All posts in “lizards”

It’s not always about the Scorpions, how about visiting Arizona? Wupatki National Monument

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It’s not always about the Scorpions, how about visiting Arizona?

Wupatki National Monument

Walupi Ruin 02 Page 00

The large pueblos preserved at Wupatki National Monument were constructed in the years following the eruption of nearby Sunset Crater, sometime between 1040 and 1100. Volcanic ash, deposited in thin layers, retained moisture and improved farming for an increased population at Wupatki.

One of the things I enjoy the most is investigating the types of wildlife or insects that in habitat areas like this. This area in years past had a very large harvester ant nest and I always brought along some sunflower seeds to spinkle around and watch them carry them back to their nest. Lizards and other wildlife are always visible, lounging around and gathering up the rays of sunshine.

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It’s not always about the Scorpions, how about visiting Arizona? Montezuma’s Castle

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It’s not always about the Scorpions, how about visiting Arizona?

 Montezuma’s Castle

Montesuma Castle 05 Page 00On the last day of each month we will run a series on visiting Arizona and what cool stuff we have here including wildlife. 12 of my favorite places.

This picture is Montezuma’s Castle –  located near Camp Verde, Arizona, in the Southwestern United States, features well-preserved cliff-dwellings. They were the Sinaquas. Ancient Indian Tribe who built the cliff dwellings called Montezuma Castle about 700 years ago in the early 1300s. The Sinaqua abandoned their habitat in this Verde Valley Arizona area in the 1400s.A few desert animals are primarily active during the day, or “diurnal”. These include rock squirrels, chipmunks, lizards, snakes, hawks, and eagles.

 

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Celebrate the Year of the Bat

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Celebrate the Year of the Bat 

 

“The United Nations Convention on Migratory Species said that this year, 2012, was the Year of the Bat,” Nichols said.And bats are nature’s bug zappers, eating as much as their weight in mosquitoes and other insects in a night. Yep taking my job away from me, jk… There is plenty of work available for killing bugs.

Check out http://batconservation.org for more interesting facts about bats.

Most bats in the North America eat insects. As a matter of fact, one bat eats about 2,000 to 6,000 insects each night.  Many of the insects they eat include agricultural crop pests including the tomato horned worm, corn earworm, and many kinds of beetles.  Bats also eat annoying insects like flies, mosquitoes, and gnats.

Fruit bats around the world are important seed dispersers in the tropical rainforest.  They are considered a “keystone species,” meaning that without them, many other plants and animals in the same ecosystem would be adversely affected, like us!

Bats eat a wide variety of food, including insects, fruit, nectar, fish, frogs, rodents, lizards, birds, and blood.

Bats that drink nectar are important pollinators of the organ pipe cactus and saguaro cactus in the United States.  They are also pollinators of cash crops including mango, cashew, balsa, agave, and bananas.

Ring-tailed cats and a Black-footed ferret in Arizona

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 Ring-tailed cats and a Black-footed ferret in Arizona

The ring-tail (Bassariscus astutus) is a mammal of the raccoon family (thus not actually a cat), native to arid regions of North America.

Much like the common raccoon, the ring-tail is nocturnal and solitary. But it is timid and seen much more rarely than raccoons. It is omnivorous, eating fruits, berries, insects, lizards, small rodents, and birds. Foxes, coyotes, raccoons and bobcats will prey upon ring-tails. Hawks and owls may attack the young. They produce a variety of sounds, including clicks and chatters reminiscent of raccoons. A typical call is a very loud, plaintive bark. As adults, these mammals lead solitary lives, generally coming together only to mate. The Ring-tail above is in the collection at Tonto Natural Bridge, just north of Payson, AZ.

Black-footed ferret – A number of years ago I actually ran into one of these at a soccer field but it was deceased. It was in poor condition and at the time I had no idea what it was  and I decided to do some homework to see if I could decide what it was. At least that is what I think it was. The endangered black-footed ferret is a member of the weasel family.

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