Fauna
A wide variety of animals live within Big Basin, many of which can be seen by visitors.
Amongst mammals, California Black Bear, Black-tailed Deer, Western Gray Squirrels, chipmunks and raccoons are common, but foxes, coyotes, bobcats, and opossums are also present. Cougars are known to live in the park but are extremely rare. Grizzly bears are extinct in California, but were numerous in the past. The last known human to die in California due to a Grizzly attack in the wild occurred in Big Basin when, in 1875, William Waddell, a lumber mill owner, was killed near Waddell Creek.
Bird life is abundant throughout the park. Steller's Jays and Acorn Woodpeckers are both seen and heard, and the Dark-eyed Junco is widespread. Less obvious are the Brown Creeper, Anna's Hummingbird, Northern Flicker, Olive-sided Flycatcher and Sharp-shinned Hawk. The first Marbled Murrelet nest ever sighted was located in Big Basin not far from the park headquarters. These robin-sized seabirds nest high in the oldest Coast Douglas-fir and redwoods to feed their young. They can be seen or heard at dawn and dusk, high above the forest canopy.
Many reptiles are also present, but aside from the ubiquitous Coast Range subspecies of the Western Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis bocourtii), most are rarely seen due to their shy behavior. The only dangerous reptile in the park is the Pacific Rattlesnake (Crotalus oreganus), found almost exclusively in the high, dry chaparral.
The damp, shady woodland floor is home to a variety of amphibians. Commonly seen species include the California Newt (Taricha torosa torosa), Pacific Tree Frog (Pseudacris regilla), and Arboreal Salamander (Aneides lugubris). Less commonly seen are the Black Salamander (Aneides flavipunctatus) and California Giant Salamander (Dicamptodon ensatus) and the threatened California Red-legged Frog (Rana draytonii). Particularly intriguing are banana slugs (Ariolimax spp.), which can reach 6 inches long.
California Sisters (Adelpha bredowii) are prominent butterfly denizens, fluttering high in the canopies above the trails.
Read more about this topic: Big Basin Redwoods State Park
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