Amphibians and Reptiles
Tiger Whiptail
Aspidoscelis tigris
5/14: Mid-Hills Campground. This lizard led me on a merry chase through the forest (and I never did catch all way up with it before it hid in a bush).
California Slender Salamander
Batrachoseps attenuatus
- 2/28: Sonoma State University. Found under the Art Building logs
- 3/11: Sonoma State University. One of my students found this teeny tiny California slender salamander – the smallest I’ve ever seen. Super interesting as it brought home the point that this is a species with direct development – not a larval stage. So tiny and adorable, we named this little friend Alyx.
- 4/1: Fairfield Osborn Preserve. I found one of these little cuties underneath a fallen branch (which I’d picked up to look at some Trametes). Down near the creek.
- 4/25: SSU Copeland Creek. A couple of these were found in what’s become our usual spot – underneath some logs behind the Art Building. Super cute.
Zebra-tailed Lizard
Callisaurus draconoides
5/13: Bajada site, Kelbaker Road. This lizard was spotted from the car as we drove slowly along one of the dirt roads that criss-cross the Bajada. It sat nicely while I took a few photos, but as soon as we got out of the car, it dashed away. So pretty.
Northern Pacific Rattlesnake
Crotalus oreganus
4/1: Fairfield Osborn Preserve. This is one of the most exciting sightings I’ve had a in long time! We were heading back toward the lower lot along the Marsh Trail, when everyone had stopped to look at the coast garter snake. At some point, one of my students, backtracked the way we’d just come, and saw this friend coiled up underneath a blackberry bush just inches away from the tail. (We’d all passed right by the snake without even noticing). Super cooperative snake – didn’t seem bothered that we were taking turns getting a closer look (and some photographs). What a gorgeous, gorgeous snake! This is the closest I’ve even been to one in the wild, I think.
Mojave Green Rattlesnake
Crotalus scutulatus
5/14: Night Driving, Kelbaker Road. After about 45 minutes driving, no one in any of the vans had seen any reptiles, and I think people were a bit discouraged and tired, and we all decided that we’d turn around and head back to the Desert Studies Center. As we were making our way back to where we’d seen the kit foxes, one of my students called out that she thought she’d seen something unusual in the road. We backed up, and sure enough, there was something “unusual” in the road: A Mojave green rattlesnake!!!! This is always one of the hoped-for species on this trip, and this snake did not disappoint. Fortunately, one of the grad students in my van was certified to handle venomous snakes, so she was able to use her snake hook to get it into a plastic bucket that we’d Brough with us for this very purpose. We phoned the other two vans to let them know about the snake, and they turned around to meet us. (Apparently the snake was more of a draw than the kit foxes. Still grumbling about that haha). This is one of the more venomous snakes (considered the deadliest in North America), so it was amazing to be able to safely see one up close like this. We double-checked Stebbins to make sure we had the ID correct (we did). It was on a smallish side for this species, but so, so, so, so pretty. Curled up in the bucket, anytime any of us spoke, it would rattle at us. Hoping to get an audio recording of the rattle, I asked everyone not to talk for a bit, but as soon as we went silent, the snake stopped rattling haha. But, I did manage to compromise with some audio of us talking and the rattle. I was glad that all my students were able to view the snake, and I got some great photographs and videos. This was really a magnificent sighting.
California Giant Salamander
Dicamptodon ensatus
4/1: Fairfield Osborn Preserve. Students found a few of these in the creek (I think in the little tributary that’s coming down from the headwaters).
Desert Iguana
Dipsosaurus dorsalis
5/14: Kelso Dunes. While I was walking not far from the parking area, someone called out “DESERT IGUANA” so I started to head in that direction, all the while yelling back to try and figure out exactly where they’d found the lizard. I caught up with them near the bottom of a rise, and I didn’t want to climb up to them, so I asked for someone to bring the lizard down to me. Gorgeous! I’d never seen this species before, and it is a seriously cool lizard. Pretty big – maybe 20 inches long – and beautifully patterned. After we’d had a good chance to see the lizard, some of the students hiked back up the hill to return it to where it had been caught.
Long-nosed Leopard Lizard
Gambelia wislizenii
- 5/13: Bajada site, Kelbaker Road. I was the first to spot this magnificent lizard, while walking slowly between the shrubby vegetation. I was paying attention to where I was walking because of the possibility of rattlesnakes, when I caught a glimpse of movement: a lizard, and a rather large one at that. Of course, it ran in the opposite direction from me, but I was able to keep eyes on it and follow. I also called out to the others nearby that I’d seen a lizard, so they could come over and have a look. It was a magnificent lizard, at least a foot long – a wonderful find so early in the day.
- 5/15: Desert Studies Center Pitfall Trap Site. I found lots and lots of beautiful footprints in the sand. This is one of the species I was able to identify from the prints.
Mojave Desert Tortoise
Gopherus agassizii
5/13: Microtower Road site. The students made an interesting, if a bit tragic, find down in the wash: the corpse of a young desert tortoise. I’d hoped to see tortoises on this trip – we’d seen several on our last visit – but it turned out that this would be the only sign of tortoises we would see during our visit. I was able to point out to the students how the carapace bones and scutes aren’t aligned (something we’d discussed in lecture).
