Wild Life
The animals in Green Timbers do not often show themselves. Coyotes will frequent the Hydro Right-of-Way and the Douglas Squirrel can be detected by looking in the direction of its chattering call. On the other hand, Raccoons and Opossums move about mainly at night. The wildlife includes the following:
Birds
Birds prefer mixed forests of deciduous trees, evergreens, flowers and shrubs where they can find abundant food and shelter. Among the closely spaced tall trees they inhabit the high “Upper Canopy” of the forest where they feed on cones, insects and grubs. Others, like woodpeckers, choose dead snags in which they nest and probe for grubs. Many birds, like the Rufous-sided or Spotted Towhee ad Bewick’s Wren nest among the low shrubs of the “Understory”. There they can easily be disturbed and it pays to keep one’s dog on a leash.
Insects
Bees, wasps, mosquitoes, dragonflies, ants, aphids, moths and caterpillars, weevils and beetles. These are all insects that are common throughout our neighborhoods. Bees, wasps, and ants make use of dead snags and stumps for their hives and nests. Aphids and caterpillars feed on green foliage and needled branches. Ground beetles attack destructive insects and grubs found under decaying leaves. Several types of tiny beetles, which bore, into wood and under bark are very destructive to forests.
Mammals
Unlike other animals, mammals have body hair, have 3 middle ear bones (the malleus, incus, and stapes), and nourish their young with milk that females produce in modified sweat glands that are called mammary glands.
Mollusks
Mollusks are those animals which lack a notochord, a characteristic of vertebrates. Therefore, in order to protect themselves, they usually have a shell or a hard exoskeleton, but not always! They scavenge on leaves and organic matter.
Reptiles and Amphibians
Amphibians (frogs, toads) and reptiles (snakes) are cold-blooded creatures. Unlike mammals, they depend upon sunlight and other external sources of heat, such as that reflected or otherwise supplied by soil and rock, to regulate their body temperatures.