Finding all the biodiversity in LA

A peregrine falcon in the city. Credit: Frank Hildebrand/iStock.

LA is often called a concrete jungle, but it’s teeming with wild animals, insects and plants. More than 5000 species of birds live here or pass through as they migrate up the coast. Nineteen species of snakes, and dozens of species of lizards, frogs, and turtles live here. And of course, mountain lions, black bears, coyotes, racoons, and deer roam the mountains around us and sometimes end up in our backyards.