BALD EAGLES --  The bald eagle is the only eagle unique to North America and was officially declared the National Emblem of the United States in 1782.  By 1967, the bald eagle was declared an endangered species in the United States when less than 500 nesting pairs existed.  Only a handful of species have fought their way back from the United States' endangered species list, including the bald eagle which was upgraded to "threatened" in 1995.  By 2007 the number of nesting pairs exceeded 10,000.  The primary law protecting bald eagles currently is the Bald and Golden Eagle Act.

A bald eagle has a life span of up to forty years.  An adult bald eagle, has a distinctive white head and weighs between seven and fifteen pounds.  This makes them one of the largest birds in North America.  Females are larger than males.  They have a wing span of between six and eight feet. 

Bald eagles live near large bodies of open water where there are plenty of fish to eat and tall trees for nesting and roosting.  Both Nacimiento Lake and San Antonio Lake are nesting homes for numerous bald eagles, who migrate to this area between December and February looking for accessible food.  Bald eagles also eat small animals including: turtles, rabbits, and snakes, and an occasional dead animal carcass (carrion).  They swoop down to seize fish in their powerful, long and sharp talons.  They carry their food off in flight, but can only lift about half of their weight.  A bald eagle can travel at over 40 mph while in flight.  They seldom dive vertically on their prey, preferring to descend more gradually, although their diving speed is estimated at between 75 and 100 mph.  A bald eagle can fly to altitudes of 10,000 feet or more, and can soar aloft for hours.  Bald eagles also sometimes swim to shore with a heavy fish, by using their wings as paddles.

Bald eagles mate for life and will only select another mate if its faithful companion should die.  They build large nests, at the top of sturdy tall trees.  The nests become larger each year, as the eagles return to breed and add new nesting materials.  Eventually, some nests reach sizes of more than ten feet wide and can weigh several tons.  The female lays one to three eggs annually in the springtime.  Only about 50% of eaglets hatched survive the first year.

Even though illegal, bald eagles are still harassed, injured and killed by guns, traps, power lines, windmills, poisons, contaminants and destruction of habitat.

BATS -- Bats are the only mammals that can fly. They have been flitting across the night skies for some 50 million years.  There are nearly 1,000 species, accounting for almost a quarter of all mammal species, although only twenty-four species of bats live in California.  Bats can be found in every part of the state.

Bats usually become active before nightfall, capturing moths and flying beetles. Most California species roost in small groups, so you will usually see only a few flying around together at the same time.  Many bats emit a high-pitched click or squeak that you can hear.  Once you identify the sound, you can track the bats through the night sky.  Although bats can see quite well, they navigate and find food by emitting high-pitched sound waves that bounce off objects and back to the bats as they fly.  A bat's hearing is so sensitive that not only can they find tiny insects using echolocation, but they can tell if it's a favorite variety of moth or beetle.   

Bats only generally produce one baby a year.  Disturbance of day roosts by people, or the outright destruction of roosting and maternity colonies are the main threats to bats.  Concerns about rabies have led to the unnecessary destruction of many colonies.  About one bat in two hundred may carry the virus, but these individuals are usually too sick to fly and your chance of finding a sick bat is rare indeed.   Only about one person in the United States dies each year from a rabies bite.  (See Raccoons and Skunks) 
 

BOBCATS -- There is only one species of bobcat in California, which is Felis rufus.  The name bobcat is believed to have originated from its short tail, which is only six or seven inches long.  The end of its tail is always black, tipped with white, which distinguishes the bobcat from its northern cousin, the Canadian lynx.  A bobcat can weigh up to 30 pounds, but the average bobcat is only 15 to 20 pounds.  Despite its pussycat appearance when seen in repose, the bobcat is quite fierce and is equipped to kill animals as large as deer, although bobcats diet mainly subsists of rabbits, ground squirrels, mice, pocket gophers and rats, as well as quail.

The bobcat roams freely at night and is frequently abroad during the day except during the peak of summer.  They sleep in hidden dens, often in hollow trees, thickets or rocky crevices.  Their mating behavior is similar to a housecat's.  Young are usually born in April and May, although litters may be born almost any month except December and January.

 

CALIFORNIA QUAIL --  An adult California quail grows to just under ten inches in length and weighs five to seven ounces.  They have a distinctive black and white pattern on the face and black and brown feather tips which makes it look like it has scaled under parts.  The overall color is blue-grey and brown.  They are often identified by their teardrop-shaped plume.

The most typical time for egg fertilization is during May, June and July.  If California quail do not successfully nest on their first attempt, they make a second nesting attempt later in the summer.  Their nests are made in shallow scrapes in the ground lined with grass.  The California quail is so seclusive and secretive in leaving and approaching their nests that relatively few nests have ever been found.  They can lay from six to twenty-eight eggs.  Chicks begin running about within an hour of hatching.

