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Youth Education Programof San Francisco Botanical Garden Society
Web of Life Walk
Animals in SFBG
HOW IT RELATES TO
PLANTS
WHERE & WHEN TO
FIND IN SFBG
WHAT EATS IT WHAT IT EATS OTHER TIDBITS
INVERTEBRATES
Earthworm Mixes up soil and breaksinto fine pieces. Often
pulls dead leaves into soil
and aids decay. Burrows -
lets air into soil and helps
water drain.
Comes to surface at
night to mate like slugs
and snails. Worms are
both male and female
but still have to mate to
lay eggs.
Birds. Eats soil to obtain small
pieces of decaying plant
and animal food. Soil
comes out as worm
casts.
No eyes, ears or nose.
Skin can feel light. Also
can feel vibrations of the
ground.
BeesHoneybees and
bumblebees
80% of plants today are
pollinated by bees. Over
60 food crops in CA are
pollinated by honeybees.
Honeybees: Usually
seasonal behaviorlate
fall & winter, if cold stay
in hive or nest. Feed
when warm. Breed in
early spring.
Bumblebees: Come out
to feed anytime.
People. Yellow jackets,
wax moths, vertebrate
raiders prey on
honeybees.
Pollen and nectar.
Special adaptation on
hind legs to collect
pollen. Honey is stored
food for adults and
pollen is for larvae and
young.
Bees first appeared 100
million years ago.
Became major force in
reproduction of plants 65
million years ago.
Wasps (Paper Nest) Queen and workers usewood or tree. Chew to
paste that dries as paper
for nest materials.
In autumn, queen stops
egg laying so workers go
out to find sweet things.
Wasps die in cold
weather. Queen sleeps
until spring.
Caterpillars, fruit,
flowers.
Wasps were the first
makers of paper.
Yellow Jackets Build nests (open-facedcombs) in debris, hollow
logs, soil cavities.
Colonies become quite
large by late summer and
fall.
Raccoons and skunks
destroy nests and eat
the insects.
Voracious workers
attack everything from
nesting insects to picnicfoods.
Most abundant and
troublesome wasp in CA.
Vicious defenders of thenest.
Dragonflies Plants create habitat.Most of life spent as
nymphs hiding in mud or
among weeds
underwater.
Dwarf conifer pond.
Nature trail pond.
Nymphs eaten by frogs
and turtles. Birds eat
dragonflies in adult form.
Hunt and eat other
insects. Adults can see
40 feet away. Nymphs
eat small animals in
water.
Among oldest insects on
earth. 4,500 species of
dragonflies & close
relative damselflies. Used
to be 3 across before
birds & flowering plants
appeared.
Spider (orb weaver & garden) Uses plants to propwebs. Spiders can be in
silk case covered by leafin upper corner of web.
Orb weavers spin at
night and wait for flying
insects on warm brightdays. Sept & Oct very
Birds. Lives entirely on liquid
dietpours enzyme over
insect which dissolvessoft tissues.
Web is fluid protein
exuded by spinnerets on
lower side of body andthen hardening to silk in
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large, colorful backs
red to yellowish striped
legs. Can disappear with
winter storms.
air. Hummingbirds &
bushtits use webs as nest
materials.
Water strider Lay eggs on trailing waterplants.
Year roundmore in
spring & summer in any
shallow pond or streamsuch as Redwood Forest.
Dragonflies eat larvae of
water striders.
Feed on mosquito larvae
& other small insects.
Beak to pierce prey, suckup juices. Enzyme
secretion from straw-like
stylets out of beak.
Body covered with tiny
hairs. Front short legs for
grasping. Middle legsvery long, serve as oars
with only tips touching
water. Hind legs steer.
True bug.
Crayfish (most likely the
invasive signal crayfish)
Eat plants Though they live in the
water, they are more
often seen when they
cross wet lawn areas.
Humans, egrets,
snapping turtles,
raccoons, possums
Omnivore and
scavenger, eats plant
material, snails, small
fish
Relatives of lobsters,
crabs and shrimp.
Amphipod (hoppers) Recycles leaves. Primarily summer andfall, under logs and in
leaf duff.
Wild jumping is defense
against predators.
Leaves, decaying plant
material-can digest
cellulose.
Terrestrial crustaceans
related to sand fleas.
Centipede Protects plants fromharmful insects.
Live in damp places,
under logs, stones, bark
and heaps of dead
leaves.
Birds. Harmful insects and their
larvae.
Two legs on each
segmentmore than 14
legs. Can have painful
bite.
Millipede Recycles dead anddecaying plants. Can be
destructive to crops.
In damp places, under
logs, stones, bark & dead
leaves.
Raccoons Dead & decaying plants
sometimes crop plants.
Four legs on each
segment. Curl into tight
spiral in self-defense.
Pillbug (roly-poly) and sowbug Breaks down plantmatter into small bits so
even smaller creatures
can feed.
Under logs, leaves in
spring, summer & fall.
Winter (cold) crawls into
sheltering cracks and
remains quiet until
spring.
Spiders, birds. Pillbug has
hard coat of armor, soft
underside so rolls up for
protection. Sowbug
cannot roll up.
