CNDDB News Blog

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.

CNDDB and CDFW are implementing a new system for managing subscriber access to CNDDB-related data and tools, including RareFind 5, the CNDDB and Spotted Owl Data Viewer, CNDDB-related datasets in BIOS, and downloadable GIS files for both the CNDDB and Spotted Owl Observations Database. We will no longer be distributing the monthly cnddb_gov and cnddb_com login and password information to our subscribers. Instead, starting February 4, 2020, any user wishing to access CNDDB data and tools will be required to register for an individual CDFW account and be listed as an authorized user under a current CNDDB subscription.

We have developed a custom web application to allow subscription account-holders to independently maintain their authorized user lists. The process is straightforward: subscription administrators create a list of authorized users for their organization, and those users create individual login accounts. Once an individual account has been verified as an authorized user, that individual will be able to log in using their personal credentials as long as the subscription remains active.

This new system has many benefits for subscribers and CNDDB alike:

• Provides a mechanism for subscribers to easily control who has access through their subscription
• Allows subscribers to add, edit, or remove authorized users at any time
• No monthly password updates to keep track of
• Addresses IT security concerns associated with multiple users accessing secure data via the same login account
• Facilitates a better understanding of our CNDDB subscription client base
• Improves customer service by enabling CNDDB staff to communicate more effectively and directly with our users

More information can be found in the Subscription User Management Instructions and FAQs (PDF), and please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions.

Calflora has developed a new rare plant data collection form that enables users to more easily fill out the detailed fields CNDDB staff need to generate high quality occurrence records. Supported with funding from the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, and designed in collaboration with Parks Conservancy staff, CNDDB experts, and rare plant botanists from throughout California, this new form allows users to collect rare plant observation information in the field via the Calflora Observer Pro mobile application, available for iOS and Android devices.

To use the new Calflora form, you must have a registered Calflora account and join the Specialty Group when logged in to the Calflora webpage. You will see the new form when you refresh Observer Pro and when you enter data using the Specialty Group in Plant Observation Entry.

Calflora also has an option to obscure your rare plant observations. If you choose to obscure your observations, we recommend that you allow CNDDB to have access to your unobscured location information by indicating your preference in My Calflora / Preferences under Observation Sharing.

Keep in mind that observations entered into the Calflora database are not automatically submitted to the CNDDB. To ensure we receive your data, you can notify us of your Calflora upload or submit your data directly to CNDDB.