Santa Cruz County Local News: Animals

It’s summer again and all across the country Junebugs are busy with the business of procreation. Here in the sandhills of the San Lorenzo Valley and Scotts Valley, you may encounter a singularly rare species, the Mount Hermon June Beetle (Polyphylla barbata), which is found nowhere else on the planet.

With the recent reemergence of otter 841, the surfboard swiping sea critter raised in captivity, I'll be facilitating a panel conversation that includes several sea otter experts and the local photographer whose photos went viral about a year ago.

Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter has announced a “Summer Love” pet adoption special to make it easier to bring a new furry family member home.

The Ben Lomond Village Alliance California Monarch And Pollinator Habitat Kit project has been accepted into the Pollinator Habitat Monarch Conservation program through the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation in Sacramento.

Hundreds of dead and dying pelicans have washed up on beaches in recent weeks all up and down the California Coast. The staff at the Santa Cruz Native Animal Rescue center have been swamped with underfed and hypothermic animals.

The Land Trust of Santa Cruz County helps mountain lions, badgers and other critters who risk death on highways that bisect their habitats.

It is a short walk from where you park on Farmer Street to the bridge over the new $2.3 million rebuild of the Fall Creek Fish Ladder.

More than 40 feet long and weighing up to 40 tons, adult humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) are formidable giants. But their immensity doesn’t hinder their athleticism.

The Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History has some tips on what to see in the blossoming new season, from wildflowers to migrating shorebirds to humpback whales.