Living in the Desert is a Trip



Jackrabbit - Sunni's Photo's

 

You never know what you’ll see in the desert.  Here is a young jackrabbit grazing on the bushes in my front yard.  They’re plentiful in the desert scrub behind my house.

Mockingbird - Wikipedia

 

Today we had three mocking birds playing around the backyard.  They were frolicking and having a good time.  Later in the day, a roadrunner came to drink out of the birdbath.  My husband chased it off before I could get a picture.  Chipmunks were running around at her feet and I think he thought she would decide to hunt.  Did you know the male roadrunner has an orange spot on its cheek where the female doesn’t?

Roadrunner - free clipart

 We have four lizards living on the patio and others scattered about the yard, so between them, the desert toads, and the bats that come out every night, they take care of many of the bugs.

Scorpion - free clipart

 

Last night there was a scorpion in our garage – a big four-inch scorpion.  We haven’t seen one in a long time.  Unfortunately I dint get a picture because it was on the move and we had to get it out of there.  My husband was out there barefoot and saw it right after he started thinking about scorpions and being out there barefoot.  They are cannibals, eating their own species if no other food is available.  The female eats the male after mating.  Did you know that scorpions could work their way into a sealed cardboard box?  Our garage door seals too so we think he flattened himself and got in that way.  And they can live for eighteen months with no food or water!  They are also cannibals eating their own species.  The female eats the male after mating.  It’s no wonder they live in the desert where things are scarce.

 Scorpions aren’t the only things that can flatten themselves.  We’ve seem grown rabbits get through a small space about 2 inches wide in the gate.  I swear they have flexible bones.

 About the only thing we haven’t seen lately are snakes and tarantulas.