Herping Julia
Julia Black had not been out in the field since 1995, when she did research for a paper she co-authored titled "The Effects of 60 Hertz Magnetic Fields on the Activity Level of Toad Tadpoles." We decided to do some "Urban Herping" within the city limits of San Francisco. Reptiles and amphibians can sometimes be found in habitats well-used by people.

California Slender Salamanders have very long tails and tiny legs.

Julia looks for Red-legged Frogs along a ditch - we saw several frogs, but could not confirm their identity.

Fence Lizards were frequently seen in sunny areas without much wind.

Finding the first Pacific Ringneck Snake on the trip caused a great deal of excitement...

...but then we flipped a board and found three more underneath it.

These snakes have bright ventral colors, which are used to scare off potential predators. We found a total of six snakes on the outing.

Jerusalem Crickets aren't the most attractive insects.