CNDDB News Blog

2020 is here, and we continue our monthly spotlight of talented photographers and their wonderful photos of rare plants and animals submitted through the Online Field Survey Form. Here are a couple of our favorites to start off the year with:

Navarretia ojaiensis – Ojai navarretia

Submitted by Ryan Myers, SWCA Environmental Consultants

This extremely rare, endemic plant was found by Ryan Myers in Ventura County. It is listed as a 1B.1 (rare, threatened, or endangered in California and elsewhere, seriously threatened in California) in the California Rare Plant Ranking system. Navarretia ojaiensis can be found in openings in chaparral and coastal scrub as well as valley and foothill grasslands. It blooms from May to July, bringing a little color to those summer hikes. A big thank you to Ryan for this amazing photo and all the hard work you do!

Rana aurora – northern red-legged frog

Submitted by Risa Okuyama, Mother Earth Engineering

Risa came across this camouflaged northern red-legged frog near Big Lagoon in Humboldt county. The northern red-legged frog inhabits the northwest portion of the state in Del Norte, Humboldt, and Mendocino counties and is one of nine true frog species the database tracks. Their relatively long rear legs allow them to leap far distances making this their main mode of defense from escaping predators. They can be found in grasslands, woodlands, humid forests, and plant covered stream sides. Populations of Rana aurora face threats such as predation by the introduced American bullfrog and poor water quality. The northern red-legged frog was previously known as a subspecies of Rana aurora along with the California red-legged frog before being split into two separate species. Currently, CNDDB has 292 mapped occurrences of the northern red-legged frog all along the northern coast. Thank you, Risa, for catching a picture of this steadily posed amphibian!

Do you have some great photos of rare plants or wildlife detections? Submit them along with your findings through our Online Field Survey Form and see if your photos get showcased!

Happy New Year, folks! 2019 whizzed by, but we stayed busy throughout. Here are some of our proud achievements from 2019, as well as what we’re striving toward in 2020.

2019 By the Numbers:

• 97,000 total occurrences in CNDDB
  • 2,900 new occurrences mapped
  • 2,100 occurrences updated
• 240,000 total source records in CNDDB
  • 12,700 sources added (7,800 records added through the Online Field Survey Form)
  • 9,300 sources processed
• 182,000 total spotted owl records
  • 9,000 spotted owl records (5,000+ CSO and 4,000+ NSO) added
  • 1,200 spotted owl sites updated
  • 200 activity centers updated
• 1,300 barred owl records added to the Barred Owl Observations Database
• S-ranks for 2,400+ CNDDB-tracked non-vascular plants, bryophytes, and lichens have now been updated within the past 5 years
• Provided 8 training classes for 96 students across the state
• Continued expanding our CNDDB iNaturalist Project (Join us!)
  • 12,800 observations
  • 1,600 species
  • 1,500 people

Other Accomplishments:

• Released the Spotted Owl Observations Management Framework (PDF)
• Modified the QuickView Tool to incorporate spotted owl data
• Posted updated peregrine falcon, bald eagle, and golden eagle datasets to BIOS, in conjunction with the Wildlife Branch; the datasets are now available to Government CNDDB Subscribers
• Launched a new user management system
  • Allows subscriber organizations to have control over their own accounts
  • Provides CNDDB an avenue to engage directly with our users
• Collaborated with Calflora to update their Observer Pro plant observation app to include a new rare species observation form where you can fill out the detailed fields that CNDDB needs to make high quality occurrences
• Reviewed habitat models for 600 at-risk plant species for inclusion in NatureServe’s Map of Biodiversity Importance project
• Celebrated CNDDB’s 40th birthday
• Developed an internal Strategic Action Planning Framework to work on improvements to our program, processes, and products. Focus areas include:
  • Data processing/methodology
    • Developed and transitioned into a paperless workflow
    • Exploring options for developing an observation-based data management system
  • Technology/tools
    • Made available a CNDDB data template with field names and definitions
  • External communication/coordination
    • Maintained a steady output of blog posts (68 posts for 2019)
      • Let us know: which posts were your favorite?
      • What kinds of posts would you like to see in the future?
    • Presented posters at the AFS & TWS Joint Conference in Reno, Nevada
      • Databases of the California Natural Diversity Database Program
      • The California Natural Diversity Database and iNaturalist
    • Gave a talk for CDFW’s Conservation Lecture Series
      • CNDDB Looks at 40: The Past, Present, and Future of the California Natural Diversity Database Program
  • Internal development
    • Staff training and continued education (lunch & learn)

Goals for 2020:

• Continue and expand CNDDB News blog as an outreach tool
• Utilize new user management system to improve outreach and provide additional feedback opportunities
• Update our documentation and training materials
• Continue planning and development of an observations data management system
• Identify and evaluate mobile data submission options
• Focus on updating S-ranks for CNDDB-tracked animals

And, of course, we will continue producing high-quality data for environmental planners and researchers to use in protecting California’s rarest natural resources. We can’t do it without your help, though, so please remember to submit your 2019 data. As always, you can contact us at any time with suggestions. Wishing everyone a wonderful 2020!

Red diamond rattlesnake. Courtesy of LA Dawson (CC BY-SA 2.5) via Wikimedia Commons

January 28 marks Rattlesnake Appreciation Day. This is a good time to appraise our instinctual fears and celebrate our rattlesnakes.

For many years rattlesnakes were considered dangerous vermin and killed indiscriminately. Today a more nuanced view is taking hold. Rattlesnakes have been part of the ecosystem for 10 million years and should be respected for being another of nature’s predators.

While over 3000 people die in auto accidents in California each year, the state averages less than one snakebite death annually. We should be more afraid of our cars than our snakes!

California is home to ten rattlesnake taxa. CNDDB tracks one of those, the red-diamond rattlesnake (Crotalus ruber) which is a state Species of Special Concern. The primary threats to this species are urbanization and fragmentation of habitat.

Crotalus ruber can be found in the far southwestern portion of California, with a range extending from Los Angeles County south throughout most of the Baja California Peninsula. While rodents make up most of its diet, the species is also known to take rabbits, skunks, lizards, and birds. Typical habitat includes rocky areas within chaparral or woodland below 3000 feet in elevation.

Fun fact: You may already know that rattlers can sense both the light and heat coming off their prey, but did you know their olfactory system provides them with a directional sense of smell?

Use today as an opportunity to spread a little rattlesnake appreciation. Maybe show a child an online video demonstrating the hunting prowess of a Crotalus. You’ll be sure to get that kid’s attention. Point out that rattlers fill a predatory niche similar to hawks and bobcats. Remember that people don’t work to protect what they don’t understand. Today’s children will become tomorrow’s leaders.

Of course, we would be remiss if we failed to mention that a rattlesnake bite may result in serious injury and should always be considered a medical emergency. Keep some distance, appreciate our rattlesnakes through your telephoto lens, and submit any detections of red-diamond rattlers through our Online Field Survey Form.

For more information on sharing the land with our rattlesnake neighbors visit the CDFW Keep Me Wild page.