Desert Nightsnake
Hypsiglena chlorophaea
5/12: Zzyzx Road after night drive. On our way back to Zzyzx, we stopped along Zzyzx Road, mostly to try and locate some Baja California Treefrogs. (We never saw the frogs, although we did hear them). I was taking some photos of another Vachon’s scorpion when one of my companions turned over a rock a few meters from the road to reveal a Desert Nightsnake! This was definitely one of the highlights of our first evening at Zzyzx, a gorgeous, small, delicate Colubrid with an eye stripe reminiscent of a Sierran treefrog. A lifer for all of us. Although technically a venomous rear-fanged snake, it was not aggressive in any way (and the venom isn’t dangerous to humans). Such a gorgeous snake, and a fantastic find on our first night in the desert. My only regret is that I wished we’d thought to bring it back to camp with us so everyone else could see it. (We hadn’t actually been “herping” that night – it was just a fortuitous find on our way back from dinner in Baker, so we weren’t quite in the right mindset yet). We did return to the location the next day, hoping the snake would still be there, but sadly it had moved on.
American Bullfrog
Lithobates catesbeianus
5/2: San Geronimo Creek, Marin County. Heard one of these calling from the larger pond at Roy’s Riffles, and then saw a smallish frog hop from a rock into the smaller pond at our approach. Not super happy to see these frogs here, considering that they are invasive AND we found a baby pond turtle here.
Desert Striped Whipsnake
Masticophis taeniatus taeniatus
5/14: Midhills Campground. After we’d been there for about half an hour, one of my students spotted something amazing: this snake that had just caught a pocket mouse and was in the process of swallowing it. Seeing this behavior in the wild is so unusual, especially for a snake that isn’t all that common in this area, which is at the very edge of its range. Super interesting, and such a pretty snake.
Desert Horned Lizard
Phrynosoma platyrhinos
5/15: Desert Tortoise Sanctuary. It was very warm at the sanctuary, where we’d hoped to find some desert tortoises. Because of the heat, we ended up not staying too long. No tortoises were seen, but we did find this gorgeous Desert Horned Lizard. The first thing I noticed about it was the brightness of its colors – rusty-reddish flecks. In the past, the horned lizards I’d seen were very washed out yellow. Of course, this makes sense given that previous sightings had happened either at Kelso Dunes, or in the Mojave Desert bajada, where the substrate is quite differently colored.
Spotted/Western Leaf-nosed Snake
Phyllorhynchus decurtatus
5/13: Night Driving, Kelbaker Road. Only one animal was captured across all three vans this night: a Western leaf-nosed snake. The woman driving our van spotted it in the middle of the road, looking like a stick – but a just weird enough stick that she thought we should stop. Good thing we did, as it was WONDERFUL to see this little cutie pie (and probably a good thing to get it off of the road for its safety). This is a delicate snake with subtle coloration, and the distinctive patch on the front of the face that gives this species its name.
Western Skink
Plestiodon skiltonianus
- 4/1: Fairfield Osborn Preserve. This was our first reptile of the day, found under one of the coverboards nearest to the lower parking lot.
- 4/15: Safari West. Found this little friend in the landscaping near the cheetah enclosure.
Baja California Treefrog
Pseudacris hypochondriaca
5/12: Desert Studies Center at Zzyzx. These frogs were heard calling from some areas with rushes and standing water along Zzyzx Road. I was never able to spot one, but this is the only tree frog that is possible in this area. They are native to the southwest, but may have been introduced and naturalized in this specific location. Audio can be heard here: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/117787213.
Sierran Tree Frog
Pseudacris sierra
8/27: Cotati. Arrived home to find this adorable little Sierran Tree Frog hanging out on our front door.
Foothill Yellow-legged Frog
Rana boylii
4/1: Fairfield Osborn Preserve. One of these frogs was found in the creek just below the “dam” (the same place where I’d seen one in the past). Super cool.
Western Fence Lizard
Sceloporus occidentalis
- 4/1: Fairfield Osborn Preserve. A nice specimen was caught near the Turtle Pond platform.
- 5/12: Driving from Rohnert Park to Baker, California. Three of these little cutie pies were seen in some landscaping near where we stopped for lunch in Tehachapi.
- 5/14: Mid-Hills Campground. One of the reasons we come to this site is to look for arboreal Western Fence Lizards that are a bit different than the ones we have back home (although I’m not sure if this is a distinct subspecies). I was walking through the juniper and pines with one of my students, which I caught a glimmer of something shiny on a tree. Confused, I walked closer, not at all sure what it could be. When I was about 4 feet away, it moved. Yeah, it was one of the fence lizards, and I didn’t even realize it until it flushed. Fortunately, it didn’t go far – just a bit higher in the tree – so we were able to spot it again, along with another lizard in the same tree.
