Tag Archives: Peter Baye

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Peter Baye explored some of the tide pools at low tide at the Stornetta Public Lands. He found many wonders. One of them was a Gumboot Chiton, Cryptochiton stelleri, also called a Giant Pacific Chiton.

 And here is the underside of this large Chiton.

Gumboot Chitons eat algae, moving along rocks. They also eat sea lettuce and giant kelp. They can live up to forty years. It seems they have no predators to worry about. They are edible but apparently so unpalatable that one would have to be starving to eat it. "Rubbery" is how they are described.
To read about the wonderful Stornetta Public Lands, here's the link to a previous post: http://www.mendonomasightings.com/2012/02/18/low-tide-at-the-stornetta-public-lands-in-point-arena-breathtaking/

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Will Ericson loves exploring the reaches of the wild Gualala River. A while back he discovered this juvenile frog, a Foothill Yellow-legged Frog, Ranas Boylii. You will see it is not much bigger than a quarter.

Here it is in one of the tributaries of the Gualala River.

 And here is an adult Foothill Yellow-legged Frog photographed by Peter Baye. You can see that it blends in well with the rocks in the river.

They are found in Oregon, along the California Coast and down to Baja California. To see another frog, the Pacific Tree Frog, here is the link:
http://www.mendonomasightings.com/2011/10/21/a-tiny-frog-with-a-big-voice-meet-the-pacific-tree-frog/

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Peter Baye found this beauty in Mendocino County, specifically at the back of the beach at Alder Creek. It's Orobanche californica and its rather awful common name is California Broomrape. The color of the flower Peter found is unusual. Because of its extreme environment - salt spray from the Pacific Ocean and marshy sand - it has this lovely purple coloring.

Yes, it's a California native. And if you are a regular reader here you might not be surprised to learn it has medicinal qualities. A decoction of it can be used to treat colds and pneumonia.

 Thanks to Peter for allowing me to share this photo here.

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Cathleen Crosby recently photographed a Pacific Tree Frog, Pseudacris regilla, sitting on her spa. This frog can change colors to match their environment but they can't change to match a blue spa. Usually they are green but I've seen them turn brown and rusty-red. They eat insects, occasionally almost as big as they are. They have the ability to expand their body, something that would be helpful for humans at Thanksgiving!

This small frog is found on the west coast of the United States. Males are slightly smaller than the females and they have a black patch on their throats. This patch is actually their vocal sac. I can attest to the loudness of a male calling for a mate. Here Peter Baye photographed one in "full throat." Fun fact - this is the only frog who's call is "ribbitt."

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I know not everyone likes snakes but we share the Mendonoma Coast with several species. Peter Baye recently photographed this CA red-sided Garter Snake on the Mendocino Coast. Its Latin name sounds like a Harry Potter spell - Thamnophis sirtalis infernalis.

This snake is a good swimmer as you will see in C'Anna Bergman-Hill's photo below. It has the ability to eat Pacific Newts, which are poisonous to most other predators. It has toxin in its saliva that it uses to capture its prey, but this snake is considered harmless to humans.

Thanks to Peter and C'Anna for allowing me to share their photos here!