Reptiles may like to heat up, but in the case of Escondido’s EcoVivarium living museum, life may be getting way too cold for comfort for the snakes and such due to a mounting electric bill. It’s a constant challenge keeping these cold-blooded suckers warm and kicking. Operators of the 13-year-old private non-profit 10,200-square foot museum at 641 E. Pennsylvania Ave. issued an “emergency plea” for…
In “an extremely rare occurrence,” a pregnant male seadragon made history at a La Jolla aquarium. The weedy seadragon’s pregnancy marks “the first successful transfer of eggs from a female seadragon to a male” at the Seadragons & Seahorses habitat at the Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego, a Jan. 9 news release from the aquarium said. “We’re elated to…
(Taxpayer-funded San Diego County News Center provides the following tips and resources concerning keeping the holidays jolly by avoiding fraud and other miscreant behavior.) Santa’s checking receipts, he’s checking them twice — you should, too By Gig Conaughton Cash registers ring, are you listening? Black Friday’s back, sales are glistening! Make sure your shopping is sweet, double check your receipts. So you’re not accidentally overcharged…
When you think of California in the 1970s, maybe you think of hippies, Fleetwood Mac or skateboards. But if you’re an entomologist, you might think of all the natural spaces that have since been devoured by urbanization and wonder what happened to the native bees that lived in them. The question isn’t one of mere nostalgia or curiosity. Insect populations around the world are plunging…
A local animal rights nonprofit is suing gubernatorial candidate and Rancho Santa Fe businessman John Cox for his use of a 1,000-pound Kodiak bear on the campaign trail. The Animal Rights and Protection League alleges in a lawsuit filed Monday in San Diego Superior Court that the bear, Tag, has been “drugged and abused” for use promoting Cox’s run for California governor. Tag has been…
Not that the animals minded at all, but officials announced Wednesday that the San Diego Zoo Safari Park at San Pasqual Valley near Escondido and the zoo’s main campus in San Diego will reopen on June 20, ending the longest closure in the organization’s 103-year history. Both parks were shuttered in mid-March to limit the spread of the coronavirus. Before the official reopenings, the Zoo and…
Like Rodney Dangerfield, sea otters get no respect. Since their reintroduction to the Pacific coast in the 1970s, the sea otters’ rapid recovery and voracious appetite for tasty shellfish such as sea urchins, clams and crabs has brought them into conflict with coastal communities and fishers, who rely on the same valuable fisheries for food and income. But the long-term benefits of sea otter recovery—such…
Escondido Creek Conservancy biological surveyors recently discovered Fairy Shrimp (Branchinecta lindahli) at the Mountain Meadow Preserve near Hidden Meadows. This elusive species is fairly uncommon in San Diego County due to the loss of preferred habitat — vernal pools. And while they won’t grant you three wishes — most vernal pools in San Diego have been destroyed by urban development — making their discovery is…
We are going to consider a few outstanding three-dot items stripped from below, well below, today’s coronavirus headlines. But first, a reminder and salute about he who pioneered the three-dot way It’s been over 20 years since famed San Francisco journalist Herb Caen (1916-1997) died. For journalists and San Franciscans, Caen was a superstar. Known as “Mr. San Francisco,” his columns were a vital piece…
Mother’s Day was a special day at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. That’s when 1-month-old giraffe calf got her name after more than 18,000 fans cast their ballots in a week-long online voting campaign. Voters were asked to choose between two names – Zeena and Zahara, and by popular vote, the female youngster will now be called Zahara, which is derived from Arabic origins….