The Santa Cruz Sandhills support populations of animal species which, with future research, may also be found to be endemic Sandhills species. These include:
The Sandhills also contain populations of Kincaid’s solitary bee (Colletes kincaidi), and may be home to populations of the Antioch sphecid wasp (Philanthus nasalis), a species which is thought to be extinct.
The Santa Cruz Sandhills historically supported populations of animals which are typically found in areas that are hotter, drier, and further inland, than central Santa Cruz County. They include:
Unfortunately, Greater Roadrunners have not been observed in the Santa Cruz Sandhills since 1964. Habitat loss and domestic cats associated with residential development likely contributed to the extirpation (local extinction) of Sandhills populations of the ground dwelling bird. Populations of coast horned lizards and western whiptail lizard are known from only a few Sandhills sites. Little is known about their status or trends; however, the persistence of Sandhills populations of the coast horned lizard may be threatened Argentine ants, which invade from developed areas and aggressively compete with native ant species on which the coast horned lizard preys.