Dead plants. Land crustacean, close
relative of lobster &
shrimp. 14 legs.
Sometimes turn blue due
to viral infection.
Slugs (no shell) and snails (with
shells)
Feeds on plant materials.
Destructive to crops.
In high moisture
conditions and humidity,
hides during the day in
soil cracks.
Raccoons, lizards,
spiders. People.
Fruits and vegetables;
leaves.
Similar to clams &
mussels; produce large
amounts of protective
mucous.
REPTILES/AMPHIBIANS/FISH
Mosquito fish Plants provide cover. Small pondsDwarfConifer and Nature Trail.
Raccoons, egret/heron. Feed on mosquitoes, etc.
at surface.
Minnow family (incl.
carp, goldfish, chub).
Young born alive. Males
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smaller than females.
Turtle (red-eared slider,
western pond turtle)
Cold-blooded. Soak up
sun on rocks, mats of
dead tule, logs, pond
banks. Use water to cool
down.
Ponds, especially
Wildfowl Pond. During
winter, they dig
themselves into holes in
soft pond bottoms.
People, egrets (eat
young), raccoons (eat
eggs)
Scavengers of the pond
community. Pond weed
stems, algae, small fish,
tadpoles, earthworms,
soft insects.
Sliderspet turtles let go
by people who wont
care for them. Western
Pondnative and must
be submerged to eat.
Snapping turtle Omnivorous, eats plantmaterial.
One large individual
rarely spotted basking on
rocks in the Wildfowl
Pond.
People. Voracious omnivore and
scavenger, eats plants
and invertebrates, fish,
other turtles, birds,
mammals.
This large turtle is often
mistaken for a rock when
basking. Powerful beak
used for defense since it
cannot retract into its
shell.
Frog (red-legged) Plants create habitat andprovide cover.
Near waterNoble Pond;
CA Native Plants Pond,
next to nursery chain link
fence; the Nature Trail.
Nocturnal and diurnal.
Raccoons, owls, giant
salamanders,
carnivorous bull frogs,
people.
Insects, beetles,
caterpillars and isopods.
Feeds when it detects
movement.
Rana Aurora. CA native,
2-5 inches in lengthcan
jump 3 feet. Tadpole is 3
in total length.
BIRDSMallard Duck Most food is vegetative
matter. Nests in gardens
near ponds. Female
dull mottled brown. Male
green head, blue
speculum.
Year round. Near Dwarf
Conifer Pond, Asian
Pond, Nature Trail Pond
and Wildfowl Pond.
People. Raccoons,
skunks eat eggs,
snapping turtle, coyotes
and foxes take young.
Seeds and sedges. Likes
rice crops, grain, corn
and other agricultural
crops.
Strong, fast flyers can
dive even though
dabblers. Mallards are
ancestors of domestic
ducks.
American Widgeon Dabbler that walks onlandlegs placed
forward and no lobe on
back toe. Widgeon
makes room for newgrowth by eating plants.
Droppings act as
fertilizer.
Big Pond. Raccoons eat eggs. Aquatic plantswild
celery, eat grass, roots,
food from humans.
Males have brown
bodies, grayish head,
white crown and green
face patch.
Bufflehead Diver duck that is seldomseen on landlegs set
farther back. Flap on toe
helps to swim. Must get
running start to fly. Lay
eggs in tree holes.
Year-round in Big Pond. People. Dive constantly to feed
on small fish and other
small animals.
Quite tame in wild.
Breeding male white,
shiny black back, large
white patch on head.
Femalewhite oval
below and behind eye.
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Gull (Western and Mew) Nets in grass or seaweed. Anytime, primarily at theBig Pond.
Sea lions, sharks. Basic diet of fish, stealfood from & eat young
birds. Omnivorouscan
eat garbage. Visitors
feed.
Mew is smaller than
Western. Adult has
grayish back, white front,
red dot on lower
mandible of yellow bill,
pink feet.
Great blue heron Nest in trees using plantmaterial.
Occasional visitor at allponds and waterworks.
Raccoons eat eggs. Highon food chain.
Small fish, frogs andother aquatic animals.
Ponds, but sometimesfound hunting gophers
on the lawn
Egrets (Snowy and greater) Nest in trees using plantmaterial.
Egrets year round. All
ponds and waterworks.
Raccoons eat eggs. High
on food chain.
Small fish, frogs and
other aquatic animals.
Feathers in hats. DDT
endangered - comeback
since DDT banned in
1972. Snowy Egret
small black bill, yellow
legs. Great Egret has
yellow bill, dark legs.
Robin Disperses seeds/new
plants.
Most areas. Feral cats. Eats worms in breeding
season; otherwise eatsworms and fruits, holly
elderberry.
Average life-span is about
a year and three months;has around 3,000
feathers
Brewers Blackbird Nests in trees. Year roundeverywhereespecially around main
pond in flocks.
Raccoons eat eggs. Primarily insects, also
seeds.
Male jet black with
purplish sheen on head,
yellow eye, pointed bill;
female dull brown.