- 5/20: Sonoma State Vertebrate Biology BioBlitz
Yellow-backed Spiny Lizard
Sceloporus uniformis
- 5/13: Bajada site, Kelbaker Road. When we stopped on our way back to the Desert Studies Center, and did another short walk on the Bajada, this lizard was up in a Joshua tree. Big and dark, I didn’t get a great look at it, but was able to get a few pictures.
- 5/14: Mid-Hills Campground. A bit farther down the mountain, we spotted another, larger lizard. Pretty dark, with some blue colors underneath . . . a Yellow-backed Spiny Lizard. Super cool! A bunch of people had seen one the previous day down in the wash, but since I hadn’t done that hike, I was super happy about seeing this one. Although it tried to hide in a crack in some rocks, one of my students was able to lasso it around the neck, and we had it in hand. Wow, this is a truly gorgeous lizard, with iridescent blues, greens, and yellows on the belly. A great find! We spotted a couple of others later on during the drive.
Rough-skinned Newt
Taricha granulosa
4/1: Fairfield Osborn Preserve. Found at least one of these common newts in the creek (near where I usually find trilliums).
Coast Garter Snake
Thamnophis elegans
4/1: Fairfield Osborn Preserve. This snake was found alongside the Marsh Trail. There’s been some controversy about the species (on iNaturalist). Definitely a terrestrial garter snake, and I’m confident that the Coast subspecies based on the number of labial scales and the scale condition under the chin.
Red-eared Slider
Trachemys scripta
- 3/11: Sonoma State University. Several were seen in the water, and basking on the edges of the Commencement Lake.
- 4/15: Safari West. There were a couple of these turtles in the lesser flamingo pond. We also saw turtles in the first lake during the tour, and there might have been western pond turtles, but unfortunately I wasn’t able to get pictures to verify the species.
- 5/20: Sonoma State Vertebrate Biology BioBlitz
Mojave Fringe-toed Lizard
Uma scoparia
- 5/14: Kelso Dunes. Footprints in the sand.
- 5/15: Desert Studies Center Pitfall Trap Site. I found lots and lots of beautiful footprints in the sand. This is one of the species I was able to identify from the prints.
Long-tailed Brush Lizard
Urosaurus graciosus
- 5/14: Kelso Dunes. Back at the cars, I found a Long-tailed Brush Lizard up in the tree that was shading our van.
- 5/15: Desert Studies Center Pitfall Trap Site. This was the only vertebrate that we found in the pitfall traps. It was nice seeing this attractive little lizard in hand.
Common Sideblotched Lizard
Uta stansburiana
- 5/13: Bajada site, Kelbaker Road.
- 5/13: Microtower Road site.
- 5/14: Mid-Hills Campground. On the way back down, my van took our time and made a few stops to look under logs and rocks and things. On one of our stops, we found a gorgeous Side-blotched Lizard, and were all able to get a great look.
Mammals
White-tailed Antelope Squirrel
Ammospermophilus leucurus
5/14: Kelso Dunes. I finally was able to catch more than just a glimpse of one of the small mammals that have been scurrying around throughout our trip – a white-tailed antelope squirrel. (And by “more than a glimpse” I just mean that I was able to snap a really crappy photo before it ran out of view).
Desert Pocket Mouse
Chaetodipus penicillatus
5/14: Mid-Hills Campground. Not certain that this is the species, but this unfortunate mouse was in the process of being eaten by the whipsnake when we saw it. Interesting to note that when we first spotted the pair, the mouse was still alive, but appeared not to be by the time the snake actually started to swallow it. I’m pretty sure this species is a rear-fanged colubrid and must have some mild venom. COOL! But at the same time, poor mousie.
Black-tailed Jackrabbit
Lepus californicus
- 3/28: Sears Point. There were a few jackrabbits chasing one another around on the grassy field beneath the Sonoma Land Trust building where we ate our lunch. Super cute.
- 5/13: Desert Studies Center at Zzyzx. After the bighorn sheep moved out of sight, I wandered around near the lakes. During the solo portion of my walk, I spotted a black-tailed Jackrabbit on the north side of the lake before it hurried off into some brush.
- 5/14: Mid-Hills Campground. This was a fantastic sighting that happened just as we were pulling up to the place where we were planning to have lunch. This jackrabbit was sitting under a bush right next to the dirt road, and we were able to get some amazing views of it before it hopped away.
- 5/14: Night Driving, Kelbaker Road. We saw several (5 or 6, I think) jackrabbits while driving, mostly when the ran out in front of the vans. We were driving slowly, so no one was injured.
Striped Skunk
Mephitis mephitis
4/7: Cotati. When I left home in the morning, I found this skunk in the landscaped area right next to where I park my car. It was clearly in distress, and fortunately, I had a bit of time before I needed to be on campus, so I covered it up with a large cardboard box, and then placed a towel over that (so the skunk could have a less stimulating/stressful environment, and also be safe from any of my neighbors who might come by and thing to try and harm it). Then I called Sonoma Wildlife Rescue. They were able to send someone out to retrieve the skunk, but sadly, they weren’t able to save it. Our hypothesis is that it had been poisoned by something in the area – maybe chemicals that had been put out to kill rats. Very sad. Hopefully, though, I was at least able to give this little friend a slightly less stressful, and more gentle passing. 🙁
California Vole
Microtus californicus
- 3/28: Sears Point. We found a vole laying dead in the middle of the path. Not sure why it died . . . it wasn’t injured in any way that we could see.
