Host: Blue Elder (Sambucus cerulea)
Host observation:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/120924548
Currently unknown Helminthoglypta found near Campo Creek with Dave Goodward.
Exact location is obscured
Caterpillar on a chamise plant. There were many like it, but I collected this individual for rearing.
Host: Chamise (Adenostoma fasciculatum)
Host observation:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/204103095
3cm long, found in leaf litter
This was the first of eight small dark slugs found at various locations on Volcan Mountain Preserve. They were all under bark flakes and logs in mixed oak/conifer woodland in shady locations.
One of two call sequences recorded along Father Junipero Trail, east of the Old Dam. Recorded and auto-identified with Echo Meter Touch 2 Pro as Nyctinomops femorosaccus; identified via Sonobat 4.3 as Nyctinomops sp. (Sonobat does not currently distinguish between the two species of Nyctinomops found in California) This location is approximately 2 miles northeast of the known N. femorosaccus roost at Mission Trails.
Currently unknown Helminthoglypta found near Campo Creek with Dave Goodward.
His observation of this snail is here:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/203174712
Exact location is obscured
@jannvendetti , @tlawson
With Chalon Boesel. We were on a search for a unknown snail in Campo reported by Miller years ago. I thought this was possibly an immature H. edwardsi, but when I got home and looked under the scope, it proved to be mature and had the incised lines of a traskii group snail. Perhaps this is H. traskii isidroensis? Or Miller's mystery snail? It doesn't look like a typical traskii.
Chalon will post more photos, and I will as well. This looks very much like https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/10407945, found near Portrero a few years ago, which generated much discussion.
1800m, under an oak log on Hot springs mountain. Plant community Incense cedar, black oak, canyon live oak, bigcone douglas fir, white fir.
Intermediate face, back pattern, and spotting in the underparts. Nuttall's-like call.
Type locality, riverside mountains, among dolomitic rocks. Small snails, several shells found as well, ~10mm across.
10,000th observation!
Close of up Archaea at the South Bay Saltworks evaporation ponds as salt is harvested. From my time with USFWS.
A very oblivious/not hungry python
eating a Green Garden Snail
Column of foragers alongside hiking trail in Baccharis, Eriogonum, Malosma shrubland habitat. Two larger workers were carrying Pheidole fallax grp minors. Multiple nearby colonies of a Pheidole fallax group species were evacuated with queen, workers, and brood clustered around their nests. No actual raiding was observed. Ants in the immediate area include Verromessor andrei, Solenopsis xyloni, Pheidole fallax group species, Pheidole navigans, Linepthina humile, and. Pogonomyrmex robustus.
Shiny head with smooth lateral pronotal face, and a straight premasticatory margin of the mandible lead to Neivamyrmex opacithorax.
https://bugguide.net/node/view/2180967
Coast Live Oak grove, east from Campo.
Type locality for this species. Oak woodland with patches of boulders.
Head of Scove Canyon, just off Sunrise Highway. Collected 12/10/16.
Say Hello to 'Bubba.' This magnificent, adult, male Mohave ground squirrel (MGS; Xerospermophilus mohavensis) was captured and released near Coso Junction, California, on June 6, 2019. It was a bit late in the year to capture an adult MGS, especially one so obviously well fed, above ground. That is because this species not only hibernates through the winter months, but it estivates through the hottest months of the summer; they hibernate or estivate for ~7 months of the year. Sadly, because of the pandemic, I could not return to my field site in 2020 and it does not look very promising either for 2021.
Had watched the bear for about 10 minutes before it stumbled upon this elk fawn. Photo was taken moments after the discovery.
Poked its head from hole probably dug by a ground squirrel.
A native treefrog taking advantage of the insect-attracting pitcher plants in my greenhouse.
There is an established feral population at the Desert Museum, which is where this was taken.
Bobcat attacking an enormous gopher snake. It took about 10 minutes for it to kill it at which point it dragged it off.
Mating pair and female with eggs.
Tried to nest in my car. Wouldn’t leave. Had to evict.
Video:
https://youtu.be/KV2mP1sQ2e0
Oarfish stranded in La Jolla Cove
Oddly spherical.
Dead inside stomach of bullfrog. Exact coordinates are in my post for a bullfrog with the same picture. Couldn't figure out how to copy it over to this one and the arroyo toad post with same picture
Signs of Loggerhead Shrike (6 specimens of prey photographed):
Impaled on barbs of top strand of barbwire on fence along the entrance lane.
Thanksgiving leftovers or getting ready for Christmas?
Such an obvious display of impaled prey, I had to back up and document.
Shrike kill (Brown anole) impaled on a rose thorn
With Side-blotch breakfast