CNDDB News Blog

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.

Today we celebrate rodents of the Sciuridae family which includes squirrels and chipmunks. With their bushy tail, small ears, and large eyes, it’s easy to see how these creatures with such cute features has captured the hearts of many humans throughout history.

The CNDDB tracks 10 members of the Sciuridae family:

Nelson's antelope squirrel (Ammospermophilus nelsoni)
San Bernardino golden-mantled ground squirrel (Callospermophilus lateralis bernardinus)
San Bernardino flying squirrel (Glaucomys oregonensis californicus)
Alpine chipmunk (Neotamias alpinus)
Kingston Mountain chipmunk (Neotamias panamintinus acrus)
Mount Pinos chipmunk (Neotamias speciosus callipeplus)
Lodgepole chipmunk (Neotamias speciosus speciosus)
Piute ground squirrel (Urocitellus mollis)
Mohave ground squirrel (Xerospermophilus mohavensis)
Palm Springs round-tailed ground squirrel (Xerospermophilus tereticaudus chlorus)

If you happen to see any of them please let us know via our Online Field Survey Form.

The quarterly update of the Barred Owl Observations Database is available in the BIOS Viewer for CNDDB subscribers. The barred owl database includes barred owl (Strix varia), Strix hybrid, and unknown Strix detections.

Many of the records represent incidental detections made during spotted owl surveys; therefore, this dataset may not accurately represent the current distribution of barred owls in California. Furthermore, this dataset is only available to CNDDB subscribers because it contains references to sensitive spotted owl locations. A public version will be available in the future.

For a copy of the geodatabase or for site-specific inquiries, contact the database manager at owlobs@wildlife.ca.gov