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Watershed Background > Wildlife Communities

Natural History

The Russian River watershed provides food and shelter for many species of invertebrates, reptiles, amphibians, mammals and birds. Wildlife communities in the watershed are an important part of the ecosystem and its health. Presented below are some of the common, endangered, and unique animals living in our watershed.

Invertebrates: A variety of invertebrates live in the watershed including: water scooters, freshwater shrimp (Federally Endangered/State Endangered), dragonflies, ladybugs, spiders, beetles, butterflies, and bees. Invertebrates aid in the pollination of native plant species and food crops, break down dead plants and animals, and provide food for fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and small mammals.

Pipevine swallowtail larvae are a prey item for other animals.

Reptiles: Many kinds of reptiles live in the watershed including: blue-bellied fence lizards, alligator lizards, California king snakes, western rattlesnakes, and gopher snakes. Western pond turtles (California Species of Concern) are also residents of the watershed and can often be seen sunning themselves on rocks or fallen trees near slow moving streams (CDFG 2004). Reptiles help keep insect and rodent populations in check.

Western pond turtles sun on rocks and fallen trees.

Amphibians: Some very unique amphibians live in the watershed including: western tailed frogs (California Species of Concern) - found in cold, swift-flowing mountain streams, California tiger salamanders (Federally Proposed for Listing/State Species of Concern) - found in the Laguna de Santa Rosa, and foothill yellow-legged frogs (California Species of Concern) that inhabit streams with gravel or sandy bottoms and sunny banks (CDFG 2004). Other more common amphibians include: Pacific tree frogs, western toads, red-bellied newts and arboreal salamanders (Behler 1979). Like reptiles, amphibians also help control insect and rodent populations.

Pacific tree frogs are common in the Russian River watershed.

Mammals: There are many different species of mammals in the watershed. Some of the more common mammals include: California gray squirrels, California ground squirrels, black-tailed jackrabbits, coyotes, bobcats, mountain lions and white-tailed deer. People don’t often see some mammals because they are nocturnal, only coming out at night. Nocturnal species include: dusky-footed woodrats, opossums, striped skunks, western spotted skunks, raccoons, and gray fox (Sheldon 1998). There are a few non-native mammals that appear in the watershed as well, including: red fox, feral pigs and Norway rats (found mostly in urban areas). Mammals can be good indicators of an ecosystem’s health since they are high on the food chain.

Mountain lions are seldom-seen residents of the Russian River watershed.

Birds: Numerous species of birds live in the watershed, utilize it for food and shelter during their annual migration, or use it for nesting during the breeding season. Birds commonly seen in the watershed include: great blue herons, snowy egrets, double-crested cormorants, mallard ducks, common mergansers, pied-billed grebes, turkey vultures, red-tailed hawks, northern harriers, osprey, red-winged black birds, scrub jays, plain titmice, warblers, barn swallows, and California quail (Sibley 2000). Birds help control insect and rodent populations, pollinate native plants, and disperse seeds from fruits. Tracking bird populations can be a good way to evaluate an ecosystem’s health.

Red-winged blackbirds inhabit marshes and other wetlands.

List of References:

Behler, John L. and F. Wayne King. 1979. Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians. Chanticleer Press, Inc. New York, NY.

California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) 2004. California Natural Diversity Database (CNDDB). Sacramento, California.

Sheldon, Ian. 1998. Animal Tracks of Northern California. Lone Pine Publishing. Edmonton, AB, Canada.

Sibley, David Allen. 2000. National Audubon Society: The Sibley Guide to Birds. Chanticleer Press,Inc. New York, NY.