Content including photographs are Copyright © 2009 - Don & Linda Gilmore
In some areas this is a rare sight. We usually see them in heards of 6 to 8 horses. They travel from the Colorado River over to the Eastern Edge of the Yuma Proving Grounds looking for browse. There are some healthy looking animals here in the desert.
We saw these two burros on a trip in the Kofa Wildlifel Refuge. They saw us coming a long time before we saw them. Look at the way their ears are perked up. These animals werre left here in the desert to fend for themselves after the Miners, and the Spanish cut them loose.
Some people would like to see them destroyed becaue they are eating forage that the native animals need. They are natives now themselves! And we should treat them that way. They are now part of the ecology in the desert just like the other mammals here. This one was very friendly and I'm sure someone has been feeding him.
3 Busks -- oh boy they saw us! They immediately took off running. Most people don't ever see them like this. They just walked up out of a wash in the summer time. They were staying cool under some Mesquite Trees and then heard us coming. We stopped and waited and sure enough they almost walked right into us. It takes a lot of patience and a good eye.
A Bighorn Sheep Ram. He was standing on top of this mountain and let me take about 45 photos of him with a big telephoto lens on the camera. Look where his back feet are? They are agile and beautiful animals in the desert.
Here's how you tell how old a Ram is. There is a gray line on his horn about 1/3 of the way up from the tip of the horn, see it in the photo to the left? That's the 4 year old line. Then go up toward the skull untill you get to well defined ridges and count them. This ram was 9 years old or real close to that.
And here's a younger Ram with a real young Ewe. Now the females (Ewes) also have horns but they never get big like the Rams horns..
This Pronghorn Antelope was photographed in the desert in New Mexico. We saw a heard of them and then we ran into this solitary male who just seemed to want us to take his picture. Magnificent animal in the desert.
The lonely Coyote. Of all the animals in the deert the Coyote is least respected and is hunted for no reason. However this is a big mistake on the part of humans to do this. When being hunted and killed they ovulate more and the younger ones even give birth (which is not the norm). This just doesn't make any sense to kill them, they are not a threat to people!
Here's one we saw at close range and he was taking us seriously. However after a few minutes of staring each other down he decided we weren't a threat and just walked away. These animals are true survivors and shouldn't be hunted for no reason. Attention Farmers: Keep your animals in at night so you don't have a problem. Bet you keep your car in a garage to keep it safe?
These guys are skinny but are still cuddly -- that's what my wife says about them, and I have to agree. They get used to you real quick. These guys and their young got used to us sitting there at sundown watching them come out to start their hunting for the night. They are nocturnal.
Here's the male matriarch of the clan we spent so much with here in the desert. You can see the large canine teeth these guys have.
(Felis rufus - or - lynx rufus)
Not often seen but this one was in the foothills and looked to be very healthy. He didn't seem to care that we were there at all. This Bobcat was probably the biggest one I've ever seen. I'd have to guess that he weighed at least 30 lbs.
If you look closely at this photo you'll see why you've probably missed a lot of Jack rabbits. They offten hide in overhangs like this in the desert and are really hard to see. They are just trying to keep all the above predators at bay.
Now some of these guys get really big and the ears -- well they are gigantic. All the better to hear you coming. This one sat still for quite a while, frozen, trying to be invisible. He sure was healthy. When he was sitting like this, the top of his ears where approx. 20 inches off the ground.
It's amazing the wildlife you can find in the desert!
(Urocyon Cinereoargentius)
We got lucky and ran into this Gray Fox in the back of a mine tunnel that was full of barrels and trash. He seemed to be at home there. Maybe it was because of the high temperature in the back of the mine tunnel? Read the whole story HERE
When you do meet up with an animal in a mine tunnel it tends to be a scary experience -- this was a neat experience and the fox seemed curious and friendly. Here he was right at my feet.
They often clilmb trees, unlike a Red Fox and Coyote - they are mainly nocturnal, year around.
Hieght 15", Length 3' 2", Tail 13".
