Recently Asked

Learn what the community is asking about this season, with answers by Museum experts.

“I found what I think is a horse tooth on Hendry's beach. Is it old?? It's probably hard to tell from the photos. It's about 2 1/2 inches long. I'm guessing it washed down down a creek this past winter...”
Robert, Santa Barbara - June 18, 2023

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“Are you able to tell what type of fossil this is? I found it near Hendrys beach. I saw part of it sticking out then I broke the rock open and found some more inside.”
Natalie, Santa Barbara - May 24, 2023

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“Hello! Can you tell what type of rodent this is? I thought at first Dusky-footed Woodrat, but the ears seem to be too small.  Thank you!”
Kevin, Santa Barbara - May 19, 2023

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“Hello! Can you tell what type of grasshopper this is? I saw it out at UCSB West Campus. Thank you! Kevin”
Kevin, Goleta - May 15, 2023

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“I saw this at base of eroding cliffs at Butterfly Beach in Montecito, just curious if animal or possibly human. Thanks. It was just about 10 inches in length.”
Aaron, Santa Barbara - May 8, 2023

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“Good morning, I found a rock near where I live in Santa Barbara, and I polished it, please help identify what kind of rock it is. Thank you.”
Maria, Santa Barbara - May 2, 2023

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“Hello! Can you tell what type of bumblebee this is? It's the largest yellow one I've ever seen. It dwarfed the honey bees, but is not as large as a carpenter bee. I watched it for about 20 minutes, w...”
Kevin, UCSB - April 18, 2023

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“On the 15th of this month, I went to the hummingbird feeders and saw a dead hummer underneath the feeder. It looked muddy and while it didn't look like an Annas Hummingbird, it seemed similar in size....”
Janine, Ojai,CA - March 21, 2023

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“I found , see pics, boon teeth look jawline to me but I have no clue what animal, if it's old, if it new etc. can you help me identify?  My research has me guess seal”
Lorraine, Pa - March 18, 2023

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“Dear experts,I photographed these amazingly colorful red and yellow things growing in the leaf litter near my home in Solvang. Never seen anything quite like this before. What are they?There was a dea...”
Pat, Solvang, CA - March 16, 2023

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