Earwig

Posted on May 24, 2024 by tspuckler

I came across one of these interesting insects while hiking in Santa Cruz, California. I occasionally find them in my home state of Ohio as well. In fact, lately they seem to be hanging out in the storage section built into the seats of our plastic deck chairs.

Earwigs have characteristic cerci, a pair of forcep-like pincers on their abdomen, and membranous wings folded underneath short, rarely used forewings, hence the scientific order name, Dermaptrea, which translates to “skin wings.”

Adults can use the cerci in defense, twisting the abdomen forward over the head or sideways to engage an enemy, often another Earwig. The pronounced cerci are the most distinctive feature of Earwigs; in the male the cerci are strongly curved whereas in the female they curve only slightly.

These insects are small (about 1/2 an inch long) and mostly nocturnal. They often hide in small, moist crevices during the day, and are active at night, feeding on a wide variety of insects and plants. They tend to be more common in the southern and southwestern parts of the United States.

Earwigs can also be found throughout the Americas and Eurasia. The Common Earwig was introduced into North America in 1907 from Europe; it was first observed in North America at Seattle, Washington in 1907. It spread quickly, and was reported in Oregon in 1909, British Columbia in 1919, and California in 1923. It reached Rhode Island in 1911, New York in 1912, and most other provinces and northern states in the 1930s and 1940s.

Earwigs are among the few non-social insect species that show maternal care. The mother pays close attention to the needs of her eggs, giving them warmth and protection. She dutifully defends the eggs from predators, not leaving them even to eat, unless the clutch goes bad. She also continuously cleans the eggs to protect them from fungi.

Earwigs are mistakenly thought to enter the ears of sleeping persons and burrow into their brains. This is an urban myth that has no basis in fact. In reality, these menacing-looking insects are totally harmless.

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Oregon Ensatina

Posted on May 17, 2024 by tspuckler

This is my second species of Ensatina that I’ve found while herping California. It tends to be darker in color than the Yellow-eyed Ensatina, which was the first species of this fine salamander that I had come across while looking for reptiles and amphibians.

Ensatinas live in humid forests, woodlands and other areas with woody debris. They hide under logs, bark piles at the base of snags, stumps and even woodpiles in residential areas for cover from weather and protection from predators.

They reach a total length of three to five inches, and can be identified primarily by the structure of the tail – it is narrower at the base and looks like it has a constriction band. They also seen to have very “expressive” faces.

The Oregon Ensatina belongs to a large family know as Lungless Salamanders, because they do not have lungs; instead, they absorb oxygen directly through their skin. They must remain moist at all times so that oxygen and carbon dioxide can diffuse through the skin.

This species is fully terrestrial and the eggs are deposited under logs, in rotting stumps or in other moist environments on the forest floor. Individuals overwinter below the frost line in talus slopes, mammal burrows, root hollows or other underground cavities.

Ensatinas are most active during wet weather and forage on the forest floor for insects, spiders, worms and other arthropods. When threatened, individuals excrete poison from glands on the top of the tail and arch their tail toward the threat. If captured they may autotomize (drop) their tail, which creates a diversion while the salamander escapes.

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California Lilac

Posted on May 10, 2024 by tspuckler

While hiking in Marin County, California, I noticed these hard-to-miss plants. Not a true Lilac, but rather a member of the Buckthorn Family, it is one of the most fragrant and colorful native shrubs on the West Coast.

Native Americans have long used California Lilac blossoms for soap. When rubbed between your hands with water, the blossom lathers. And even more surprising, it has a nice wintergreen aroma.

California Lilac supports local wildlife by serving as an important food source for deer. Its seeds are food for quail. And its flowers are a source of nectar for birds, butterflies and bees. Wild Lilac is also a host plant for the California Tortoiseshell butterfly.

This plant can often be found growing in poor, rocky soil and flourishing in drought stricken areas. They are drought and cold tolerant, and prefer dry soil in full sun to achieve the best blooms. Their extensive root systems allow them to anchor in dry, rocky slopes.

Belonging to the genus Ceanothus, California Lilacs, have around 50 to 60 species. Their waxy, small leaves help them endure Northern California’s dry summers.

Another feature of California Lilac is its nitrogen-fixing ability. Most members of this genus have nitrogen-fixing bacteria in their roots that help to nitrify the soil, thereby reducing the need for fertilization but also enables them to survive wildfires. It is considered a pioneer plant because it’s among the first to grow back after a wildfire.

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Pacific Littleneck Clam

Posted on May 3, 2024 by tspuckler

While tidepooling in Central California, I found this clam. It is native to the Pacific Ocean from Baja California, Mexico to the Aleutian Islands, Alaska. The Pacific Littleneck Clam has a chalky shell that ranges from round- to oval-shaped and is a maximum of 3 inches long. Its shell is very heavy, and this species is sometimes called the “Rock Cockle” because of its strong radiating ridges.

