Good news: there are likely more whales in the Bay because there are more whales overall.
What do you want to know about the natural world? Thanks to donations from readers like you, Bay Nature has teamed up with the naturalists at the California Center for Natural History to answer your questions about the world every other Tuesday. Some questions find their way to naturalist Michael Ellis, whose answers appear in our quarterly print magazine. Email us your questions at atn@baynature.org!
Ask The Naturalist: How Do I Know If a Lizard Is Male Or Female?
While there are few hard and fast rules in the natural world, here are a some things to look for when trying to determine the sex of a lizard.
Can You Take the Temperature By Cricket?
Is it true that some crickets can tell us the temperature? If so, how does it work and what are the Bay Area species to listen for?
Is This the Worst Flooding Year Ever?
Was this year’s flooding the worst Northern California has ever seen?
Ask The Naturalist: Do Badgers Hibernate?
Do badgers hibernate during the winter? And if not, when *do* they emerge from their burrows? Guest naturalist Susan Kirks answers.
Why Do Tule Elk Drop Their Antlers Every Year?
Ask the Naturalist: Why do tule elk drop their antlers every year?
Ask The Naturalist: How Important Are Red Toyon Berries To the Winter Food Chain?
For a lesson in food chain dynamics, go ahead and observe a fruiting toyon bush this winter.
Are Bay Area Bats Threatened With White Nose Syndrome?
Ask the naturalist: Bay Area bats and white-nose syndrome.
Ask the Naturalist: Do I See More Squirrels in Marin?
A reader asks: Are there more squirrels running around this fall than in years past?
How Do Marine Mammals Sleep?
How do marine mammals sleep? And is sleep essential for their survival?