Stories

Welcome to Stories, a place to explore—and be inspired by—the wonder of our natural and cultural worlds.

lizard biting another lizard
Nature in L.A.
Lizard Love Bites
Have you recently seen lizards in L.A. that appear to be biting each other, or maybe they are trying to eat each other?
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Toyon on Los Vaqueros Watershed Miwok Trail
Nature in L.A.
California Holly: How Hollywood Didn't Get its Name
In Nancy Dale’s 1986 epic tome of Southern California native plants, Flowering Plants, she has this to say about Toyon — aka California Holly, Christmas Berry, or, if you’re a botanist, Heteromeles arbutifolia: 
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Cricket
Nature in L.A.
Niña de la Tierra: Children of the Earth
No it's not the title of a horror film, Children of the Earth bug is actually one of the many common names for Stenopelmatus fuscus.
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Brazilian Snail eating lettuce
Research and Collections
A Microscopic Look at Snail Jaws
Have you ever wondered what the inside of a snail's mouth looks like?
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lizard in palm of hand
'Tis the Season for Baby Lizards
Over the past few weeks, baby lizards have been hatching out of their eggs throughout Southern California.
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hawk snake
Hawk Attacks Snake and Epically Fails!
Guest blog by our very own Dr. Greg Pauly
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image Rattlesnake sliding across desert road in california
Misplaced Fears: Rattlesnakes Are Not as Dangerous as Ladders, Trees, Dogs, or Large TVs
In Southern California, rattlesnakes can be seen year round, but Spring and Summer have the most rattlesnake activity.
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Brown Widow egg sacs
Q: What are Those Miniature Spiky Puffballs? A: Brown Widow Egg Sacs
Earlier this week, staff found some small circular egg cases on a gate in the North Campus. Upon closer inspection we realized they were brown widow, Latrodectus geometricus, egg sacs.
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image of fig beetle
Nature in L.A.
When Fig Beetles Attack!
It’s a beautiful summer day in L.A. and I am strolling across a wide open lawn. The sky is bright blue and decorated with scattered clouds. 
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Iris Hill. Image by Allison Waite.
Nature in L.A.
Voices of L.A. Nature: An Interview with Iris Hill
Welcome to our new series, Voices of L.A. Nature, where we'll hear stories from a diverse range of Angelenos about their relationships with nature in L.A.
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