Tag: Creature Feature
CREATURE FEATURE / NOVEMBER 2022
WESTERN FENCE LIZARD The western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis) is one of the most common lizards found throughout the entire range of the western United States. You’ve probably spotted this species at an OVLC preserve, running across the trail or sunbathing on a rock. Often overlooked due to its prevalence in the valley, we might […]
CREATURE FEATURE / JUNE 2022
This spring, we received several reports of western pond turtle (Actinemys marmorata) sightings on the trails at the Ventura River Preserve. While western pond turtles are typically found in a variety of freshwater resources, they also rely on suitable terrestrial habitat to search for food, find a mate, lay their eggs, and find a better place to live. The western pond turtle spends upwards of 200 days out of water, and recent studies have even found that they can live out of water for almost 400 days. This is a remarkable feat, but troubling when considering that the western pond turtle is fasting when out of water. This is due to the fact that the western pond turtle must ingest its prey in water because it cannot swallow air. As the climate changes, and prolonged drought coupled with rising temperatures becomes the norm, western pond turtle populations in Ojai are likely to decline.
CREATURE FEATURE / JULY 2021
OVLC has recently received some new tenants on its Ventura River Preserve. Coyotes (Canis latrans) have been seen displaying territorial behavior near some parts of the river due to a nearby den. Coyotes mate between January and March, and females usually give birth to 4-7 pups after a gestation period of 58-65 days.
CREATURE FEATURE
Have you noticed all of the beautiful bluebirds flying around the Ojai Meadows Preserve? The Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana) is one of our local residents that we are lucky to have year-round here in Ojai.
