Russian River Watershed Science Program

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Russian River Watershed Science Program
CIRCUIT RIDER PRODUCTIONS, INC.
Healdsburg High School Center for Independent
Study Windsor High School Environmental
Studies Core Students Present
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Russian River Wildlife The everyday,
extraordinary and endangered
Amphibians Reptiles Birds Mammals
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The Russian River Watershed Science Program is a
comprehensive year-long environmental education
class for high school students that is focused on
riparian ecology, agriculture, field research,
restoration implementation and community
outreach. The program gets students out of the
classroom and working on meaningful projects -
students and collaborating landowners implement
riparian restoration projects located on
properties in the Russian River watershed. On
rainy days, we use CRPs computer lab.
This slideshow was developed by
participating students
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Amphibians Reptiles
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The California Tiger Salamander
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What is a California Tiger Salamander?
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The tiger salamander is one of the largest
salamanders around. It can reach a length of 8.5
inches! The body color is dark brown with yellow
blotches.
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This is a picture of the larvae stage of the
California Tiger Salamander.
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Habitat
Its requires vernal pools, grasslands and oak
woodlands. Water is a big part of its habitat too.
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The adult California Tiger Salamander migrates to
breed. The eggs are laid in a mass and the mass
ranges from 400 to 1,300 eggs! Usually it does
not breed until they are 4 to 6 years of age!
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Due to the unique biology and life history, the
California Tiger Salamander is extremely
vulnerable to habitat destruction. We need to
help the salamander and restore its homeor this
will be its new home
Created by Michael Alix
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theGopher snake
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Physical description

• Between 36 and 96 inches long
• Ranges in color from cream-yellow to green-gray
  tan with large black, brown or red blotches on
  their backs
• Most have a dark line between their eyes

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characteristics

• In high elevations snakes hibernate during winter
• Sun bathe on rocks during hot days to prepare
  them for a busy night
• When hunting, they search in high trees and rocky
  crevices to find prey

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Habitat

• Prefer open grassy areas
• Active when weather is favorable
• Dont usually come out when hot outside
• They like cooler temperatures

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Gopher snake habits

• Slow moving
• When inactive, snakes sleep in rodent burrows and
  under rocks
• Become nocturnal during summer
• Non-venomous
• Are prey to red-tailed hawks, kit foxes and
  coyotes

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hunting

• All adult gopher snakes hunt mice, kangaroo rats,
  gophers, ground squirrel, rabbits, lizards, and
  birds
• They hunt using their sense of smell
• Prey is killed by constriction and suffocation

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Breeding

• Males vigorously defend territory against other
  males
• The males combat dance against other males to
  courtship female

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The eggs

• 6 weeks after mating, female lays her eggs under
  a rock (2-24 eggs)
• Hatchlings emerge after ten weeks fully
  developed, and are large enough to eat small mice
• Mature at 3-4 years

Created by Desiree Fonseca
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BIRDS
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Great Blue Heron
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• Description
• Long legged wading bird
• Blue gray color with black stripe above each eye
• Bill is long, large and yellowish
• The legs are long, grayish with reddish thighs
• Stands four feet tall with wingspan of six feet
• Flies at a cruising speed of 23 miles per hour

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• Habitat
• Can be seen beside freshwater streams, ponds,
  lakes, mudflats, estuarine marshes, and road
  ditches throughout the Russian River Watershed.
• Fishes by day and night, most active at dawn and
  dusk.
• They spear the fish with their beak and then
  swallow them whole.

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• Breeding
• Great Blue Herons are very territorial
• They nest in tops of trees, rock ledges, sea
  cliffs, or even the ground
• Lay 3 to 5 large eggs that hatch in 28 days
• After two months the baby birds are ready to fly
• 69 of new born Great Blue Herons die in their
  first year
• Oldest know bird was 20 years and 3 months

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• Status
• In one study of nesting behavior on the Oregon
  coast, Great Blue Herons had far more active nest
  sites in isolates areas.
• They prefer areas that are a way from human
  activities.