- 4/1: Fairfield Osborn Preserve. Saw evidence of a vole under one of the coverboards near the lower lot – a bunch of dried grasses that had been fashioned into a nest. Some of my students actually spotted a vole under a nearby coverboard, but I didn’t see that animal.
Sonoma Chipmunk
Neotamias sonomae
5/6: Morgan Trail, Bear Valley, Point Reyes. Saw two of these adorable critters on fallen logs along the Morgan Trail. Both were cooperative, and I was able to get some nice photos. What a treat to see some chipmunks today!
Columbian Black-tailed Deer
Odocoileus hemionus columbianus
- 3/4: Ellis Creek. A few deer were seen in the meadow at the eastern edge of the site.
- 3/30: Sonoma State University. Found a partial skeleton of a black-tailed deer in the creek near the driving bridge.
- 5/6: Morgan Trail, Bear Valley, Point Reyes. Several deer were in view pretty much the entire time we were walking the Morgan Trail. There was a group of about four of them in the meadow, but we had a real treat when we spotted a 6-point buck in the woods. Again, my camera failed me a bit, but I still got a few good shots of this majestic animal.
- 6/1: Bodega Marine Lab. Columbian black-tailed deer These were the first animals I saw after arriving at the marine lab. I was feeling grumpy . . . I wasn’t entirely sure I was in the right place, and there wasn’t another person in sight, and I’d forgotten to grab a mask out of my car, and then left my phone in the car. When I returned to my car for the second time, when I went to grab my phone, I looked up and saw this gorgeous mama and fawn very close to me. I was able to snap a few photos, and my mood improved greatly. No matter what had happened up to that point in my day, I’d been in exactly the right place at that moment. Deer are so gentle and beautiful. Later in the afternoon, I saw more deer during our tour of the facility. Does and fawns were an almost constant presence throughout our stay. I don’t remember ever seeing such a high density of deer anywhere else I’ve been (or perhaps a few deer were just always hanging around). But there were at least two females and two fawns at the lab, and others in the general vicinity. It was so much fun to watch the adorable fawns.
- 6/2: Bodega Marine Lab. The does and fawns were out and about again today. So precious.
- 6/2: Bodega Marine Lab housing area. When I was heading to bed, I caught a glimpse of a buck at the edge of the parking lot. I think this was the first male deer I’d seen, even though I’d been seeing does and fawns throughout both days.
- 6/3: Bodega Marine Lab. First thing in the morning, I saw an extremely cooperative deer standing right at the edge of the road. I was able to pull the car up within a few feet of her to get some great photos. So pretty. At the lab, I had the pleasure of seeing another doe and her two fawns when they walked right behind our lab classroom during one of our breaks. As I left on the BML road to head home, I saw a buck cross the road up ahead of me. When I made my way to the place where I’d seen him cross, I found him foraging not far from the road. After watching him for a while, I looked around to see that there was another buck nearby. And then another, and another – four altogether. I suppose this was a bachelor herd, and may explain why we hadn’t seen them individually throughout our stay.
California Ground Squirrel
Otospermophilus beecheyi
4/15: Safari West. We saw a lot of these adorable squirrels on the tour. The first ones were running around near the rhinos, but there were several more pretty much throughout the wildlife area. They’re so charming – I miss seeing them regularly, like we did when we lived in the East Bay.
Bighorn Sheep
Ovis canadensis
5/13: Desert Studies Center at Zzyzx. The biggest treat of the afternoon happened just as we were nearing the Desert Studies Center parking area. One of the grad students in another van phoned us to say that one of the bighorn sheep was on the hillside right behind the bathhouse. Fortunately, we were able to get back before the animal wandered off again, and had some great views. SO MAGNIFICENT!
Pacific Harbor Seal
Phoca vitulina richardii
- 6/1: Bodega Marine Lab. Pacific Harbor Seal So many harbor seals on the rocks! When we would come near the edge of the cliffs, they were very aware of our presence, and would turn their heads to stare at us. Cute little sausages with faces. Again, I’m sure I’ve never seen this many seals in one place, and I was surprised by the phenotypic differences – not only are they a pretty wide range of sizes, but their fur color varies a lot, as well – light grey, and darker grey, brown, tan, almost white. Many of them had hauled out onto the rocks, while others swam in the horseshoe cove, or out in the ocean. Adorable.
- 6/2: Bodega Marine Lab. So many harbor seals. Today, I had the pleasure of watching some of the pups and adults playing on the beach, and the extreme privilege of watching a mother and her pup while the pup was nursing. So wonderful.
- 6/3: Campbell Cove. A lone seal was swimming in the cove.
