Motherlode Chameleon
Chameleon Enthusiast
I have got business that requires me to have to travel to Southern California occasionally and I'm bestowed the honor of driving the Big Sur Coast on Highway 1 on my way. This highway is one of the most scenic roads in California and happens to be one of two best places in the USA in the wild to observe and spot one of the worlds most endangered and enormous birds in the California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus). There are about twenty of these birds along this 200 mile stretch of Big Sur Coast in the Ventana Wilderness and I spotted two in two separate locations on this my most recent excursion. This species has made a tremendous recovery from just twenty two individuals to over four hundred in two decades and I think similar things could happen for endangered or threatened chameleons species with appropriate conservation.
This is the first Condor I spotted just south of Carmel and Pebble Beach Golf Course. He was foraging over a California Sea Lion rookery looking for a Sea Lion lunch.
Here is what the Condor was looking for Harbor Seals (Phoca vitulina)
Here is the scenic drive of of Highway 1 and the coastal mountain habitat that California Condors prefer.
This is the second Condor I spotted. This bird was just north of San Luis Obispo and was cruising high in the mountains on thermals.
Then lastly a shot of a colony of Northern Elephant Seals. Another species that has recovered from the brink of extinction. They were listed as Critically Endangered and now are listed as a species of Least Concern. The absolute lowest ranking of any conservation species classification list. Condor biologist are hoping that Condors will start to expand their range further south to forage on these immense aquatic mammals.
To start here's a couple of males fighting.
This is the first Condor I spotted just south of Carmel and Pebble Beach Golf Course. He was foraging over a California Sea Lion rookery looking for a Sea Lion lunch.
Here is what the Condor was looking for Harbor Seals (Phoca vitulina)
Here is the scenic drive of of Highway 1 and the coastal mountain habitat that California Condors prefer.
This is the second Condor I spotted. This bird was just north of San Luis Obispo and was cruising high in the mountains on thermals.
Then lastly a shot of a colony of Northern Elephant Seals. Another species that has recovered from the brink of extinction. They were listed as Critically Endangered and now are listed as a species of Least Concern. The absolute lowest ranking of any conservation species classification list. Condor biologist are hoping that Condors will start to expand their range further south to forage on these immense aquatic mammals.
To start here's a couple of males fighting.
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