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I went out to one of my favorite HL areas and again didn't see a single one. No babies, no adults, no nothing. So I took a long drive on a winding dirt road in the mountains and when I got up to the top, about 5000 feet I think, I saw what looked to be HL sign if you know what I mean. Full of ants. Lester, is there any other lizard that makes droppings that might fool you?

Gordon, here is one of the ant species I found at the top.

I saw another solid red pogo (I believe) that were slightly smaller than the black ones down here at my place.
Anyways, thanks for taking a look.
Cheers!

That looks to be one of the diurnal Myrmecocystus species. The solid red Pogo could have also been californicus as it does occur in two color forms. Without a better feel for the location you saw it, it is tough to get better than that.

I am going to try and make a trip back up there saturday and this time get some photos of everything. I feel that the solid red ant might not be californicus, but I am certainly no ant expert. It just looks more like the Rugosus than californicus. But I'll try to snap a few photos to let you make the call.

Hello Cable. Sorry it has taken so long to get back to you but I have been really busy in the field getting this year's data gathered at my study sites. The ants pictured appear to be P. californicus and Myrmycocystus to me. Gordon is the ant specialist and I support his ID. To answer your question about scat and other lizards that may eat ants: there are a few other lizards that may eat ants as a partial supplement to their diets but the scat of HLs is very distinct. The only time that there may be a question as to scat origin is when baby HLs are present (hatchlings to 3 months). Their scat can be hard to ID. In the field, when hatchlings are present, scat samples are collected by capture-hold-release methodology to remove the "doubt" factor on dietary monitoring. Samples may also be collected if the hatchling - juvenile HLs are directly present in the local area. Lester G. Milroy III

I was on top of a mountain at probably 4000 feet. Right on top. Is that normal habitat? grass, manzanita and other sparse scrub. I'll get some photos on here hopefully tonight.

I sure would be interested in you average field activities for a day. Do you "stalk" or sit and watch, or what?
Thanks again.

That sounds like "normal" habitat to me. Coastal Sage Scrub/Chaparral has several different plant community compositions and the elevation is within the range. Typically, CHLs are found from sea level to 4500 feet, and there are two or three historic sightings above 6000 feet.

At my study sites, I monitor established transects for data gathering and analysis. I do "stalk" some HLs if they have telemetry for tracking to gather homerange data. I do "sit and watch" in some areas also to observe behaviors. I also "post" video cameras to record activity and behaviors. Sometimes this "posting" is rewarding, but most times not. Lester G. Milroy III

The other possibility for a red Pogo in the area, would be P. subnitidus. All populations of rugosus I have seen in California are dark brown or black. If the all red Pogo has thoracic spines it is almost certainly subnitidus.

Gordon,
You may very well have been right the first time. They look very similar to this one Link but are a brigher red (or light orange). Shape is right though. But I'll try to get some pic's this afternoon. I am planning a short trip up that mountain again to see what else I can see (with camera this time).

This is a smaller ant that is in my yard. Very small (1 or 2mm?).
Can you ID?
Thanks again Gordon.

Oooops, spilled some.

Hmmm that little one looks like it might be Solenopsis xyloni, kinda hard to tell though. It is certainly a Myrmicine genus though. The other possiblility could be a Pheidole of some sort, but I'm leaning toward Solenopsis. As for the Pogo, look at one under a magnifying glass, if there are rear pointing spine on the back face of the thorax it is subnitidus, if rounded it is californicus.

Forgive the gory details but inquiring minds want to know.

Lester,
I went back to the top of the mountain and found two samples. If you can tell from the pics, here they are:

Gordon/Lester,
I found three verieties of ants. The pogo here:

This smaller ridish/yellow one:

And this similar blackish one:

Here are a couple of photo's of the area.

This place is about 3 miles as a crow flies from the other site where I have seen many Coronatum, including the juvenile I saw yesterday. However it is across the valley and up a very steep hillside. If HL's are here then there must be many in this general area because it is all similar and there are many many square miles of contiguous habitat.
Thanks for looking.

Cable
The reddish ant is Myrmecocystus wheeleri, the dark ant is Formica probably francouri, a very common species in that area, the pogois still a poog, cant give you more with seeing the rear portion of the thorax, probably subnitidus at that elevation and habitat, but still a chance of it being californicus