It's All Downhill

It's All Downhill Exhibit Panel

NPS Photo

Stepping stone ponds for wildlife

Here at Mori point, park scientists and volunteers have used the natural flow of water on the landscape to create a connected network of pond habitats for the threatened California red-legged frog and the endangered San Francisco garter snake. Rainfall from the hillsides feeds the pond in front of you. When the pond is full, water flows under the boardwalk into the pond just to the right of you. This pond then overflows into the freshwater wetlands between here and Sharp Park.

Food for thought

These ponds provide frog breeding habitat, but the water sometimes dries up before tadpoles become adults. As the ponds recede, tadpoles are concentrated into a small area where they are easy prey for snakes.

Images

Photo 1: A landscape of the boardwalk where the exhibit is located. The right side of the photo shows the pond as described on this wayside with calm water surrounded by tall, green grasses along the edge of the pond. The caption reads, Nature's Underfoot! This boardwalk serves as a dry path to take in the beauty of Mori Point while protecting the plants and animals living here. Snakes like to sun themselves on t roads and trails where they can easily be trampled. The raised boardwalk is difficult for snakes to reach, but a safe corridor below allows snakes and other animals to move between uplands and wetlands.

Photo 2: A San Francisco Garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis tetraenia). 

Photo 3: A California Red-Legged frog. The caption reads, During wet months you may hear male frogs calling to attract mates and defend territories. The California red-legged frog and the Sierra treefrog lay egg clusters on vegetation near the water's surface. If you have binoculars, you just might see them.

Photo 4: California red-legged frog eggs. The caption reads, California red-legged frog egg masses are the size of a grapefruit, while Sierra treefrogs lay their eggs in clusters the size of ping-pong balls.