Photos / Sounds
What
Baja California Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus zosteromus)Observer
jqrichmondDescription
Found near the base of a dead Agavi shawii in between the leaves.
What
South American Palm Weevil (Rhynchophorus palmarum)Observer
jqrichmondDescription
This is the third one I've seen in the past two weeks. Not good.
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Desert Iguana (Dipsosaurus dorsalis)Observer
jqrichmondDescription
mujer a la izquierda, pretendiente masculino a la derecha
Photos / Sounds
What
Zebra-tailed Lizard (Callisaurus draconoides)Observer
jqrichmondDescription
Found basking on a patch of seaweed just above the high tide line.
Photos / Sounds
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Painted Meadow Grasshopper (Chimarocephala pacifica)Observer
jqrichmondDescription
observed with @k8wilson
Photos / Sounds
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Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)Observer
jqrichmondDescription
I initially thought this was a courtship flight gone wrong, but based on plumage & insight from a more knowledgeable birder (see below), it's more likely that these were two subadults that were sparring. They apparently hit the power lines directly above where we were standing. The second photo shows their clasped talons, so we assumed that they hit the power lines as they were spiraling towards the ground. Not a love story. Observed with grasshopper biologist @dawood.
Photos / Sounds
What
Fringed Spineflower (Chorizanthe fimbriata var. fimbriata)Observer
jqrichmondDescription
Seems that they like clay soils.
Photos / Sounds
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Western Whiptail (Aspidoscelis tigris)Observer
jqrichmondDescription
One of two seen in this area over a two hour period.
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Vanduzee's Grasshopper (Esselenia vanduzeei)Observer
jqrichmondDescription
An impressive amount of color variation in this species, even at the same site.
Photos / Sounds
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American Badger (Taxidea taxus)Observer
jqrichmondDescription
Found dead on the side of busy HWY43 with @dawood, clearly hit the night before.
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Lanceleaf Liveforever (Dudleya lanceolata)Observer
jqrichmondDescription
Just one small cluster in a very localized area.
Photos / Sounds
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California Swollenstinger Scorpion (Anuroctonus pococki)Observer
jqrichmondDescription
Thanks for the ID help @dawood
Photos / Sounds
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Desert Rosy Boa (Lichanura trivirgata)Observer
jqrichmondDescription
Rosy boa people can correct me on what to call this is exactly. Casey Moss flipped it out from under the base of a dead Agave shawii. The snake was inside the base of the agave, not on the ground beneath it. The third photos shows what the general habitat looks like.
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Orange-throated Whiptail (Aspidoscelis hyperythrus)Observer
jqrichmondDescription
One of at least a dozen or so.
Photos / Sounds
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Yellow Whispering Bells (Emmenanthe penduliflora var. penduliflora)Observer
jqrichmondPhotos / Sounds
What
Flatbud Prickly Poppy (Argemone munita)Observer
jqrichmondDescription
High density of these poppies in an area that forms a large ephemeral pool near the center of the valley (the darker area in the panorama photo). Last September after the Hurricane Kae, these pools had Triops and at least two species of fairy shrimp in them.
Photos / Sounds
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Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake (Crotalus pyrrhus)Observer
jqrichmondDescription
Jeff Nordland found this snake the night before, in the same spot. We went back in the morning and it was still there as of 9:00AM.
Photos / Sounds
What
Large-blotched Ensatina (Ensatina eschscholtzii ssp. klauberi)Observer
jqrichmondDescription
Adam Backlin rolled the log. Most of the log was laying out in the open, but one end extended into the base of a manzanita. The salamander was under that end of the log, in the shade of the manzanita.