Los Altos Hills

Ecosystem Overview

The Los Altos Hills ecosystem supports 100 documented wildlife species across 94 taxonomic genera. Located in Santa Clara County, California, this area provides critical habitat with diverse natural communities. The location hosts 21 frequently observed species and 19 occasionally documented species, creating a balanced ecosystem with both resident and visiting wildlife. This location ranks #13 for species diversity among 96 Santa Clara County County natural areas, placing it in the 86th percentile for biodiversity.

Biodiversity Highlights

100

Total Species

Documented wildlife species

Genus Diversity

Taxonomic genera represented

Common Species

Frequently observed species

Rare Species

Occasionally documented species

#13

Regional Rank

Out of 96 locations

Species Distribution

Very Common21 species

Common30 species

Occasional30 species

Rare19 species

Regional Context

Regional Ranking

#13 of 96 locations

86th percentile for diversity

vs. San José

0% species diversity

Ecosystem Overview

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Biodiversity Highlights

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Species Distribution

Very Common‌

Common‌

Occasional‌

Rare‌

Regional Context

Regional Ranking

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Most Common Species

Showing 20 most frequently observed species out of 100 total documented species.

Sceloporus occidentalis

Pacific blue-bellied lizard

Very Common12 obs.

Aesculus californica

California buckeye

Very Common10 obs.

Heteromeles arbutifolia

Toyon

Very Common9 obs.

Centaurea solstitialis

Yellow Star-thistle

Very Common8 obs.

Umbellularia californica

Bay Laurel

Very Common8 obs.

Diplacus aurantiacus

orange bush monkey-flower

Common6 obs.

Quercus lobata

Valley Oak

Common6 obs.

Toxicodendron diversilobum

poison oak

Common5 obs.

Adiantum jordanii

Common5 obs.

Sisyrinchium bellum

Common5 obs.

Marah fabacea

valley manroot

Common5 obs.

Ganoderma brownii

Occasional4 obs.

Batrachoseps attenuatus

California Slender Salamander

Occasional4 obs.

Trillium chloropetalum

giant trillium

Occasional4 obs.

Achillea millefolium

yarrow, milfoil

Occasional4 obs.

Thysanocarpus curvipes

sand lacepod

Occasional4 obs.

Rubus ursinus

California blackberry

Occasional4 obs.

Holodiscus discolor

hillside oceanspray

Rare4 obs.

Geranium dissectum

Cutleaf geranium

Rare4 obs.

Aneides lugubris

Arboreal salamander

Rare4 obs.

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Most Common Species

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Want the Complete Field Guide?

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Get Your Personalized Field Guide

Download a professional PDF field guide featuring all the species found in Los Altos Hills. Perfect for outdoor adventures, education, and nature exploration.

$6.99

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Regional Comparison

Regional Ranking

100

Species Count

vs. Regional Average

Compared to 8 nearby locations in Santa Clara County County, California

Nearby Natural Areas

San José

Importance: 0.59

100 species

0% vs. current

Palo Alto

Importance: 0.52

100 species

0% vs. current

Santa Clara County

Importance: 0.50

100 species

0% vs. current

Sunnyvale

Importance: 0.49

100 species

0% vs. current

Mountain View

Importance: 0.49

100 species

0% vs. current

Cupertino

Importance: 0.47

100 species

0% vs. current

Stanford

Importance: 0.46

100 species

0% vs. current

Los Gatos

Importance: 0.45

100 species

0% vs. current

About This Comparison

These comparisons are based on documented wildlife observations from citizen science data. Locations with higher species counts may have more observation activity, different habitat types, or larger coverage areas. Regional rankings help identify biodiversity hotspots and unique natural areas within Santa Clara County County.

Regional Comparison

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Regional Ranking

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Species Count

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vs. Regional Average

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Nearby Natural Areas

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About This Comparison

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Regional Comparison

Regional Ranking

100

Species Count

vs. Regional Average

Compared to 8 nearby locations in Santa Clara County County, California

Nearby Natural Areas

San José

Importance: 0.59

100 species

0% vs. current

Palo Alto

Importance: 0.52

100 species

0% vs. current

Santa Clara County

Importance: 0.50

100 species

0% vs. current

Sunnyvale

Importance: 0.49

100 species

0% vs. current

Mountain View

Importance: 0.49

100 species

0% vs. current

Cupertino

Importance: 0.47

100 species

0% vs. current

Stanford

Importance: 0.46

100 species

0% vs. current

Los Gatos

Importance: 0.45

100 species

0% vs. current

About This Comparison

Ecosystem Overview

Biodiversity Highlights

100

Total Species

Documented wildlife species

Genus Diversity

Taxonomic genera represented

Common Species

Frequently observed species

Rare Species

Occasionally documented species

#13

Regional Rank

Out of 96 locations

Species Distribution

Very Common21 species

Common30 species

Occasional30 species

Rare19 species

Regional Context

Regional Ranking

#13 of 96 locations

86th percentile for diversity

vs. San José

0% species diversity

Most Common Species

Showing 20 most frequently observed species out of 100 total documented species.

Sceloporus occidentalis

Pacific blue-bellied lizard

Very Common12 obs.

Aesculus californica

California buckeye

Very Common10 obs.

Heteromeles arbutifolia

Toyon

Very Common9 obs.

Centaurea solstitialis

Yellow Star-thistle

Very Common8 obs.

Umbellularia californica

Bay Laurel

Very Common8 obs.

Diplacus aurantiacus

orange bush monkey-flower

Common6 obs.

Quercus lobata

Valley Oak

Common6 obs.

Toxicodendron diversilobum

poison oak

Common5 obs.

Adiantum jordanii

Common5 obs.

Sisyrinchium bellum

Common5 obs.

Marah fabacea

valley manroot

Common5 obs.

Ganoderma brownii

Occasional4 obs.

Batrachoseps attenuatus

California Slender Salamander

Occasional4 obs.

Trillium chloropetalum

giant trillium

Occasional4 obs.

Achillea millefolium

yarrow, milfoil

Occasional4 obs.

Thysanocarpus curvipes

sand lacepod

Occasional4 obs.

Rubus ursinus

California blackberry

Occasional4 obs.

Holodiscus discolor

hillside oceanspray

Rare4 obs.

Geranium dissectum

Cutleaf geranium

Rare4 obs.

Aneides lugubris

Arboreal salamander

Rare4 obs.

Want the Complete Field Guide?

Get all 100 species with 3-4 high-quality images each, detailed descriptions, and a downloadable PDF for offline use.

Premium field guide includes identification tips, seasonal patterns, and professional layout optimized for field use.