Marin Headlands

Guidebook by: Anirudh, Rithwik, Isha and Maitreyi

Table of ContentsOrganism

Chain Fern

Arroyo Willow

Stream Buttercup

Red Elderberry

Western Newt

Blue Bellied Lizard

Western Fence Lizard

Gopher Snake

Garter Snake

Page Number Organism

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

Skipper Butterfly 10

Page Number

Water Strider

Dragonfly 12

Damselflies 13

Swallow Tail 14

Hairstreak 15

Lady Butterfly 16

Bibliography

11

16-20

Plants

Chain FernThe chain fern is a fern that is considered to be one of the highest ferns

because it can grow up to nine feet. Chain ferns have evergreen fronds which

can reach up to 3 feet tall. The seeds of a chain fern are called spores. They

have pinnate venation patterns. Chain ferns usually grow in clumps and in

moist and fertile soil. Chain ferns grow well in woodlands, near creeks, bogs,

and rivers.

1

● Family :Blechnaceae

● Scientific Name: Woodwardia fimbriata

● Group: Ferns

● Height: 6-9 feet Width: 3-9 feet

● Range: Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada

A chain fern in the snow

Arroyo WillowThe scientific name for the Arroyo Willow is the Salix lasiolepis. The Arroyo

Willow live mostly in the Redwood Forest, Yellow Pine Forest, Red Fir Forest,

Lodgepole Forest, Mixed Evergreen Forest, Foothill Woodland, Chaparral,

Valley Grassland, (many plant communities), wetland-riparian also all over

California or places near fresh water. The Arroyo Willow has smooth bark and

brown yellowish branches. Flowers bloom on their leaves between January and

April but there are no fruits that grow on this plant.

2

➢ The scientific name for the Arroyo Willow is the Salix lasiolepis

➢ Grow up to 10-30 feet.

➢ Arroyo Willow on the ground.

Stream ButtercupA small stream buttercup is erect. Erect means rigidly straight. The

stream buttercup grows two interesting kinds of leafs the first one is

petioled basal leaves and have scalloped edges which is important to

leaves. The stream butter cup has flower petals that are yellow. The flower

petal is 1 inch wide. This is a picture of of the stream buttercup’s round

leaves and sharp edges on the leaves. The color of the flower of the

stream buttercup is bright yellow. The petals are shiny. They look waxy.

They have hairless stem. They have modified leaves called sepals.

3

This is a picture of of the stream buttercup’s

round leaves and sharp edges on the leaves.

● 6 inches to 24

inches

● 5 petals

● Sharp leafs

● Round leafs

Red Elderberry

Red elderberries are one of the only plants that are edible. Red

elderberries provide lots of good protein not only for humans but also for

animals and insects. Red elderberries grow in early spring till late summer.

These flowers soon become fruits. The twigs of a red elderberry are usually

pithy and light weighted. Pithy means short. The twigs are not only short but

come in many different colors. Many of them come in dark red while others

come in purple to reddish - brown. Red elderberries are from the family of

honeysuckle. The flowers of red elderberries are pink when they are still buds.

When they become open flowers they are usually white, cream, or yellowish.

4

A Red Elderberry is dangling

from a branch.

● 2-5 seeds per flower

● leaves grow up to 5-10 cm

● grow up to 10-20 ft

Reptiles

Western Newt

The Western Newt vernacular name is Taricha. The Western Newt is

founded in some parts of California, the western part of Washington and

Oregon,also western coast of Canada to Alaska. The 3 different species of a

Western Newt is Torosa, Granulosa, and Rivularis. The place you can find a

Western Newt are rock crevices and logs. They are usually 85 to 95 mm. The

California Newt is poisonous. The Western Newt has rough skin. They are

about 203 millimeters.

● Toxic Salamanders

● 3 species

● West parts

This is a Western Newt

(frog) 5

Blue Bellied Lizard

These creatures live among rocks and other things such as downed

leaves. Blue bellied lizards eat things such as beetles, ants, and flies. They

drink water from small puddles and mist. Blue bellied lizards come in colors

from brown to gray and blackish-brown. They are named the blue bellied lizard

because their belly has blue scales on it and they are a lizard. Blue bellied

lizards are really good at climbing so they can get the resources they need from

trees. Blue bellied lizards lay about 17 eggs in a small hole that is dug into the

soil. Blue bellied lizards have a lifespan of 3 years.

6

Blue Bellied Lizard standing on a log.

● territorial

● need lots of

space

● grow up to 51-

101 mm long.

Western Fence LizardThe Western Fence Lizard is one of the most common lizards in

California. They are native to California but also live in other places. They are

carnivores and eat spiders and insects. They live on or in boulders and logs.

They prefer open ground and dislike an area full of weeds. Western Fence

Lizards are cold blooded reptiles. Western Fence Lizards can blend in with their

surroundings. The protein in the blood of the Western Fence Lizard can kill the

bacteria in the Lyme disease which is the most common tick disease in North

America.

