Heron's Head Park rat population surges, thanks to drought (SFGate)

[petronius]

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With the winter drier and sunnier than usual, outdoor creatures like rats were fooled into starting their spring mating rituals earlier, leading to an unusual preponderance of winter babies, said Tina O'Keefe, owner of the RatPros animal removal company in Pacifica. That means more snouts and claws on the ground.

And with the drought pinching down the sources of fresh water critters need to survive, they go roaming away from their usual gulping spots in search of new ones. So that means not just rats, but also raccoons, skunks and snakes are out of their usual patterns and rambling to people-heavy places they typically wouldn't invade - among them trails and dog runs like those at Heron's Head, O'Keefe said.

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http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Heron-s-Head-Park-rat-population-surges-thanks-5425637.php?cmpid=hp-hc-bayarea

Local story, but another interesting aspect of drought trickling down through the system...

[arcane1]

1. It's fascinating to see how many things are affected by rainfall, or the lack thereof

I'm bracing myself for a smoky summer, but at least it isn't boring!