Written Programs

Overview: Learn about the nocturnal animals in the San Francisco Bay Wetlands. Children will learn the differences between the uplands and the non-tidal habitats, plant life, the food sources for the nocturnal creatures, predator and prey. How their unique adaptations help them survive the night life. Also safe and important ways to act around wildlife.

Objective: Young visitors will be able to;

Distinguish the difference between nocturnal and diurnal creatures.

What special adaptation they have for night time survival.

Why the nocturnal creatures are important.

How we can do our part in helping them to be around for the next generations.

Know the importance of not feeding/petting or disturbing the habitat of the wildlife.

Day/Night Activity: (20-25 min interactive time) Needs lantern or Flashlights.

In Darkened room or outside at night. Sound track of animal and pictures to follow.

Identify that animal- children listen to the sounds of the night and once identified a picture is shown.

Day time hiding spots for predator and prey.

Food sources, here today gone tomorrow?

Intro: Welcome to Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Environmental Education Center. My name is ___________ I am a student volunteer. My helper(s) today are_________.

How many know what a refuge is? (Shelter, home, sanctuary, a place for protection)

Why do you think this educational center is here in this wetland area? (To inform, educate and excite our visitor to learn more about our environment) This Refuge was established for 2 endangered species. (one being nocturnal) Clapper rail and Salt Harvest Mouse.

Who can tell me the difference between Uplands and Non-tidal marshes? (Sea level, water, plants)

Night stars and sounds start.

Bats, Hares, Owls (3), Mice, Muskrat, Opossums, Raccoons, Foxes, Coyote, Skunks

Bats -Bats are the only mammals capable of true flight. With extremely elongated fingers and a wing membrane stretched between, the bat’s wing anatomically resembles the human hand. There are almost 1,000 bat species that can be found worldwide. In fact, bats make up a 1/4 of all mammal species on earth. Bats eat many things but mostly insects, about 70% of bats consume insects, sharing a large part of natural pest control. There are also fruit-eating bats; nectar-eating bats; carnivorous bats that prey on small mammals, birds, lizards and frogs; fish-eating bats, Contrary to the myth of Halloween they don’t suck your blood. Perhaps most famous is the blood-sucking vampire bats are of South American origin and mostly go after other animals such as horses and cows and we will not find any here at Don Edwards Refuge.

Mice- The salt marsh harvest mouse is a small, buff to brown, rodent and is about the size of your thumb (2.75-3.0 inches). It weighs (0.3-0.5 ounces). The tail can be as long as there bodies or even longer! There are two subspecies: a northern and southern. The southern mice are in the marshes of Corte Madera, Richmond and South San Francisco Bay, with the northern ones in the marshes of the San Pablo and Suisun bays. The Southern harvest mouse has a cinnamon colored belly and the Northern a white belly. The southern subspecies can't live completely on sea water but it prefers moderately salty water over fresh as opposed to the northern subspecies can drink sea water but prefers fresh water. As our endangered salt harvest mouse sleep during the day and are awake and very active at night. Do you remember what the harvest mouse eats? (Leaves, seeds and stems of plants. In winter, the mice seem to prefer fresh green grasses, the rest of the year, they prefer pickleweed and saltgrass.) Why do you think they would want to sleep during the day? At night the activity is concealed more by the darkness. Even though the nocturnal predators have adaptations that help them see, hear or smell more effectively than our day (diurnal) hunters. As they are on the bottom of the food chain for nocturnal animals they have many predators after them. Can you name a few? Fox, Owl, Coyote and maybe raccoon as they are opportunistic eaters.

Opossums-Opossums lived during the age of dinosaurs: fossil remains have been found from 70 million years ago. Gray, white and black serve well at night as well as being very quiet, although it can make some sounds when threatened or attracting a mate. Although opossums are hardy little creatures: they have to be! Because very few survive to become adults, they have quite a few of predators- man is one of the biggest. If a lot of opossums are killed by predators there is more food for those that remain. Then these little furry marsupials will reproduce more successfully until they get back to an areas optimum number; or others will move in to fill the void (or niche) their absence creates. They can be replaced by opossums from outside the area, by rats, skunks, cats, crows, raccoons, coyotes, etc. Females have litters up to twice a year, typically 5 to 8 babies are in a litter and are ready to leave the mothers pouch and walk around out on their own at around 4 months of age. By then they are 7 to 9 inches, nose to rump, and weigh about 10 to 16 ounces. If attacked and unable to fight or run from danger, it collapses and appears to be dead! But 'opossum life is rough! Though this none native Opossum helps to maintain a clean and healthy environment. They eat all types of insects, including cockroaches, crickets and beetles. They catch and eat rats, roof rats, mice, and they consume dead animals of all types (carrion). They like over-ripe fruit, berries, and grapes. And they think snails and slugs are a delicacy! These are one of Nature's little Sanitation Engineers!! What to do if you encounter a opossum???? Watch an enjoy one of Nature's beneficial wildlife species. Though if you are foolhardy enough to grab one it may bite you; after all, they are wild animals.