In fall, California quail are quite social and travel in small groups, or coveys.  These coveys range in size between 25 to 40 birds on the average.  In spring, when mating and nesting season starts, the coveys disintegrate and individual birds begin to pair up.  Quail can fly at speeds between 38 and 58 mph.  Their ground speed can reach 12 mph.

The primary diet of the California quail consists of seeds from broad-leafed plants.  They also eat fruits, berries and insects.

Although a valid California hunting license may be obtained to hunt California quail during the season, no hunting of California quail is allowed at any time on Heritage Ranch property without permission of HROA.
 

COTTONTAIL RABBIT --  The cottontail rabbit is light colored, with an average weight of two to three pounds.  Females are larger than males.  A female cottontail may bear young year round, with twenty to thirty young in four to five litters.

Cottontail rabbits are active in the early morning, late afternoon and at night, but may be seen at any time of the day.  In the summer months, they conserve moisture and energy by avoiding activity during daylight hours.

Cottontail rabbits eat a wide variety of plants, however, ninety percent of their diet is grasses.  Cottontail rabbits will forage on plants in your garden or flower beds, and even eat the bark off of some trees.  Cottontail rabbits have incisors which are ever-growing and cut clean slices through twigs and plants.  Cottontail rabbits are coprophagic, meaning they eat their own feces.  Since grass is difficult to digest, the rabbits eat the first-formed set of pellets after a meal.  Additional nutrition is extracted during the second digestive process.

An alarmed cottontail rabbit can run up to twenty mph, and usually runs in a zigzag pattern to escape predators.  Cottontail rabbits have also been known to swim and climb trees when pursued by prey.  Cottontail rabbits are preyed upon by a number of predators, including: eagles, great horned owls, hawks, coyotes, foxes, bobcats and humans.  Rattlesnakes may prey on the young.  A cottontail rabbit lives an average of about two years.

A male cottontail rabbit's home range may be up to fifteen acres in size.  A female's home range can be less than one acre.  Although a valid California hunting license may be obtained to hunt cottontail during the season. no hunting of cottontail is allowed at any time on Heritage Ranch property, without permission of HROA.
 

COYOTE -- The coyote is a member of the dog family.  In size and shape the coyote is like a medium-sized Collie dog, but its tail is round and bushy and is carried straight out below the level if its back.  The average coyote weighs between 20 and 50 pounds.  The coyote is one of the few wild animals whose vocalizations are commonly heard.  At night coyotes both howl (a high quavering cry) and emit a series of short, high-pitched yelps.  Howls are used to keep in touch with other coyotes in the area.  Yelping is a celebration or criticism within a small group of coyotes.  (Yelping is often heard during play among pups or young coyotes.)  Coyotes maintain their territories by marking them with urine.  The coyote can run at almost 40 mph and can get over an eight foot fence.  Coyotes can breed with both domestic dogs and wolves.  The beginning of the mating season is in January, and the female bears one litter of three to nine pups a year, usually in April or May. Although the coyote usually digs its own den, it will sometimes fix up a natural hole in a rocky ledge to suit its own needs.  The coyote uses the den to birth its young and to sleep.  The coyote does not hibernate. 

A coyote is one of the most adaptable animals in the world; the coyote can change its breeding habits, diet and social dynamics to survive in a wide variety of habitats, although only 5-20% of coyote pups survive their first year.  Most of the time, coyotes go out of their way to avoid humans, but when they discover that humans are a good source for food they will take advantage of this when they can.  The most serious problem is if a coyote becomes habituated to people, they lose their fear.  They will then become bolder in approaching people and can get very aggressive.  Steps should be taken to avoid encouraging coyotes to visit the neighborhood homes of Heritage Ranch looking for food.  Close garbage can lids tightly, do not leave pet food outside and do not leave small pets outside unaccompanied.  Coyotes hunt both day and night.  In the wild, coyotes main diet consists of mice, rabbits, ground squirrels, other small rodents, insects, even reptiles, and fruits and berries of wild plants.  A coyote which is habituated on the other hand, may feast off a diet of cats and small dogs.  Large dogs (35 pounds and up) in general are not at risk to a coyote attack.

Coyotes are presently classified as non-game animals in California and may be taken throughout the year under the authority of a hunting license.  You must also have the permission of HROA while on Heritage Ranch property.

DEER -- One of the most visible signs of wildlife at Heritage Ranch is the Sitka black-tailed deer which is a sub-species of the mule deer.  The black-tailed deer have smaller ears than mule deer do.  The black-tailed deer obviously gets its name for the black on its tail, which runs along the full length of the top of the tail.  

