Carlmont critters

A guide on species spotted around campus

WRITING AND ART by RObIN LINARES

Mountain lions, spiders, and deer, oh my! Carlmont students are no strangers to seeing many types of wildlife in the community. It is not uncommon to see a deer while heading to school or find the lingering smell of a skunk while on campus. Read more to learn about some of the most common species found in and around Carlmont, what is done with them when they are on campus and their importance to the community.

MOUNTAIN LIONS AND DEER

Mountain lions and deer have a known predator and prey dynamic in the Belmont and San Carlos area. Deer, who are commonly out in the daytime, can sometimes be seen in and around Carlmont. “I’ve seen a couple of deer outside of the biotech classrooms,” said Avantika Swaminathan, a junior. According to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, our deer species, the mule deer (characterized by “large ears and a black-tipped tail,”) are known to stay together in groups. Their most common predators are coyotes and, not surprisingly, mountain lions.

Mountain lions are rare to see, as they tend to hide from humans. However, mountain lion sightings have become more common in San Mateo County over the past few years. One was one found near Carlmont a few months ago.

If a mountain lion happens to be present on Carlmont’s campus during school hours, there is a plan in place.

“We would be in a shelter-in-place and keep everyone in class until Animal Control is able to locate or identify the animal,” said Grant Steunenberg, one of Carlmont’s administrative vice principals.

RACOONS AND SKUNKS

Both of these animals are nocturnal, so it is unlikely that students will spot them at school. However, skunks especially are known to leave behind a little surprise; their smell. The two species of skunks native to the Bay Area are the western spotted skunk and the striped skunk. They live in underground burrows and typically come out at night searching for food. In addition, despite the negative reputation associated with them, they only spray when threatened. While raccoons don’t leave behind a scent, they are known to scavenge through trash and leave a mess behind.

“It’s like an all-you-can-eat buffet for those guys,” Steunenberg said.

According to San Francisco Animal Care and Control, one way to prevent altercations with raccoons and other animals is to try and keep the trash closed tightly and pick up fallen food so it doesn’t attract them.

Thankfully, it is unlikely you’ll encounter either of these animals at school unless you’re out searching for them. Even if you find one, they likely won’t harm you unless you give them a reason to.

SNAKES AND SPIDERS

While snakes and spiders can be intimidating at times, many are harmless. The most common snakes in the Bay Area are Garter snakes and California Kingsnakes, but occasionally, you can come across the Western Rattlesnake. If a snake was spotted on campus, Steunenberg noted the steps that would be taken.

“If it’s non-venomous, we would try to remove it and just put it up on the hillside out of the way from students since they can sometimes do harm to the animal,” Steunenberg said. “If it’s venomous, then we call it to animal control.”

Spiders are dealt with similarly.

“Technically, all spiders are venomous, but for something like a tarantula, we would scoop it up and put it back on the side,” Steunenberg said. “If we saw something like a black widow, we would probably squirt it with some bug spray.”

While being around some of these animals, whether it be spiders, snakes, mountain lions, or other wildlife species in the Bay Area, can be scary at times, it is important to remember that they were here first, and it is important to coexist with them.

BIRDS

You may have heard the sound of birds on a typical school day. Sometimes they come in sweet chirps, but usually, they come in large caws. Many types of birds come out through the Carlmont area, ranging as small as hummingbirds to as big as crows and seagulls. Often, they come for the food students leave behind. “I’ve seen them hopping around at lunch looking for any crumbs someone may have dropped,” said Lindsay Hauf, a junior. Steunenberg noted a pattern between the birds and how they interacted with Carlmont and its neighboring schools.

“It used to be so bad that at lunchtime you could see when Terra Linda [and] Ralson would have their lunchtime because you would look up the hill and see a swarm of seagulls off in the distance [at Ralston]; then they would move to [Terra Linda], and then they’d come above Carlmont,” Steunenberg said.

While the swarms of birds may look intimidating, it is worth noting that the worst thing that would happen would be getting bird droppings on you.

“That’s honestly my biggest concern when I see the birds,” Steunenberg said.