Ran into this forest sharp-tailed snake (Contia longicauda), a species that is described as "secretive" because of its leaf litter dwelling lifestyle. Little has been published on the species' behavior because of this - I'd never seen one before! 📍Santa Cruz, CA
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Creeping snowberry (Symphoricarpos mollis) is currently showing off its namesake berries! The berries are edible and allegedly have a light mint flavor (I have yet to test them out).

if this was in effect when I was under 19, I genuinely probably wouldn't be here today. gender affirming care saves lives, and banning it (and "prosecuting the practice") will cause them to be lost. Remember when a member of congress was censured for saying the right has kid's blood on their hands?

eeee!! I've seen lots too :)

adult southern alligator lizard (Elgaria multicarinata) found in Santa Cruz, CA. One of the things I love about this area is the fact we have both northern and southern species ranges overlapping! 🦎

omg omg flamepoint thread this is my son pie

He looks just like my boy 🥺

adult vs juvenile California slender salamanders (Batrachoseps attenuatus) (found in Santa Cruz, CA) 🦎

4 juvenile arboreal salamanders (Aneides lugubris) 🦎

This little guy is an adult California slender salamander (Batrachoseps attenuatus)! They are very common in the areas of Northern California where I grew up, as well as in a limited part of the Sierra Nevada, patches of the northern Central Valley of California, and extreme southwestern Oregon 🦎

(...) And cavity nesters like pileated woodpeckers or red-breasted nuthatches sometimes nest in white alders. (Img: White-headed Woodpecker excavating nest cavity, from birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/... )

(...) Beavers eat their bark and build their dams and lodges with alder wood. Western Tiger Swallowtail butterflies use them as a host plant. The nitrogen-rich leaf litter that drops from an alder into the stream nourishes stream invertebrates, like caddisfly larvae. (bugguide.net/node/view/10...)

white alder facts from www.nps.gov/articles/whi...
White alders, like many riparian plants, feed and shelter much wildlife. Flocks of pine siskins devour their seeds. Mule deer eat their twigs, leaves, and buds. (Instagram post link: shorturl.at/dJNsB )

A subspecies of Western Skink, Skilton's Skink (Plestiodon skiltonianus skiltonianus)! The bright blue tail - only seen on juveniles - detaches easily and writhes back and forth to distract predators.

look at this cool lichen I found. it's a species in the genus Cladonia, a group of moss-like lichens in the family Cladoniaceae. They are the primary food source for reindeer and caribou, and antibiotic compounds are extracted from some species to create antibiotic cream.