Black-tailed deer are good swimmers.  A good-sized black-tailed buck (male) can weigh over 140 pounds.  Bucks can be distinguished from does (females) by their antlers which protrude from the buck's head and are used as a weapon to attempt to gain dominance over the other bachelor bucks during breeding season.  Each winter, the buck sheds his antlers, only to grow a new set the next spring.  During most of the year, the does lead a very separate life from the bucks and are sociable only within their own sex.  Does will stay within a familiar area for most of their lives.  Does travel in small family groups consisting of an older doe and her relatives.  The family group leader, or alpha doe, tends to be the older mother.  Young bucks in the family group will leave at around eighteen months of age.  The young buck will then take up with a bachelor group of his own. 

The natural life span of the black-tailed deer is approximately ten years, although many live far less since they are either killed by natural predators, human hunters or automobiles.  A black-tailed deer's natural predators include: mountain lions, coyotes and golden eagles. 

The color of the black-tailed deer coat changes with the season, from a generally reddish-brown in summer to grayish in winter.  Young fawns are born in the spring, and maintain their spots for camouflage.  The fawns eventually lose their birth coat when they are weaned and develop their grayish coat for winter.  

As the food supply in the woods depletes during the summer months, the signs of munching deer continue to increase at Heritage Ranch.  The deer on Heritage Ranch freely roam around and will raid your garden or flower bed if it is not protected.  One of their favorite foods is rose bushes.  Deer also look for water during the summer months.  Don't be surprised if you see them drinking from your birdbath, pond or down by the lake. 
 

In the fall, the does finish nursing their fawns and the bucks begin to prepare for rutting season, which is the only time the does and bucks are together.  Deer are not aggressive except for the bucks during rutting (mating) season so it is prudent to give them their space. 
 

GOLDEN EAGLES --  The golden eagle gets its name from the golden feathers on the back of its neck.  An adult golden eagle weighs between nine and twelve pounds.  Golden eagles are masters at soaring, with their large wing span of over seven feet.  These birds can soar for long periods of time with little wing flapping.  If a golden eagle spots prey while soaring, it can swoop at speeds of up to 200 mph.  If you are close enough, the golden eagle may sound like a low-flying, small airplane.

Golden eagles hunt both from the air and atop their favorite perch.  They use their tremendous eyesight to locate prey.  Golden eagles eat rabbits, ground squirrels, reptiles and smaller birds, along with dead animal carcasses (carrion).

A golden eagle will defend a large home range.  When an intruder enters an eagle's home range, they will soar upward, then tuck their wings and descend.  A golden eagle will use several nest sites in the home range on different years which can be over one-half mile apart.  A golden eagle's nest may become huge, as much as eight to ten feet across and three to four feet deep.  Eggs are laid between February and May, commonly two per nest, although up to four eggs are sometimes laid.

The young golden eagle will live with its parents for approximately three months, at which time it will move out of the parent's home range.  Golden eagles most often mate for life.  In winter, large groups of golden eagles may be observed together.

The golden eagle is presently protected by the Bald and Golden Eagle Act.
 

GRAY FOX --  The gray fox is the only member of the dog family that can climb trees, usually to seek refuge or in search of roosting birds.  The gray fox is smaller in size than the coyote and weighs between seven and eleven pounds.  Its coloration is gray on top, and rusty-red along the sides.  The ears are forward pointing.  It can reach a speed of 28 mph for short distances.

Although primarily nocturnal, the gray fox may sometimes be seen foraging during the day.  The gray fox is a solitary hunter and eats small mammals, eggs, insects, birds, fruits and acorns.  The gray fox makes its den in a hollow tree or burrow of another animal.

The gray fox mates in February or March, bearing one to seven young in April or May.  The father provides food for the

entire family during the ten weeks from birth of a litter through weaning.  The same males and females usually mate together every year.  The gray fox usually lives between six and ten years.

GREAT BLUE HERONS -- The great blue heron is the largest of the American herons, and is known as a stately, dignified bird.  It has a long neck and long legs and stands about four feet tall.  It has a wing span of about seven feet and weighs approximately four to five pounds.  The adult has a white head with a blue-gray body.

The great blue heron flies with slow, swooping wing beats, and it walks with long and deliberate strides.  It flies with its neck folded into an "S" shape, with its head almost resting on its shoulders.  The great blue heron lives an average of fifteen years, although it tends to be accident prone, sometimes flying unwittingly into power lines or fences.

The great blue herons at Heritage Ranch are non-migratory, and claim fishing territories around the lake.  They build nests in trees and shrubs near the water's edge as part of a colony.  In spring, the female produces between four and seven eggs.