This species is fast-growing and is often harvested in the wild by hand for cooking in chowder. On a wider scale, it is a popular edible clam which is commercially fished in some areas.

Pacific Littleneck Clams are poor diggers that not burrow vertically, due to their short siphons and feet. Thus, individuals remain close to surface of the substrate where they easily burrow horizontally. Since it is a relatively slow digger, it is not found in areas with unstable sand.

In 1885, this species was introduced to the East Coast of North America. The clams were brought from Oregon and Washington and planted near Woods Hole, Massachusetts, but they did not survive and were never found in the surrounding area.

The Pacific Littleneck Clam is also known as the Littleneck Clam, Common Pacific Littleneck, Rock Cockle, Hardshell Clam, Tomales Bay Cockle, Rock Clam, and Ribbed Carpet Shell.

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Cabezon

Posted on April 27, 2024 by tspuckler

While tidepooling on the California coast, we caught this cool fish that I had never seen before. It is the only known member of its genus. The name “Cabezon” comes from Spanish meaning “large head,” which is a main identifying feature for this species.

This is a scaleless fish with a broad bony support extending from the eye across the cheek just under the skin. It can grow up to 3 feet in length and weigh over 24 pounds, but on average they weigh 4 pounds and are less than two feet long.

This species ranges in color, with varying shades of brown, red, or green, with lots of darker mottling to help with camouflage. Females are usually greenish while males are more reddish.

Cabezon are found in the northeast Pacific Ocean from Alaska to Baja California. They feed on crustaceans, mollusks, fish and fish eggs – though they are indiscriminate and eat whatever will fit in their mouths. They are ambush predators that patiently wait for passing by prey, then lunge to engulf their prey with their large mouth.

Adults spawn on rocky outcrops in shallow water and males guard the eggs until they hatch. After hatching, the offspring settle at intertidal pools then move to reefs and kelp forests. Cabezons tend to live near coastlines with rocky, sandy, and muddy, hard bottoms.

Cabezon is prized as a recreational game fish.

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Marine Hermit Crab

Posted on April 19, 2024 by tspuckler

Often when I look in a tidepool I see nothing of interest. By if I stare into the water long enough, I’ll start to see small creatures reveal themselves by their movements. Most of these inhabitants are well-camoflauged and only their activities give them away. A great example of this is the Marine Hermit Crab.

There are over 500 species of hermit crabs around the world, and they’ve evolved a unique body shape to fit into their shell homes. Unlike free-living crabs, their abdomens aren’t covered in a hard exoskeleton but rather a thin, soft one; their abdomens are also twisted to fit the spiral cavity of the snail shells in which they make their homes. Some species live mostly on land, while others rarely leave the water.

Like all crabs, the Marine Hermit Crab is a decapod — it has five pairs of legs, including a pair of claws. It uses its claws for defense and food shredding as well as eating. The second and third pairs of legs help the crab walk, and the last two pairs hold the crab in its shell.

Hermit Crabs are pretty easygoing about what they eat. In fact, they’ll dine on just about anything they can find in the water that surrounds them – including small fish, invertebrates such as worms, plankton and any food particles that happen to be floating by.

Hermit Crabs don’t kill the snails in whose shells they make their homes. They’re actually able to smell dead or dying snails, which can lead them to a potential shell. But competition for such shells can be fierce. They may fight to the death in pursuit of a shell. And, as they grow, they must seek out new shells in which to live.

Contrary to their name, hermit crabs live very social lives. They live in big groups, travel together and even meet up to search for food and shells.

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Fluffy Sculpin

Posted on April 12, 2024 by tspuckler

While tidepooling in Central California, we found a few examples of this cool fish.

The Fluffy Sculpin (also known as the Lizard Fish) inhabits the coastal northwestern Pacific Ocean, ranging from Kodiak, Alaska to Baja California. Individuals reach up to 3-1/2 inches in length and are commonly found in tidepools; they are often associated with algae.

The Fluffy Sculpin varies significantly in color and pattern, with a spotted or mottled pattern ranging from emerald green to reddish, to pink with a blue underbelly. They are difficult to detect in their native environment as their blotchy camouflage pattern matches well with their surroundings.

This fish has no scales, but rather has “fluffy flesh” behind its dorsal fin for which it gets its name.

The Fluffy Sculpin is a predator, with a diet consisting mainly of amphipods and polychaete worms. Larger individuals also feed on small shrimp and crabs.

As with many other intertidal fishes, a homing mechanism has been documented in this species. It is suggested that Fluffy Sculpins occupy home ranges of more than one pool. It is also suggested that the fluctuating intertidal environment demands that these fish be able to find and recognize safe spots.

If conditions deteriorate in the pool inhabited by the Fluffy Sculpin when the tide is out, it is able to leave the water and breathe air. This species is a particularly interesting air breather, because its respiratory rates in air and in water are similar and stable.

This is a super cool fish that not only is common, but is also fun to find, due to its variablilty in appearance.