7

● Scientific Name: Sceloporus occidentalis

● Range: Oregon, California, Idaho, Utah, Nevada

● Length: 550 to 650mm

A Western Fence Lizard basking in the sun

Gopher Snake

Gopher Snakes are one of the most commonly seen

snakes in California. They live in deserts, coastal dunes,

grasslands, and surprisingly forests. They are yellow, green

gray, black, and they all have brown splotches. They are

not poisonous or harmful. They are native to California.

Gopher snakes eat rodents and bird eggs.

8

● Range: SW United States

● Scientific Name: Genus pituophis

● Family: Colubridae

● Length: 832mm to 2,438mm

A gopher snake on the floor

Garter SnakeGarter snakes have lots of colors and patterns on their backs. They

sometimes have three light stripes on their backs that run along over the body

in black, olive, or gray background. The garter snake lives almost everywhere

in North America. They eat earthworms, amphibians, leeches, slugs, snails,

insects,crayfish, small fish and other snakes.

9

❖ Scientific Name: Thanophis

❖ Garter Snake on the ground

❖ They grow up to be 46-137 cm in length.

Insects

Skipper ButterflyThere are many types or species of this animal which are the Afranius Duskywing, Arctic

Skipper, Arogos Skipper, and much more. Skippers are small to medium sized insects. Their

bodies are shey have hairy bodies and their wing pattern colors are brown, gray or yellowish

orange and black. They fly really fast. They eat weedy plants such as Pigweeds, Amaranths, and

Lamb’s Quarters. These food are types of wildflowers.

10

Scientific Name: Thymelicus sylvestris

Skipper Butterfly eating a leaf.

Water Strider

The Water Strider lives in the water. The front legs are short and the

middle, back are long legs. They live in ponds, streams.They eat dead insects

such as mosquito larvae. Water Striders have good eyesight and can move

quickly in the water. This animal has a sharp mouth. Water Striders mostly eat

the immature insects.Water Striders communicate by sending ripples in

breeding season. Breeding meaning when animals make young. Water Striders

have 3 parts in the body the head, thorax and abdomen. The middle legs are

like paddles. The Scientific name is Gerridae.

This is a picture of the Water Strider on the water looking for

food or shelter.

● have 6 legs

● grow over ½ inches

● dark brown and black

● eat dead insects

11

Dragonfly

Dragonflies are six legged insects. They have long thin bodies like the

body of the airplane so they can move in the air more easily. Dragonflies are

colorful insects. Adults are usually red, blue, yellow, or green. Most immature

dragonflies are brown to greenish. Dragonflies usually live near water for

shelter, and food.

● long thin bodies

● two fairly eyes

● Scientific Name :

Anisoptera

A dragonfly has

stopped for a break

on a leaf.

12

DamselfliesDamselflies are a predatory flying insect

which eat small insects. You can identify a

damselfly by looking at it’s wings which will always

be identical in size. Damselflies live near fresh

water. They live in trees which are usually near a

lake, river, or streams. Damselflies usually lay their

eggs under water or on plants which live in the

water. A damselfly also has gills on it’s wings so it

can breath under water.

A damselfly on a piece of tall grass

● Wingspan: 18mm to 190mm

● Length: 70mm to 90mm

● Family: Odonata

13

Swallow Tail

Male swallow tails have yellow wings with black stripes that look like tiger

stripes. Not only do swallow tails have amazing colors but a dark, black tail.

Female swallow tails have yellow wings with blue and black borders. You will

be able to identify these to butterflies easily because of the unique color

patterns they have. They live in the woodlands, forest margins, broadleaf

swamps, waterways, parks, gardens, roadsides, pastures, and meadows. One

of the foods they eat are carrots.

Swallow Tail is drinking nectar from a flower

● Wingspan: 80-

140mm

● Scientific Name:

Papilionidae

14

Lady

ButterflyThe lady butterfly scientific name is Vanessa Cardui. This animal is in the

Cynthia group of butterflies. To mate the lady butterfly uses a way called

polygynous. The life cycle is metamorphosis. this butterfly lady usually mate in

warm climate. Females lay about 500 eggs. Lady butterflies live in open areas

such as fields and meadows. The time to lay an egg for Lady Butterfly depends

of where the butterflies are in the world.They always make a huge migration in

Africa every year. Lady Butterflies have territories to defend from other male

insects. The lady Butterfly communicate by movement.

● 5.7 to 7.3 cm

● rear wings

● meadows

This Lady Butterfly is sucking as much nectar as it can on a

flower.