Although the great blue heron colonizes with other great blue herons, it prefers to fish in solitude, primarily at dawn and sunset.  It many times stands as if frozen in the water, until it spots its prey.  It then slowly folds it neck back and moves one leg until it suddenly plunges its head into the water and catches the fish in its bill.  It uses a deft movement of the head to drop the fish headfirst into its gullet.  Usually, the great blue heron takes small fish less then the length of its bill.  Occasionally, it may choke to death by taking a fish too large to swallow.  The great blue heron also eats frogs, insects, rodents and small birds.  The adult great blue heron has few natural enemies (except for apparently itself).

 

GREAT HORNED OWLS -- Great horned owls are found all over the United States.  They mostly reside year round in their territories.  Great horned owls are big and bulky weighing three to four pounds.  Their wing span is three to five feet.  The female is larger than the male.  Their ear tufts are large and set far apart on the head.  Just like the dog, the great horned owl uses their ear tufts to convey body language.  When a great horned owl is irritated the tufts lie flat and when they are inquisitive the ears stand upright.

The great horned owl call is a series of deep hoots from three to eight long notes, and can be heard for a long way off.  Young great horned owls have a screeching call.

The great horned owl is one of the earliest spring nesting birds, with eggs being laid as early as January.  They use abandoned stick nests, hollows of trees, abandoned buildings, or sometimes the ground.  A female will lay an average of two to three eggs.  The great horned owl lives an average of twelve years.

Great horned owls rely on their incredible sense of hearing and have night vision which they utilize to do most of their hunting at night.  Great horned owls also sometimes hunt during the day.  One of their four toes is reversible, rotating from the front to the back.  With two toes in the front and two toes in the back, they can get a better grip on their intended prey.  Great horned owls eat a wide variety of prey, both small and large.  Rabbits seem to be a prominent food, but they will also eat ground squirrels, mice, skunks, gophers, snakes, domestic cats, bats, frogs, and a wide variety of birds.  Several hours after an owl has eaten, its stomach forms a pellet of fur, feathers, exoskeletons and bones (the indigestible parts of its meal).  The owl then "upchucks" this pellet.

Contrary to popular belief, owls cannot turn their heads completely around, but they can rotate their heads 270 degrees.  Because their eyes are fixed in their sockets, they cannot move their eyes up or down or side to side.

GROUND SQUIRRELS --  Ground squirrels are easily identified as they forage aboveground near their burrows.  The ground squirrel's fur is brownish gray and speckled with off-white.  While ground squirrels are similar in appearance to tree squirrels and may climb trees, when frightened they will always retreat to a burrow.  Ground squirrels also sleep, rest, rear young and store food in their burrows.  Ground squirrels live in colonies that may include several dozen animals in a complex of burrows. 

Ground squirrels are active during the day, mainly from mid-morning through late afternoon, especially on warm, sunny days.  Ground squirrels have two periods of dormancy during the year.  During winter months, the ground squirrels hibernate, and during the hot summer months, they go into a period of inactivity, called estivation.  Estivation lasts anywhere from a few days, to a week or more.

Ground squirrels breed once a year, averaging seven to eight per litter.  Breeding time around Heritage Ranch is between March and April.  Aboveground activity by adults is at a maximum at the height of the breeding season.  Young ground squirrels first emerge from the burrow at approximately six weeks of age and are full sized by six months.

Ground squirrels eat grasses in the spring and fall, and seeds, grains and nuts during the rest of the year.  Their home range is typically within a 75-yard radius of their burrow.  Ground squirrels can do significant damage to your garden or flower bed.  They also can gnaw on the bark of vines, shrubs and trees, plastic sprinkler heads and irrigation lines.  Their burrows and mounds can damage lawns, foundations, trees, roads, etc.

Ground squirrels can also harbor diseases harmful to humans, including bubonic plague, which is transmitted by fleas carried on the squirrels.  Ground squirrels are classified as non-game mammals by the California Fish and Game.  Non-game mammals which injure crops or property may be controlled in any legal manner by the owner or tenant.

The ground squirrel has many natural predators, including: hawks, eagles, rattlesnakes and coyotes.
 

MOUNTAIN LION --  The mountain lion is generally most abundant in areas with plentiful deer and adequate cover, which includes Heritage Ranch.  The mountain lion is the most widely distributed cat in the Americas.  It is unspotted, tawny-colored, with black-tipped ears and a long tail.  The tail is also black-tipped.

Adult males may be more than eight feet long and generally weigh between 130 and 150 pounds.  Adult females generally weigh between 65 and 90 pounds.  Mountain lions are solitary, strongly territorial hunters who, unlike most cat species, may be active during the day, although their normal hunting period is between dusk and dawn.  A mountain lion can reach speeds of 50 mph in a sprint, leap 40 feet in a single bound, and walk for miles at 10 mph.

