Archive for the ‘wildlife’ Category

What do you know about the Gila Monster?

Gila monsters are found in the SouthWestern United States. The states include Arizona, California, New Mexico, Utah and Nevada. There are several deserts that span this region and these include the Mojave and Sonora. Gila monsters are lizards and are often called beaded lizards that prefer rocky areas & tend to avoid large, open areas. In these rocky areas they will find burrows & spend large amounts of their life in them. Living in a burrow helps them avoid the extreme heat during the daytime & the cold night. They will eat whatever they can when they can in an effort to store up fat for when it is harder to get food. These lizards just like snakes need to be left alone and relocated if possible.

This little piece of artwork is on exhibit at the Chandler Environmental Education Center. Check the schedule calendar on the left side of blog for dates for the Bug Zoo – 3 – 6 year olds.

Damage from Pocket Gophers

Pocket gophers,  are burrowing rodents that get their name from the fur-lined, external cheek pouches, or pockets, they use for carrying food and nesting materials. Pocket gophers are well equipped for a digging, tunneling lifestyle with their powerfully built forequarters; large-clawed front paws; fine, short fur that doesn’t cake in wet soils; small eyes and ears; and highly sensitive facial whiskers that assist with moving about in the dark. In Arizona significant damage can be done to soccer fields and other areas we play, Pocket Gophers create holes where children can fall into and break ankle or wrist. A gopher’s lips also are unusually adapted for their lifestyle; they can close them behind their four large incisor teeth to keep dirt out of their mouths when using their teeth for digging.

Why do opossums play dead?

Cause they can, no just kidding… Opossums when threatened or scared will appear as if dead. They lie very still, stiff limbs and a fixed stare appearing to be quite dead. Don’t even think about picking one up, they are vicious and can really bite with extreme force.

Opossums are marsupials, they have a prehensile tail and they will eat just about anything including fruits and dead stuff. Female opossums often give birth to very large numbers of young, sometimes up to 13 and often live 2 – 4 years. Have you ever encountered an opossum?

Chicken Wire or Hardware Cloth?

Without a question in my mind, Hardware Cloth! It just looks more professional, not like it was just thrown together to get it done in a hurry.

The other thing we do from time to time is to spray paint the hardware cloth, it can almost blend in and almost becomes invisible. Hardware cloth is more durable and can be secured in place with washers and screws.

Hey it’s your house, you can do what you want right? Do it right, it looks way better…

    What is Rabies?

Rabies is a deadly viral infection that is mainly spread by infected animals. Rabies is spread by infected saliva that enters the body through a bite or broken skin. The virus travels from the wound to the brain, where it causes swelling, or inflammation. This inflammation leads to symptoms of the disease. Most rabies deaths occur in children. Untreated, rabies can lead to coma and death.

Can snakes cause rabies, the answer is no – only warm blooded animals carry the virus. You can still become sick from a wound caused by a snake, just make sure to clean the wounds really well. Rabies causes about 55,000 human deaths annually worldwide. 95% of human deaths due to rabies occur in Asia and Africa. Roughly 97% of human rabies cases result from dog bites.

In the Southwest, rabies shows up mostly in bats followed by skunks. However, it is estimated that fewer than 1% of bats carry rabies.

What is the best advice – stay away from sickly looking animals, don’t touch or handle wildlife. There is a reason why they are called wildlife…