California has a wide variety of habitats and landscapes from heat of Death Valley through Joshua Tree National Monument, Redwood National Park, Kings Canyon National Park, Yosemite National Park to the year round snow of the Sierra Nevada. Between these extremes there are some very pleasant 'Mediterranean' type ecosystems and a large amount of intensive farming. There is also a good example of a zoo/wildlife park in San Diego.
Two slightly less visited areas are:
- Sequoia National Park In the middle of California, contains high mountains (to 4418m), forests, meadows, bears, mountain lion and some rather large trees. The giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) is not quite as tall as its cousin the coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) which grows in northern California. However giant sequoias are bulkier so still claim to be the biggest trees on earth.
- Sonora desert In the extreme south of California and extending over the boarder into Mexico. A real desert with extremes of heat (41°C in summer), scorpions and rattlesnakes so you need to take plenty of water and other precautions if planning to explore this region. There is a good visitor centre and area with labelled plants. Best to visit in winter when it is not too hot, several species of cacti in flower, fewer people, good close views of other wildlife such as road runner, lizards and coyote. more pictures. The Biodiversity 2000 consortium have produced a multimedia CD on the Sonoran desert.
References
A field guide to Pacific States wildflowers (1976). Niehaus, T.F. & Ripper, C.L., Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 432p. (a Peterson field guide) Mostly black and white line drawings, some colour paintings.
Western reptiles and amphibians (1985) Stebbins, R. C. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston. 450p. (Peterson field guide).
There are now many books on different aspects of the natural history of California many of these can be found by searching Natural history book service, not really sure if I should advertise them as its very easy to see all these excellent books and reach for that credit card.....
And finally some California poppies (Eschscholzia californica) and what you may fly over when going from the UK to California on the northern route.
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