California Condor

August 2, 2024

A First for PWC!

Pacific Wildlife Care Clinic News, News Worthy, Wildlife Rehabilitation Animal Care, California Condor

On Friday, July 26th a California Department of Fish and Wildlife Services biologist brought an endangered California Condor into PWC’s clinic. This was the first time an endangered Condor had come to us for treatment. The bird who arrived was a 3-year-old juvenile with an orange wing tag, number 87 (The actual number is #1087). […]

Our favorite BioBlitz image of the week can be found here: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/238274437 by @naturesdawn of the non-venomous California King Snake! Photographed on our North Coast in Cayucos, take a close look at the image, as two snake species were captured in the photo! The California King Snake has a black body with cream-colored bands going around the body, while the Garter Snake has a black body with yellowish stripes going down the length of the snake. The King Snake species are named as such because of their tendency to consume other snakes as part of their diet, including venomous species and those of their own kind. Anywhere from three to five feet in length, the California species are powerful constrictors that also consume lizards, frogs, birds, eggs, and most importantly, rodents. This variable appetite makes them especially important to keep an ecological balance in their habitats. The California King Snake has many interesting adaptations including climbing trees and being good swimmers, but perhaps most interesting is their ability to mimic a rattlesnake. If threatened, they may give off a musky smell, while hissing, and vibrating their tails in leaf litter in order to sound like a rattlesnake rattle. Another fun fact is that they are immune to rattlesnake venom, which becomes neutralized by proteins in the King Snakes blood! This is a highly diverse species that can be found in various habitats, including forest, grassland, deserts, and suburban areas. Thank you, @naturesdawn!!! And thank you to everyone who has participated in our BioBlitz on iNaturalist so far! We love seeing all of the SLOcal wildlife, keep it coming 🐍🌱

Our favorite BioBlitz image of the week can be found here: www.inaturalist.org/observations/238274437 by @naturesdawn of the non-venomous California King Snake!

Photographed on our North Coast in Cayucos, take a close look at the image, as two snake species were captured in the photo! The California King Snake has a black body with cream-colored bands going around the body, while the Garter Snake has a black body with yellowish stripes going down the length of the snake.

The King Snake species are named as such because of their tendency to consume other snakes as part of their diet, including venomous species and those of their own kind. Anywhere from three to five feet in length, the California species are powerful constrictors that also consume lizards, frogs, birds, eggs, and most importantly, rodents. This variable appetite makes them especially important to keep an ecological balance in their habitats.

The California King Snake has many interesting adaptations including climbing trees and being good swimmers, but perhaps most interesting is their ability to mimic a rattlesnake. If threatened, they may give off a musky smell, while hissing, and vibrating their tails in leaf litter in order to sound like a rattlesnake rattle. Another fun fact is that they are immune to rattlesnake venom, which becomes neutralized by proteins in the King Snake's blood! This is a highly diverse species that can be found in various habitats, including forest, grassland, deserts, and suburban areas.

Thank you, @naturesdawn!!! And thank you to everyone who has participated in our BioBlitz on iNaturalist so far! We love seeing all of the SLOcal wildlife, keep it coming 🐍🌱 ... See MoreSee Less

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Let’s come together and keep SLO County clean! Protecting our waterways and parks benefits us all… join our partner ECOSLO next Saturday, September 21st from 9am to 2pm at one of many locations around SLO county for their annual Creeks to Coast Cleanup! This is part of a statewide cleanup day 🌱🌊🐋

You can register to participate by following this link: bit.ly/CreeksToCoast2024 ... See MoreSee Less

3 days ago

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