- 6/3: Bodega Marine Lab
Northern Raccoon
Procyon lotor
6/2: Tidepooling at Campbell Cove. A line of prints crossing the sand from the water into the vegetation near the parking lot. They look like raccoon prints, although they did seem a bit larger than I’d expect. I suppose that t’s possible that they are otter tracks, but the gait pattern does match the typically pattern for a raccoon. (“Paired’ front and rear footprints).
Western Gray Squirrel
Sciurus griseus
- 3/11: Sonoma State University.
- 4/25: SSU Copeland Creek. Just one of these, in a tree near the creek.
Desert Cottontail
Sylvilagus audubonii
- 5/12: Desert Studies Center at Zzyzx. This was the first mammal seen on Zzyzx Road, as we approached the Desert Studies Center. One of my companions noticed it sitting under a bush at the side of the road, and we were able to stop and get some nice views of the rabbit before it flushed and ran across the road out of sight. Later, we saw a rabbit in pretty much this same location, and I’m guessing it might have been the same individual.
- 5/13: Desert Studies Center at Zzyzx. We had a wonderful look at this rabbit near the Zzyzx Road. I wondered if it was the same individual we’d seen the previous day.
Brush Rabbit
Sylvilagus bachmani
6/3: Bodega Marine Lab. Driving along the road between the marine lab and the main road, I saw a small shape in the middle of the road, nearly obscured by the fog: a brush rabbit. When I pulled over to take some pictures, more of them appeared, crossing the road in front of me. I think there were probably 7 or 8 altogether, more than I’d ever seen before at one time. Very precious.
American Badger
Taxidea taxus
- 5/15: Firebaugh, California. Driving back from the desert, once we’d made it further north (right around dusk), we saw a road killed badger on the median of the highway. I came close to breaking into tears. Such a magnificent animal dead on the side of the road, and the first one I’d ever seen in the wild. I wouldn’t have chosen for my first badger to be dead, but it just gives me more incentive to go out and find some living ones in the near future. No photo, but this is the location.
- 6/2: Bodega Marine Lab. Numerous badger holes dot the grassland atop the cliff, making it important to watch one’s footing.
- 6/2: Bodega Marine Lab housing area. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to spot any badgers, although one of the others in my group did see one on the last night we were staying in the dormitories.
Evening Bats
Vespertilionidae
- 5/12: Desert Studies Center at Zzyzx. Several bats were pretty much always zooming around overhead near the lake as evening fell over the desert. Unfortunately, my photos are not good enough to make any firm IDs, although I suspect that at least some of them were big brown bats.
- 5/13: Desert Studies Center at Zzyzx.
Kit Fox
Vulpes macrotis
5/14: Night Driving, Kelbaker Road. On the way east on Kelbaker Road, we didn’t find any reptiles, although we did pick up some eyeshine with one of the flashlights out in the desert near the road. We stopped the van, and tried to figure out the identity of what appeared to be three sets of eyes, almost certainly mammalian. Some of the others in the van caught a glimpse of the animals – foxes of some sort. We wandered around near where they’d been seen, and found their den, and a couple of my students caught enough of a glimpse of the animals to identify them as Kit Foxes. KIT FOXES!!!!! Unfortunately, by the time I was able to make my way to the den, they’d taken cover and were nowhere to be seen. Still, this was their den, so we thought there was a pretty good likelihood that they’d be out again when we drove past on our way back to Zzyzx. So, we dropped a pin on the map, to locate the den again, and kept on with the night driving. After we’d released the Mojave green rattlesnake, our spirits buoyed by the sighting, we went off to try and find the kit foxes. We arrived at the location where we’d dropped the pin, and easily identified the area where we’d found the den. We pulled off to the opposite side of the road and turned off the car, hoping not to stress them out or startle them too much. Then, we spotlit the area with our flashlights. Sure enough, more eyeshine, and then, in the light of the flashlights, we saw the foxes themselves. Juveniles – at least three (possibly four) – and I was absolutely thrilled to see them for the first time in the wild. Then, as we watched, they decided that they weren’t bothered by our lights, and went back to the business of being young foxes, which mostly included pouncing on one another in mock battles, running back and forth through the brush, and even trying to climb up into a small tree near the den. It was one of the most wonderful and adorable things I’d ever seen. Literally life-changing. Overall, this trip had been rough on me – it’s a lot of work and anxiety to get three vans full of university students down to the desert, keep them fed, and make sure they don’t do anything that might get them hurt. But the sight of those foxes made every single minute of hassle and stress more than worthwhile. They were so beautiful and precious, and watching the just playing with one another as if we weren’t there is literally one of the best things I’ve ever seen in my entire life. We watched them for a while – probably about half an hour – and then decided that it was getting late, and we had a long drive ahead of us in the morning. So, feeling a bit sad to leave the foxes behind, we headed back to the Desert Studies Center. Yeah, we didn’t see a lot of animals on this drive, but wow, the ones we saw were magnificent.
Invertebrates
Ostrich-plume Hydroid
Aglaophenia latirostris
- 6/2: Tidepooling at Campbell Cove. Ostrich-plume Hydroid. So interesting to see this organism, which is actually colonial Cnidarians, rather than an algae or plant.
