Animal Resources

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Dagostinia has a rich diversity of wildlife within its borders.  Listed here are all of the species that have been so far discovered in taxonomic order.  Due to the small amount of wildlife in Dagostinia, a modified Linnaean taxonomy is used.

Mammalia:

Canis lupus familiaris: Dogs are known to exist on neighboring territories but we have yet to see one in our micronation.

Didelphis virginiana: Opossums have been sighted at food receptacles and shooed off.

Felis catus: Cats are known to exist as well.  The Small Threats Division will keep them in check or make friends with them.

Mus musculus: No mice have been spotted yet but we expect their existence.

Mephitis mephitis: Same with skunks

Odocoileus virginianus: White tailed deer roam through the wildlands and into gardens.

Procyon lotor: Raccoons are suspected but not yet seen.

Rattus norvegicus: Rats have become a small burden around the livestock.

Scapanus townsendii: A couple of Townsend's moles on the hillside have been caught by the Small Threats Division.

Sorex bairdi: Baird's shrews have suffered the same fate.

Tamiasciurus douglasii: Squirrels have been heard and seen through the treetops.

Aves:

Anas platyrhynchos: A Mallard Duck pair uses the field for browsing of grubs,

Aphelocoma californica: Western Scrub Jay, notable for its sharp call and blue color.

Carpodacus mexicanus: House finches are sometimes mistaken for sparrows, depending on the season and plumage.

Corvus brachyrhynchos: American Crows are common with a murder living close by.

Dryocopus pileatus: Pileated woodpeckers bang on both trees and metal vent pipes.

Junco hyemalis: Dark eyed Juncos, a type of sparrow, might at first be mistaken for a black capped chickadee, for those who have never seen either before.

Passer domesticus: House sparrows.  Most common visitor of bird feeders.

Poecile atricapillus: Black-capped chickadee.  National bird and annual visitor to one of the birdhouses.

Pipilo maculatus: Spotted Towhee can be mistaken for Robins but have different mannerisms.

Psaltriparus minimus: Bushtits sometimes fly in groups through Dagostinia at about 5-6' elevation.

Selasphorus rufus: Rufous Hummingbird, noted by it's reddish head.  Will visit feeders in the Spring and Summer.

Spinus tristis: Goldfinches are abundant.

Sturnus vulgaris: The European Starling is considered to be an invasive species.  Dagostinia's Resource Department is creating a plan to exclude this species from our borders.  This bird will displace native bird species by killing them and taking over nests.

Turdus migratorius: American Robin, noted by it's red breast.  Not to be confused with Towhee.

Amphibia:

Pseudacris regilla: Pacific Tree (or Chorus) Frogs are seen from time to time, heard more often, and sometimes mistakenly killed by the Small Threats Division.

Reptilia:

Thamnophis sirtalis: Common Garter Snakes are seen from time to time and mistakenly considered to be a threat by the Small Threats Division.

Pisces:

Dagostinia has no water features, therefore there are no native fish species.

Insecta:

Anax junius: Dragonflies are a common site and natural insect predator.

Apis mellifera spp: Unspecified honeybees are prominent in the summer.

Culex spp: Mosquitos are considered a nuisance.  Prevention techniques and natural predation keep numbers down.

Danaus plexippus: Monarch butterflies commonly visit wildflowers and hummingbird feeders.

Drosophila melanogaster: Fruitflies found in dwellings are exterminated as soon as possible.

Musca domestica: Houseflies are a common occurence and nuisance.

Osmia spp.: Mason bee species are too numerous to narrow it down but nesting boxes have been built to assist their proliferation.

Tapinoma sessile: Odorous ants find their way into dwellings but are controlled with natural methods.

Tipula spp: Crane flies, also known as mosquito hawks are harmless and don't actually eat mosquitos. But they are tolerated in housing all the same.

Dozens of spiders have been noted but no cataloging effort has been made to date.

Vermes:

Eisenia fetida: Red wigglers are a vital part of composting and have readily come to bins for this purpose.

Helix aspersa: Garden snails are common in Dagostinia as garden nuisances.  An experiment to manage and raise them as a human food source was cancelled.

Lumbricus terrestris: Earthworms are a vital part of the biology of Dagostinia.

Mollusca spp: Several species of slugs are garden nuisances in Dagostinia.  Livestock are commissioned to control the pests.