Send your questions to atn@baynature.org.Santa Rosa-based naturalist Michael Ellis leads nature trips throughout the world with Footloose Forays (footlooseforays.com).
July 30, 2014 by Michael Ellis
Recently, Bay Area beachcombers have been spotting dozens of mysterious blue jelly-like creatures littering the beaches. What are they, and why are they here? Bay Nature naturalist Michael Ellis explains.
October 10, 2013 by Michael Ellis
Q: I collect rainwater to use on my garden and I’ve found Pacific chorus frogs in the black garbage can that collects the rainwater, but I’ve never seen eggs or tadpoles in there. I wonder why not; would they be too small to see? [Marian, San Jose]
July 07, 2013 by Michael Ellis
Q: Is there a way to tell the difference between male vs female lizards? How do they attract their mates? ...
April 03, 2013 by Michael Ellis
Barnacles are hermaphroditic -- they contain both male and female sex organs. You're thinking, "Well, they always have a date on Saturday night." No, it's a really bad idea to self-fertilize: Inbreeding results in little genetic diversity. Worms, slugs, snails -- slow-moving animals with low rates of encounter -- are all hermaphroditic. And you could not get any slower than an adult barnacle!
January 31, 2013 by Michael Ellis
Should we worry about asbestos in serpentine rock? Yes, a bit. In California, we have North America’s largest exposures. It's even our official state rock.
July 01, 2012 by Michael Ellis
Q: What's the largest underground-dwelling invertebrate in the Bay Area? How does it live?
June 12, 2012 by Michael Ellis
Learn a few secrets of efficiency from the majestic pelican.
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January 01, 2012 by Michael Ellis
Q: When I see bees and hummingbirds feasting on even tiny flowers, I wonder if each flower replenishes the nectar supply, or is it a one-time offering?
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October 01, 2011 by Michael Ellis
Can bees see colors that people can't? What about birds? How do scientists figure out what can be seen by other animals, especially small animals like insects?
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July 01, 2011 by Michael Ellis
The biggest shark in the Bay is the seven-gill--with two more gill slits than the average shark. Why the extras? Well, turns out they’re probably an evolutionary accident, but these are still fascinating animals--up to 10 feet long, and swimming right out there in the Bay!
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April 01, 2011 by Michael Ellis
Bay Nature reader Rich saw a number of dead barn owls along I-5. What's going on? Turns out barn owls may be the most widespread birds in the world -- and they may be the original ghosts!
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January 01, 2011 by Michael Ellis
Michael Ellis declares that ringtails register a 9.9 on the cuteness scale, and they were reputed to shack up with miners during the Gold Rush. Yet longtime field biologist Wendy has yet to see one of these small mammals. They are elusive, but not as uncommon as you might think.
October 01, 2010 by Michael Ellis
We don’t have fireflies in the Bay Area, but we do have glowworms. What are they and why the heck do they light up?
July 01, 2010 by Michael Ellis
Q: Rumor has it there might have been a waterfall at the Golden Gate during the last ice age, when ...
April 01, 2010 by Michael Ellis
Q: I recently saw a video of a cloud of birds moving in wild patterns. Then I saw shorebirds doing ...
January 01, 2010 by Michael Ellis
Can a pelican really hold a week’s worth of food in its bill?
October 01, 2009 by Michael Ellis
The quicksand won't get you, but the quakes might.
July 01, 2009 by Michael Ellis
Which bird that migrates to or through the Bay Area travels the farthest to get here from its breeding grounds?
January 01, 2009 by Michael Ellis
Watch out for these unusual creatures next time you’re walking in a wet forest.
July 01, 2008 by Michael Ellis
Q: How does photosynthesis occur in plants that are not obviously green, such as ornamental plum trees with deep purple-colored ...
April 01, 2008 by Michael Ellis
Q: Last October, while hiking on Mount Tamalpais, near Laurel Dell, I saw numerous swarms of dragonflies. Could you tell ...
January 01, 2008 by Michael Ellis
Q: What native land snails live in the Bay Area? Where do the common garden snails come from, and what’s ...
October 01, 2007 by Michael Ellis
Q: Are native bees suffering the same “colony collapse disorder” as honeybees? [Linda, San Ramon] A: Colony collapse disorder, or ...
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July 01, 2007 by Michael Ellis
Q: Do any local breeding birds mate for life? Why? [Leo, San Francisco] A: Some local birds do form long-lasting ...
April 01, 2007 by Michael Ellis
Q: A group of families goes out every year, catching up to 300 crawdads for a big feast, releasing those ...
January 01, 2007 by Michael Ellis
Q: Which spot in the Bay Area gets the most yearly average rainfall and which spot gets the least? Why? ...
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January 01, 2007 by Michael Ellis
Q: Off San Francisco’s Ocean Beach, I saw dorsal fins beyond the surfers. After 20 minutes, I saw two bearers ...
October 01, 2006 by Michael Ellis
Q: What is the largest species of fish you could find in San Francisco Bay? A: Let’s limit ourselves to ...
October 01, 2006 by Michael Ellis
You can easily visit the 10-million-year-old Sibley Volcano (see Voice of the Volcano, April-June 2005) in the hills above Oakland. ...
July 01, 2002 by Michael Ellis
Back when I used to teach children about nature, I often relied on a “hook” to keep them focused. Slapping ...
October 01, 2001 by Michael Ellis
Most of the world’s 5,000 or so species of mammals are already nocturnal, so the effect of urbanization on their ...
