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Biodiversity Catalog
of the Wildlife Sanctuary

The Wildlife Sanctuary was established in 1965 for students and the community to learn and explore the local wildlife. 

    • About the Wildlife Sanctuary

      Wildlife Sanctuary

       

      The Mt. San Antonio College Wildlife Sanctuary was established in 1965.

       

      The Wildlife Sanctuary is visited by approximately 5,000 Mt. SAC students per year.  It is used as an outdoor classroom for many courses in the Biology department including Bio 1, Bio 2, Bio 3, Bio 4 and Bio 6.

      The Wildlife Sanctuary is also used as a field site for the Orange County Department of Education's ITO program (Inside the Outdoors).  This program brings approximately 5,000 elementary school children from the local school's to learn about the environment and the Native Americans that inhabited this area.  Between ITO, Mt. SAC, and other visitors, the Wildlife Sanctuary serves approximately 10,000 people per year.

      Director:

      Craig Petersen
      Craig Petersen       (1981-2020)

      Bill Hawkins (1965-1980)

      * Photos by Sherry Schmidt

    • Markers on Campus Map
      • American Bullfrog

        This very large frog is native to the southeastern portions of the U.S. It is typically found in the late spring to summer. Males call with a low "Brrr-rummm" sound to attract females. This frog is an invasive species and is problematic because it eats native wildlife including other frogs, small birds, insects, fish, and even small rodents.

      • Gopher Snake

        This non-venomous snake typically eats small rodents such as gophers, mice, and rats. It kills its prey using its body to constrict. This photo was taken by Thu Anh Tran in March of 2015.

      • Red-eared Water Turtle

        This aquatic turtle is native to the southern U.S. It is very popular in the pet trade and many have been released into the wild all over the world (including our Sanctuary). It is listed as one of the top 100 most invasive species in the world by IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature). It eats aquatic plants, crayfish, snails, tadpoles, and fish. They are commonly seen basking on rocks or logs in the lake, swamp, or pond.

      • Western Fence Lizard

        The Western Fence Lizard is often called "Blue-Bellies" because of the bright iridescent blue patches of scales found on the along the sides of the body and throat. This lizard can be found in almost every location within the sanctuary during spring through summer. Males defend territories of rocks, stumps, or fallen tree branches and will display by dong "push-ups" to warn rival competitors. Western Fence Lizards eat various small insects. Found in almost every location from late winter into fall.

      • Coyote

        Coyotes are close relatives of domestic dogs. They generally weigh 30-40lbs when fully grown. Coyotes are extremely adaptable and will eat almost anything. In many areas, the majority of a Coyotes diet is vegetation. This picture was taken on the top of Mt. SAC hill (H3) using a motion activated camera with infrared flash.

        Locate on Map: Marker H3 
      • Brush Rabbit

        A common type of cottontail rabbit with gray beneath the tail. This rabbit mainly feeds on forbes and grasses and is common all over Mt. SAC hill and surrounding areas (G1-G3). It is a food source for many of the sanctuary predators including Coyotes, Red-tailed Hawks, and Red-Shouldered Hawks.

        Locate on Map: Marker G1 Marker G2
      • Eastern Fox Squirrel

        The Eastern Fox Squirrel is native to the east coast of the United States and has been introduced into California. Primarily eats nuts and is a potential food source for predators such as large hawks. Often found in the Oak Woodland Areas of the Sanctuary (B4-C4).

        Locate on Map: Marker B4 Marker C4
      • Striped Skunk

        The Striped Skunk is typically about the size of a large house cat and has a black body with a white stripe along the back and forehead. Primarily forages at night and is omnivorous eating mice, eggs, insects, and carrion. It has a scent gland near the tail that is capable of producing an extremely powerful odor. It has few natural predators in the wild but will be eaten by large owls and occasionally Coyotes. This picture was taken using a motion activated camera with an infrared flash near the lake (A1).

        Locate on Map: Marker A1
      • Raccoon

        The Raccoon is a familiar mammal in most urban and suburban communities in California. It has a black mask over the eyes and yellowish white rings on the back and tail. The raccoon is omnivorous and will eat fruit, nuts, grains, insects, frogs, crayfish and practically anything else it can find. This picture was taken west of the stream (A3) using a motion sensing camera and infrared flash.