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Created by Aarica Geitner
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Wood Duck
Scientific Name
Aix sponsa
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Female
Male
Descriptions

• less colorful than male
• mainly brown with a slight iridescence on the
  crown
• crest is shorter
• most easily identified by distinctive
  teardrop-shaped white eye patch

• exquisitely colored
• most easily identified by his smooth, iridescent
  green crest and crown and his purple face
• bill slopes downward
• end of tail is square

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habitat
Woodland streams or pools, forest bottomlands,
river valleys, swamps, marshes, lakes, and creeks
are all typical Wood Duck habitat.
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Eating habits
The Wood Ducks diet consists mainly of aquatic
plants, supplemented with aquatic and terrestrial
invertebrates, seeds, acorns, berries, and grains.
They forage by moving rapidly and pecks and
dabbles on the water surface. They may tip-up or
dive for submerged food items.
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Ducklings require a high protein diet for rapid
growth. Invertebrates such as dragonflies, bugs,
beetles, and spider are important foods during
the first few weeks of life, making high
populations of these small creatures essential in
habitats where the young will hatch and develop.
Created by Katelin Riolo
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Osprey
The Osprey is found throughout the world, except
in Polar Regions.
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Their plumage is dark brown above and white
below with a black wrist mark in their in the
crook of the wings. These birds are larger than
most hawks with a wingspan of up to 54 inches and
a body length of about 22 inches.
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Two to four eggs are laid in a large nest made
of sticks perched at the top of live or dead
trees at heights from 3 to 100 ft. All Osprey
nests are located next to water. Incubation of
the clutch by both parents takes about 35
days. Young fly between 8 and 10 weeks of age.
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Their diet consists almost exclusively of fish,
but has been reported to include birds, turtles,
snakes, and small mammals. To fish the osprey
hover in the air 50 to 150 feet above a lake or
river, then take plunges and reemerge with fish
held parallel to its body. The soles of the
ospreys feet are equipped with sharp, spiny
projections that enable it to get a firm hold on
slippery fish. This hawk has a reversible
outer toe, which can be rotated so that it
extends to the rear of the foot.
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Fortunately the ospreys nests are being
protected by some concerned individuals and
groups.
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Osprey
Created by Lizette Sanchez
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GREAT HORNED OWL!
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Standing 8-25 tall with a wingspan 36-60 long.
Males and females are similar in appearance,
except the female is the larger of the two.
Their name is derived from the tuffs and feathers
that appear to be horns.
When they are irritated their tufts lie flat, and
when they are inquisitive their ears stand
upright.
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AND
Breeding
Nesting
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Nesting season is in January or February when the
males and females hoot to each other. When close
they bow to each other, with drooped wings.
They usually make 2-3 eggs, and they incubate the
eggs for 30-35 days. The young are fed by both
parents, and the young begin to wander near 6-7
weeks of birth. Owls are solitary in nature, and
only stay with mates during mating season.
They do not build nests of their own, but utilize
other nests such as the heron or hawk.
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Food Hunting
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Great horned owls mainly hunt at night, watching
their prey or gliding slowly in the air. They can
eat over 123 different types of animals. But its
favorites are rabbits and hares.
Several hours after eating, the great horned owl
will chuck up such things as bones, feathers and
fur of the meal that was indigestible.
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Great Horned Owl
Owls have four toes on each foot. Instead of
having 3 toes in the front and one toe in the
back, their toes can rotate so that there are two
toes in the front and two in the back. Great
horned owls can live greater than 12 years, and
have been known to live 29-38 years. Enemies
include other great horned owls and northern
goshawks during disputes over nests.
Created by Debra Peterson
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MAMMALS
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Northern River Otter
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Californias largest member of the Weasel Family

• Adults weigh 10-25 pounds
• Broad, slightly flattened head
• Stiff, bristly whiskers
• Small black eyes and small rounded ears
• Fur is dark brown or reddish brown on the back
  and light brown or silver on the throat and belly
• Stout tail makes up 30-40 of its total body
  length

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Well adapted to its aquatic life

