Wildlife

Large ground squirrels, California gray squirrels are members of the rodent family and are grayish-brown in color with off-white coloring on their bellies. They also have a triangular patch of dark fur on their backs. Their tails may be bushy but aren’t always. They grow up to 11 inches in length and their tail adds another seven inches to their total length.

Chipmunks are also a type of rodent and have easily identifiable dark brown and light brown stripes that run down their backs; the rest of their bodies are reddish-brown in color. Their tails are about three to four inches long and are darker in color than the rest of them. Adult chipmunks grow to between five and six inches in length (not including the tail) and weigh between 2 ½ and 3 ½ ounces.

Another rodent, Douglas squirrels are small squirrels that grow to about 12 inches in length when you include their five-inch bushy tails. They have dark brown fur on their backs that fade to a reddish-gray or brownish-gray. Their tails have a black tip. These squirrels are very vocal and often heard “scolding” people.

Marmots are house cat-sized rodents and may exceed 10 pounds.  They appear in shades of brown, yellow, or tan and have long, bushy tails.

Marmots are capable of producing a piercing whistle. They use their whistle to warn off predators and potential intruders.

*Limited services available for marmots.

Raccoons have many easily recognizable physical features including a black “mask” of fur that surrounds their eyes, fluffy black and gray ringed tails, and a hunched appearance caused because their hind legs are longer than their front legs. Their bodies are covered in dense salt and peppered colored fur. Raccoons may grow to up to three feet in length and weigh between 10 and 30 pounds.

Their most unique feature is their black body which has a white stripe starting at their head and divides into two stripes that travel down their entire body and tail. But, their most identifiable characteristic is the extremely foul odor that skunks spray from glands found at the base of their tail as a defense mechanism. If sprayed directly into a person's or animal's eyes the spray can cause temporary blindness.

Adult skunks grow to between 20 and 30 inches in length, with their tail adding 7-15 inches to their total length. Adults weigh between 2.5 and 11.5 pounds (i.e. the size of a small housecat).

*Limited services available for skunks.