        Locate on Map: Marker A3
      • Mt. SAC Hill

        Mt. SAC Hill – Drone shot looking North.  The main campus of Mt. San Antonio College is in the background.  The 35 Acre Wildlife (including Mt. SAC Hill) can be seen in this photo.

      • Snow Creek Riparian

        Snow Creek Riparian – Snow creek enters the Wildlife Sanctuary along the north border by Temple Ave. and continues south.  It winds through the entire length of the sanctuary and eventually exits the Wildlife Sanctuary along the southern most border of the campus into Snow Creek in the city of Walnut.  Snow Creek is the only naturally existing water source in the sanctuary.

      • Bridge

        The newest bridge was installed in 2016 and was designed to bridge the gap over Snow Creek.  In the 1950’s, Mt SAC original entrance was located on this road which connected to Grand Ave to the South.  In 2013, the road and supporting structures collapsed resulting in a massive “sink hole”.  The new bridge and supporting barriers were designed to “day-light” the stream and allow for students and the community to safely cross Snow Creek which had been blocked off for about 70 years.

      • Oak Woodland

        Oak woodland is a widespread community in the hills of coastal California, vulnerable to urban sprawl. The flowers of oak trees (Quercusspp.) are wind-pollinated and the nuts they produce are called acorns. Acorns are an important part of the diet of many animals that inhabit oak woodlands including California ground squirrels, western gray squirrels, and acorn woodpeckers. 

        The acorn woodpecker is a species that is completely dependent on oak woodland. This bird stores acorns for use in winter in communal storage trees called granaries. Oaks are highly adapted to fire. Old trees have a thick, fire resistant bark that enables them to survive fairly hot fires. Fire is a natural component of the California landscape. Historically fires were caused by lightning strikes and carried by the dry grasses found beneath the oak canopy.

        * Content of this page is taken from "Animals of the Mt. San Antonio College Wildlife Sanctuary" by Jeff J. Bolln, and also contributed by Betsy Lawlor, Karyn Kakiba-Russel and Sherry Schmidt

      • Meadow

          The Meadow consists of a few varieties of deciduous and evergreen trees and a large open area of wild radish, wild mustard, grasses and other low-growing plants. The animals that inhabit this area include terrestrial mammals and reptiles, along with a wide variety of seed and insect-eating birds. An array of Coastal Sage Scrub plants are located near the meadow and one of our smaller small group amphitheaters.

          * Content of this page is taken from "Animals of the Mt. San Antonio College Wildlife Sanctuary" by Jeff J. Bolln, and also contributed by Betsy Lawlor, Karyn Kakiba-Russel and Sherry Schmidt

        • Swamp

          The swamp is an aquatic environment of shallow water containing primarily cattails and a few willows. Because of the shallow water it is comprised of mainly top feeding fish (the mosquito fish), tadpoles and crayfish. Fresh water swamps are one of the most productive fresh water systems. Cattails and sedges are found in and at the waters edge. Visitors include: Green Herons, Common Egrets, Snow Egrets, Great Blue Herons, and Black-crowned Night Herons.

          * Content of this page is taken from "Animals of the Mt. San Antonio College Wildlife Sanctuary" by Jeff J. Bolln, and also contributed by Betsy Lawlor, Karyn Kakiba-Russel and Sherry Schmidt

        • Pond

          The pond is an enclosed body of water with a lot of floating and extruding aquatic vegetation. It is a nutrient-rich water system that supports a large number of organisms. Bullrush and cattails surround its perimeter. Red-winged blackbirds, Moore hens, and Mallards have nested in this body of water.

          * Content of this page is taken from "Animals of the Mt. San Antonio College Wildlife Sanctuary" by Jeff J. Bolln, and also contributed by Betsy Lawlor, Karyn Kakiba-Russel and Sherry Schmidt

        • Lake

          The lake is our largest body of water in the sanctuary.  Generally, lakes are defined by having at least some regions significantly deep enough to prevent photosynthesis.  We use the term lake in our Sanctuary based on it’s size and it’s depth is more similar to an actual pond.  Visitors include: Green Herons, Common Egrets, Snow Egrets, Great Blue Herons, and Black-crowned Night Herons.

