A symbiotic relationship is defined as a close,, prolonged association between two or more different biological species. When a symbiotic relationship between two species is beneficial to both parties it is called a mutualistic symbiosis, or mutualism. When only one of the parties benefits at the expense of its partner, the symbiosis is called parasitism There are many examples of symbiotic relationships in the animal kingdom. An example of a parasitic relationship familiar to many hikers is finding a tick on your dog, or even on yourself, after a day in the outdoors. The tick receives the benefit of drinking free blood from its victim while you or your dog gets a painful bite! Don’t feel too upset though because ticks and other parasites can be the reason for mutualisms in nature as well! African rhinos allow small birds to ride on their back because the birds will eat ticks and other pests off the rhino's body; the birds benefit from the free food, and the rhinos get free tick removal.  

If you want to witness a symbiotic relationship, you don’t have to travel to Africa to see one in action. There is a symbiotic relationship that happens in our local parks: the coyote and the badger!  

Coyotes are members of the canine family like wolves and domesticated dogs. Just like their cousins, coyotes are also social animals forming packs with clear hierarchies and social status. While they often hunt and scavenge as a pack, coyotes have been known to live on their own as well. Badgers, on the other hand, are known to be very anti-social with other badgers and other animals. They are part of the Mustelidae family which means they are related to wolverines and otters. The only time when badgers interact with each other is during mating season or while still cubs in a litter. After becoming young adults, they branch out away from their litter and live a relatively isolated lifestyle. Badgers are fossorial animals, meaning they are burrowing animals, spending most of their life living and hunting underground. Coyotes are terrestrial animals, meaning they hunt and spend most of their lives above ground, though they do dig underground dens for shelter and raising pups. Badgers are known to be grumpy and stern while the coyote is known to be curious and energetic. 

So how do these two different animals with very different lifestyles have a symbiotic relationship? If a badger is hunting ground squirrels in their tunnels, the squirrels can quickly exit the tunnels to escape to the surface. If a coyote is hunting ground squirrels, the squirrel can escape by entering their tunnels to safety. This problem is solved by the badger’s and coyote’s symbiotic relationship.  

When a coyote is hunting and spots a badger above ground, their entire focus is on what the badger is doing. It will follow the badger and see where it has been hunting and where it is going. It is actually common for the coyote to do the downward dog pose, head down, butt up with the tail wagging. This is the universal body language for “play” and “excitement”. If a badger doesn’t show signs of aggressiveness towards the coyote, that is a good sign. The badger will then run alongside the coyote until they find on a good squirrel hole to hunt. The badger then fits itself into the hole while the coyote waits. The badger will push the animals up towards the surface to the waiting coyote. Then, the coyote will chase a squirrel down the holes with the badger waiting. This is a very successful coordinated plan of attack. When they work together, they double their chances of each getting a snack. 

The friendship between the coyote and badger has been observed by humans for centuries. The Shoshone Tribe of Native Americans have stories that feature the badger and coyote working together. Videos from trail cameras have captured these two working and even playing together. This friendship is definitely one of the more uncommon symbiotic relationships. The Shoshone understood that many lessons can be learned by observing nature. The lesson of the badger and coyote is that you may never know who you might become friends with until you find common goals and work together. 

Hi, y’all, I’m Ranger Mae, one of the newest rangers at LARPD. To celebrate the month of May, I’d like to honor my mom for Mother’s Day by sharing intriguing facts about the various animal mamas in nature, and how we humans relate to them. First, let’s think about some common maternal phrases we all use: “Mother Earth” expresses planet earth to be a giver of life; “Mother Nature” personifies the natural world through an ancient mythological lens; “Mother Goose” shares captivating stories with the village children; “Mama Bear” symbolizes strength and protection; “Mother Duck” establishes organization and responsibility. These are all outstanding qualities that mothers across the animal kingdom display. Although there exists a troubling reality to how certain wild animals interact with their young, there are many positive examples of amazing mothers out in nature, found both around the world as well as here at our beloved Sycamore Grove Park.

