Tag Archives: Gualala Ridge

• 5 Comments

•

In the six years of writing Mendonoma Sightings in the Independent Coast Observer, I've only received one photo of a Western Spotted Skunk, Spilogale gracilis, and it was taken through a window. Until now, that is! John Bower found this little Skunk in a trash bin on the Gualala Ridge. After its close-up, John tipped the bin over so it could get out.

 A few old-timers erroneously call this Skunk a Civet Cat. It does move like a cat and is about the size of a house cat but it is indeed a Skunk. If it starts stomping its front paws, back away - fast! It can spray just as well as its bigger brother, the Striped Skunk.

In the winter they eat rodents, adding vegetation and insects to their diet in the summer. Fruit and berries in the autumn are also eaten by this Skunk. Thanks to John Bower for allowing me to share his photo with you here!

• 2 Comments

•

A beautiful Bobcat, Lynx rufus, paid a visit to Emily Nelson's place on the Gualala Ridge and Emily captured several great photographs. I've read that Bobcats prefer to eat Rabbits and Hares but they will eat anything from insects all the way up to Deer. Here on the Mendonoma Coast we mostly see them hunting Gophers.

Once in a while someone will mistake a Bobcat for a Mountain Lion, which is pretty ridiculous. Bobcats are about twice the size of a domestic cat and have a bobbed tail. Mountain Lions are three to five feet long and have a long tail. They weigh well in excess of a hundred pounds. Emily's Bobcat visitor doesn't weigh more than 30 pounds. I thank her for allowing me to share her photo here.

•

Lichens grow where there is little or no air pollution so it's no wonder many different kinds of lichen can be found growing on the Mendonoma Coast. Many people think lichen is detrimental to trees, like mistletoe, but they are mistaken. Lichen is actually beneficial. A fun place to learn about lichen can be found via this link: http://ocid.nacse.org/lichenland/ You will learn lichen is not just one organism but two and in some cases three. Amazing!

This photo is of fruticose lichen, which fell out of a tree on Kathy DiMaio's property on the Gualala ridge. Isn't it a thing of beauty?