In some areas in the desert this is a rare sight. They can be found in the desert southwest in the Sonoran, Mojave, and Great Basin Deserts. This beautiful animal was photographed in the low mountains of cnetral Utah. Enlarge this one.
Burros
(Equus asinus)
We saw these two burros on a trip in the Kofa Wildlife Refuge. They saw us coming a long time before we saw them. Look at the way their ears are perked up. These animals were 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 because 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.
White-tail Deer
(Odocoileus viginianus)
3 Bucks -- 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.
Desert Bighorn Sheep
(Owis canadensis)
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.
How old is this ram? 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 very close to that.
And here's a younger Ram with a really 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. They can be found in many states in the desert southwest, northern and southern. They like open areas and run at speeds up to 40 MPH. This is a male.
40 to 60 lbs., 19 inches tall with very poor eyesight and a keen sense of smell. Must live in the desert near a water source. Eats primarily plants, and seeds. Average litter of two.
Video courtesy of Joan Dedmon - Tuscon, Az.
As you can tell in this video his eyesight is poor but when he did detect Joan he left right away. Notice: they can be aggressive.
Photo courtesy of Mike Flaherty.
On another trip into the edge of Nevada we spotted two small groups of wild horses and made this video. These are really pretty and healthy looking animals. You can watch this full screen.
Mule Deer
(Odocoileus hemionus)
Mule deer live in the western portion of North America and is named for its ears, which are large like those of a mule. There are several subspecies including the black-tailed deer. Their ears are 3/4 the length of their head. With a distinctive black forehead, or mask, that contrasts sharply with a light grey face. Mule deer are brownish-gray in color and have a white rump patch and small tail with a black tip. This is a young female, or doe.
Photo courtesy of Mike Flaherty.
If you would like to contribute photos of other mammals found in the desert, like others have done, then please email us with your contributions. HERE
Elk
(Cervus canadensis)
The Elk or Wapiti is one of the largest species of the Cervidae or deer family in the world, and one of the largest land mammals in North America. Lifespan of 15 yrs. on average. They eat grasses, plants, leaves, and bark. This photo was taken in Park City, Utah.
Photo courtesy of Mike Flaherty.
Complete article, with more info on Wild Horses can be found HERE
