Insects / Reptiles - Hart District ROP

Southern California’s Wild Side Insects * Arachnids Reptiles * Amphibians

Insects and Arachnids Jerusalem Cricket

AKA Niño de la tierra (child of the earth), earth baby, cara de niño (child’s face), wó see ts'inii (Navajo for "skull insect"), old bald headed man, and potato bug.

Insects and Arachnids Jerusalem Cricket Active only at night, the insects use their strong mandibles to feed primarily on dead organic material but can also eat other insects. Their highly adapted feet are used for burrowing beneath moist soil to feed on decaying root plants and tubers.

Insects and Arachnids Jerusalem Cricket Jerusalem crickets are a group of large (2 to 3 inches), flightless insects native to the western United States, along the Pacific Coast, and south into Mexico.

Insects and Arachnids Red Harvester Ant The main food source for red harvester ants usually consists of seeds, which they hoard in great numbers.

Insects and Arachnids Red Harvester Ant Three to eight trails typically lead away from the mound, like "arms". These trails are used by ants to collect and bring food back to the mound. "Scout" ants are the first ones out of the mound every morning. They seek food, and mark their path as they return to the mound to alert the worker ants. The worker ants follow the scent trail and collect the food.

Insects and Arachnids Red Harvester Ant CAUTION: Red Harvester Worker Ants can be aggressive and have a painful sting that spreads through the lymph nodes, sometimes causing reactions, especially in animals allergic to their venom. They can also bite ferociously.

Insects and Arachnids Stink Beetle Stink beetles are common in California and the Southwest. They’re shiny black creatures, flightless foragers of plant matter.

Insects and Arachnids Stink Beetle When alarmed, they point their rear ends toward the sky, and will shoot you with a ready made chemical cocktail containing caprylic (kə-pril-ik) acid, which has a rancid smell and taste and will leave you feeling less than “just showered” fresh. The Stink Beetle is well enough defended that unrelated (and unarmed) beetles have come to mimic its distinctive posture.

Insects and Arachnids Western Tiger Swallowtail It is a large, brightly colored and active butterfly, rarely seen at rest; its wingspan is 7 to 10 cm, and its wings are yellow with black stripes, and in addition it has blue and orange spots near its tail. It has the "tails" on the hind wings that are often found in swallowtails.

Insects and Arachnids Western Tiger Swallowtail A common Swallowtail Butterfly of western North America, frequently seen in urban parks and gardens as well as in rural woodlands and riparian areas. The males often congregate, along with other species of swallowtail at pools and along streams and rivers; they drink from the water and mud, extracting minerals as well as moisture.

Insects and Arachnids Red Velvet Ant

aka: Cow Killer, Mule Killer

Velvet ants – actually wasps – get their name from the hairs that cover their body and because they resemble ants. The flightless females, which are often encountered while wandering on the ground, especially resemble ants.

Insects and Arachnids Red Velvet Ant

aka: Cow Killer, Mule Killer

Velvet ants are active during the day, and they may be some of the first insects to hit the trail in the morning and last to settle in for the night. They retreat from high ground temperatures in the middle of the day by burrowing under debris or climbing into plants. Nectar is their preferred food. Velvet ants are active from April through November, depending upon local climate. If you see a walking velvet ant, you can be assured that it is a female.

Insects and Arachnids Red Velvet Ant

aka: Cow Killer, Mule Killer

Males have wings but no stingers, while females have stingers but lack wings. Velvet ants are also known as cow killers or mule killers because of their extremely painful sting. Like all wasps, they can sting multiple times. Because of their armor-like exoskeleton and painful sting, few if any animals consume this conspicuous wasp.

Insects and Arachnids Tarantula Hawk Up to two inches long with a blue-black body and bright rust-colored wings, tarantula hawks are among the largest of wasps. A bright rust coloring on their wings warns potential predators that they are dangerous. Their long legs end with hooked claws for grappling with their victims.

