The alligator lizard is certainly smaller than the alligator you might see in the Florida swamps – but it’s still a creature to treat with a certain amount of respect. When alligator lizards are threatened, they will hiss and open their mouth wide, showing a strong row of teeth. You still...

If you could visit the nest of a dusky-footed woodrat, you would find many surprises. Let’s start with the treasure room, because they are not called packrats for nothing. They store items totally useless to them, but which have an attraction of some sort we likely can’t understand. Pens, bottle...

At this time of the year, you might have a special interest in visiting our streams, ponds or washes at the end of the day – because you will be greeted by a frog chorus. Believe it or not, the frogs actually coordinate their chorus: One male acts as the “chorus master” and starts calling,...

This is the time of the year when you hear a lot of drumming in the trees. It’s mating time for the acorn woodpecker, and he uses this sound to attract a mate. It is a common sound in springtime, but the drumming is also a display to mark territory. It consists of two to 20 evenly spaced taps,...

Puma, cougar or mountain lion? Even the name “panther” is sometimes used, but the only panther we have in United States is the Florida panther. It is a subspecies of the mountain lion that is found only in Florida. It is endangered, with only 50 large cats left. I was always surprised to hear the...

The cedar waxwing is the only bird I know that gets drunk. How does this happen? About 85 to 90 percent of their diet consists of fruits and berries. They descend on the tree or bush and really gorge themselves until they are all round-bellied and satisfied. They eat voraciously, sometimes feeding on...

Have you ever looked up into an oak tree and noticed a reddish or yellowish ball that looked like an apple? Sometimes people look at this in sheer confusion. What is going on? If you look at the base of the tree, you might be able to find an old one, brown and cracked, on the ground. While taking children...

I have often seen coyotes on my street early in the morning or even in the late afternoon, and I always thought it was a gift to be able to observe nature in action so close by. The thought crossed my mind also that it was unusual to see this animal in daylight, and that food or water must be scarce....

Let’s start with a little quiz: Do you think a spider always catches insects with a web attached to branches? Do you think a spider can build a tunnel? Do you think a spider is an insect? Let’s start with the last question. A spider is not an insect. Insects have six legs and spiders have eight....

Facebook is a wonderful tool, allowing us much more rapid communication. In January, a young woman sent us a photo from a bush covered with pink blossoms, and we all celebrated. The chaparral currant was officially in bloom, and it was the first sign of the coming spring. That was great news. In this...