Life under the Redwoods in Big Basin State Park (Also see http://www.icogitate.com/~tree/bigBasinSlugSpotted.htm):
The numbers of banana slugs, amphibians, and species of flowers observed by the Big Basin Banana Slug Spotters' Society.
Data for the Berry Creek Falls Loop hike by Scott Peden (sp), Joan Zimmerman (jz), David Auerbach (da), and others.
AVERAGES 2002-2008 2002-2007 2003-2008 Note: includes data for the graphed hikes;  
Month Banana slugs Flower species Rainfall average Amphib-ians          and excludes data for supplementary hikes.
1 47 4 5.9 12
2 22 8 8.3 36
3 45 16 7.1 21
4 132 31 5.0 18 Omits missing data April 2006    
5 201 44 1.3 7
6 91 55 0.3 7
7 63 44 0.0 8
8 23 24 0.0 9
9 18 12 0.3 4
10 23 7 2.1 4
11 162 5 4.2 7
12 73 3 16.2 14
The B-cubed S-cubed Slug Spotters' Challenge        
  The Big Basin Banana Slug Spotters' Society encourages you to attempt to match these numbers
  of individual banana slugs and unique flower species seen on the Berry Creek Falls Loop Trail.  
  GOOD LUCK!!!!              
Raw data: Comment: A solo hike by JZ takes 5 hours; a hike involving the more knowledgeable and
  observant SP takes 8 to 12 hours. The numbers increase with (a) more hikers; (b) observation skills;
  (c) compulsiveness of photographers. Plan your Response to the Slug Spotters' Challenge accordingly!
Year Month Observers (jz, sp, da...) Banana slugs Flowers Rainfall (inches) Amphibians (newts et al.)
2002 1 jz, sp 5 1 5.2  
2002 2 jz, sp 8 6 4.6  
2002 3 jz, sp 12 11 5.3  
2002 4 sp 39 17 1.1  
2002 5 jz, sp 123 41 1.0  
2002 6 jz, sp 47 49 0.0  
2002 7 jz, sp, k, l 60 43 0.0  
2002 8 jz, sp 19 26 0.0  
2002 9 jz, sp, t, e, p 23 12 0.0  
2002 10 jz, sp 38 9 0.0  
2002 11 sp, t, s, d 175 5 5.4 11 Also 26 amphibians on another hike.
2002 12 jz, sp 118 4 26.1 12
2003 1 jz, sp 99 2 2.9 7
2003 2 jz, sp 13 12 4.8 0
2003 3 jz, sp 48 21 2.7 5
2003 4 jz, sp 104 38 9.3 72
2003 5 jz, sp 222 38 2.0 6
2003 6 jz 157 41 0.0 3 Slugs included a mating pair. A separate group of 5 people reported 166 slugs.
2003 7 sp, b, c 33 30 0.0 0 3 (jz, li, lo) got 20 slugs, 15 flower on separate hike.
2003 8 jz 4 15 0.0 0 Also aquatic garter snake.
2003 9 jz, sp, cc 10 8 0.1 0
2003 10 jz, sp 6 6 0.1 1 Includes one courting pair of slugs. Also saw an under-water amphibian, very gilled.
2003 11 sp, da 148 3 6.4 5 amphibians included 1 with gills. A separate solo hiker later reported 76 slugs, 1 amphibian.
2003 12 sp 91 4 20.9 10 Separately hike (jz) reported 59 slugs, 3 flowers, 1 amphibian.
2004 1 sp 25 6 6.9 22
2004 2 jz, sp 21 9 11.8 8
2004 3 jz, sp, da 34 14 1.8 20
2004 4 jz, sp, da,lc 103 29 0.9 1 Nannerman 'da' spotted 40% of the slugs.
2004 5 jz, sp, da 231 61 0.1 4 Also one salamander. FLOWER RECORD TO DATE.
2004 6 jz, sp, da 104 61 0.0 2 Also one millipede. Mid-month hike: 64 slugs, 55 flower species in bloom; 11 amphibians.
2004 7 jz, sp, da,jg 121 54 0.0 20
2004 8 jz, sp 21 24 0.0 9 Also 4 snakes.
2004 9 jz 9 9 0.5 0
2004 10 jz, sp, da 24 7 6.8 6 Nannerman 'da' spotted 54% of the slugs.
2004 11 jz, sp, da 258 5 3.3 9 3-person survey later got 215 slugs, 5 amphibians. SLUG RECORD TO DATE.
2004 12 jz 91 3 11.8 12 Amphibians all terrestrial.