Mothers Around the World:

I recently moved to California from Florida, so of course I need to tell you about the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis). No, gators don’t drink Gatorade, despite it being invented in my hometown (Go Gators!). However, mama gators will often break hatchlings' shells and then stoically carry babies in their mouths to be released into warm bodies of water like swamps, lakes, and rivers. Many times while kayaking growing up, I saw hatchlings on top of their mom’s head while she swam afloat at the surface. I wish my mom still gave me free rides to wherever I’m going! Unfortunately, up to 80% of hatchlings might be caught by other predators, so the mama gator stays with her babies for 2 years to ensure growth and independence. But any predator who challenges a gator mom must be pretty tough, because her chomp is around 2,980 pounds-force per square inch, which is almost as strong as a Great White Shark. Yikes! Don’t get me started on sharks—I’m terrified of them! Back to gator moms… Because alligators are cold-blooded reptiles, the mamas will intentionally seek out large beds of vegetation to provide the unhatched eggs with direct solar warmth. Despite their prehistoric lineage and intimidating appearance, alligator mamas are thoughtful, loving creatures working hard to create a bountiful swamp for their hatchlings.

Our next animal mama is the red kangaroo (Osphranter rufus). These mamas are truly astounding and remarkable. What are they famous for? Their pouches, of course! A mama kangaroo is an expert at multitasking, and her pouch is an impressive testimony to that. Pouches are not solely a cozy bed for the baby joeys—they also hold many hidden talents. The mother kangaroo actually gives birth just 36 days into her gestational period. Immediately after delivery, the joey rests in its mama’s pouch for about 9 months. Within that time, mother kangaroos are capable of becoming pregnant with a second baby. She carries 2 joeys who are at different developmental stages, yet simultaneously benefit from her pouch. Even more fascinating than that is: she will produce 2 different types of milk for each joey to match their necessary nutrient levels! Also, if a mama kangaroo becomes pregnant and her pouch is at capacity, she can freeze the embryo delaying its development until the older joey leaves the pouch making room for the new baby. How amazing is that?! My mom had 6 kids, so I can imagine that skill could’ve been useful if we were a mob of red kangaroos!

Another incredible mother is the African elephant (Loxodonta africana). Female elephants always have their sisters’ backs because they live in a matriarchal society, so mothers are never alone by being surrounded by every female elephant in the parade. Herds of elephants range from just 3 members all the way to 25! Mama elephants are astoundingly impressive by having the longest mammal gestation period, being pregnant for up to 2 years long! Not to mention having the largest newborns of all land animals. Elephant calves can weigh 200 pounds at birth! For a singular calf, each female will help the baby with nursing, standing on its feet, spending quality time together, and expressing affection to create a familiar bond. While traveling together, the mamas help their calves learn how to walk straight by using her trunk to steer their direction and pick them back up when they fall. The elderly grandma elephants even slow down the pace of the entire herd when traveling so that the calf can keep up and isn’t left behind. When grazing for food, the mamas teach the calves how to focus on each specific type of plant the herd is consuming and the methods to access them. Once they find a fresh river to play in, elephant mamas use their trunks to spray water and bathe the little ones, followed by sharing loving pats and hugs. I hope they hug using their trunks, ‘cause their arms are way too clunky!

Mothers at Sycamore Grove:

Of all the beautiful animals living within Sycamore Grove Park, I appreciate the stranger, spookier critters, one of my favorites is the Northern Pacific Rattlesnake (Crotalus oreganus). Although many fear these adorable creatures, snake mamas are more relatable to us than you’d think. In the taxonomy classification of animals, snakes are reptiles and humans are mammals. Snakes in general are oviparous, meaning they lay eggs to incubate and grow until their day of hatching baby snakelets. Humans are viviparous, so our embryonic development occurs inside our bodies to then deliver babies through live birth. However, rattlesnakes are an outlier because they are ovoviviparous, so they still produce eggs like other snakes yet the eggs are hatched within the body before the baby snakes are delivered through live birth just like humans do. Rattlesnake mamas will carry up to 25 young for about 90 days. They usually mate during springtime, so if you spot a mother rattler around our park between grasslands and rocky hilltops, be respectful and give her space to roam, because she probably has her 25 kids yapping about who gets to be delivered first!

Another creepy crawly mama who deserves some respect is the Wolf Spider (in the Lycosidae family). Mother wolf spiders are extremely attentive and vigilant towards their little spiderlings. Most spider mamas spin a silken pouch to wrap around their eggs, and then leave it alone to go hunt. A wolf spider mommy prefers to remain attached to her babies at all times, so she will strap the egg sac to her abdomen, carry it all day, and if fallen off she will search until it's found before continuing to hunt. Once her new spiderlings hatch from the eggs, the wolf spider mama allows her babies to ride on her back leisurely until they are comfortable to live independently in the wild.

