Читать книгу Hiking & Backpacking Big Sur. Your complete guide to the trails of Big Sur, Ventana Wilderness, and Silver Peak Wilderness онлайн

27 страница из 112

The lush forest seems surprisingly void of wildlife. The understory supports few seed-bearing plants to attract herbivores and their predators. One of the most common plants, redwood sorrel, is even toxic to herbivores. Regardless, a few animals do thrive here. One notable and highly visible resident is the banana slug, a bright yellow gastropod that grazes on understory plants and fungi. Its bright coloration is a defense mechanism, signaling predators that the slug is extremely distasteful. Other common species include:

MAMMALS Trowbridge shrew and broad-handed mole.

BIRDS Steller’s jay, winter wren, brown creeper, Pacific slope flycatcher, dark-eyed junco, hermit thrush, varied thrush, American robins, chestnut-backed chickadee, common flickers, great horned owl, northern pygmy owl, and golden-crowned kinglet.

REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS Coast Range newt, red salamander, slender salamander, alligator lizard, western fence lizard, and sharp-tailed snake.

The ubiquitous banana slug

Riparian Woodland