An adult male's home range often spans over 100 square miles.  Females generally have a smaller home range, averaging twenty to sixty square miles.  Although mountain lions prefer to feast off of deer, they also eat wild pigs, wild turkeys, rabbits, skunks and an assortment of other wild animals.  Kittens stay with their mother for up to 18 months before dispersing to try to establish their own territories, and 75 percent of the young animals die within the first two years of life. An older, dominant male may kill a younger male that tries to move into his territory.
 

The predatory behavior of a mountain lion is very similar to the domestic cat.  They prefer to ambush their prey, often from behind.  They usually kill with a powerful bite below the base of the skull, breaking the neck.  They often cover the carcass with dirt or leaves, and may come back to feed on it over the course of a few days. 

Normally, mountain lions are very elusive, and people rarely get more than a brief glimpse of a mountain lion in the wild.  They are, however, unpredictable and have been known to attack people although they prefer to avoid them, not eat them.  (There have been less than 200 recorded deaths of humans by mountain lions in the United States in the last 115 years.)  A mountain lion's natural life span is approximately twelve years.  They have no known natural predators locally; they do fall prey to accidents, diseases, road hazards and humans.

OPOSSUMS -- Opossums are the only native North American marsupial and date back 70 million years, making them the Earth's oldest surviving mammal family. Marsupials are distinguished by their abdominal pouch used for carrying their young.  The opossum is not native to California, but was introduced many years ago from the east coast of the United States.  It is about the size of a house cat, weighing up to fifteen pounds, has coarse grayish fur, a pointed face, hairless, rounded ears, and a hairless tail.  The opossum can carry things with its tail or use it to hang upside down from a tree branch.

Opossums feet resemble small hands with five widely spread fingers.  They take shelter in abandoned burrows of other animals, in tree cavities and brush piles.  They may den under your steps, porches, decks, in your attics, garages, and beneath your houses.  They have flexible social relationships, with overlapping home ranges that allow high populations to develop when food is plentiful.

Opossums are nocturnal, and feed on fruits, nuts, green plants, insects, snails, snakes, frogs, birds and their eggs, and small mammals such as mice and rats.  Opossums also each carrion, and often visit people's gardens, compost piles, garbage cans, and food dishes intended for dogs and cats.  They have lost much of their natural fear of people and will even enter a home through a pet door in search of food.  They are not aggressive unless cornered, when they may hiss, growl and show their teeth.  They can also exude a repulsive, smelly, musk like fluid from their anal glands.

The mating season extends from January through July, with two litters produced averaging seven young each.  The gestation period is only thirteen days, with the newborn no bigger than one-half inch.  Mortality in the young is high; most will perish before they are a year old.  Few opossum live beyond three years.

Opossums have numerous predators.  They have a top running speed of only seven mph, so they have developed strategies to escape enemies; "playing possum" is one of those, where the opossum rolls over on its side, becomes limp, shuts its eyes and lets its tongue hang from an open mouth.  The heartbeat even slows and the animal appears to be dead.  Opossums are also smart.  Opossums get into fights with dogs and cats and can inflict serious injury with their mouthful of sharp pointed teeth.  Opossums also carry numerous diseases.

The California Fish and Game classifies opossums as non-game mammals.  If you find opossum threatening crops or other property of which you are the owner or tenant, you may control the opossum using any legal means. 
 

RACCOONS -- Raccoons are two to three foot long and weigh fifteen to twenty pounds.  They are distinguished by their bear-like shape, masked face and bushy ringed tail.  While a raccoon prefers trees for dens,  they also take up residence in large rodent burrows, caves, rock crevices and deserted buildings.  In the wild, a raccoon's diet consists of berries, acorns, grapes, and other plants, baby mice, baby birds and eggs, frogs, fish and even some snakes.  Around people, the raccoon loves to eat garbage, pet food and even dead animal carcasses (carrion).

The raccoon's forepaws are shaped like tiny human hands with five fingers and amazing dexterity.  Raccoons constantly use their forepaws to touch and feel their food.  Their hindpaws also have five digits and look like small human feet.  A raccoon's predators include: bobcat, coyote and fox.  Typically, a raccoon will live only a few years before falling to predation, disease or humans' traps, rifles or automobiles.  A "lucky" raccoon will live for ten to twelve years.   Of all wildlife species, raccoons account for the largest number of rabies cases in the United States. (See Bats and Skunks)
 

For both raccoons as well as skunks, as the weather cools, skirting and foundations on homes need to be checked for holes which should be patched before the raccoons and/or skunks move in with you.   In the wintertime, both raccoons and skunks are looking for a warm place to burrow in and may select your home for a refuge.
 

RATTLESNAKES -- There are only four snakes in the United States whose venomous bite can be fatal to humans, the coral snake, the copperhead, the cottonmouth water moccasin and the rattlesnake.  The rattlesnake is the only venomous snake native to California.  Rattlesnakes come in distinct varieties, but they are all positively identified by their triangular head shape and the jointed rattles on their tail.  The explosive sizzling buss of their rattles is an unmistakable warning to retreat. 

