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Project Noah Nature School
Northern California teacher and artist, with training in zoology, marine biology, and entomology and experience working with raptors.
Loomis, CA
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Thank you, Ava T-B!
...Although... To my memory I didn't submit this and I'm not sure how it got accredited to me. I'm trained in entomology and definitely know the difference.
Sorry for the extra common name, I feel the scientific name is probably correct. Lovely markings!
Looks like an Ebony Tarantula. Beautiful find!
No worries! I'm not at the zoo much at the moment, but I'd be happy to say hi if I'm there!
I am going to try to get a better look at the birds that were nearby, currently I think it might be a house finch or purple finch.
A House Finch or Purple Finch seems to be a closer match with the right amount of red. Based on nesting descriptions, I suspect House Finch.
It's a crane fly, also known as mosquito eaters (even though to the best of my knowledge they don't eat much of anything in their adult stage).
A crane fly! They're harmless, and really clumsy fliers. The second photo you have is of a mating pair, very nice!
It looks like there's a couple species of ebony tarantula in California, so my suggestion is as specific as I can get. I work at the zoo in Folsom and have seen one of these dug up during construction (she was safely relocated).
Very cool! Fantastic snakes to have around!
