Back from the ranch and smiling

Looking toward the Pacific from the high chaparral of the Chimineas, September 28, 2010 

I'm just back from the Chimineas where we re-set the cams in the sweaty embrace of the Indian Summer.

The last round of cam trapping yielded the usual cast of characters, or so I was told.

Buddy Craig broke the bad news by email before I arrived -- no new species records for the survey.

It was hard to believe, so I asked him specifically about two sets that I recalled were terribly promising.

No, not this time, he said.

But the depressing news was a ruse.

My youthful colleagues who had collected the cams late last week were thrilled with the findings and wanted to surprise the old codger in their presence.

When we gathered in the cook house Sunday afternoon they gave me a viewing of some pretty neat stuff.

You will start seeing the critters next week.

Meanwhile, go pick some berries and freeze them for the winter.

The days may be hot but they're getting shorter.

Time to wash the bunnies

Periodically the redhead throws Fred's bunnies into the wash, and hangs them out to dry.

That's because periodically Fred's bunnies lose that soft cuddly feeling, become rather crusty with dog saliva, and need a bath.

You see, our post-prandial routine is a game of bunny fetch.

The codger watches the news, eats dessert, and tosses the bunnies from the living room into the kitchen.

Fred retrieves each bunny, drops it in my hand, then sits down and drools and stares at the biscuit on the arm of the couch.

He gets the biscuit when he speaks very softly using his indoor voice -- a very quiet bark or growl through muffled lips.

Using three bunnies reduces the slime factor on each bunny. They just become damp.

Using one bunny can become a messy affair and interfere with enjoying one's dessert.

If those were my bunnies I would be embarrassed to air them on the internet.

But they're Fred's bunnies, and he couldn't care less.

Juvie coyotes of Chimineas

We got lots of juvenile coyote photos back in the summer.

Young dumb coyotes . . .

. . .  but photogenic.

A few were camera shy, and might be around next year.

But I like them all.

Leaf fungus camo

The big leaf maples are dropping leaves, and this one got my attention.

This variety of "spotosis" might be caused by the fungus Rhytisma punctata -- also known as Tar Spot.

The spots however aren't very tarry looking, so I'm not sure.

But the pattern is disruptive and might make decent camouflage for a camera trap.

There's quite a selection of camouflage patterns on the market -- Mossy Oak, Ridge Ghost, and Realtree to mention a few, and I recently saw one called Adrenaline.

Why not Tar Spot?

Culvert cat

Fred showed quite a bit of interest in this culvert last week, so I set a cam there.

It's my first photo of a culvert cat.

Another new species of sengi

Thanks to Richard Lair over in Thailand for alerting me to what looks to be another undescribed species of sengi or elephant shrew.

The presumed new species of sengi  announced its existence to the taxasphere through the medium of the camera trap.

This is hard to believe. The same thing happened only a few years ago.

It's as if undescribed species of sengis are clamoring to be photographed by camera traps.

I'm proud to say that friend, colleague, and fellow Cal Academy of Sciences Fellow Galen Rathbun, was one of the first to be notified.

Galen's expertise on sengi's started as a Peace Corps volunteer in Kenya, and he will forever be esteemed at the Smithsonian's National Zoo for opening their magical world to the zoo's staff and visitors.

Watching them puttering about in the dim light of the research building's basement was a humbling zoological experience for many budding biologists, including yours truly.

Here's to sengis! (Gulp)

Mountain tigers found

Thanks to Terrierman for bringing this camera-trapping news of mountain tigers to my attention.

Treehugger also gives it concise coverage.

It doesn't surprise me. Wild dogs have also been found way up there too.

Where there are ungulates and no poachers you will find large predators.

Enjoy.