Insects and Arachnids Tarantula Hawk Female tarantula hawks usually hunt female tarantulas and seek them in their burrows. They capture, sting, and paralyze the spider, either choosing to drag the spider back to her own burrow or transporting their prey to a specially prepared nest where a single egg is laid on the spider’s body, and the entrance is covered. The wasp larva, upon hatching, begins to suck the juices from the still-living spider. After the larva grows a bit, it plunges into the spider's body and feeds voraciously, avoiding vital organs for as long as possible to keep it fresh.

Insects and Arachnids Tarantula Hawk The stinger of a female tarantula hawk can be up to 1/3 inch (7 mm) long. Though usually not aggressive, these wasps can deliver a sting which is rated amongst the most painful in the insect world.

Insects and Arachnids Black Widow Spider A muture female is around 1.5 in long, shiny and black in color, with a red marking in the shape of an hourglass on its underside. Known as the Black Widow because of having the peculiar habit of, on occasion, eating its male counterpart after mating.

Insects and Arachnids Black Widow Spider Although these spiders are not especially large, their venom is extremely potent (it is also reported to be much more toxic than the venom of a cobra or coral snake).

Insects and Arachnids Brown Recluse Spider AKA: Fiddleback Spider, Brown Fiddler, Violin Spider It is usually between ¼ in and ¾ in long, but may grow larger. It is brown and sometimes an almost deep yellow color and usually has markings on the top side of its head, with a black line coming from it that looks like a violin with the neck of the violin pointing to the rear of the spider.

Insects and Arachnids Brown Recluse Spider AKA: Fiddleback Spider, Brown Fiddler, Violin Spider Recluse spiders build irregular webs that frequently include a shelter consisting of disorderly threads. These spiders frequently build their webs in woodpiles and sheds, closets, garages, plenum, cellars and other places that are dry and generally undisturbed.

Insects and Arachnids Brown Recluse Spider AKA: Fiddleback Spider, Brown Fiddler, Violin Spider While generally non aggressive, a bite from the Brown Recluse can produce severe damage to skin tissue resulting in lesions and necrosis. Severe symptoms can include organ damage, and occasionally even death. Most fatalities are in children under 7 or those with a weaker than normal immune system.

Insects and Arachnids

Desert Hairy Scorpion The Giant Desert Hairy Scorpion is the largest scorpion inhabiting the southwest. Its large size allows it to feed on other scorpions, lizards and snakes. It gets its name from the numerous hairs covering its body. These hairs help it to detect vibrations in the surrounding soil.

Insects and Arachnids

Desert Hairy Scorpion It is a burrowing scorpion, but is commonly found under rocks containing moisture. Its diet consists of large insects, spiders and small vertebrates.

Insects and Arachnids

Desert Hairy Scorpion This is an aggressive and active scorpion, which, as with all scorpions, is nocturnal. Like all scorpions, the giant desert hairy scorpion gives birth to live young, which remain on the mothers back for a week or more before leaving.

Insects and Arachnids Desert Hairy Scorpion All scorpions glow under ultraviolet light. Although this scorpion is big, its venom is not very potent, with a sting about as painful as a honeybee. However, an allergic reaction to its venom can be fatal; symptoms can include: difficulty breathing, excessive swelling, and prolonged pain. These guys are aggressive! Watch out when moving rocks, dead logs, and branches; especially in areas prone to moisture.

Insects and Arachnids California Centipede Centipedes are the only animals with legs modified into fanglike "poison jaws" that inject poison for subduing and killing prey.

Insects and Arachnids California Centipede Centipedes are active hunters. They roam around looking for small animals to bite and eat. They eat insects, spiders, and other small invertebrates. If the centipede is large enough it will even attack small vertebrates like lizards.

Insects and Arachnids California Centipede Centipedes have powerful fangs, which are actually modified forearms and can inflict a painful bite, particularly larger species.

Insects and Arachnids Tarantula Tarantulas are the largest spiders in the world. In the United States, they are mostly found in the Southwest. A female tarantula can live 20 - 25 years. A male tarantula only lives about 7 - 8 years.

