Characters and traits

On a walk up into the Lime Ridge Open Space in Walnut Creek I was lucky to capture a picture of a lizard before it darted under the rock. It had rough-looking skin that camouflaged with the surrounding rock landscape. Its long toes must help it grip onto rough, uneven surfaces such as rocks and trees. I also discovered a handful of new plants with interesting features. One had a large round leaf that wrapped around the thin stem. Another had long spiky-looking buds popping out of the top. Additionally, an abundance of moss was growing on most oak trees I walked past. The purple flowers had delicate petals with about 6 petals per stem. A few days prior I spotted a wild turkey, whose large talons and long neck must help it to catch prey. Lastly, I have spotted an abundance of squirrels around Berkeley campus, some of which I noticed had a particularly prominent black mark on their faces.

Posted on March 19, 2014 05:57 AM by kat14 kat14

Observations

Photos / Sounds

What

Coast Range Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis ssp. bocourtii)

Observer

kat14

Date

March 15, 2014 04:30 PM PDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Coast Range Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis ssp. bocourtii)

Observer

kat14

Date

March 15, 2014 04:34 PM PDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Miner's Lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata)

Observer

kat14

Date

March 15, 2014 04:35 PM PDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

Observer

kat14

Date

March 15, 2014 04:43 PM PDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Speckled Greenshield (Flavopunctelia flaventior)

Observer

kat14

Date

March 15, 2014 04:36 PM PDT

Photos / Sounds

What

California Buckeye (Aesculus californica)

Observer

kat14

Date

March 15, 2014 04:26 PM PDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Dicots (Class Magnoliopsida)

Observer

kat14

Date

March 15, 2014 04:42 PM PDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Musk Stork's-Bill (Erodium moschatum)

Observer

kat14

Date

March 15, 2014 04:49 PM PDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Blue Dicks (Dipterostemon capitatus)

Observer

kat14

Date

March 15, 2014 04:30 PM PDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)

Observer

kat14

Date

March 12, 2014 10:33 AM PDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Eastern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger)

Observer

kat14

Date

March 17, 2014

Photos / Sounds

What

Eastern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger)

Observer

kat14

Date

March 17, 2014

Comments

Lime Ridge is a pretty cool spot. It's one of the only places in the Bay Area where you can still see horned lizards (e.g. http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/89873), so keep an eye out next time you're there. They like hot, rocky chaparral and sort of look like scuttling rocks.

Posted by kueda over 10 years ago

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