15

http://www.rainyside.com/plant_gallery/natives/Woodwardia_fimbriata.html- March 14 web

http://www.ecospark.ca/changingcurrents/damselfly - March 18 web

http://www.ecospark.ca/changingcurrents/damselfly - March 18 web

http://www.laspilitas.com/reptiles_and_Amphibians/Lizards/Western_Fence_Lizard/Western_Fence_Lizards.htm- March 16 web

https://localwiki.org/davis/Western_Fence_Lizards- March 16 web

http://www.burkemuseum.org/herpetology/reptile/western_fence_lizard- March 16 web

http://www.desertusa.com/reptiles/gopher-snake.html - March 15 web

http://www.californiaherps.com/identification/snakesid/gophersnakes.id.html- March 15 web

http://www.irunfar.com/2010/12/trail-running-in-the-marin-headlands-and-on-mount-tamalpais.html - March 13 pic

http://eol.org/info/450 - March 13 pic

http://garden.lovetoknow.com/boston-fern-care - March 13 pic

http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/orange-flowering-plants1.jpg - March 16 pic

http://www.californiaherps.com/snakes/images/teeleganspl411.jpg - March - 13 pic

http://www.slrphotographyguide.com/tips/images/dragonfly2.jpg March 17 pic

http://www.plantpost.co.uk/img/gallery-woodwardia-fimbriata-giant-chain-fern-winter.jpg - March 14 pic

http://media-3.web.britannica.com/eb-media/48/12448-004-96982693.jpg- March 19 pic

http://www.laspilitas.com/images/grid24_24/10876/reptiles_and_amphibians/llzards/western_fence_lizard/dark_western_fence_liz

ard.jpg - March 18 pic

http://www.desertusa.com/reptiles/photos2/IMG_4281.jpg - March 14 pic

Rithwik’s

Bibliography

Anirudh’s

Bibliographyhttps://www.google.com/search?q=marin+headlands&espv=2&biw=1920&bih=955&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=CZU

UVba8KZbpoASH64HADA&ved=0CDwQsAQ#imgdii=_March 26 Cover Picture

http://www.insectidentification.org/insect-description.asp?identification=Fiery-Skipper March 13 Website

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/af/Pelopidas_sp.jpg March 14 picture

http://fieldguide.mt.gov/speciesDetail.aspx?elcode=IILEP70010 March 14 Website

http://eol.org/pages/836/details - March 15 website

http://butterfly-conservation.org/50-755/small-skipper.html March 14 web

http://science.halleyhosting.com/nature/basin/treeshrub/shrub/salix/lasiolepis.html -March 17 picture and website

http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/wildflower/completebutterflydata.asp?id=6 - March 16 website

http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Thamnophis_sirtalis/ March 19 websitehttp://www.sanelijo.org/plant-guide/arroyo-willow March 23 Website

Isha’s Bibliographyhttp://people.uwec.edu/piercech/animals/newt.htm - Website and Pictures March 16

http://www.library.illinois.edu/vex/toxic/butcup/butcup.htm picture and website March 16

http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/common_water_strider.htm - March 19 web

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/insects/bugs/waterstrider/Wsprintout.shtml Website March 19

http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Vanessa_cardui/ March 19 Website

http://www.pbase.com/rcm1840/image/96767631 March 18 picture

http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/indexmag.html?http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/artnov06/bj-ThreeButtercups.html

March 23

http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/glossary.htm#breed - March 19 website

http://www.rte.ie/tv/wildjourneys/painted-lady-butterfly.html March 18 Picture

Maitreyi’s

http://hoodriverswcd.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/PlantSale_RedElderberry_berries.jpg- March 15 pic

http://hoodriverswcd.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/PlantSale_RedElderberry_berries.jpg March 15 web

http://www.ethanwinning.com/FrogsandSnailsandPuppyDogTails/Snakes/i-

5rSxznr/0/XL/Western%20Bluebelly%20Lizard%201566-XL.jpg - March 17 pic

http://animals.pawnation.com/blue-belly-lizards-need-survive-8316.html - March 17 web

http://plants.usda.gov/factsheet/pdf/fs_sara2.pdf - March 15 web

http://www.rlephoto.com/hairstreaks01/5543_hairstreak_great_purple_ds.jpg - March 18 web

http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Lycaenidae/ - March 18 web

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://ipad.wallpaperswiki.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Insect-Dragonfly-

Damselfly1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://ipad.wallpaperswiki.com/insect-dragonfly-damselfly-2/&h=225&w=225&tbnid=2MszP-

hXbOtuSM:&zoom=1&tbnh=186&tbnw=186&usg=__6vk8iecum9-

haJs5Yv9V9fu6TFw=&docid=Ed9AutpCI2upTM&itg=1&ved=0CKABEMo3&ei=eTcLVa6cEYepogT6-oLoCQ March 19 pic

http://www.sunset.com/garden/flowers-plants/best-ferns-to-plant/best-ferns-to-plant - March 14 web

http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Anisoptera/ Website March 19

http://www.pbase.com/rcm1840/image/96767631 March 18 picture

http://www.enature.com/fieldguides/detail.asp?recNum=TS0426 March 23 Website

http://animals.pawnation.com/california-blue-belly-lizard-reproduction-8268.html March 23 website

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Reptiles-704/2011/6/blue-belly-lizard-watery.htm March 23 website

Bibliography