Hare-The Black-tailed Jackrabbit is recognized as the largest hare in North America. They are identified by their long ears, long back legs, dark brown fur with a black stripe, and ears that are tipped in black. It gets its name from its black tail that is white underneath. This nocturnal creature eats any vegetation. They don’t use burrows, but rather rests during the day and rely on their hearing and speed to evade predators. They can inhabit the edges of open spaces, such as fields, meadows, farms, uplands and non-tidal wetlands, but can adapt to other habitats such as where humans live. When born, jackrabbits are fully furred with open eyes. They can fend for themselves soon after birth (called precocial). Jackrabbit (Hares) are herbivores. Can you tell me what an herbivore is? (An animal that eats plants). If we look around do we see a food source? This is kind of like a big grocery store for "bunnies". In the spring when everything is sprouting and growing what do you think they love to nibble on? (all the new sprouts and flowers)

Skunk- -There are many different kinds of skunks though her there are possibly two, they are; the spotted skunk which prefers the country and spends most of its life near farms/open land. The striped skunk is more adaptable and lives in a variety of habitats. Being an opportunistic eater with a varied diet. They are nocturnal foragers who eat fruit and plants, insects, larvae, worms, eggs, reptiles, small mammals, and even fish. They vary in size (most are house cat-sized) and appear in a variety of striped, spotted, and swirled patterns, but all are a vivid black-and-white that makes them easily identifiable and may alert predators to their pungent potential. These creatures are even-tempered, introverted and non-aggressive. They try very hard not to get in harm’s way. They have a home range of a few hundred acres at most. They are primarily nocturnal and usually solitary – except when mothers are raising their babies. Skunks will usually nest in burrows constructed by other animals, but they also live in hollow logs or even in or under abandoned buildings. Each female gives birth to between two and ten young each year. Skunks are legendary for their powerful predator-deterrent—a hard-to-remove, horrible-smelling spray. A skunk's spray is an oily liquid produced by glands under its large tail. To employ this scent bomb, a skunk turns around and blasts its foe with a foul mist that can travel as far as ten feet (three meters). But will warn the target if it can by bouncing on its front paw while making a grunting sound. Skunk spray causes no real damage to its victims, but it sure makes them uncomfortable. It can linger for many days and defy attempts to remove it. Owls are the only consistent predator beside man and his car. Other may eat them but only when nothing else can be found.

Owl -Great Horned Owls are largely nocturnal so they can be difficult to spot. But in the dark after sunset, or just before dawn, they can often be heard vocalizing with a very well know series of "HOO H'HOO’s!" The great horned owl is the most common owl of the Americas, easily recognizable because of the feather tufts on its head. These tuffs resemble horns or ears of a cat and the scientific name is "plumicorns". These adaptable birds and live from the Arctic to South America with the Northern populations migrate in winter, but most live permanently in more temperate climes. Great horned owls nest in tree holes, stumps, caves, or in the abandoned nests of other large birds. Monogamous pairs have one to five eggs (two is typical), both the male and female incubate, and the male also hunts for food. Owls are powerful birds and fiercely protective parents. They have even been known to attack humans who wander too close to their young. Like the other owls, these birds have an incredible digestive system. They sometimes swallow their prey whole and later regurgitate pellets composed of bone, fur, and the other unwanted parts of their meal. Owls are efficient nighttime hunters that strike from above, and use their powerful talons to kill and carry animals several times heavier than themselves. Owls prey on a huge variety of creatures, including raccoons, rabbits, squirrels, domestic birds, falcons, and other owls. They regularly eat skunks, and may be the only animal with such an appetite. They sometimes hunt for smaller game by standing or walking along the ground. Owls have even been known to prey upon unlucky cats and dogs.

Owl- -Burrowing Owls are primarily nocturnal and  typical the habitat is flat, open terrain with soft soil, short grass, sparsely distributed vegetation, or exposed ground. Historically, they were found in association with prairie dogs and other burrowing mammals, although Burrowing Owls are frequently seen along the banks of irrigation canals. These owls are migratory. Most spend the winter in southern Mexico and Central America. Owls breeding in Washington migrate south along the coast and winter in California, occasionally as far south as Mexico. They often live in loose colonies, with adults standing guard near the nest burrows. They are active both day and night, especially during the breeding season, although they are most active at dawn and dusk. They hunt by swooping down from perches and surprising prey, by hovering over open areas, and by running along the ground to chase prey down. They catch their prey in their talons and can even snatch flying insects from mid-air. As opportunistic feeders, they will prey on large invertebrates, small mammals, and other birds. During the breeding season they eat mostly insects and other invertebrates. When invertebrates are scarce, such as in the winter, owls that remain at northern latitudes take largely vertebrate prey. Burrowing Owls form monogamous pair bonds during the nesting season. They nest in burrows, although they do not dig their own. They may use ground squirrel burrows or rabbit when they are available, but they also nest in drainage pipes and artificial burrows. Burrowing Owls have declined significantly in most of their historical range. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service list them as a species of concern, and the Washington.

Raccoon-This animal has a ring-tailed are opportunistic when it comes to choosing a denning site. They may inhabit a tree hole, fallen log, or a house's attic. Females have one to seven cubs in early summer. The young raccoons often spend the first two months or so of their lives high in a tree hole. Later, mother and children move to the ground when the cubs begin to explore on their own. In the natural world, raccoons snare a lot of their meals in the water, for they prefer to wash their food before they eat. These nocturnal foragers use lightning-quick paws to grab crayfish, frogs, and other aquatic creatures. While on land, they may pluck mice or insects from their hiding places and raid nests for tasty eggs. Raccoons will also eat fruit and plants—including those grown in our gardens at home and on farms. They will even open garbage cans to dine on the trash can deliquesces. Our bandit-masked raccoons are a familiar sight just about everywhere, because they will eat just about anything. These mammals are found in forests, marshes, prairies, and even in cities. They are adaptable and use their dexterous front paws and long fingers to find and feast on a wide variety of fare.

Fox