Insects and Arachnids Tarantula Tarantulas are the largest spiders in the world. In the United States, they are mostly found in the Southwest. A female tarantula can live 20 - 25 years. A male tarantula only lives about 7 - 8 years.

Insects and Arachnids Tarantula A tarantula’s diet consists mostly of insects like grasshoppers and crickets. On occasion it can also eat small

mammals or baby birds.

Insects and Arachnids Tarantula Although tarantulas do have venom and can bite but they pose no serious danger to humans. When threatened, a tarantula will rear up on its back legs exposing its fangs. If seriously threatened the tarantula may eject hairs from its abdomen that are coated with venom.

Insects and Arachnids North American Millipede The millipede's most obvious feature is its large number of legs. Common species have between 36 and 400 legs.

Insects and Arachnids North American Millipede Millipedes are slow moving. Most millipedes eat decaying leaves and other dead plant matter, moisturising the food with secretions and then scraping it in with the jaws.

Insects and Arachnids North American Millipede Due to their lack of speed and their inability to bite or sting, millipedes' primary defense mechanism is to curl into a tight coil — protecting their delicate legs inside an armored body exterior.

Insects and Arachnids North American Millipede Many species emit poisonous liquid secretions or hydrogen cyanide gas through microscopic pores along the sides of their bodies as a secondary defense when threatened.

Insects and Arachnids North American Millipede Some of these substances are caustic and can burn the exoskeleton of ants and other insect predators, and the skin and eyes of larger predators. As far as humans are concerned, this chemical brew is fairly harmless, usually causing only minor effects on the skin, and general eye irritation if exposed to that region.

Insects and Arachnids Deer Tick The deer tick or blacklegged tick, and in some parts of the USA as the bear tick, is a hard-bodied tick of the eastern and northern Midwestern United States.

Insects and Arachnids Deer Tick Deer tick females latch onto a host and drink its blood for four to five days. After it is engorged, the tick drops off and overwinters in the leaf litter of the forest floor.

Insects and Arachnids Deer Tick Deer Ticks can carry Lyme Disease. Early manifestations of infection may include fever, headache, fatigue, depression, and a characteristic skin rash in a bulls eye pattern. Left untreated, late manifestations involving the joints, heart, and nervous system can occur.

Insects and Arachnids Tick Removal To remove a tick, follow these steps:

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Using a pair of pointed precision tweezers, grasp the tick by the head or mouthparts right where they enter the skin. DO NOT grasp the tick by the body.

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Without jerking, pull firmly and steadily directly outward. DO NOT twist the tick out or apply petroleum jelly, a hot match, alcohol or any other irritant to the tick in an attempt to get it to back out.

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Place the tick in a vial or jar of alcohol to kill it.

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Clean the bite wound with disinfectant.

Insects and Arachnids • Break time!

Southern California’s Wild Side Insects * Arachnids Reptiles * Amphibians

Reptiles and Amphibians Western Diamondback Rattlesnake

AKA: Adobe snake, Arizona diamond rattlesnake, Coon tail, Desert diamond-back, Desert diamond rattlesnake, Fierce rattlesnake, Spitting rattlesnake, Texan rattlesnake, Texas diamond-back (rattlesnake), Western diamond rattlesnake.

Reptiles and Amphibians Western Diamondback Rattlesnake

Found in many regions of the south western US and Mexico, Adults commonly grow to 4 ft in length

Reptiles and Amphibians Western Diamondback Rattlesnake

In the winter, these snakes hibernate in caves or burrows sometimes with many other species of snakes. They hunt (or ambush prey; mostly small mammals) at night or in the early morning, and can go for up to two years without food in the wild. Western Diamondback females give birth to live young.

Reptiles and Amphibians Western Diamondback Rattlesnake

Caution! This snake is extremely territorial. A bite from a Western Diamondback contains venoms that are concentrated fluids containing toxins that can cause internal bleeding, destroy muscle tissue, and blood cells through a digestion process.

