Grebes

March 4, 2024

Winter of the Grebes

Pacific Wildlife Care Animals in Trouble, Rescue animal rescue, Grebes

For a while this season, PWC turned into “Grebe Town.” Western and Clark’s Grebes filled the treatment room, carriers, drying pens, seabird room, and outdoor pools. Admitted by the dozens, all were dehydrated, most emaciated and weak, and many storm-tossed or oiled—usually due to natural seep from the ocean floor. Some had crash-landed on parking […]

❤️🕷️ Have no fear! This time of year you may see wandering tarantulas out and about. They are usually males in search of a female. Please leave them be as they mean you no harm. They rarely bite but do have itchy hairs they will use if provoked. Let them go about their business and you can walk away knowing you got to see a really cool animal! 🙂

📸 Kelly V.

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2 days ago

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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

4 days ago

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