          * Content of this page is taken from "Animals of the Mt. San Antonio College Wildlife Sanctuary" by Jeff J. Bolln, and also contributed by Betsy Lawlor, Karyn Kakiba-Russel and Sherry Schmidt

      • About this Project

        Tim Revell
        Dr. Tim Revell Ph.D.
        Professor of Biology

        Tim began his college career as a community college student at Ventura College.  After graduating, Tim received a Bachelor’s degree from UC Santa Cruz focusing his area of study on Marine Biology and Reptile Behavior.  He then went on to receive a Master’s degree from Cal State Fullerton where he focused on Desert Community Ecology of insects in the Mojave desert.  His Master’s degree project utilized similar collecting procedures that were used in this sabbatical project.  After being hired as a full-time professor at Mt. SAC, he went back to school and attended Loma Linda University where he earned his Ph.D. in Biology focusing on the Behavioral and Physiological Ecology of Reptiles.  Tim has taught full-time at Mt. San Antonio College since 1999 and has taught a wide range of classes including (Anatomy, Microbiology, Marine Biology, Animal Behavior, and Major’s and non-Major’s biology. 

        PROJECT:

        This website was part of a sabbatical project completed by Dr. Tim Revell in the Spring of 2016. The sabbatical project was approved by Mt. San Antonio College Board of Trustees and Salary and Leaves Committee.  

        PURPOSE:

        Photograph and Record a Catalog the wildlife and plant species of the wildlife sanctuary.

        When considering a sabbatical project, the committee asks applicants to consider how their proposed sabbatical project will useful to the professors, students, and the college as a whole. 

        Since his arrival to Mt. SAC in 1999, Tim has always thought that Wildlife Sanctuary was one of the most valuable teaching resources at Mt. SAC and that it set us apart from nearly every other college and university in the area.   Although Tim and his colleagues have discussed what plants and animals we would often see throughout the year in the Sanctuary, there was no document or website that the community, faculty, or students could use as a resource to catalog what species existed in the wildlife sanctuary. 

        The goal of this sabbatical was to produce an initial list of commonly observed species in the wildlife sanctuary while also providing a platform so that other professors could document and add to the growing list of species.  Also, knowing what a certain species is allows you to connect it to all the information about that species.  Being able to identify a specific plant, insect, or bird, allows a student or scientist to go back to books and the internet and learn more about the organism.  Identification is a key resource that allows you to access other resources about the plant or animal.

        PROCESS:

        Tim began the project by building “markers” (A1, B2, ect) and placing them approximately 50m apart to build a reference grid.  Tim would then visit these markers approximately every 2 weeks and catalog the species found near the marker.  Some of the species were photographed and some species, such as insects, were collected and “pinned” so they could also be placed in our reference collection in our museum on campus.  Many species were predictable in an area (such as the plants) but other species were seasonal or would come out only at night or were camouflaged by the plants.  Tim set up a series of “trail cameras” throughout the sanctuary that would capture animals that would visit the area when he was not present (such as coyotes and skunks).  Insects were collected with nets often “sweeping” through the plants or “bush-beating” (where a white sheet is placed on the ground and a plant is hit with a stick so that insects fall off and are easily seen on the sheet).  The images were then used to build a website of commonly seen plants and animals so that students could identify them later.

        INSECT COLLECTING PROCESS:

         

        RESULTS:

        The project resulted in photographs and video of all the major habitats in the sanctuary as well as 27 species of birds, 23 insect species, 102 species of plants, 5 species of mammals and 3 reptiles and one 1 amphibian.  This represents a small fraction of what exists in the sanctuary and Tim's hope is that we will continue to add to and grow this list over time.

        INSECT COLLECTION:

        As part of this project, an insect collection was created and is kept at the  Mt. San Antonio College Museum.

         

    Sabbatical Project: by Tim Revell Ph.D.
    Web Design: Jeffrey B. George