Reptiles and Amphibians Western Diamondback Rattlesnake Caution! These snakes when coiled and in defensive position can strike out up to 2/3 of their body length. They do not aways rattle when they are about to attack. Be careful when reaching under logs, hiking in thick chapparal, or working in streams. Radio for help or call 911 if bitten.

Reptiles and Amphibians Mojave Rattlesnake

Venomous pitviper species found in the deserts of the southwestern United States and central Mexico.

Reptiles and Amphibians Mojave Rattlesnake

Unlike a bite from a Western Diamondback, the venom of a Mojave Rattlesnake contains venoms that are concentrated fluids containing hemo and neuro toxic agents that can cause internal bleeding, destroy muscle tissue, and cause neurological complications. Radio for help or call 911 if bitten.

Reptiles and Amphibians California King Snake

The California Kingsnake lives in many regions, such as deserts, coastal scrub, woodlands, farm land, forests, fields and riversides They usually reach four to six feet as adults, and are found in California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Oregon and northwestern Mexico.

Reptiles and Amphibians California King Snake

-‘King' because in the wild it eats other snakes, including venomous snakes such as rattlesnakes and water moccasins. Non venonous to humans.

- Toxins of other snakes have very little effect on the kingsnake, though if the snake is envenomated many times, there may be harmful. - Diet also consists of rats, mice, lizards and frogs.

Reptiles and Amphibians California Mountain King Snake

Indigenous to southern California found in the San Gabriel, San Bernardino, San Jacinto, Santa Monica, and Santa Ana mountains.

Reptiles and Amphibians California Mountain King Snake

Indigenous to southern California found in the San Gabriel, San Bernardino, San Jacinto, Santa Monica, and Santa Ana mountains. Found near steams – avid tree climber.

Reptiles and Amphibians California Mountain King Snake -‘King' because in the wild it eats other snakes, including venomous snakes such as rattlesnakes and water moccasins. Non venonous to humans.

- Toxins of other snakes have very little effect on the kingsnake, though if the snake is envenomated many times, there may be harmful. - Diet also consists of rats, mice, lizards and frogs.

Reptiles and Amphibians San Bernardino Ringneck Snake

This subspecies is endemic to California. Found along the southern California coast from the Santa Barbara area south along the coast to San Diego County, and inland into the San Bernardino mountains.

Reptiles and Amphibians San Bernardino Ringneck Snake

This subspecies is endemic to California. Found along the southern California coast from the Santa Barbara area south along the coast to San Diego County, and inland into the San Bernardino mountains.

Reptiles and Amphibians California Legless Lizard

Found in much of Southern California, the Legless Lizard is a small slender lizard with no legs, a shovel-shaped snout, smooth shiny scales, and a blunt tail. They can be found in moist warm loose soil with plant cover.

Reptiles and Amphibians California Legless Lizard

Legless Lizards eat larval insects, beetles, termites, and spiders. Conceals itself beneath leaf litter or substrate then ambushes its prey.

Reptiles and Amphibians Blue Tailed Skink

Common in California, the blue tailed skink is most active at dusk and dawn, but secretive and not typically seen active.

Reptiles and Amphibians Blue Tailed Skink

The tail is easily broken off. When detached, it writhes back and forth to distract a predator while the lizard escapes.

Reptiles and Amphibians California Alligator Lizard

Alligator lizards are found in almost any natural habitat in California. They can grow up to 8-10 inches in size.

Reptiles and Amphibians California Alligator Lizard

This is a lizard that is often seen in yards and garages in Southern California. Their diet consists of primarily insects, snails, and occasionally eggs.

Reptiles and Amphibians California Horned Lizard

Endangered. The horned lizard eats mainly ants, especially harvester ants, but also consumes other small invertebrates such as spiders, beetles, termites, and grasshoppers. It inflates with air when threatened, making it larger and hard to swallow. It may also open its mouth and make hissing noises as a threat display.

Reptiles and Amphibians California Horned Lizard

When threatened and grabbed, it will bite and move the head from side to side to jab with its horns. As a last resort, it will spray the intruder with blood from the corners of its eyes.