Cape Horn is a concrete and earth-filled dam on the upper Eel River in Mendocino County. About 140 miles north of San Francisco, the dam was built in 1907 and blocks the waters of the Eel to form the Van … Read more
The Bay Area is the Center of an Evolutionary Race Between Hungry Snakes and Toxic Newts
Newts carry enough toxin to kill a dozen people. Yet in the Bay Area garter snakes feast on them without harm.
Look Close for The Blue-Eyed Coyotes of Point Reyes
Sightings of coyotes with steely irises are sporadic and rare, so no one is sure how many individuals there are in the park or if their population is increasing or decreasing.
Can Artificial Intelligence Identify Species from Sound Alone? A North Bay Group is Trying
It is now a given that the health of an ecosystem can be measured by the abundance and diversity of the native organisms able to survive and thrive there – i.e., its level of biodiversity. The concept has now even … Read more
How Do You Tell the Difference Between Shrews, Moles, and Shrew Moles?
A reader finds a dead small mammal. Is it a mole? A shrew? A shrew mole?
A Pervasive Invasive: the Argentine Ant
The Argentine ant is likely the most successful invasive species in California. But a 30-year dataset from Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve suggests they’re not invincible.
Species to Look for in Spring 2022
An illustrated guide to nature to look for in spring 2022.
Annie the Falcon Came Back from Presumed Dead, but Life Hasn’t Returned to Normal for UC Berkeley’s Cal Falcons
A year of exceptional drama in the lives of Cal’s peregrine falcons continues.
Raccoons, Skunks, and Foxes Falling Sick in the Bay Area as a Respiratory Virus Spreads
A fox looks sick in the Presidio, and Animal Care and Control reports increased numbers of sick raccoons and skunks.
Sea Otters in San Francisco?
Ever since the 1930s, when an improbable remnant colony of sea otters was discovered off the rugged Big Sur coast after more than a century of intensive fur hunting, Californians have worked to bring the animals back from the edge … Read more