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Wild Turkeys - One of the most unusual residents of El Dorado County, the wild turkey is not native to California, but through efforts of DFG's trapping and relocation programs, these birds are established and flourish in large areas of California's wild lands.
Wild turkeys near Newtown
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Turkeys prefer oak and pine habitat and are generally found at elevations between 500 and 3000 feet. They roost in trees at night, and most of the daylight hours are spent foraging for food. Their diet consists of acorns, grasses, berries, insects, and they must have water daily. Wild turkeys have very keen eyesight and hearing, making approach to these wary birds nearly impossible. Males will respond to a variety of turkey calls, especially in springtime, and can often be attracted into camera range. A telephoto lens or binoculars are a must. Keep Me Wild
Mountain Lions - Mountain lions, also known as cougars, panthers, or pumas, are important members of the natural community and are found throughout El Dorado County. In fact, they are established in much of California, wherever deer are found. Normally very elusive, people rarely get more than a brief glimpse of a mountain lion in the wild. They are, however, unpredictable and have been known to attack people. Keep Me Wild Read more...
Bobcats - Despite the bobcat's friendly appearance, it is a wild animal equipped to kill animals as large as a deer. It is a meat-eater and seldom hunts more than a mile from its home range. The bobcat roams freely in the evening hours, at night and in the early morning. Occasionally bobcats are seen during the daytime. (One was seen near Placerville off Highway 49 at around 10:30 am.) They do not live in dens; they usually live in a crevice, cave, dense thicket of brush, or sometimes a hollow log or a tree. The bobcat's growls and snarls are so deep and fearsome that one can easily get the impression that it is a mountain lion. Keep Me Wild
Quail - Quail belong to the gallinaceous (chicken-like) bird family and spend most of their time on the ground, scratching for food. At night they perch in bushes or trees, safe from their enemies. During the fall and winter they live in coveys of 6 to 60 birds, only breaking away in the spring. Quail are very conversational within their flock, and they post sentinels to warn of danger. A mother quail is quite attentive to her young, keeping them in a close-knit group. The California Quail was adopted by the Legislature as the official State Bird in 1931. Keep Me Wild
Raccoons - Everyone is familiar with the friendly (some would say fearless and aggressive) raccoon, which is found in most parts of California except for the elevations above 6,000 feet, in a narrow strip east of Mono county (east of the Sierras), and in the true deserts west of the Colorado River. Raccoons are nocturnal, seldom moving around in daylight, and are meat-eaters with a varied diet. A peculiar characteristic of the raccoon is its habit of washing its food, if water is available. An average raccoon weighs about 10 to 16 pounds. The female produces a litter of usually about four young once per year. The mother rears them with great care and within a few months they are able to care for themselves. Keep Me Wild
Deer - The most common and widespread of California's big game animals are native mule deer, so named because of the large size of their ears. The abundant black-tailed deer are subspecies of mule deer. Their diet primarily consists of twigs, buds and leaves of shrubs and trees, acorns, green grasses, and leafy plants, to gardeners' dismay. In some areas deer spend the summer in mountainous areas and migrate to lower elevations in the winter. Deer have keen hearing but poor vision for stationary objects, quickly catching motion. They have reddish coats in the summer and gray during the winter. Normally a mature buck has four points on each antler, which is not an indicator of age but rather an indicator of the quality and quantity of good food available. Fawns are born spotted but lose their spots usually about the time they are weaned, about 60 to 90 days after birth. A healthy doe usually has two fawns. Keep Me Wild
Jackrabbits - There are three members of the hare family native to California: the blacktail, the whitetail and the snowshoe hare. The blacktail and the whitetail hare are commonly known as Jackrabbits. The blacktail jack is by far the most common and found all over California, except in elevations of over 12,000 feet. They adapt themselves readily and thrive even in highly developed areas. The hares are mostly active at night and lie crouched in a 'form' made by using the same spot, in a clump of grass or weeds. With their long ears flattened to the back they are difficult to see. Female hares usually have several litters each year, usually two to four young, but may have as many as eight. They do not build nests; the mother chooses a place she likes and the young are born fully furred, eyes wide open, and able to hop around soon after they are born. Keep Me Wild
Skunks - There are two kinds of skunks in California, the striped skunk and the spotted skunk. The skunk is a member of the weasel family. The striped skunk has a glossy black coat and two white stripes running down his back. Skunks are not good fighters or runners, but they possess a potent weapon — a strong smelling scent gland at the base of their tail. When cornered or bothered they stamp their front feet in warning and turn around so their scent gland is aimed at the intruder. Their powerful oily scent can be ejected in a spray for about 10 feet. If left alone they will turn and scamper away. They usually live in underground burrows or may use vacant homes of other small animals. They also live in old haystacks and in the space under old buildings. They are nocturnal and seldom seen in daylight hours. The striped skunk has about 4 to 10 babies in a litter. Skunks are good to have around since they eat so many destructive rodents and insects. They also eat a variety of food, such as berries, fruits, eggs, and reptiles. Keep Me Wild
Opossums - Originally introduced into California in the 1900s, the opossum has readily adjusted to its new home and increased in numbers rapidly. It is a true marsupial — the only mammal in North America that has a pouch on its stomach in which it rears its young. It is about the size of a large house cat and resembles a large, slow moving rat. It is not an aggressive fighter and often "plays possum" by falling over, limp and inert, when attacked. Opossums can eat anything, vegetable or animal, and produce lots of little 'possums. The female can have as many as 15 to 18 young in 13 days, who then crawl into the mothers' pouch and mature in 65 days. She is a good mother and cares for her young for about 4 months. Opossums are nocturnal. Keep Me Wild
Bears Keep Me Wild Read more...
Coyotes Read more... and even More...
Porcupines
Rattlesnakes Read more...
Wolverines in Tahoe National Forest!
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