Dunn’s Salamander

Amphibians > Woodland Salamanders

Dunn’s Salamander (Plethodon dunni) is a handsome, lungless woodland salamander endemic to the cool, rain-drenched coastal ranges of the Pacific Northwest. Completely lacking lungs and breathing entirely through its moist, vascularized skin and the lining of its...

Northwestern Garter Snake

Reptiles > Colubrids & Harmless Snakes

The Northwestern Garter Snake (Thamnophis ordinoides) is a gentle, charming, and extraordinarily polymorphic harmless serpent native to the lush maritime habitats of the Pacific Northwest. Famous among herpetologists as one of the most colorfully variable snakes in...

Gilbert’s Skink

Reptiles > Lizards & Skinks

Gilbert’s Skink (Plestiodon gilberti) is a large, handsome, smooth-scaled lizard endemic to the sun-drenched oak foothills and chaparral canyons of California. Famous for the extraordinary, high-contrast neon coloration of its juveniles—which sport an...

Clark’s Nutcracker

Birds > Corvids

Clark’s Nutcracker (Nucifraga columbiana), first described to western science by explorer William Clark in 1805, is an extraordinary, highly intelligent subalpine corvid that serves as the indispensable savior of high-altitude western forests. Possessing an...

Black-chinned Hummingbird

Birds > Hummingbirds

The Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri) is the western counterpart to the famous ruby-throated hummingbird, celebrated for the electrifying metallic violet-purple band that flashes like a neon jewel across the throat of adult males. Abundant throughout...