Hummingbirds (Annas and
Allens)
Great pollinators of red
and yellow flowers. Tiny,
tightly woven nest cup
on sheltered branch of
pine, redwood. Uses
lichen and spider webs as
nest material.
Annas year-round,
especially succulent
garden.
Allens Summer
resident, winters in W.
Mexico.
Hawks, feral cats. Nectar from agave, aloe,
eucalyptus flowers,
many others. Insects for
protein.
Annas two-part buzz
song. Iridescent red
forehead and throat.
Allens Buzz call. Green
cap, red throat.
Scrub Jay Nests in scrub using mossand other material.
Buries seeds then
forgets.
Year-round resident
anywhere in the Garden.
Several around
Fragrance, Demo and CA
Native Gardens.
Hawks. Seeds and nuts, other
bird eggs. May eat
peanuts out of human
hands.
Rounded, crestless head
sets it apart; 20 different
call types
Quail Nests in grass or shrubsusing plant material.
Uses low brush area for
Year-round resident of
the Garden. CA Native
garden, W. Australia and
Hawks, feral cats. Acorns, seeds,
sometimes insects.
The Garden is home to
the last breeding group in
Golden Gate Park. Flock
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cover. Succulent Garden inclu.
Salt Bush hedge.
or covey, up to 10-20.
Song sparrow Nests in shrubs aroundmarshes, using plant
material.
Year-round near water.
Big Pond, and especially
Nature Trail Pond.
Feral cat; blue jay eats
eggs.
Insects, seeds. Heavy brown streaking
on white under parts
prominent central breast
spot in adults. Pumps
long, round tail in flight.Downy woodpecker Nests in tree holes, agave
stalks. Can control pests.
Succulent Garden. Trees
throughout the Garden,
especially pines around
Nature Trail.
Raccoons eat eggs. Feral
cats.
Eats insects, often leans
back to look for food.
Small year-round
residentwhite back,
small red patch on males
back of neck.
Fox sparrow Uses brush for cover.Nests in shrubs using
plant material.
Fall, winter resident.
Found on ground in
thickets, especially
around Nature trail.
Feral cat. Seed eaterscratches
ground in distinctive
manner using both feet.
Looks like dull song
sparrow. Lower bill
yellow, dark upper.
MAMMALS
Gopher (BottasPocket) Furlined pouches or
pockets inside cheeks forcarrying plants to
underground storage.
Aerates and helps
improve soil, mixing in
organic matter.
All over year round,
especially main lawnlook for fan-shaped hill
with plug. Most active in
spring due to abundant
plant material.
It is eaten by feral cats,
garter snakes, weasels,and foxes. It is flea
infested.
It eats grass, roots, nuts,
buds, bulbs, tubers andfarm vegetables.
It is vicious when
cornered. Gophercomes from the French
word gaufremeaning
honeycomb. This
solitary creature makes
honeycombs
underground.
Mole (Broad-footed) Pushes way through soilaerates. Damages
plants by exposing or
breaking up roots &
lifting them up.
Signs of moles are ridge-
like tunnels which are
used only once. Earth is
pushed to surface in
symmetrical mounds.
It is eaten by feral cats
and foxes.
It eats insects and their
larvae, earthworms, and
occasionally bulbs.
Adapted to subterranean
life, eyes are vestigial.
Senses through long
bristles of snout. Fur lies
flat either direction socan run
forward/backwards.
Squirrel (Eastern Gray) Eastern Gray displacedWestern Gray native
which cannot tolerate
crowding. Extensive
damage to plants. Bark
and stick nests high in
trees. Bury nuts and
forgets them.
Where people eat lunch
and/or feed them; demo
garden, Asian and Main
Pondsmost active on
warm days.
Owls, foxes, dogs, feral
cats, hawks, raccoons,
weasels, pests and
parasites. Automobiles.
Acorns. People feed
them peanuts, popcorn.
Introduced in 1930s.
Tails helps with balance,
act as parachute, provide
warmth. Brownish coat in
summer.
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Raccoon Dens in tree hollows,climbs for protection.
Digs up fresh sod and
bulb plants looking for
grubs.
All over, anytime.
Crotches of trees, paths
of the Garden. Adapted
to daylight, feels safe.
Dogs, foxes, wolves. Frogs, crayfish, grubs,
slugs, berries, seeds, bird
eggs, small animals,
garbageDangerous to
approach to feed.
Have opposable thumbs,
40 teeth and do not
hibernate, but sleep for
weeks at a time.
Red fox Dig dens under roots of
trees.
Woodlands, farms;
Native garden and JohnMuir Trail at the Garden.
Wolves, coyotes, eagles,
bear.
Rabbits, rodents,
beetles, fruit, insects andworms.
Non-native with
incredible sense ofhearing. Hunt alone or in
small packs. Bushy, black-
tipped tail.
Coyote Dig dens under roots oftrees.
Adapt to habitats; West
end of the Garden.
Wolves, mountain lions,
bears, humans.
Omnivores that vary diet
with the seasonsfrom
flowers and insects to
cactus fruit and lizards,
birds and snakes.
Weigh between 15-25
lbs. and live an average
of 12 years.
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