• An otter uses its tail like a rudder while
  swimming
• Their bodies are muscular and torpedo-shaped,
  allowing them to move through water with
  astonishing grace and power
• Their legs are short, with five
  fully-webbed toes on each foot
• Ears and nostrils are valved
  to keep out water

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• They live primarily along rivers, ponds, and
  lakes in wooded areas
• Rests under roots or overhanging riparian
  vegetation, in hollow logs, and burrows of other
  animals

HABITAT
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Breeding

• The male river otter presumably mates with one or
  more females
• The female establishes the natal den shortly
  before giving birth to a litter of 1-6 young born
  blind and fully furred
• Weaned at 4 months, the young disperse in the
  fall or winter before the arrival of the next
  litter
• While socialable most of the year, during the
  breeding season competing males may battle

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Enjoy the Water

• They can remain submerged for several minutes and
  can dive to a depth of 55 feet, swimming at far
  as ¼ mile underwater if necessary
• A lone river otter amuses itself by rolling
  about, sliding, diving, or body surfing along a
  rapid current
• In family groups, otters frolic together in the
  water
• Also at ease on land, the river otter will lope
  along, then slide, and it also runs fairly well

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The Northern River Otter is active by day if not
disturbed by human activity. Vocalizations
include a whistle, probably used to communicate
over distances, and a shrill, chattering call,
emitted during the mating season. Otters chuckle
softly to siblings or mates, apparently as a sign
of affection. They also chirp, grunt, snort, and
growl.
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• Feeds mainly on fish, which are often caught in a
  quick broadside snap
• Also eats small mammals such as mice, as well as
  terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates
• Some anglers suspect the otter of depleting game
  fish stocks, particularly trout. While it will
  eat game fish, it more often eats the
  slower-moving suckers, chubs, daces, darters, and
  catfish, as well as schooling fish

Created by Shelly Hughes
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Ringtail
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The Ringtail is also known as the miners cat,
although it is not a cat at all. The ringtail is
actually related to the raccoon family
(Procyonidea)
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The ringtail get its name from the seven or eight
rings thats upon its tail. (note the name
ringtail)
The ringtail has large eyes which helps them see
better at night for they are nocturnal, meaning
that they only dwell at night.
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The ringtail lives across the southwestern U.S.
and most of Mexico, with outliers in Northern
California.
You can find the ringtail at low to middle
elevations. They dwell in hollow trees and logs.
They are usually not found more than 1 km from
permanent water.
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The ringtail has a seasonal diet. In the fall,
the ringtail eats plants and insects and in the
winter their diet consists of small mammals and
birds. In the summer, the ringtail eats insects.
The ringtail hunts at night and their preferred
prey includes mice, woodrats, squirrels, and
rabbits.
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The major predators of the ringtail are great
horned owls, coyotes, raccoons, bobcats and us.
predators
The ringtail is sometimes killed by humans
because of its habit of raiding henhouses.
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The mating ritual occurs between February and
May, with one to four hairless young born in May
or June. Eyes open and fur covers their bodies by
five to six weeks. They are weaned by fall and
can mate near the end of their second year.
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Created by Monica McEldowney
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Striped Skunks
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Physical Description

• About the same size as an average sized house
  cat.
• Main body colors are black, with white.
• The skunk has short legs, with very powerful
  claws.
• The skunk leaves very distinctive tracks because
  of the design of its feet.
• The skunk has a stocky body, with a small
  elongated head.
• The skunk has small round ears, which give it
  excellent hearing.
• The skunk is capable of spraying a very fowl
  smelling substance.

