Paging Dr. Blue Belly…
With their iridescent blue throats and bellies, Western fence lizards are more than just a colorful show-off. They actually have medicinal properties that make life in the West a much better place to be.
High Noon for the Desert Tortoise?
Back in May we reported on the threat posed to the highly endangered desert tortoise by the as yet uncompleted Ivanpah solar facility in the eastern Mojave. Construction had been halted on April 15 after workers at the site found more tortoises than previously estimated – 59 as opposed to 25. The upshot? More than 3,000 desert tortoises would be disturbed and as many as 700 young ones killed by what most had hoped would a potent symbol of green technology.
Birds Out on a Limb in Pico Rivera
Every year from March to October dozens of birds – snowy egrets, gray herons, great blue herons and black herons – return to the same single ficus tree in Pico Rivera to nest and lay their eggs.
Slow Down, Save a Whale
We drive our cars slow in school zones and in residential areas, so why can’t big ships slow down when they are in whale neighborhoods? A coalition of environmental groups are asking the federal government to mandate that vessels traveling through California’s four marine sanctuaries power down to 10-knots to avoid colliding with blue, humpback and fin whales.
Condors Trump Construction in Newhall
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said “No Way” to Newhall Ranch developer Lennar Corp that wanted a special exemption to kill California condors during the construction of a 60,000 person development community in the Santa Clara River Valley. According to the LA Times: … the developer will be allowed to capture and relocate one […]
June Calendar of Events
The Butterfly Pavilion is now opened at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden in Claremont. Check out native SoCal flappers and caterpillars including a pipevine swallotail as pictured.
Where do Wild Horses Come From?
For years, the Bureau of Land Management has rounded up thousands of wild horses on public lands – including California – offering them at auctions, placing them in short-term corrals or long-term pastures. Last year alone, BLM removed 9,715 horse and 540 burros from the range. Now, that practice is being questioned as the ancestry of these wild horses will be part of a case presented to a federal court in San Francisco.
The Bugman of Mt. Washington
The Bugman has a list of top SoCal bugs that he wants to see one of these days: the long-horned California prionus beetle, the luxurious ceanothus silk moth and the lovely Pacific green sphinx moth. He’s also itching to see the rain beetle in action. “The males are the only ones that fly and the females are 8-10 feet underground,” he says. “They mate only during the winter rains in the early morning or late twilight hours.”
Snorkel local waters with Birch Aquarium
Get off the beach this summer and explore the wonders of SoCal waters with a variety of outings, courtesy of the Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego. Join aquarium naturalists who lead two different weekend excursions to get face-to-face with the marine life that lives just off the La Jolla coast. Choose […]
Weaseling around with wildlife trivia question of the week
Also known as the stoat or ermine, the short-tailed weasel is one of those furry but ferocious critters. Test your knowledge of this light-weight – but by no means a light-weight – animal.
Rare Native Tadpoles Hatch at L.A. Zoo
Rock star status? Nope? Cuddly and colorful? Nope. Slippery when wet? You bet.
The nearly extinct mountain yellow-legged frog is not your typical poster-animal for endangered species. Sure it’s not a sexy beast (well, maybe in a Mick Jagger sort of way…) but this little hopper is gaining attention and getting a frog’s leg-up from local organizations that want to see the rivers and ponds of SoCal once again filled with extended froggy families.
Bears in the Foothills
We’re sorry to hear that last month a California black bear lumbered out of the foothills and snooped around the upscale homes of La Canada, stopping to eat four backyard chickens at a home on Bonita Vista Drive. This incident was only one of several recent bear sightings in the Northeast Los Angeles area. We […]