|
 |
Adopt a Wild Animal
|
|
|
Your holiday, birthday or gift for any occasion can extend far beyond that special day through WildCare’s Adopt a Wild Animal program. When giving the gift of a WildCare wild animal adoption, your gift recipient receives an art quality 8-1/2” by 11” color photograph, a personalized certificate of adoption and interesting natural history.
With informative signage in our Wildlife Ambassador Courtyard and regularly scheduled docent talks, WildCare speaks out on behalf of these and the thousands of animals we they treat each year with the goal of creating a healthier state of coexistence between people and wildlife.
By adopting a wild animal, you support the care and feeding of all WildCare's wild animal patients and help ensure that members of your adoptee's species and the more than 200 other animal species treated at WildCare each year will have the chance to live healthy and wild.
As you consider your gift, please give as generously as you can! |
Adopt the Wild Animal of Your Choice
Click the image or the name of your adoption choice. You will have the opportunity to return to this page to make additional choices if you wish.
|
 |
Ground Squirrels must deal with a wide variety of predators, especially the rattlesnake, and adults develop a very high tolerance to rattlesnake venom.
The Ground Squirrel’s mottled coat contains grays, light and dark browns, and whites. The squirrel’s tail is also mottled, and less bushy than those of the tree squirrels. |
 |
These beautiful raptors live in the dark depths of old-growth redwood forests. Their dark eyes and bark-like feathers make them virtually impossible to see in their natural habitat. At 18" high, the Northern Spotted Owl is considered one of the larger owls in North America. These beautiful birds are considered "threatened" by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service due to logging and development in old-growth redwood forests. |
|
 |
Hoary are solitary animals, often found clinging to woodland trees, their frosted fur blending perfectly with the bark of their roost.
Like most Northern California bats, Hoary Bats are insectivores, but these little mammals feed on the ground, rather than on the wing. |
|
 |
Listed as endangered in 1970 primarily due to the eggshell-thinning effects of DDT, the Brown Pelican has made a good recovery and is now considered "threatened" in California.
Brown pelicans are a common sight along the Pacific coast, diving from great heights to scoop fish into their large muscular pouches. |
|
 |
"V" for Vulture! These large birds are a common sight as they circle and glide on updrafts, their wings locked in the tell-tale dihedral of the vulture. Part of nature's "clean-up crew," Turkey Vultures are an important part of Northern California's ecosystem. |
|
 |
These beautiful birds although common, strike awe in viewers with their sheer size and soaring flight. Feeding primarily on small mice, rats and voles, Red-tails help keep rodent populations in check. |
|
 |
These jewel-like little birds frequently live year-round in Northern California. Specially adapted to feed on flower nectar, the long beak (and even longer tongue!), and whirring wings of the Anna's Hummingbird make it a common and welcome sight in many gardens. At a mere 4+ grams in weight, the Anna's is still the largest hummingbird on the west coast. |
|
 |
The Bobcat is a common but elusive resident of the Bay Area. Growing to about two feet high and only about 20 pounds, these beautiful felines are not dangerous to humans, but they are very hazardous to small rodents! Usually seen in grassy or somewhat wooded areas, Bobcats have a distinctive profile with the bobbed tail and tufts at the top of the ears. |
|
 |
Coyotes look very similar to some domestic dogs, but can be distinguished by their pointed, erect ears and drooping tails, which they hold below their backs when running. A coyote's eyes have yellow irises, and its fur color varies from grayish brown to yellowish gray, with buff or white below and reddish brown areas n the head, muzzle and feet. Black-tipped guard hairs form a dark dorsal stripe and cross on the shoulder area. |
|
 |
The raccoon is a true native American. Its small family includes the ringtail, kinkajou and coati, and with one exception (the Red Panda in Asia), all of them originated only in the Americas. Raccoons are highly intelligent, vocal, social animals that have adapted well to living among another intelligent, vocal, social animal: the human. |
|
 |
Native to North America, the wild turkey is found throughout the eastern United States and parts of the western United States and northern Mexico. In California, their range covers about a fifth of the state. They are ground or low-tree dwellers and usually prefer forests, orchards or marshes with small clearings or open meadows in which to forage.
|
|
 |
Desert Tortoises have unique adaptations to arid conditions. They dig depressions in the soil to collect rainwater, and remember their locations. They can store water in their bladders, and are able to draw upon it as needed. One defense mechanism is to empty their bladders when handled or molested. This water loss can leave the tortoise in a very vulnerable condition. |
| |
|
|
