Golden Gate National Recreation Area - Common Animals and Plants

. I live mainly in California.<p> I am found in grassy fields, meadows, and around wetlands.<p> I am active mainly during the day, but try to stay hidden from predators in runways I make through the grass and shallow underground tunnels.<p> I eat green vegetation when I can, but lots of roots and seeds during the dry summer.

. I have big ears and big eyes and most people think I look very cute.<p> I can be found across most of North America.<p> I can be found in an extremely wide range of habitats.<p> I eat seeds, nuts, berries, insects, and lots of other things.<p>

. After birth, my tiny babies climb into my pouch, where they nurse and grow for two months.<p> Once they leave my pouch, my babies sometimes ride around on my back.<p> I am an omnivore, eating a wide range of plant and animal foods.<p> I am comfortable both on the ground and climbing in trees.

. I am black with white stripes.<p> If I feel threatened, I will warn you by stamping my front feet.<p> If you don't go away, I may spray you with a very smelly liquid!<p> I am nocturnal (out at night) and eat a range of small animals and plant foods.

. I have a black mask like a cartoon bandit.<p> I live in cities and towns as well as in rural and wilderness areas.<p> I will eat almost anything, including human garbage.<p> I am native to North and Central America, but have spread to parts of Europe and Asia.

. I am one of the most common lizards in the western United States.<p> Especially if I am male, I have blue on my throat and the sides of my belly.<p> I am found in a wide range of habitats, but usually on or close to the ground.<p> I feed on insects and spiders.

. I live in western North America.<p> I spend much of my day basking in the sun.<p> I live in a range of habitats, but avoid densely forested areas.<p> I have a bright blue tail!<p>

. I am usually dark with an orange neck ring.<p> I live in moist habitats, often under logs or stones.<p> I eat salamanders, small frogs, lizards, small snakes, slugs, and worms.<p> When I feel threatened, I coil my tail and startle a potential predator by exposing my brightly colored belly.

. I am found in both grasslands and woodlands, often beneath rotting logs and rocks and the bark of dead trees.<p> I am a good swimmer, burrower, and climber.<p> I eat mice and shrews, small birds, salamanders, and snakes.<p> I look a bit like a rubber toy--but I'm real!