CNDDB News Blog

Photo: Coachella Valley fringe-toed lizard by Jeb Bjerke (CDFW)

If you have ever walked on sand, you may know the struggle of moving on a constantly shifting terrain. Lizards of the genus Uma, also known as fringe-toed lizards, are desert dwellers adapted to moving on and through sand. These lizards inhabit windblown sand deposits made of fine particles, including dunes and washes.

Aptly named for the protruding scales on their back toes, their fringed toes help them stay on the surface and move across the sand with ease. In addition to their fancy feet, they have protective traits that allow them to burrow in the sand comfortably such as interlocking eyelid scales, ear flaps, and the ability to close their nostrils. Unfortunately, their protective traits have not shielded them from habitat loss and impacts from off-road vehicles.

There are three species of fringe-toed lizards that occur in California, all of which the CNDDB tracks: Uma scoparia (Mohave fringe-toed lizard), U. notata (Colorado Desert fringe-toed lizard), and U. inornata (Coachella Valley fringe-toed lizard). If you happen to see any of these fancy friends, tell us about your encounter via the Online Field Survey Form.

Today we tip our hat to stoneflies, aquatic insects in the order Plecoptera. Stoneflies have a worldwide distribution of over 3,000 species, around 160 of which occur in California. They’re a hugely important part of riparian food webs!

Stoneflies spend the first 1-4 years of their life underwater as nymphs (or naiads). The nymphs require well-oxygenated water and are highly sensitive to pollution. They undergo successive molts, finally emerging from the water for their final molt into adult form when conditions are just right. Adults are typically winged, though not strong fliers, and survive just a few weeks to mate and lay their eggs over water, beginning the cycle again. Ralph and Lisa Cutter’s film, Bugs of the Underworld, includes a beautifully-filmed stonefly’s-eye view of this life cycle.

Of the two stonefly species CNDDB currently tracks, the Lake Tahoe benthic stonefly (Capnia lacustra) is unusual in that it is wingless and spends its entire life cycle underwater, in the deep-water plant beds 30 to 90 meters below the surface of Lake Tahoe. UNR biologist Annie Caires documented an even more surprising adaptation during her studies of the species: live birth! An article in New Scientist shares more about Dr. Caires’ findings. Unfortunately, the studies also showed habitat and population declines for this unique organism.

At least seven of California’s native stonefly species have developed another astonishing behavior: communication by drumming! Certain species signal potential mates by tapping their posterior abdomens on resonant substrates, producing characteristic rhythms. Dedicated researchers have developed special equipment to record these unique drumming signals. John Sandberg, at CDFW’s Aquatic Bioassessment Lab at CSU Chico, takes his miniature stonefly recording studio into the field; his website includes instructions on how to build your own recording setup. If you’re not ready for that level of dedication, don’t worry: the website also has a page of downloadable recordings and videos of drumming for several species.

If you enjoy these sounds as much as we did, stay tuned for Dr. Sandberg and coauthor Luke Myers’ upcoming manuscript summarizing the known Nearctic signal description from 1977 to 2015. The manuscript, to be published in the online journal Illiesia, will provide a starting point for all future research.

Let the incredible sounds and remarkable behaviors of these tiny animals be a reminder to us all to pay more attention to the insects around us! See the Special Animals List on our website for a complete list of the insects and other invertebrates we track. And don’t forget to report your observations on our Online Field Survey Form!

Live birth of Capnia lacustra nymph (Credit: Annie Caires)

Wingless, aquatic adults of Capnia lacustra (credit: Annie Caires)

With the approach of spring, the grasslands and oak savannahs of Northern California have turned vibrant again. It is time for a rare treasure to reemerge.

Fritillaria pluriflora, the abobe lily, is endemic to the east and west edges of the Central Valley and the surrounding foothills from Tehama County through Solano County. This species has a California Rare Plant Rank of 1B.2, meaning it is rare, threatened, or endangered in California and elsewhere, and moderately threatened in California.

Adobe lily grows in clay soils which are often influenced by serpentine. Its bulbs lie dormant several centimeters below the surface for most of the year, seeking protection from summer droughts, grazers, and the occasional wildfires which rush through its habitats.

Between February and April F. pluriflora come into bloom with a display of pink and purple flowers 2 to 3.5 cm in length. Some populations also include a white-flowered form.

Try exploring a quiet country lane this month. If you come across a cluster of these gems nodding in the breeze, don’t speak. Just breathe. Take it in. Imagine the shaggy mastodons who once ambled across fields of this same species of lily, in a land which would later be named California.

When you regain your composure, pull out your phone and collect some coordinates for the CNDDB. Fritillaria pluriflora should not go the way of the mastodon.