Ah, Pandas.

Acorn Woodpeckers also sport a black and white mask, but unlike Pandas, you can see them for free year round, and they contribute to our local ecologies.

Have you heard?

Of course you've heard. Pandas are back in town.

After years of negotiations with Chinese conservationists and government officials, the San Diego Zoo hopes to breed two giant pandas over the next ten years. This is fun news, but I'm all about native species here! I want to highlight some local critters who, though not national icons, are certainly charismatic—and beautiful in black and white.

Perhaps the closest thing San Diego has to pandas is the sea-faring couch-potato A.K.A. the harbor seal. Mottled in black and silver, seals loaf on local beaches between deep dives for fish, crabs, and squid. Their big eyes, whiskers, and timidness are cuddle-worthy, but they desperately need their rest, so no hugging or seal selfies please.

Why are pandas black and white? So they can blend in with snow and forest shadows. Why are California king snakes black and white? They're blending in with shadows too. Funny how evolution works. A California king's zebrine bands also serve as a warning to trick would-be predators, though they are completely harmless to humans.

Last is a species that makes up for its small size with arguably more personality than pandas. Yes, I said that. It's impossible to pass by acorn woodpeckers without hearing or seeing their wild raucous. In stark black, white, and red plumage, they look like clowns. Their call is a goofy waka-waka-waka. And their unique social habits have been vigorously studied for more than 50 years!

Perhaps the best thing about all of these animals is that they are threads in the fabric that holds San Diego's ecosystems together. The zoo's new pandas do the same in the mountains of China, but here they are more of a spectacle — an expensive one too. In most cases, our wildlife is far more accessible.

Whether you find yourself lounging on the coast, exploring in the foothills, or escaping to the mountains this month, I hope you see some animals worth getting excited about.

See you out there,

-Cypress