Archives: Wildlife & Plants

A collection of photos from the Traverse Ranges.

California has much to boast about when it comes to conifers. It has the greatest diversity of coniferous species in the United States, many of which are themselves standouts among their siblings and cousins across the world. The sugar pine is no different. Not only is it the world’s most massive species of pine, it…

Overview A temperate migrant bird, the western yellow-billed cuckoo has a slender body with a long tail and rounded wings. The bird is one of two subspecies of Coccyzus (the other being Coccyzus americanus americanus on the east coast) and has historically ranged throughout most of the American west, including small portions of British Columbia, and northwestern Mexico. As an…

The howl of a coyote is emblematic of the American West, and despite relentless attempts to eradicate them—including here along California’s central coast—coyotes have persevered, survived, and adapted. They are featured prominently in Indigenous stories and culture, and play an important ecological role. Coyotes are found from Costa Rica to northern Alaska, and from coast…

Five species of frogs and three species of toads are found throughout California’s central coast region. Frogs and toads are amphibians—they live part of their lives in water and part on land. The metamorphosis of a tadpole (with a tail and gills) to an adult (with legs and the ability to breathe air) is one…

Etymology: Melospiza is from the Greek words for “song-finch,” and melodia is from the Latin word for “melody.” Description and Habitat The song sparrow is a small songbird that can be found all over North America, ranging from southern Alaska and central Canada to northern Mexico. These birds are typically russet and gray, boasting streaks…

California has more than sixty different species and subspecies of lizards, 15 of which are found in Los Padres National Forest. The most common lizards in California are alligator lizards and fence lizards (also called bluebellies), but there are also many other types of lizards. Skinks are lizards with very smooth, shiny skin; other lizards…

California is home to nearly 50 types of snakes, more than half of which are found in the Los Padres National Forest. Their diversity is sssssimply astounding. Some are active during the day, others are nocturnal; some are so small that they resemble an overgrown earthworm, while others are five feet long; colors range from…

Pronunciation: “ma (mud) – TIL (until) – i (sit) – ja (hop)” California’s second most well-known poppy (behind the California poppy, of course) also happens to have the largest flower of any native plant in the state. The Matilija poppy, occasionally called the fried egg plant, has long been beloved both in the wild and…

Drive through parts of the Los Padres National Forest in November and you may see trees that look remarkably similar to quaking aspens (Populus tremuloides). While the Los Padres has no aspens—the nearest population is in the Sequoia National Forest 75 miles to the north—there are a couple of closely related species that share some…

The only cypress species that grows naturally in the Los Padres National Forest.

Pinus flexilis While common in the Rocky Mountains, the limber pine is harder to find in California. Most populations in the state are in the eastern Sierra Nevada, but surprisingly, the Los Padres National Forest contains the westernmost limber pines in the world. And our two local populations are found only atop Mt. Pinos (8,847…