Batrachoseps attenuatus
February 28, 2022: Sonoma State University
Found under the Art Building logs.
Continue reading “California Slender Salamander”California Slender Salamander
Western Pond Turtle
Actinemys marmorata
March 11, 2022: Sonoma State University
Several were seen in the water, and basking on the edges of the Commencement Lake.
Continue reading “Western Pond Turtle”2022 Species Accounts: Birds
White-throated Swift
Aeronautes saxatalis
- 5/14: Desert Studies Center at Zzyzx. A few swifts were zooming around near the lake and over the parking area. This was the first time I’d managed to get even half-way decent photos.
Columbian Black-tailed Deer
Odocoileus hemionus columbianus
March 4, 2022: Ellis Creek
A few deer were seen in the meadow at the eastern edge of the site.
Continue reading “Columbian Black-tailed Deer”American Badger
Taxidea taxus
May 15, 2022: Northern California
On our way home from Zzyzx, 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.
Continue reading “American Badger”Mojave Green Rattlesnake
Crotalus scutulatus
May 14, 2022: Night driving on Kelbaker Road, Mojave Desert
During a night drive on our last night in the desert, after about 45 minutes, 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, 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. We phoned the other two vans to let them know about the snake, and they turned around to meet us.
Continue reading “Mojave Green Rattlesnake”Kit Fox
Vulpes macrotis
May 14, 2022: Kelbaker Road, San Bernardino County, CA
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. Later, we returned to 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. 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.
Continue reading “Kit Fox”Desert Striped Whipsnake
Masticophis taeniatus taeniatus
May 14: Midhills Campground, San Bernardino County
During a Vertebrate Biology trip to the Mojave Desert, we visited this higher elevation montane forest. 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. I suspect that we are among a very small number of people who have ever witnessed this species having a meal.
Continue reading “Desert Striped Whipsnake”Desert Iguana
Dipsosaurus dorsalis
May 14, 2022: Kelso Dunes, San Bernardino County, California
This amazing lizard was found during a Vertebrate Biology field trip to the Mojave Desert, at 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.
Continue reading “Desert Iguana”Long-tailed Brush Lizard
Urosaurus graciosus
May 14, 2022: Kelso Dunes, San Bernardino County, CA
Back at the cars, I found a Long-tailed Brush Lizard up in the tree that was shading our van.
Continue reading “Long-tailed Brush Lizard”Desert Nightsnake
Hypsiglena chlorophaea
May 12, 2022: Zzyzx Road after dark
On our way back to Zzyzx after having dinner in Baker, we drove slowly along along Zzyzx Road, hoping to locate some Baja California Treefrogs. When we came to a place where we could hear the frogs vocalizing, we pulled off to the side of the road. We never did see the frogs, but while I was taking some photos of a Vachon’s scorpion, one of my companions turned over a rock a few meters from the road to reveal a Desert Nightsnake!
Continue reading “Desert Nightsnake”
Eudyptula minor
April 20, 2005: Kangaroo Island, South Australia
First thing in the morning on our first day on Kangaroo Island, I’d gone for a solo walk along the beach near our hotel. I was happily snapping pictures of birds when I heard something scuttling around in the rocky cliff near where I was walking, and a few minutes later, I realized that something was growling at me from within the rocks. More scuffling and growling helped me to find the location of this activity: a smallish hole between a few of the rocks that formed a small cliff between me and the street above. Really curious now, I took a closer look, and saw movement in the burrow. I snapped a few pictures, but wasn’t able to figure out just what it was . . . a mammal of some sort, I assumed. Not wanting to disturb it by staring at its home all day, I moved along down the beach.
Continue reading “Little/Fairy Penguin”Northern Leopard Frog
Lithobates pipiens
August 12, 2012: University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
Saw this frog on the UBC campus.
Continue reading “Northern Leopard Frog”2011 Species Accounts: Non-Avian
Amphibians and Reptiles
Continue reading “2011 Species Accounts: Non-Avian”2011 Species Accounts: Birds
Spotted Sandpiper
Actitis macularius
5/14: Desert Studies Center. Saw this lone sandpiper on the fountain in the middle of the Zzyzx lake, performing the customary tail-bobbing activity.
Continue reading “2011 Species Accounts: Birds”Wilson’s Phalarope
Phalaropus tricolor
August 1, 2011: Shollenberger Park, Sonoma County, CA
While walking around the retention ponds, I spotted a pair of these delicate, pretty birds swimming and wading in the shallow water very near the shore. This is the first time I’d seen this species, and since they were in fall plumage, the ID was a bit difficult at first. The eye stripe, neck coloration, and white rump helped give me the ID.
Continue reading “Wilson’s Phalarope”Yellow-backed Spiny Lizard
Sceloporus uniformis
May 14, 2011: Microtower Site, San Bernardino County, CA
This lizard was seen along Microtower Road. Beautifully colored, with green coloration on the chin and belly.
Continue reading “Yellow-backed Spiny Lizard”Western Patch-nosed Snake
Salvadora hexalepis mojavensis
May 14, 2011: Zzyzx Desert Studies Center, San Bernardino County, CA
An exciting catch! This snake was spotted on Zzyzx Road from one of the vans, so we stopped to try and get a better look. It went into a medium-sized Sweetbush, but after several minutes, the snake came back into view: an adult male, with an orange belly.
Speckled Rattlesnake
Crotalus mitchellii pyrrhus
May 14, 2011: Microtower Site, San Bernardino County, CA
This snake was located near the Microtower Road. A gorgeous snake, warm-tan colored. Rattlesnakes are cool!
Continue reading “Speckled Rattlesnake”Mojave Glossy Snake
Arizona elegans candida
May 13, 2011: Kelbaker Road, San Bernardino County, CA
Caught by members of the other van during a Kelbaker Road night drive. A very gentle, pretty snake, with a pattern reminiscent of a faded gopher snake. At 3.9 miles from the entrance sign.
Continue reading “Mojave Glossy Snake”Tiger Whiptail
Aspidoscelis tigris
May 13, 2011: Kelso Dunes, San Bernardino County, CA
Saw one of these lizards in the Dunes. On the whole, I think this was the most commonly seen lizard on this trip.
Continue reading “Tiger Whiptail”Western Shovel-nosed Snake
Chionactis occipitalis occipitalis
May 13, 2011: Kelbaker Road, San Bernardino County, CA
I spotted this tiny, light and black banded snake on Kelbaker Road during a night drive. 3.9 miles from the entrance sign.
Continue reading “Western Shovel-nosed Snake”Agassiz’s Desert Tortoise
Gopherus agassizii
May 13, 2011: Kelbaker Road, San Bernardino County, CA
Spotted this tortoise crossing Kelbaker Road. An adult, ~35 cm. While we were watching it, a park ranger drove up and carried the tortoise across the road. Super cool!
Continue reading “Agassiz’s Desert Tortoise”Long-nosed Leopard Lizard
Gambelia wislizenii
May 13, 2011: Kelso Dunes, San Bernardino County, CA
Erika was the first to point out this large, spotted lizard at Kelso Dunes.
Continue reading “Long-nosed Leopard Lizard”