- 6/3: Tidepooling Campbell Cove. These were cool – cnidarians that look more like feathers, with some tiny almost transparent white worms living amongst them.
Clam Worm
Alitta succinea
6/2: Tidepooling at Campbell Cove. This polychaete worm was seen climbing up one of the exposed rocks. Uncertain ID
Moonglow Anemone
Anthopleura artemisia
6/3: Tidepooling Campbell Cove. A few of these pretty anemones – mostly very small – were seen along the rocky shore.
Aggregating Anemone
Anthopleura elegantissima
- 6/2: Tidepooling at Campbell Cove. Lots and lots of these anemones were visible where the water had receded. I’d never seen this species before, as far as I know, and it’s clear why they are called aggregating – they live in closely-packed colonies.
- 6/3: Tidepooling at Campbell Cove.
Sunburst Anemone
Anthopleura sola
6/3: Tidepooling Campbell Cove. Larger, more subtly colored than some of the other anemones.
Giant Green Anemone
Anthopleura xanthogrammica
- 6/2: Tidepooling at Campbell Cove. Large and beautifully colored.
- 6/3: Tidepooling at Campbell Cove.
California Seahare
Aplysia californica
6/3: Campbell Cove Tidepooling. Tucked away under an anemone this looked entirely flat, but the coloration and texture are right.
Button’s Banana Slug
Ariolimax buttoni
5/6: Morgan Trail, Bear Valley, Point Reyes
Common Pill Woodlouse
Armadillidium vulgare
- 5/2: Lagunitas Creek, Marin
- 5/20: Sonoma State BioBlitz
Blue Death Feigning Beetle
Asbolus verrucosus
- 5/13: Night Driving, Kelbaker Road. This attractive beetle lived up to its name when it did a very convincing job of curling up on its back and looking quite dead.
- 5/15: Desert Studies Center Pitfall Trap Site. Saw this little friend wandering around near the pitfall traps.
Northern Hemisphere Crayfishes
Astacoidea
4/11: Sonoma State University. Found in Copeland Creek during macroinvertebrate sampling with Entomology students.
Greater Moon Jelly
Aurelia labiata
6/2: Tidepooling at Campbell Cove. A single moon jelly was stranded pretty high up on the beach, close to shore.
Pacific Acorn Barnacle
Balanus glandula
- 6/2: Tidepooling at Campbell Cove. On exposed rocks.
- 6/3: Tidepooling at Campbell Cove.
Pipevine Swallowtail
Battus philenor
5/2: San Geronimo Creek, Marin County. I spotted one of these at the stop in Lagunitas.
American Sand Wasp
Bembix americana
6/2: Bodega Marine Lab. I watched this wasp going about its business as it went from place to place, low to the ground. Not sure about the species, but this seems right.
Spiny Mole Crab
Blepharipoda occidentalis
6/2: Tidepooling at Campbell Cove. Found an exoskeleton in one of the tide pools.
Black-tailed Bumble Bee
Bombus melanopygus
5/2: San Geronimo Creek. Seen foraging on Hairy Vetch at the Ron’s Ripples site.
Yellow-faced Bumble Bee
Bombus vosnesenskii
5/20: Sonoma State BioBlitz
Common Checkered-Skipper
Burnsius communis
7/30: Rohnert Park. While we were waiting for some work to be done on our car, we took a little walk on Commerce Ave. and spotted this interesting butterfly in an empty field.
Bronze Beetle
Chrysolina bankii
5/6: Morgan Trail, Bear Valley, Point Reyes. Seen on some California Blackberry.
Cream Grasshopper
Cibolacris parviceps
5/13: Microtower Road. Lovely grasshopper seen in the parking lot.
Nuttall’s Cockle
Clinocardium nuttallii
6/3: Tidepooling Campbell Cove. I found a few of these – some of them, just empty shells, but one that was still alive, and wedged between some rocks.
Seven-spot Ladybug
Coccinella septempunctata
4/18: Laguna de Santa Rosa Trail/Laguna Wetlands Preserve.
Armored Stink Beetle
Eleodes armata
5/13: Night Driving, Kelbaker Road. Seen at the Mojave sign at the Baker end of Kelbaker Road. Not sure about the ID.
Blue Dock Beetle
Gastrophysa cyanea
5/2: Lagunitas Creek, Marin. Seen at the first stop on our Restoration Ecology field trip.
Desert Hairy Scorpion
Hadrurus arizonensis
5/15: Desert Studies Center Pitfall Trap Site. This little friend fell into one of the pitfall traps, and was not particularly happy! It was exciting (and a bit of a challenge) to safely get the scorpion out of the trap and back out into the desert. When we released it, it kept making an aggressive display . . . as it ran away from us as fast as it could.
Convergent Lady Beetle
Hippodamia convergens
5/6: Morgan Trail, Bear Valley, Point Reyes
Spaghetti Worm
Lanice sp
6/2: Tidepooling at Campbell Cove. Found in the sand.
Fingered Limpet
Lottia digitalis
6/2: Tidepooling at Campbell Cove. There were so many species of limpets, I worked with folks on iNaturalist to sort them all out.