2005 1 jz 65 3 9.9 14 Amphibians all terrestrial.
2005 2 jz, sp, ps 48 12 8.8 5 Amphibians all terrestrial. 2nd hike (jz+da): 58 slugs, 11 flower species, 18 amphibians (2 aquatic).
2005 3 jz, sp, da 116 22 7.9 77 All amphibians were terrestrial. amphibian RECORD TO DATE.
2005 4 jz, sp, da 245 43 2.8 1 The moist long spring increases counts of flowers and slugs.
2005 5 jz 190 50 2.8 0 Drizzle in last half of hike; solid rain in last quarter.
2005 6 jz, sp 108 58 1.6 0
2005 7 jz, sp 92 45 0.0 0
2005 8 jz, da 51 28 0.0 3
2005 9 jz, sp, sw 65 18 0.5 0
2005 10 jz 7 7 0.8 0
2005 11 jz, sp, sw 190 7 3.8 10 8 terrestrial amphibians and 2 aquatic
2005 12 jz, sp, sw 46 5 24.0 4 2 terrestrial amphibians and 2 aquatic
2006 1 jz 64 5 8.2 10 Amphibians all terrestrial.
2006 2 jz, da 34 8 5.4 1 Amphibians all terrestrial.
2006 3 jz 32 11 24.1 15
2006 4 Estimated 123 20 13.2 ? No data; out sick; trail closed part of month; estimated Slugs=4-year avg; Flowers=avg March and May.
2006 5 jz, da 363 29 1.0 0 Overcast; cool SLUG RECORD TO DATE.
2006 6 jz, re 84 43 0.0 0 Sunny, mild.
2006 7 jz, da, re 95 35 0.0 1 Amphibians all aquatic.
2006 8 jz, sp, br 14 22 0.0 0
2006 9 jz 12 10 0.0 0
2006 10 jz 20 8 1.4 0
2006 11 jz,sp,da,cb 29 5 5.7 0 Low slug count was probably because of relatively dry weather for weeks before this survey.
2006 12 jz, sp (cb) 22 4 8.3 6 Low slug count was probably because of relatively dry weather for weeks before this survey.
2007 1 jz, sp (cb) 26 4 2.4 19 Low slug count was probably because of relatively dry weather for weeks before this survey.
2007 2 jz, sp, cb 7 6 14.2 195 Raining. Amphibian RECORD TO DATE
2007 3 jz, sp,cb,cpg 39 18 0.9 8
2007 4 jz, sp, bi 194 36 2.6 12
2007 5 jz, cb 122 39 0.7 29
2007 6 jz, sp, cb, pg 100 64 0.0 17 Plus amphibian larvae balls and efts. FLOWER RECORD TO DATE.
2007 7 jz, sp, dm 8 52 0.0 17 Amphibians all aquatic. Hot (98 degrees C at HQ).
2007 8 jz, sp, cb 40 29 0.0 25
2007 9 jz,sp,cb,bb,lr 7 14 0.4 10 10 adults; plus 29 efts/juveniles
2007 10 jz, sp, lr, pg 19 8 3.8 14 14 adults; plus 10 efts/juveniles
2007 11 jz,sp,cb,lr+4 202 8 0.9 16 Pacific Giant Salamanders
2007 12 jz, sp, bb, lr 95 2 6.3 42 Slugs pro-rated for prescribed-burn detour;13 PGS; 29 newts
2008 1 jz, cb, bb 45 7   0
2008 2 jz, cb 23 6   8
2008 3 jz, cb, lr, bb 36 16   1
2008 4 jz, pg 109 23   6 Flower count low because of the cold and rainy weather. Amphibians all terrestrial.
2008 5 jz,cb,bb 153 48   2
2008 6 jz,sp 36 66   19 FLOWER RECORD TO DATE. cb for first third. Low slug count perhaps because (relative to the week) hotter today. Also saw a mystery tadpole
2008 7 jz,sp,sa,da,bb,lr 30 47   12
2008 8 jz,da,bb,lr 13 21   14
2008 9 jz, cb, lr, bb 0 10   16 16 small (baby) aquatics with two dark stripes on their backs (Pacific Giant Salamanders)
2008 10 sp,lr,d,h 46 5   4 3  Aquatic, Pacific Giant Salamanders, one about 7” Long! ; 1 Terrestrial Newt
2008 11 jz,cb,bb,lr,li 133 5   4
2008 12 jz,cb,lr 48 2   7
TOTAL     6290     889