The Pacific rattlesnake is the most common found rattlesnake at Heritage Ranch and can obtain a length of five feet; although the average length is between three and four feet.  The color of the Pacific rattlesnake and pattern of its markings are varied ranging from brown to grayish or greenish tones with large blotches of lighter hues along its back.

When temperatures begin to warm in April and May, snakes come out of hibernation in and around Heritage Ranch.  They remain near the den entrance for a few days, sunning themselves, then make their way to where they will spend the summer.  They rarely go more than a mile from their dens.  Consequently, more rattlesnakes are seen in the spring and fall migrations to and from their winter homes.  Most rattlesnakes hunt at night and remain inactive and out of sight for days at a time during the digestive period after eating.

Mating occurs in the spring with the young born between August and October.  The average female rattlesnake produces eight to ten healthy babies.  The newborn Pacific rattlesnake is about ten inches long and has a small horny button on the tip of its tail.  Rattler babies have venom and short fangs and are dangerous from birth.  In fact, they are more pugnacious than the adults.  Although unable to make a rattling sound, the youngsters throw themselves into a defensive pose and strike repeatedly when disturbed.

Rattlesnakes eat lizards and small rodents such as ground squirrels, small rabbits, rats and mice.  Most rattlesnakes, when disturbed, try to withdraw, except if they think they are cornered.  A rattlesnake can strike approximately two-thirds its length.  In United States about 800 rattlesnake bites are reported annually.  While seldom fatal, bites are extremely painful and can lead to severe medical trauma.  It is important to never handle rattlesnakes, not even dead ones.  A dead rattlesnake can still eject venom for an hour or more by reflex action.  Keep alert and watch where you step or put your hands.  Be careful after dark as well during the summer months.  On warm nights rattlesnakes are out and about searching for food.  A veterinarian should immediately attend to dogs or domestic animals bitten by a rattlesnake.

Several predators feed on rattlesnakes including the king snake (photo at right) which swallows them whole.  Other predators include: hawks and eagles.  Rattlesnakes are not considered endangered or threatened.  The California Department of Fish and Game classifies rattlesnakes as native reptiles.  California residents can take rattlesnakes on private lands in any legal manner without a license or permit. 

RED-TAILED HAWKS --  The red-tailed hawk has a hooked beak, and long, sharp talons.  A red-tailed hawk is the largest of hawks and weighs between two to four pounds.  The female is larger than the male.  The red-tailed hawk has a wing span of between four and five feet.  Their lifespan is between ten and twenty years.

The adult red-tailed hawk is easily identified by its russet red tail.  It is a frequent soarer at high altitudes and has a loud voice, which is a hoarse, rasping scream, used frequently while soaring.

The eyesight of a red-tailed hawk is eight times as powerful as a human's and can spot a mouse one mile away.  The red-tailed hawk is a most opportunistic hunter.  Its diet is varied, but mostly consists of small rodents, along with rabbits, snakes and lizards.  A red-tailed hawk may also eat chickens, and are sometimes referred to as "chicken hawks".

The red-tailed hawk begins nesting in the month of March in tall trees.  Their nests are from 35 to 75 high, and are located in the forks of the trees.  The nest is large, flat, shallow and made of sticks and twigs about one-half inch in diameter.  The same nest site may be used from year to year.   Red-tailed hawks are aggressive and vigorously defend their territory which can range from just a quarter of a mile up to over three miles, depending the availability of food.  Red-tailed hawks do not begin breeding until they are three years old and mate for life.

In California, state and federal laws protect red-tailed hawks.

SKUNKS -- A skunk's fur is black with a white stripe that begins on the top of the head, forks into two stripes, and usually merges again near the base of the tail.  The skunk is about the size of a domestic cat and weighs between six and fourteen pounds.

Skunks are primary nocturnal but can be seen wandering around in the later afternoon or early evening.  They are rarely active and prefer to live a solitary life although they have adapted well to the presence of humans, due to their opportunistic nature.  They are placid and non-aggressive and have a home range of up to two hundred acres.  They have good hearing, but their vision is poor.  Skunks spray their scent as a defense against predation, which they prefer not to use unless cornered.  They can shoot their spray up to about twelve feet. 

