Big Clyde's Treader Report today got me thinking it would be nice to have a thread similar to P.O.D., but limited to animals we've seen on our rides. It never ceases to amaze me all the animals we can see so close to home -- exotic, cute, ugly, scary, dangerous -- let's see what you've got.

I've seen a gray fox twice in the last week-and-a-half, but I never ride with a camera [insert crying smilie here].

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A bicycle is a splendid thing.
~Ernest Hemingway

2009, beaver , France.

PS : Couple of days ago there's a wolf spotted in Belgium , first one since 110 years.
And it was close to my favorit riding spot

2010, rattler, Daley Ranch.

Lake Hodges

Last night riding Santee-Sycamore: 3 tarantulas and one of the fattest rattlers I've seen in person. Sorry, no pics [insert sorry-no-pics smiley here].

The rattler was especially noteworthy in the way I came across it. I usually don't attempt the bigger log rolls at the bottom of Switchbacks when I ride alone, but last night I was feeling adventurous. As I approached one of the tallest ones, I bailed at the last second (no speed). As I got to the other side, the snake literally jumped and flailed about like someone had hit it with a cattle prod. It was resting right at the base of the logs on the side I would've exited/endo'd, and I surprised the hell out of it. It never coiled or rattled, but it hissed a little as it slithered off into the bushes.

Also heard (but didn't see) coyotes yapping & howling at each other, one on the hills East of Santee lakes and others all the way on the other side of the trails, on the hills next to the landfill.

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"Those skilled at the unorthodox are infinite as heaven and earth, inexhaustible as the great rivers."
— Tzun Tzu

Sorry no pic, but a big deer jumped out in front of me from a clump of bushes in Lusardi Canyon (below Santaluz) Monday night. It was so close it kind of freaked me out at first until I realized what it was.

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"New York City is a mismanaged carnival of stupidity that is desperate for revenue and anxious to criminalize behavior once thought benign."
--Alex Baldwin, unknowingly describing his socialist utopia.

Since we're all going with the "sorry no pics" stories, last night riding around lake poway a burrowing owl nearly took my face off. Riding on the back side of lake, see little fluffy ball on ground with GIANT glowing eyes, all of a sudden the damn thing launches at me - seriously think it was going for my eyes lol. I ducked and it went off over my head as I screamed like a girl. I saw another one after I turned the contourhd on but it basically just looks like a fluffy lump on the trail.

^^^ I had essentially the same reaction the first time I saw one of those.

I like everyone's stories, but let's get some pictures, people (this from the guy who rides without a camera).

_________________
A bicycle is a splendid thing.
~Ernest Hemingway

Happy to comply.

Pic from 2009, Sweetwater Regional Park:



Sorry for the quality, it was pushing the limits of my P&S at max zoom.

_________________
"Those skilled at the unorthodox are infinite as heaven and earth, inexhaustible as the great rivers."
— Tzun Tzu

Baby rattler, May '11, Rockhouse. I asked him politely to hold still while I set up the shot and put my shoe next to him for size comparison. He happily complied.

Found this little guy while riding up Indian Creek.

and this guy was in the Lagunas. Still not sure how is eyes were squeezed out yet its body appears intact!

Otay Lake, May '10. Me chasing a roadrunner down the trail.
(and please, appreciate the mad skillz - this was no helmet-mounted gopro/contour/etc. This was me holding a point-n-shoot camera in one hand while riding with the other).

^^^^ I ran into his cousin while hiking up Iron Mtn, August 2010.



Good camouflage:

That squirrel looks like Ronny Cox at the end of Total Recall

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"Those skilled at the unorthodox are infinite as heaven and earth, inexhaustible as the great rivers."
— Tzun Tzu

My kids like to see the critters we see on the trails. Here are a couple taken over the last year or so with the cell phone.

Riding in Bakersfield I happened on this little guy. Every time I picked him up, he'd jump out of my hand so I had to settle for the incognito pic.



In Canaan's backyard coming down 3 barrels. This guy wouldn't move and I didn't have the guts to pass him, so I ended up turning around and riding back up



on the same trip on Spring Canyon



Going up VDM at La Costa