animals

These are residents in the area but we rarely see them. This year was different. Possibly as it was so dry last year? For whatever reason, when the bears in the area noticed spring was coming we began seeing repeated visits. For the most part they had just as much fear of us as vice versa

evidence of a bear visiting — Evidence of a bear visiting. No idea what it is digging for but it revisited this spot a few times.

A lot of cool animals live here. This is a tiny fraction.
Getting photographs for most of them is a real challenge.

Ariolimax columbianus
Pacific Banana Slug

Pacific Banana Slug (Ariolimax columbianus) — *Ariolimax columbianus*

Monadenia infumata Redwood Sideband

Redwood Sideband (Monadenia infumata) — Redwood Sideband (*Monadenia infumata*)

Camponotus sp.
Carpenter ants

Camponotus modoc
Western black carpenter ants

Monochamus scutellatus
Spotted pine sawyer

Peltis pippingskoeldi
A bark beetle

Platyceroides agassii
One of the many Scarab beetles

Prionus californicus
California root borer

Timema douglasi

A parthenogenic doug-fir specialist that is said to be the smallest walking stick insect.

Zarhipis integripennis
Western Banded Glowworm

Unidentified bug with a Piptoporus betulinus

Some sort of bug with a Piptoporus betulinus — Some sort of bug with a *Piptoporus betulinus*

Some sort of bug — A true bug with great camoflage

Pseudoscorpion

MAYBE Lithobius forficatus
A Stone Centipede

A stone centipede MAYBE Lithobius forficatus — MAYBE *Lithobius forficatus*

Harpaphe sp.
Almond-scented millipede

Paeromopus angusticeps buttensis

millipede-IMG_1611 — a millipede (*Paeromopus angusticeps buttensis*)

Xystocheir dissecta
Redwood Xystocherini

Titiotus sp.
An endemic genus of spiders

Araneus gemma
Cat-faced spider

Uroctonus mordax
Forest scorpion

Uroctonus mordax April 2015 — *Uroctonus mordax* April 2015

Ticks
It is almost impossible to go out during mild weather and not pick up a tick in the forest or meadows around here.

Ixodes pacificus
Black-legged tick

This is the business end of one thing about the forest that really sucks, ticks.

These were abundant and especially active during May-June 2015. It has been almost impossible to go out during mild weather and not pick up a tick in the forest or meadows around here right now.

Ixodes pacificus adult female — Adult female *Ixodes pacificus*

Vaejovis puritanus
One of several scorpions that live here; species ID may or may not be right. This is an older picture of something that we only very rarely encounter.

Batrachoseps attenuatus
California Slender Salamander

Batrachoseps attenuatus on 3 March 2016 — *Batrachoseps attenuatus*

Dicamptodon ensatus
California Giant Salamander

Aneides flavipunctatus flavipunctatus
Speckled-black salamander
Some of these are solid black and some are speckled with yellow.

Speckled black salamander; Aneides flavipunctatus flavipunctatus — *Aneides flavipunctatus flavipunctatus*

Aneides flavipunctatus flavipunctatus on 3 March 2016 — ***Aneides flavipunctatus flavipunctatus*** on 3 March 2016

T aricha granulosa granulosa
Rough-skinned newt

Taricha-granulosa-granulosa-oct2015 — *Taricha granulosa granulosa*

Acris crepitans
Pacific chorus frog

Bufo boreas
Forest toad

Diadophis punctatus occidentalis
Northwestern Ring-necked Snake

Lampropeltis getula californiae
California king-snake

california-kingsnake-IMG_1327 — California king-snake (*Lampropeltis getula californiae*)

california-kingsnake-IMG_1331 — *Lampropeltis getula californiae*

Pituophis catenifer catenifer
Pacific gopher snake

The next individual was not seen here at home but was encountered while visiting the Shulgin farm.

Thamnophis atratus hydrophilus
Oregon Gartersnake

Thamnophis sirtalis infernalis
California Red-sided Gartersnake

California garter snake — *Thamnophis sirtalis infernalis*

Plestiodon skiltonianus skiltonianus

Elgaria spp.
Alligator lizard

Sceloporus occidentalis
Western fence lizard

Corvus corax
Common raven

This image was taken a few miles from home in Ukiah but these live and nest here on site.

Meleagris gallopavo
Wild turkeys
This is a conservationist success story. This bird species nearly went extinct due to overhunting. Reintroduction activity (largely through redistribution of existing birds) lead to a huge rebound of the population including in many areas where it did not formerly exist. It is so common now that most people have no idea that it almost disappeared from the planet.