Skunks dig their own burrows and also use abandoned dens of other animals, hollow logs, wood or rock piles.  Mating takes place from mid-February until mid-March, with three to ten babies usually born.  All skunks eat a wide variety of foods.  Skunks are an important part of the ecosystem, as they eat numerous human pests, including: rats, mice, cockroaches, insects, gophers and moles, along with rattlesnakes, black widow spiders and scorpions.  They also eat from dead animal carcasses (carrion).  A skunk survives in the wild for about three years.  The only natural predator skunks have is the great horned owl, which has almost no sense of smell.  Skunks are also frequently killed by automobiles.  Although many believe that skunks are a prime carrier of rabies, they are no more prone to rabies than any other animal.  (See Bats and Raccoons)

TARANTULA SPIDERS -- Tarantula spiders are the biggest of spiders.  They have eight legs, are often hairy, and have two big fangs.  They are not dangerous to humans for the most part, as their poison cannot kill a person unless they are allergic to it.  For most people, tarantula bites are no worse than a bee sting.  The tarantula spiders are most visible right before the rainy season begins at Heritage Ranch (around October).  When tarantula spiders begin to show up, you may notice the crickets aren't quite as loud in the evenings.  They are a food source for the tarantulas. 

Tarantula hawks, are wasps named for their huge size and hawk-like hunting strength.  They hunt tarantula spiders.  During the warm months female wasps search the ground for tarantulas. Once prey is located, the tarantula hawk bites onto a leg of the tarantula and with its long, strong, sharp stinger, pierces the spider near a leg base, which injects paralyzing venom. The limp, but living, spider is dragged into an appropriate hole, sometimes the spider’s own burrow, where a single egg is laid on the spider. The wasp then seals the burrow to complete her work. When the egg hatches, the larva consumes the spider and then pupates; the next spring the adult emerges to complete the life cycle. Male tarantula hawks do not hunt.
 

TURKEY VULTURES --  Turkey vultures are commonly sighted at Heritage Ranch and are one of North America's largest birds of prey.  Their wing span is six feet.  They have a featherless, red head, and their overall color is brown-black.  The turkey vulture is usually silent, with an occasional soft hiss or groan being emitted.  A turkey vulture rarely flaps its wings, and prefers to glide by rocking from side to side.

Turkey vultures are many times mistakenly identified as buzzards.  Unlike most birds, turkey vultures have a keen sense of smell.  They are best known for their practice of feeding on dead animal carcasses (carrion); they are protected from disease associated with decaying animals by a very sophisticated immune system.

Turkey vultures roost in large community groups and lay their eggs on the ground under bushes, or in hollowed out stumps and logs.  Little or no nest is actually built.  After mating, one to three blotched eggs are laid.  Both parents participate in incubation of the eggs for up to a month.  Mating-pair bonds last throughout the mating season and often all year long.  The turkey vulture's home range size depends on the availability of food.  They will travel as far as necessary and move from the area if food becomes scarce.

Turkey vultures have few natural predators.  They are known for their defense mechanism of regurgitating semi-digested meat, which deters most predators due to its putrid smell.

WILD BOAR -- Wild boar are not native to North America.  They were brought here from Europe first in the 1500s and later in the 1900s by people wishing to hunt pig for sport.  The wild boar is an ancestor to the pig.  They are large, sometimes five feet long and can weigh up to 300 pounds.  The males have both upper and lower tusks which are two to five inches long.  The females have no tusks. 

Wild boars are fast runners and good swimmers.  They live in the oak forests around Heritage Ranch near streams and ponds, and feast off of acorns in the fall.  During the rest of the year, boars eat roots and bulbs, grasses, fruits, mushrooms, bugs, small birds, rabbits, eggs, and even dead animal carcasses (carrion).  The wild boar's snout is used for digging up soil so it locate roots and bulbs.  If there is plenty of food, the boars will stay in a ten square mile territory.  They have an excellent sense of smell and they hear very well.  Their eyesight is not very good.

The wild boar can live in groups of up to fifty.  The wild boar's mating season takes place during the winter months.  The mother builds a stick and grass nest on the ground.  A female wild boar produces an average of two to twelve babies in a litter.   Boars have more babies each year than any other large mammal in North America.  They can have three litters each year.  After three months, the babies are weaned, but may still stay with the mother.  The fathers live by themselves.

Although a valid California hunting license may be obtained to hunt wild boar during the season, no hunting of wild boar is allowed at any time on Heritage Ranch property without permission of HROA.

 

WILD TURKEYS --  Turkeys are the largest upland game bird in North America and were first introduced to California in 1877.  For males, the head is featherless, and a fleshy snood projects from the forehead above the bill.  Males also have a spur on each leg and a reddish beard hangs from the mid breast which may reach ten to twelve inches.  Females are paler, with a short beard.

Wild turkeys found at Heritage Ranch are called Rio Grande turkeys.  They forage on the ground with a diet that includes: seeds, nuts, acorns, grains, grass seeds, insects and small vertebrates such as frogs, lizards, and snakes.  Wild turkeys have powerful gizzards, the muscular stomach that serves the same purpose as jaws and teeth in mammals, which can crush hard objects.  They ingest small stones or grit to assist in the grinding process of food.

