Hobbies And Interests
Mammals
Some threatened mammals live primarily in the waters off the coast; others live on land; and a few species split their time between land and water. Six types of whales are endangered, including the blue whale, the largest animal in the world. Other endangered whales include the finback, humpback, killer, Sei and sperm. In addition, numerous medium and small mammals that are endangered live on California's lands, including six subspecies of kangaroo rat, five subspecies of fox and the salt marsh harvest mouse. The southern sea otter, stellar eastern seal-lion and the Guadalupe fur seal are endangered mammals that live both in water and on land. They spend their time swimming and hunting for food in the water and resting on coastal land and rocks.
Insects
Insects are a vital part of any ecosystem; in fact, 80 percent of all animal species are insects. A long list of threatened and endangered insects live in California. Thirteen subspecies of butterfly are threatened or endangered, including the Palos Verdes blue, Smith's blue, bay checkerspot, El Segundo blue, lotis blue and mission blue. The Mount Hermon June, valley elderberry longhorn and delta green ground beetles are also listed on the endangered species list.
Fish
California has a variety of habitats in which fish live, including ponds, rivers, streams, the sea and sewage systems. Even so, several species of fish are threatened or endangered. Three subspecies of chub and two subspecies of pupfish are listed as endangered in the state. Other fish species threatened are salmon, the sucker and trout such as the steelhead.
Reptiles
Cold-blooded reptiles are native to the warm state of California. The blunt-nosed leopard lizard is listed as endangered, while the island night and Coachella Valley fringe-toed lizards are considered threatened. Several subspecies of snake are also at risk, including the giant garter, San Francisco garter and Alameda whipsnake. Water-dwelling reptiles are also at risk of extinction. The leatherback sea turtle, the largest turtle in the world, is listed as endangered. Other subspecies threatened include the green sea, the loggerhead and Olive Ridley turtles.
Birds
Birds have become endangered primarily due to a loss of habitat. As urban development has occurred along the coast and other bird habitats, their numbers have decreased. The short-tailed albatross and California least tern are endangered seabirds found on the coast. Birds listed as threatened include the San Clemente sage sparrow and northern spotted owl.
Crustaceans
Shrimp and crayfish make up the species of crustaceans listed as threatened and endangered. Conservancy, longhorn, riverside and San Diego are types of fairy shrimps that are considered endangered. The vernal pool fairy shrimp is considered a threatened species, as is a certain freshwater variety. The Shasta crayfish is the only subspecies of crayfish that is considered endangered.