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The Stripes
The striped skunk has a very distinctive pattern
with its fur. Generally there are two white
stripes that run the length of the body. These
two stripes are on the outer ends of the back,
leaving a somewhat large area of black in between
them. The stripes meet just above the eyes,
forming a helmet like shape on the head. There
is also a thin white stripe that goes down the
center of its muzzle. The striped skunk also has
a white tip on its tail. The odd thing about the
skunks fur pattern is that it is not protective
in any way. The fur pattern is there to warn
animals to stay away, and that this is one animal
that you do not want to mess with.
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The Spray
The striped skunk is capable of spraying a very
fowl smelling substance. The spray can be smelt
from up to a mile away. If the spray gets into
your eyes it can cause intense pain and a
fleeting loss of vision. The spray is used to
fend off predators or potential threats. The
spray of the skunk is a dirty yellowish color.
To nullify the odor you can use tomato juice
and/or ammonia. There is a substance in the
spray called musk. This is used to make perfumes
and colognes because it is what makes the smells
stick to what ever it is sprayed on.
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Habitat
The striped skunk lives in a variety of places,
ranging from forest to grasslands, suburban
neighborhoods to farm lands, even into the
deserts. They are usually within two miles of
water. Skunks live in burrows, either ones that
they have dug, or burrows that another animal may
have dug and abandoned. Striped skunks are only
found in North America, anywhere from Canada to
Northern Mexico.
d
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Food
Striped skunks are omnivores, meaning that they
eat both grasses and meats. Insects make up a
large portion of their diet. Small animals such
as mice and birds also make up a substantial
portion of their diet. Various fruits and
vegetables are also eaten by these hungry little
animals.
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Skunks have a bad reputation due to their unusual
form of defense, in the form of their spray. But
in reality, skunks are very shy and non
aggressive, and will only use their spray as a
last resort. Because of their gentleness, people
go so far as to make skunks their pets, though
before they do this they remove the glands that
hold their spray. However, skunks are not a very
safe animal to have, because they are the leading
cause of rabies in the US.
Created by Matt Hyles
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Gray Fox

• Stands 12-16 inches at the shoulders.
• Weighs up to 16 pounds.
• Length of up to 47 inches.
• Can reach speeds up to 28 mph over short
  distances.

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Habitat

• Comes out mostly at night.
• When encountered they hide until intruder has
  passed.
• Found in wooded areas, sometimes bordering
  pastures and fields.
• Prefers to live in inaccessible areas.

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Diet

• Mice, rats, rabbits, birds, invertebrates, fruit,
  berries, fish, and small reptile eggs.
• Known for the mouse pounce.
• Use many hunting techniques which vary from
  stalking to dash-and-grab.

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Gray Foxes Den

• A hollow tree, or a vixen might dig her own den.
• This den may be up to 75 feet long and have as
  many as 10 exits.
• Once a chamber becomes too soiled to inhabit it
  becomes a chamber for food storage.

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Breeding

• Generally breed once year.
• Litters contain 2 to 8 young .
• Born weighing about 100 grams.
• They open their eyes after 10 to 14 days.
• They begin to forage independently after about 4
  months.

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Status

• Are abundant enough to allow limited hunting and
  trapping seasons.
• These activities are highly regulated and occur
  only in the fall and winter so that newborns are
  not taken away from mothers.
• Protected forests benefit the foxes by providing
  habitat and high prey populations.

Created by Ray Sanchez
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Mountain Lion
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Mountain Lions are most commonly found in North
America. They can weigh up to 150 pounds and be
up to 8 feet long. A mountain lion has a small
head with small, rounded, black tipped ears. Its
long tail is also black tipped.
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Mountain Lions are solitary, strong territorial
hunters. Unlike most other cat species, Mountain
Lions are mostly active during the day. They only
eat meat and their favorite prey is
deer. Normally, people rarely get to see Mountain
Lions in the wild, but if they do, they should
stay away because they have been known to attack
people.
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-Mountain Lions once roamed the United States
from coast to coast, but today are found mostly
around the Mississippi River.

-During the 1800s and 1900s, most
states paid bounties to hunt the mountain lions.
This reduced their population substantially. The
bounties were eliminated in 1960.
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Things to know -Do not approach a mountain
lion. -Avoid hiking alone, or between dusk and
dawn. -Always give a mountain lion a way to
escape. -Do not run from a mountain lion because
this may trigger the lions instinct to attack.
-Fight back if you get attacked.
Created by Helene Seillan
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