The Saola was only discovered to science in 1992. There are no Saola in captivity. No Saola have been seen by scientists in the wild. A few records on camera trap exist. In 2004, there were still reports of Saola deep in the Truong Son mountains. This individual was confiscated from hunters in A'Luoi district, in the western reaches of the province. The other pictures are from interviews with Ka Tu ethnic hunters in A'Luoi and A'Vuong districts (Minh Hoang). The last photo is James with rangers from Hue Forest Department examining Saola tracks in A'Luoi - and identifzing schistamoglottis plants, reportedly favoured food for the saola.

In 2013, its status is critical. See what is happening on http://www.savethesaola.org/

There are a half dozen or so of these 3- or 4-foot tall shrubs growing between slabs of granite on the north side of a hill in the Jurupa Hills. I'm pretty sure it's this Palmer's Oak: https://www.pe.com/2019/05/25/is-jurupa-valley-oak-tree-a-13000-year-old-ice-age-relic-threatened-by-new-homes-project/

A well-known large clonal Palmer's Oak patch known as the "Jurupa Oak".

It was discovered in the 1990's and has been determined to be at least 13,000 years old, making it probably the third oldest living plant of earth. A relic plant from the Pleistocene era.

Covering about 125 square meters, this plant is now threatened by encroaching development. Disjunct by almost 30 miles to others of the same species.

Considering that tomorrow is New Year's Day, it was a good time to visit the plant and a good time to celebrate the plant - which has seen 13,000 "New Year's" in its life.

Happy New Year's Day!!!

Quails lounging with bunny

On a hot day during a hot summer, the bunny gets the prime location (damp sand). If quails are in the prime location, the bunny will gently nose them away and take it. However once the bunny has its spot, (at least with some bunnies) quails are free to lounge as close as they want.

1 quail baby in niche (chronologically last)

2 father quail testing comfortable way to rest against the bunny

3 single male quail (right) that entered the area being chased by father quail (left) due to the quail baby which looks on (left edge)

4 father quail assesses the niche and the comfortablity of the bunny

5 quail baby in niche

6 quail baby in niche; bunny extra relaxed

The quails had to walk over the bunny to reach the niche. During this sequence the father quail chased a roadrunner through this area - which is another good reason for a quail baby to huddle behind a bunny.

A. retrorsa growing side-by-side with A. grandiflora. The two heads could be photographed side by side without detaching them from the stem!

This observation is for the A. retrorsa. The A. grandiflora is in this obs:

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/80450845

In granitic soil around lower north facing edge of stones. Common on Psora decipiens at this location.
Keyed to Stigmidium psorae using volume 2 of LGSDR:
Pseudothecia are immersed in upper cortex of thallus squamules, asci are broadly clavate, ascopores are mostly 1 or 2 septate with slight constriction at septal division, and have one droplet per cell.

Foragers on packed soil of hiking path in open grassy area of desert Baccharis, Malosma, Quercus shrubland. Some carried pieces of dead grass stems, and appeared to be emerging from crevices in the path.

Observed and photographed by my colleague Mike Morrison. A rare find usually associated with deep water in the tropics. This specimen was 3 m in length, 300 mm from spine to belly and 75-100mm thick and was estimated to weigh around 50 kg.

Going with iNat’s suggestion. Identification help appreciated. I suspect that the globular white bodies and the stalked pinkish-tan hot dogs are different developmental stages of the same organism. On decaying coast live oak .

~800' elevation. 
Prolific bloom in 1998 of the Desert Lily (Hesperocallis undulata), south side of the Dumont Dunes, San Bernardino County, Mojave Desert, CA.  March 28 is a tentative date until I can get access to the film images.

These images were taken with an early generation Agfa? point and shoot digital camera, therefore the lack of quality! At least it's a record.... :-)
 
Amazing density which extended almost from the base of the dunes well into the flats. Heights of many of the plants were up to or maybe even more than 62" tall.

There used to be signs maybe along the base of the Dunes indicating that this was an ACEC but it may've been more to the east. I don't exactly remember now. Somehow I thought the base of south side of the dunes was not open to OHV's but maybe that was wishful thinking. :-)

This was prior to the advent of the current popularity of OHV's. Dumont Dunes was quiet back then, especially the south side since  access at that time was only via 4WD & there weren't all that many on or off the road.

The diversity and density of wildflowers in this area was breathtaking.  I'm not sure what the OHV impact might have done to this population and the other wildflowers which were prolific there as well, but the Desert Lily really seemed unique.