Similar to spiders, the California Common Scorpion (Paruroctonus silvestrii) is misunderstood when it comes to affection. Admittedly, they have an alarming appearance, but scorpion mamas actually utilize their most frightening defining feature to assist their baby scorplings in survival, their claws! Scorpion mamas can be pregnant between 9 and 18 months, carrying anywhere from 2 to 100 babies at a time. She is similar to the rattlesnake in that the scorpion mama gives live birth to baby scorplings with very soft exoskeletons. Because of their fragility, the scorplings are delivered into a birth basket created by the mama scorpion by holding her pedipalps and front legs together. Talk about a sweet little bundle of joy! After birth, a scorpion mommy lays her pincers down flat on the ground allowing the scorplings to climb up onto her back. The babies remain protected on her back for 20 days before finally shedding their outer skeleton. How cute is it to think scorpions, just like humans, enjoy bonding as a family through cradling and piggyback rides!

Among the wide variety of animals we’ve learned about, there are indeed many shared characteristics and behavioral patterns that relate to us humans. Whether we are studying the exotic animals found around the world or merely the familiar critters in our nearby park, it is evident that mothers across the animal kingdom exemplify distinctive qualities to play their role in each community. Over time as we observe evolutionary adaptations throughout the world, it is both curious and compelling to recognize that all types of animal mamas—including us humans—continue to sustain our integral qualities of being incredible mothers, and I especially have my own mama to thank for that.

Hello,

I hope this Valley Wilds finds you well! This month our Letter from the Editor will be a very interesting article written by one of our lovely volunteers Wally Wood. Happy reading!

The Woodland Star (Lithophragma affine)

by Open Space Volunteer Wally Wood

Woodland Star is a native California flower greeting the Mid Spring hillsides. The flower, about the size of a fifty-cent piece, is bright white with five petals. Each petal is divided into three tooth-like lobes at the tips. The plant grows erect or leaning with a tall naked flowering stem, leaves grow from the lower part. The stem bears up to 15 widely spaced flowers. It also is called San Francisco Woodland Star.

But before you pass on to look for other wildflowers, let us take a moment and delve a little deeper into this natural wonder. Of the 1,315,562 known species of plants in the world, the Woodland Star is one of only about 1000 plants that have a unique reproduction process called “mutualism”. Mutualism between species are interactions in which reciprocal exploitation results in mutually beneficial outcomes.

The Woodland Star is pollinated exclusively by insects specialized to lay their eggs in the flowers they pollinate. By pollinating each flower in which she lays eggs, an insect guarantees that her larval offspring have developing seeds on which to feed, whereas the plant gains a specialized pollinator at the cost of some seeds. In the case of the Woodland Star the co-conspirator of this drama is a small moth called the Greya politella. In the picture below, two Greya moths are pollinating and depositing eggs in a Woodland Star flower.

 The wingspan of the Greya moth is one to two inches. The forewings are a uniform brownish grey scattered with grayish white scales, giving them an iridescent bronzy luster. The hindwings are of the same color, but do not possess the iridescent bronzy luster. They initially live in a capsule of their host plant, feeding on the seeds. Older larvae create a shelter of leaves on their host and complete feeding from within. Pupation takes place inside this shelter.

The Woodland Star species have diverged major changes in the position of the ovary within flowers. The species also differ in stigma structure, style length and fusion, petal size, and shape, and other aspects of overall floral shape. Other insects, such as wild bees, may brush the flower in the process of taking nectar but only the female Greya has the unique body to pollinate the flower and deposit her eggs. In Greya politella females, the seventh abdominal segment is two to three times longer than other abdominal segments. This unusual abdominal elongation is not found in Greya politella males or in other Greya species.

When visiting a flower, a female first takes nectar, then turns around and oviposits through the corolla (the center of the flower where the petals join). After she has completed the sequence, she usually rests for minutes to hours on that flower.

This complex pollination mutualism has persisted and diversified over millions of years even without the interaction becoming reciprocally obligated in these two genera.

So, we pause once again at the wonder of nature, whose realm we share.

Photos by Wally Wood