Shield Limpet
Lottia pelta
6/2: Tidepooling at Campbell Cove. There were so many species of limpets, I worked with folks on iNaturalist to sort them all out.
Rough Limpet
Lottia scabra
6/2: Tidepooling at Campbell Cove. In tide pools and exposed rocks.
Desert Recluse
Loxosceles deserta
5/15: Desert Studies Center Pitfall Trap Site. Seen out in the desert near the pitfall traps. Even missing a couple of legs, it was identifiable as one of North America’s more dangerous spiders.
Dungeness Crab
Metacarcinus magister
6/3: Tidepooling Campbell Cove. Found a dead crab on the shore.
Mossy Chiton
Mopalia muscosa
- 6/2: Tidepooling at Campbell Cove. Just one chiton seen today.
California Mussel
Mytilus californianus
- 6/2: Tidepooling at Campbell Cove. Lots and lots of mussel beds on the rocks.
- 6/3: Tidepooling at Campbell Cove.
Decorator Worm
Neosabellaria cementarium
6/3: Tidepooling Campbell Cove. One of my colleagues (a marine biologist) pulled these little worms out of tubes near the rocks (or maybe they were associated with a mussel bed).
Bay Ghost Shrimp
Neotrypaea californiensis
6/2: Tidepooling at Campbell Cove. These miniature volcano-like tubes were abundant on the beach. My best guess is that these are bay shrimp tunnels. I didn’t see any fecal trails that would indicate lugworms. Later, I spotted a shrimp that was stranded, but appeared to still be alive – its feet were moving slightly.
Striped Dogwinkle
Nucella ostrina
6/3: Tidepooling Campbell Cove. My favorites were a pretty orangey-red.
Purple Clam
Nuttallia nuttallii
6/3: Tidepooling Campbell Cove. Found this clam laying on the sand.
Striped Shore Crab
Pachygrapsus crassipes
- 6/2: Tidepooling at Campbell Cove. This little friend was located in the rocks alongside the beach, and we were all able to get a great look at it. Green-lined crab is what my marine biologist friends called it, but iNat calls it the striped shore crab.
- 6/3: Tidepooling at Campbell Cove. Found this crab in a little kelp-filled pool near the foot of the cliffs.
Western Tiger Swallowtail
Papilio rutulus
- 4/18: Laguna de Santa Rosa Trail/Laguna Wetlands Preserve. This was the only butterfly I was able to identify during this excursion.
Purple Ribbon Worm
Paranemertes peregrina
6/3: Tidepooling Campbell Cove. This small, brown worm was found in what I think was coralline algae.
Antlion
Paranthaclisis sp
5/13: Desert Studies Center at Zzyzx. As I returned to my room after returning from our night drive, I found this friend on the wall outside of the private rooms.
Tarantula-hawk Wasp
Pepsis sp.
- 5/13: Microtower Road. I enjoyed watching this large, gorgeous wasp foraging on a Creosote bush. So pretty (although a bit intimidating; I didn’t get too close). Possibly Thisbe’s.
- 7/30: Rohnert Park. While we were waiting for some work to be done on our car, we took a little walk on Commerce Ave. and spotted this wasp on the ground in an empty field.
Johnson’s Jumping Spider
Phidippus johnsoni
4/29: Sonoma State Lot A. While going to my car after class, parked in the charging space closest to the Student Center, I spied an adorable little Johnson’s Jumping Spider on the blacktop. Then it ran under my car, but I was very careful to make sure it wasn’t in danger of being squooshed when I backed out of the space.
Phoronid Worm
Phoronopsis harmeri
6/3: Tidepooling Campbell Cove. When we arrived, one of my colleagues had already arrived, and was taking photos in a shallow pool in the sand left behind by the receding tide. Turned out to be something really special – some Phoronid worms. They were curled up like ribbons, and nearly impossible to see with the naked eye, but I was able to get some photos where they are much more visible.
Cabbage White
Pieris rapae
5/2: San Geronimo Creek, Marin. Seen at the Lagunitas stop.
Ochre Sea Star
Pisaster ochraceus
- 6/2: Tidepooling at Campbell Cove. A few sea stars were clinging to the rocks along the jetty.
- 6/3: Saw only a few sea stars today.
Wing-tapping Cicada
Platypedia sp.
4/1: Fairfield Osborn Preserve. I was interested to find this insect on a log near the old dam site. It took me a while to figure out it was a larval cicada.
California Harvester Ant
Pogonomyrmex californicus
5/15: Desert Studies Center Pitfall Trap Site. Seen near the pitfall traps.
Gooseneck Barnacle
Pollicipes polymerus
- 6/2: Tidepooling at Campbell Cove. Often found living near California Mussels.
- 6/3: Tidepooling Campbell Cove. Pretty common on the exposed rocks.
Northern Kelp Crab
Pugettia producta
6/3: Tidepooling Campbell Cove. Found two of these adorable little crabs, strangely enough in amongst some kelp.
