Month: February 2019

This week I had the chance to bring my Behavioral Ecology students out to Putah Creek Riparian Reserve for a night hike to have some firsthand exposure to the nocturnal behavior of animals native to the Central Valley of California.

Our activity revolved around three key activities 1) chorus frog calls and courtship, 2) owl communication, and 3) how to study animals that are hard to actually observe. I was fortunate to recruit a group of amazing biologists eager to talk about these topics with my students, and fortunately the animals cooperated (even if my camera didn’t).

Observing a Southern Alligator Lizard early in the evening.

Listening to chorus frogs and developing hypotheses about why they all were in this particular pool.

Discussing animal tracks and what we can learn about animals that are difficult to actually observe.

Thanks to Rob Blenk, Amelia Munson, Marcus Michelangeli, Justin Clause, and Heather Ligocki for sharing their expertise, helping out with the activity, and ensuring it went smoothly! Additionally, thanks to UC Davis Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, as well as the UC Davis Arboretum for logistical support and approval for this activity. The students loved it!