Animal ID Joke
I spent the weekend in the field trying to improve my botany skills. It was an exciting trip and I will try to write about it in a future … Continue Reading →
Category: Nature
Plants, Animals, Geology, Natural History
My Life as a Mule Deer
In 1995, naturalist Joe Hutto authored the spellbinding book, Illumination in the Flatwoods. Finding an abandoned wild turkey nest, he incubates the eggs and raises the brood as … Continue Reading →
Alligator Lizard Reprise
If Godzilla can have 31 movies, alligator lizards can have two posts. My previous alligator lizard post showed pictures of a Southern California Alligator Lizard. Despite its name, we found … Continue Reading →
Alligator Lizard
I was hiking with a group this weekend through a coastal savanna (also called coastal prairie). A savanna is a grassland ecosystem where the trees are spaced so widely … Continue Reading →
The Naturalist is an Endangered Species
Did you know that biology students can graduate from college without a single course in identifying organisms? Molecular biology, genetics, computational biology and bioinformatics flourish in today’s universities. But … Continue Reading →
Horsetail (Equisetum sp.)
Horsetail (Equisetum sp.) is a living fossil. The plant’s history traces back to the Paleozoic era, where it dominated the forest understory. The strangely tubular stem is surrounded by … Continue Reading →
Tick Aware – Get a Free Tick Identification Card
Viewing wildlife is invigorating – unless it’s a tick crawling up your arm! This post provides some basic information about ticks you are likely to encounter. There is a … Continue Reading →
Mouse Released into Wild Snatched by Hawk Ruins Good Deed
I consider myself an “animal lover”. But I just can’t help myself from laughing at this video. Sometimes, things don’t go as planned… Video Below… … Continue Reading →
Create Your Own Field Guide
This website from the Smithsonian is very cool! It permits you to search for mammals using common names, scientific names, or home ranges. You can compile them into a “field guide” … Continue Reading →
California Newt on The Move
The much-needed rain is an enormous benefit to the plant and animal life in Northern California. In particular, amphibians have been stressed greatly by the long dry spell. I welcome … Continue Reading →