Pacific Rock Crab
Romaleon antennarium
- 6/2: Tidepooling at Campbell Cove. A dead rock crab was found among the rocks, and later we saw a few living ones hiding in a crevice beneath some rocks
- 6/3: Tidepooling at Campbell Cove.
Omnivorous Looper
Sabulodes aegrotata
4/25: SSU Copeland Creek. One of these was caught by an Entomology student for their collection.
White-bowed Smoothwing
Scaeva affinis
5/20: Sonoma State University BioBlitz
Bristle-legged Moth
Schreckensteinia felicella
6/1: Bodega Marine Lab. Saw a few of these interesting Bristle-legged Moths on a yarrow plant
Thatched Barnacle
Semibalanus cariosus
6/2: Tidepooling at Campbell Cove. Larger barnacles often seen surrounded by Acorn barnacles.
Vachon’s Rock Scorpion
Smeringurus vachoni
5/12: Desert Studies Center at Zzyzx. We found this little friend under one of the 4x4s that act as a curb in the Zzyzx parking lot. So pretty under the black light. Later in the evening, on our way back to the Desert Studies Center after dinner in Baker, we saw another scorpion along Zzyzx Road near where we found the Desert Nightsnake.
Black Tegula
Tegula funebralis
- 6/2: Tidepooling at Campbell Cove. In the pools and on exposed rocks
- 6/3: Tidepooling at Campbell Cove
Gaper Clam
Tresus sp
6/2: Tidepooling at Campbell Cove. As we walked along the beach, I felt moisture hit the back of my legs. Turns out that I’d been spit at by something burrowed in the sand. Clams, I think. They spit on us all the way up and back down the beach. I also was able to spot one of them with the siphon visible at the top of the burrow.
Pallid-winged Grasshopper
Trimerotropis pallidipenni
- 5/2: Lagunitas Creek, Marin.
- 5/13: Bajada site, Kelbaker Road. Large and so pretty.
- 5/15: Desert Tortoise Sanctuary.
Foothill Carpenter Bee
Xylocopa tabaniformis orpifex
5/20: Sonoma State BioBlitz. Seen on a Columbine flower.
Fungi and Algae
Yellow Cobblestone Lichen
Acarospora socialis
5/15: Desert Tortoise Sanctuary.
Bacterial Crown Gall
Agrobacterium radiobacter
5/6: Morgan Trail. Bear Valley, Point Reyes. Growing on a Bay Laurel, I think.
Mulch Field Cap
Agrocybe putaminum
4/25: SSU Copeland Creek.
Western Giant Puffball
Calvatia booniana
- 5/6: Palomarin Field Station. Right near the bird banding station
- 5/6: Morgan Trail. Bear Valley, Point Reyes. Saw another near the start of the trail.
Cramp Balls
Daldinia grandis
5/6: Morgan Trail. Bear Valley, Point Reyes.
Net-of-Cords Kelp
Dictyoneurum californicum
6/2: Tidepooling at Campbell Cove. In the tide pools.
Feather Boa Kelp
Egregia menziesii
6/2: Tidepooling at Campbell Cove. In the tidepools.
Common Greenshield Lichen
Flavoparmelia caperata
5/20: Sonoma State BioBlitz
Northern Red Belt
Fomitopsis mounceae
5/6: Morgan Trail. Bear Valley, Point Reyes
American Brown Fomitopsis
Fomitopsis ochracea
5/6: Morgan Trail. Bear Valley, Point Reyes. ID not verified.
Artist’s Bracket
Ganoderma applanatum
5/6: Morgan Trail. Bear Valley, Point Reyes. ID not verified.
Ganoderma brownii
5/6: Morgan Trail. Bear Valley, Point Reyes
Golden Ear
Naematelia aurantia
5/6: Morgan Trail. Bear Valley, Point Reyes
Dense Sea Fern
Neoptilota densa
6/2: Tidepooling at Campbell Cove. In the tide pools.
Bull Kelp
Nereocystis luetkeana
6/2: Tidepooling at Campbell Cove. In the tide pools.
Sudden Oak Death
Phytophthora ramorum
8/21: Fairfield Osborn Preserve. Seen on our hike during the naturalist training herpetology session I taught this year.
Lace Lichen
Ramalina menziesii
5/6: Palomarin Field Station. ID not verified.
Splitgill Mushroom
Schizophyllum commune
5/6: Morgan Trail. Bear Valley, Point Reyes
Hairy Curtain Crust
Stereum hirsutum
5/6: Morgan Trail. Bear Valley, Point Reyes
Fat Jack/False Bolete
Suillus caerulescens
5/6: Morgan Trail. Bear Valley, Point Reyes
Turkey-tail
Trametes versicolor
- 4/1: Fairfield Osborn Preserve
- 4/15: Safari West
- 5/6: Morgan Trail. Bear Valley, Point Reyes
Stalked Puffball
Tulostoma sp.
5/15: Desert Studies Center Pitfall Trap Site. I found a few of these cute little fungi growing in the sand. Not sure of the ID, but hopefully I’ll be able to figure it out eventually.
Beard Lichen
Usnea sp
5/6: Palomarin Field Station
Let me know what you think!