Jerusalem cricket/エルサレムクリケット

I'm writing an article for the first time this year. The first photograph has no relation with this article.
I found an adult jerusalem cricket (Stenopelmatus fuscus?, also known as "potato bug") today. I don't know the origin of the name "Jerusalem cricket" but the species of genus Stenopelmatus is new world insect and native to western US and part of Mexico. However other genera that belong to the superfamily Stenopelmatoidea appear to be distributed worldwide.
A little while before I found scorpion last summer, I actually found nymph of jerusalem cricket. However, because I neither caught nor took a picture of it for some reason at that time, I have wanted to see this bug again (I might have a chance to see it only once last year but it was in the middle of being eaten by scorpion...). Moreover, because I had no idea how to find this insect except turing stones/rocks because they live underground, just like moles, I have expected that I have only a few chances to see them.
Thus, I'm very happy to see it!!

今年初の更新です。最初の写真は記事とは何も関係ありません。
そう、エルサレムクリケット。ポテトバグとも言います。エルサレムって付いてるのに、この属はアメリカ西部とメキシコあたりにしかいないようです。他の属・科は世界のあちこちにいるようです。日本のコロギスが同じ上科の虫です。要は後肢が発達してないコオロギです。去年、サソリを見た少し前あたりに幼虫を一度見て(なぜか写真も撮らずスルーし)以来、成虫を見たいなと思っていました。実は一度成虫を見ましたが、サソリの餌食になっていて食われている最中でした…
石起こし以外に見つける手だても無いだろうし…とか思ってた所、今朝は濃霧で湿度が上がったので、もしや表層に移動してないかと思って、昼飯がてらちょっと外に出ていい感じの石をひっくり返したらおりました。久々に嬉しいもん見た!

Scorpion/サソリ

倒木をひっくり返したらサソリがいました。ヤエヤマサソリくらいかと思っていたら、結構でかくてびっくりしました。
I found scorpion under the fallen tree. I was surprised to see that because it was much larger than I expected--I thought it is as small as yaeyama scorpion (Japanese species, live in southwestern-most islands of Japan)

gopher snake/ゴファースネーク

最近ランチの後にうろうろするのが日課と化しています。ラボの周りだけでも色々な生き物がいるものです。今日はゴファースネークがいました。アメリカでヘビを見るのは初めてですが、ゴファースネークは日本でも図鑑に登場する種類なのですぐわかりました。通せんぼしたらやはり喉元を広げて威嚇をしたのですが、幼い個体なので可愛らしいだけでこれっぽっちも怖くありませんでした。また次回が楽しみです。
Recently, I’m taking an after-lunch short walk everyday. The route is limited in the neighborhood of lab, but I encounter various things. Today, I ran into a san diego gopher snake. Although I actually saw a wild snake for the first time in US, because this species is introduced as an overseas snake species in picture book of reptile in Japan and I have known it since I was a child, I recognized it as a gopher snake. When I blocked its way, like many other snakes, this baby gopher snake also threatened with flattening its head. Unfortunately, since　this individual was a juvenile, its threatening completely lacked a power but it was cute. I look forward the next walking time.


小ちゃいヘビ発見


サンディエゴゴファースネークの子供です


サイズはこんなもん