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Sidewinder

Posted on April 5, 2024 by tspuckler

This is a small (usually about two feet) rattlesnake that I occasionally encounter on my visits to the Las Vegas area. The species is nocturnal during hot months (April to October) and diurnal during the cooler months of its activity period, which is roughly from November to March.

The common name “sidewinder” alludes to its unusual sideways form of locomotion, moving its body moving in an S-shaped curve, which is thought to give it traction on loose desert sand. It is often found in arid desert flatlands, loose, sandy washes, hard pan flats and rocky areas. I have only found them at night crossing little-used roads.

This snake is usually light tan in color with dark spots. It has rough, keeled scales, which aid in its unique sidewinding locomotion. The projections over each eye (called supraoculars) are pointed and upturned, giving them a horn-like appearance – providing this reptile with the nickname, “Horned Rattlesnake.”

Juveniles twitch their tails to attract lizard prey, a behavior termed “caudal luring.” Adults lose this behavior as they make the transition from lizard prey to a primary diet of desert rodents, birds, and other snakes.

Like other rattlesnakes, Sidewinders give birth to live offspring, producing an average of 10 babies per litter. Baby Sidewinders engage in a remarkable behavioral homeothermy (thermoregulation that maintains a stable internal body temperature regardless of external influence) that has not been observed in any other type of snake. Following birth, they mass together in their natal burrow. Most often, gravid females select an east-facing, small-diameter rodent burrow for giving birth.

For the first week or so of their lives, babies plug the entrance to this burrow during daylight hours, forming a dynamic multiple-individual mass that takes advantage of the hot exterior environment and the cool interior of the burrow to maintain an average aggregate temperature of 90°F (the optimal temperature for shedding). The dynamic mass of neonates modifies the thermal environment at the burrow entrance so that the young can occupy a location that would ordinarily become lethally hot for an individual snake.

Sidewinders have an extraordinarily accelerated lifecycle, with natural life expectancies of females of about 5 years. Like other rattlesnakes, they are a pit vipers and use venom to subdue their prey.

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Robber Fly

Posted on March 29, 2024 by tspuckler

I have seen this cool insect from as close as just outside my back door, to both the East Coast and West Coast – and a number of places in between.

Also known as “Assassin Flies,” their common name reflects their aggressive predatory behavior; they feed mainly on other insects that they catch in flight.

Robber Flies are powerfully built. They attack their prey by stabbing it with their short, strong, pointed tubular mouthpart. They have long, strong legs that are bristled to aid in capturing prey.

The mouthpart, known as a proboscis, injects the victim with saliva containing neurotoxic and proteolytic enzymes which very rapidly paralyze the prey and soon digest the insides. The Robber Fly then sucks the liquefied material through its proboscis.

These creatures hunt a very wide range of prey, including other flies, beetles, butterflies and moths, bees, ants, dragonflies and damselflies, wasps, grasshoppers and some spiders.

Robber Flies often establish a “perching zone” in which to locate potential prey. The height of the perch may vary, but they are generally in open, sunny locations.

Though they vary widely in appearance, Robber Flies have a characteristic divot on top of the head, which is located between their especially prominent compound eyes.

Different species vary in appearance and some types mimic wasps and bees. Most species are gray-to-black and have a long, narrow, tapering abdomen containing segments that may be banded or contrasting in color.

It is fun to come across the many different types of this very interesting invertebrate wherever I go.

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Beavertail Cactus

Posted on March 22, 2024 by tspuckler

While hiking through the Arizona and Nevada desert, I often seen this classic arid-land plant. Found in the southwestern United States, it occurs mostly in the Mojave, Anza-Borrego, and Colorado Deserts, as well as in the Colorado Plateau and northwest Mexico.

Beavertail Cactus looks like the Prickly Pear Cactus, but does not have long spines. This is a medium-to-small species that grows to about a foot tall, with pink-to-rose colored flowers. This plant can be found in chaparral, desert and grassland. It grows in well drained soil composed of sand, gravel, cobble and even on boulders.

A single plant may consist of hundreds of fleshy, flattened pads. These gray-green, jointed stems are wide and flat resembling the tail of a Beaver. Although they lack spines, they have many small barbed bristles, called glochids, that easily penetrate the skin.

The Cahuilla Native Americans used this plant as a food staple. Its buds were cooked or steamed, and then were eaten or stored. Its large seeds were ground up to be eaten as mush. The Desert Tortoise enjoys eating the juicy pads and the magenta-colored flowers of this plant.

Beavertail is usually the first cactus in the Mojave Desert to bloom, flowering as early as February and through May.

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Tim Spuckler's Blog

Reptile Ramblings and More

Earwig

Oregon Ensatina

California Lilac

Pacific Littleneck Clam

Cabezon

Marine Hermit Crab

Fluffy Sculpin

Sidewinder

Robber Fly

Beavertail Cactus