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Recently Asked
“Is anyone concerned about invasive foxes? I have had animal cameras running continuously for about 5 years and watched a few generations of grey foxes grow up on our bit of wilderness on our property....”
Joel, Ojai - September 17, 2021
“I was wondering if any of your vertebrate zoologists could comment on this skunk. I caught it on my motion camera in my backyard. It appears to have a large growth on its head, visible in both views....”
Rebecca, Goleta - July 30, 2021
“On June 16, 2021 I walked onto our concrete patio at about 9 PM and saw a snake in residential Santa Barbara for the first time after living here for just over 50 years. The neighhood net is reporting...”
Brian, Santa Barbara - June 18, 2021
“This little guy was in our house last night, I was able to safely get it outside and it immediately slithered into a gopher hole. This morning I was able to get a couple of pictures as it came out. Th...”
Ryan, Noleta - February 21, 2021
“If I were to go out at night with a flashlight, how likely would it be for me to find some owls? Also, where would I have the highest chance of seeing owls? I'm 13 years old and I went out to Douglas...”
Oliver, Santa Barbara - February 6, 2021
“What kind of nest is this? Large, deep, rounded with a depth of about 2 feet. Made with branches, not sticks. Very close to the ground, with a "front door"
Thank you!”
Carol, Valley Center California - January 10, 2021
“Hello,To whom shall I direct my inquiry on the identification of the snake in my attached photo?The photo was taken by my cousin John on the shore of Lake Isabella in Kern Co. CA.Thank you for any hel...”
Gail - October 6, 2020
“We found a dead cougar on a turnout on highway 101 at Gaviota on Sunday, 9-20-2020. I phoned the wildlife people at California's Fish and Wildlife Department, and they had it picked up. Fish and Wildl...”
Leo, Santa Barbara - September 22, 2020
“Please identify the attached pictures as I am uncertain of their names.
Thanks,
Lewis Rubin”
Lewis Rubin, Santa Barbara - September 19, 2020
“Good afternoon. Would you be so kind to please help me identify the bone of the images attached to this question. My brother found it on a beach in the western part of my country, El Salvador, Central...”
Ana Luisa Roque Valdovinos, San Salvador, El Salvador, Central America - August 8, 2020
“I found this skeleton in our backyard woods. We frequently see skunks, racoons and opossums on our trail cam, but this looks smaller than a racoon or opossum and larger than a skunk. The skull and j...”
Jeff Lawton, Santa Barbara, Mesa area - August 8, 2020
“Earlier this spring a Cliff Swallow built a nest under our eaves. Knowing that they are protected, I let them be and tried to just clean up the mess regularly.
I have two questions if someone at the...”
Patrick, Santa Barbara - July 20, 2020
“We have been noticing a Hummingbird at our feeder that has markings that are different from the usual Hummingbirds ( Mostly Anna's and a Rufus). We think it is a Ruby Throated Hummingbird. Howeve...”
John Boyd, Santa Barbara - July 10, 2020
“Hi Curator,
With binoculars I saw only the back of this lone bright bird sitting on the top branch of a euc in Mission Canyon near the cul de sac of Windsor Way. Orange head, black neck, yellow body...”
Dwight Gregory, Mission Canyon - April 18, 2020
“Hello,
we have a small mammal digging tunnels and popping up in our back yard. We want to know more about it but don’t know it’s name. Can you help? ”
Julie, Montecito - April 8, 2020
“I recently bought this bone.
I bought another as well at the same time. I was told it was mammoth, but i knew better, i think its some type of bison sacrum, but i was hoping you could tell me what ty...”
Savanna, Quincy, IL - January 26, 2020
“I encountered this snake in my backyard on the Mesa. Could any of the naturalists at the SBMNH identify it, and more importantly, tell me whether or not it is venomous? We have wild rabbits in our bac...”
Anthony, Santa Barbara - June 3, 2019
“I have a nest that blew out of a tree in the recent storms. I’m pretty sure it is a squirrel’s nest Online I read that it is possible to get certain diseases from squirrels. Does this apply to the...”
Susan Hopkins, Goleta - February 4, 2019
“Our kitchen window in the Shadow Hills development at the top end of Via Chaparral looks across about 325 yards to the opposite side of San Antonio Canyon in the vicinity of the dam. On a number of o...”
Doug Caldow, Santa Barbara - January 31, 2019
“I found this dark heavy bone while walking on the beach after the storm on Friday night. What is it? Could it be part of a sea lion? Why is it black and super heavy? ”
Benjamin Van Heusden, Santa Barbara - January 14, 2019