Wild turkey make a variety of sounds, including the: gobble, cluck, putt and yelp.  Turkeys are polygynous with males gathering and defending harems of five or more females, although sexes often separate in winter.  Courtship and breeding starts in March and lasts about three weeks.  The sight of a large tom strutting and calling during the spring courtship is a spectacular sight.  Natural depressions near the wooded areas or at the edges of fields are used for nests.  A female wild turkey will lay an average of ten to twelve whitish eggs.  Incubation lasts approximately twenty-eight days.  Young wild turkeys cannot fly until they are about two weeks old. 

Adult wild turkeys roost above ground, usually in large oak trees.  They can run at speeds greater than 20 mph and can fly, in short bursts, at speeds greater than 50 mph.  Wild turkeys have excellent vision and hearing, although they do not have a keen sense of smell.  Turkeys are capable of living near humans.  

Although a valid California hunting license may be obtained to hunt wild turkey during the season, no hunting of wild turkey is allowed at any time on Heritage Ranch property without permission of HROA.

WHITE BASS -- California first attempted to introduce white bass to California lakes back in 1895, when twelve yearling white bass were sent to the Sisson Hatchery, near Lake Shasta.  All of them died within a year and a half after their arrival.  No further consideration was given until 160 fingerlings (four to six inches) of white bass were planted in Nacimiento Lake on November 17, 1965.  Nacimiento Lake had been selected, not only because of the population of threadfish shad in Nacimiento Lake which white bass thrive on, but because the Nacimiento River was a tributary to a coastal stream with no physical connection with the Sacramento-San Joaquin River system.  An additional 64 adults were released in Nacimiento Lake on February 17, 1966; 200 adults were released in 1967; and about 700 fingerlings were planted in July 1969.  Nacimiento Lake was closed to the take of white bass from 1966 to 1969.

In early 1970 a few white bass were reported caught.  Nacimiento Lake became a mecca for white bass anglers with an increase from a five bag to a ten bag limit between 1975 and 1980, another increase to a 25 bag limit, and by 1984 to unlimited take.  The success of the white bass fishery at Nacimiento Lake brought about requests from many anglers to stock the species in other areas, but the Department of Fish and Game Commission repeatedly denied these requests.  In 1977, however, it was verified that white bass were present in Lake Kaweah, in Tulare County.  Apparently, the fish had been transported illegally to this lake by anglers who wanted the species to be closely available.  Populations of striped bass and Chinook salmon suddenly underwent dramatic declines due to predation of the white bass, and radical measures of control were being considered.  

In the meantime, in order to prevent further transport of white bass, a special regulation was enacted which stated that any white bass caught had to be killed or returned immediately to the water from which it was taken.  Eventually, by 1987 a complete kill of white bass was achieved in and around Lake Kaweah and downstream waters of the Tulare Lake basin at a cost of about $7.5 million.  In 1989 the regulations regarding white bass was strengthened by adding that any white bass kept must be immediately killed by removing the head or cutting through the gills.   Nacimiento Lake remains as the the only known lake in California which legally produces white bass.

White bass are a smaller cousin of the striped bass.  It is silvery-white overall with five to eight horizontal dusky black stripes along the sides.  They prefer clear water with a temperature range of 65 to 75 degrees.  Although white bass may live up to ten years, few live beyond three to four years.  The average size is one pound with fish over two pounds considered large.  The world record white bass is 6 pounds, 13 ounces, caught in Lake Orange, in Orange, Virginia, in 1989.  White bass are hard hitting, fierce fighting fish.  Their aggressive nature combined with their schooling tendency make them one of the easiest fish to catch.

YELLOW-BILLED MAGPIES -- Although the yellow-billed magpie is common and conspicuous in the open oak woodlands of central and southern California including Heritage Ranch, it is found nowhere else in the world!  A relative of crows and jays, the yellow-billed magpie shares the family trait of being extremely gregarious.  Festooned with brilliant iridescent black and white feathers, a long tapered tail and a bright yellow beak, the yellow-billed magpie stands out in the landscape.

The yellow-billed magpie travels and nests in colonies, so disputes are frequent and their scolding call is commonly heard.  Magpies will eat almost anything from earthworms and insects to dead animal carcasses (carrion).  They frequently rob other bird's nests of eggs and young, and will eat any fresh fruits, grains and berries available to them.  In the fall, acorns are also an important food source.

Magpies build huge, domed nests of loosely woven sticks.  Mud and grass line the nest cup where eggs are laid starting in late February.  In the winter when the oak trees are barren around Heritage Ranch, the large nests are easy to spot 30 to 80 feet off the ground.  By their size, you may first think they are hawk nests, but look for the tell-tale dome.