Tule Elk State Natural Reserve

2. This species of rat is named after the explorer who discovered it as well as another animal that hops to move around just like it does!
5. This endangered species is one of the smallest canids in North America, lives in dens in and around Tule Elk SNR, and hunts rodents.
7. This species of owl with big yellow eyes and distinct plumage atop its head hunts rabbits, rodents, and other small animals at night.
8. This taxonomic family encompasses hooved grazers with antlers such as deer, elk, caribou, and moose.
9. This endangered reptile at Tule Elk SNR is named after a very fast big cat that it resembles.
10. What species of sedge is very visible around the ponds at Tule Elk SNR?
11. Who was the cattle rancher who helped save the Tule elk from extinction?
14. What geographic feature at Tule Elk SNR would have historically been a distributary of the Kern River?
18. What are juvenile elk called?
21. Mature bull elk grow these bone structures on their head every year!
22. This small bird of prey with red eyes can hover in the air!
24. This large colorful bird with a massive bill can be found in wetlands and eats mostly fish.
26. This fuzzy skin covers and elk's antlers while they are growing.
28. What are mature male elk called?
29. What event in California history caused a rapid decline in statewide Tule elk populations?

1. This species of owl does not live in a nest high up in a tree, but underground in abandoned squirrel tunnels!
3. This Native American tribe inhabited the areas in and around Tule Elk SNR.
4. Burrowing owls, red-wing blackbirds, and Swainson's hawks are all types of ______ you might find at Tule Elk SNR.
6. This teeny, tiny species of mouse is nocturnal and loves to eat seeds.
12. What geographic region of California was the majority of the historical range of the Tule elk?
13. The spots and reddish-brown coloration on an elk calves' hair serve this purpose.
15. This anatomical structure serves as the attachment point for antlers in bull elk.
16. This bird with a prominent crest and a large bill eats fish and small crustaceans in the Buena Vista Slough.
17. What are mature female elk called?
19. This taxonomic class describes animals which live on land and under water.
20. This rust colored bird of prey can be seen soaring high above Tule Elk SNR during the day, using its keen sense of sight to hunt small critters.
23. These ecosystems have lots of biodiversity and were historically very common in Central California.
25. What venomous species of reptile has a loud shaker-like appendage on its tail to deter predators?
27. What species is the largest extant mammal endemic to California?