that come in many shapes and sizes. The most common shapes are round, oval, bell-shaped and slipper-shaped. Protozoa are clear. They become the color of the…
Pacific Chorus Frog
The Pacific Chorus Frog is the only green or brown frog in our area with a dark “mask” across its eyes and “suction cups” on its toes. Often called the…
Rotifers
Rotifers are the smallest animals. Their outer coat looks like clear glass. Sometimes this glassy coat is covered with spines or spikes. Rotifers have a ring of cilia (hairs) at…
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…
Clam Shrimp
A Clam Shrimp looks like a small clam. Two shells cover its body. Between the shells you can see two body sections below the head. The front section is the…
Copepods
There are many different species of Copepods. Few of the species in vernal pools have been named. You are most likely to spot the bright red Diaptomus and at least…
Fairy Shrimp
Fairy Shrimp are pale-colored (normally gray-white) and transparent. They have a long, narrow body with 11 pairs of paddle-like legs. Females have a brood pouch which holds eggs, located directly…