Great Egret
The Great Egret is a wading bird with white feathers. It has a long neck and very long, black legs. Its bill is long, thick and yellow. An adult Great…
Learning Resources
…pools. We know little about them and less than half have been named. Microlife Invertebrates Crustaceans Insects Other Invertebrates Amphibians Reptiles Mammals Birds Wading Birds Ducks & Waterfowl Raptors (Birds…
Great Blue Heron
The Great Blue Heron is a wading bird. It has a blue-gray back, black patches on its sides and a gray and white-striped belly. The cheeks, throat, and top of…
Clam Shrimp
A Clam Shrimp looks like a small clam. Two shells cover its body. Between the shells you can see two body sections below the head. The front section is the…
Dragonflies and Damselflies
The adult Dragonfly has a long and narrow body. It holds its wings out to its sides when perched. Dragonflies also have very large eyes that touch each other in…
Aquatic Beetles
The most common species of Aquatic Beetles in vernal pools come from two families: The Predaceous Diving Beetles (the Dytiscids) and the Water Scavenger Beetles (the Hydrophilids). The larvae of…
Bullfrog
The Bullfrog is a large green or brownish-green frog with long, strong legs for jumping. This frog usually has dark spots on its back and hind legs. Bullfrog males have…
Pacific Chorus Frog
The Pacific Chorus Frog is the only green or brown frog in our area with a dark “mask” across its eyes and “suction cups” on its toes. Often called the…
Rotifers
Rotifers are the smallest animals. Their outer coat looks like clear glass. Sometimes this glassy coat is covered with spines or spikes. Rotifers have a ring of cilia (hairs) at…
Western Spadefoot
The Western Spadefoot is small and squat. Its back is olive-brown or gray with dark blotches and little red bumps. The skin on its back is mostly smooth, unlike that…