Arizona | A Wide Variety of Animal Life

Arizona has a great variety of animal life. The vast differences in climate throughout the state if part of the reason for the vast amount of species.

The Southern Deserts community houses many more species than meets the daytime eye because most animals living in this province make their living at night--at least for six months of the year, when the ground and air temperatures are too hot for daytime activity.

Before I moved to Phoenix, I thought that animal life would be sparse in the desert. Not so. Due to the lack of vegetative cover on the desert floor, a lot of it can be seen--but, you have to venture a short distance into the backcountry where they live. If you are a hiker, your best bet is to get on the trail before dawn and stop long enough along the trail to observe animal movement. If you do, you might see such creatures as mule deer, jackrabbit and cottontail, white-tailed deer, javelina, desert bighorn sheep, skunks, coyotes, bobcats, badgers, foxes, and--if you're really lucky (or unlucky depending on how it goes), a mountain lion.

To the careful observer, bird life abounds in the desert. The cactus wren, Gambel's quail, mockingbird, flicker, thrasher, Gila woodpecker, and bright red cardinal flash through the desert brush, while hawks, eagles, owls, ravens, and vultures float above the desert basins and ragnes looking for rock squirrels, woodrats, kangaroo rats, gophers and mice. The famous roadrunner, seemingly afraid of nothing, zips along the ground, grabbing anything that suits its taste.

Deserts are known for their reptiles. They include lizard species such as chuckwallas, swifts, geckos, and whiptails. Among these reptiles are the poisonous snakes--the most visible being the western diamondback and the Mojave.

The Central Mountains Province hosts many of the Southern Deserts animals plus larger mammals, fishes, tree dwellers, and quite a few more birds. The higher, wetter elevations--along with increases vegetative cover--alow for spotted and striped skunks, red foxes, beaver, black bear, wild turkey, procupine, bobcat, mountain lion, white-tailed deer, raccoon, red squirrel, deer mouse, western bluebird, Steller's jay, common flicker, and bald eagle.

The Northern Plateau Province contains a range of animals common to the Mojave Desert on the western end, and common to the ponderosa pine communities on the higher plateaus. Wyoming elk live on both rims of the Grand Canyon.

Some animals live in narrow habitat ranges and survive in fairly limited areas. One example is the sidewinder rattlesnake. Other animals are quite mobile. They have range limits but can adapt behaviorally to changing circumstances as they go--especially the mammals, since they are warm blooded and can adjust their body temperatures. Some creatures, like coyotes, rabbits, and other rodents, roam the entire state.

Spiders

The black widow and brown recluse are the main poisonous spiders in Arizona, but they pose little threat to humans. They live in woodpiles, homes, and other places where they can "hide". For tarantulas, summer is their most active time, especially at night. However, they live in burrows and are rarely observed.

Scorpions

Live under dead cactus skeletons, under rocks, and underground. You'll see it accasionally, but like most other desert animals, scorpions are nocturnal.

Centipedes Rarely seen in the deserts, but are found in other locations in Arizona.

Other insects include beetles, grasshoppers, butterflies, termites, crickets, ants and bees.

Many of the common insects get moisture from the plant life and other insect life they consume. While the sun is up, they escape the daytime desert heat by going underground, into other plant life, under rocks, and into shady areas.

Kangaroo Rat

This little hand-size jumper is the best adapted of all desert animals in that it never has to drink water. It secures water through an efficient kidney that extracts what it needs from the food it eats. This character can gather a phenomal amount of seeds in its cheek pouches as it hunts.

Harris's Antelope Squirrel

Also well adapted to the desert, this chipmunklike rodent is identified by white stripes along each side of its body. It too secures most of its water form the food it eats.

Black-tailed Jackrabbit

This fast-moving gray-brown jumper stays in the shade or hunkers down in cooler soil during the summer. It can grow to the size of a small coyote and is extremely fast. Desert hikers often scare it into movement.

Desert Cottontail Rabbit

These gray-brown, domestic, cat-size rodents are smaller and slower than jackrabbits but can still be seen scurrying along the desert floor when spooked. They seek shade in holes and brush and provide food for many predators, including hawks.

White-throated Woodrat

This double-hand-span-size "packrat" trades sticks and stones for trinkets it finds. It builds its apartmentlike home out of dried cholla cactus segments, which blend in with its own color. These "apartments" can be seen on the desert floor in huge piles.

Chuckwalla

This large lizard found on rocky hillsides inflates itself in rock crevices for protection. Dark in color with an orange back and beige tail. Early Native Americans would deflate them with sharp stick and eat them.

Gila Monster

A large venomous lizard with black, yellow, orange, and pink beadlike scales, can grow 12 to 18 inches in length. Mostly nocturnal, lives in holes, and is quite secretive. You'll be lucky to see one adn won't forget it when you do.

Desert Tortoise

These animals are sometimes seen feeding in the early morning or evening. They live in burrows. you might find the shell of a deceased tortoise when exploring the desert.

Horned Lizard

Famous for its miniature dinosaur profile, this popular palm-size animal takes on the color of its surroundings--you may see brown and tan, gray and blue, or reddish-rust horned lizards scampering over the terrain.

Snakes

These much maligned animals inhabit all areas of Arizona but are mostly nocturnal and hide underground during the day. Most common are gopher snakes (look like rattlers), king snakes, (eat rattlers), garter snakes, and whiptail snakes.

The most common venomous snakes are the western diamondback and Mojave. They are usually heard before they're seen and will usually curl around the closest brush and rattle their warning when threatened.

Birds are the most mobile of all animals and can flit and fly back and forth between life zones and provinces. Some of those common to desert areas include the following:

Seed and Insect-eating

Include cactus wren, quail, thrasher, flicker, kingbird, hummingbird, mockingbird, flycatcher and cardinal.

Predatory birds

Include red-tailed hawk, bald eagle, great horned owl, roadrunner, raven, and vulture. The reddish-rust color of the large red-tailed hawl distinguishes it as it floats on afternoon thermals, peering down for rodent prey. The secretive bald eagle frequents waterways and is easily indentified by its white head feathers. The grayish-colored great horned owl--one of the largest owls--hunts rodents at night. The brown and tan roadrunner chases just about everything across the desert floor. The jet-black raven is a scavenger, and the vulture lives off the field carcasses and road kills.

Coyote

Sometimes called Trickster, Gods' Dog, Song Dog of the West--there are many names for this most adaptable canine. It eats almost anything and its range extends from Alaska to South America.

Gray Fox

Smaller than the coyote, this nocturnal animal has a long tail, often striped down the bakc and black-tipped. Good tree-climber.

Ring-tail Cat

Looks like a small racoon. Inhabits rocky areas and can become a camp pet--or pest.

Javelina

They evolved in South America and migrated north, only recently arriving in Arizona. Peccaries are medium-sized animals, with a strong superficial resemblance to pigs. They have sharp fangs and tusks as well.

Rattlesnakes

These animals are called "pit" vipers in that they have a "pit" between the nostril and eye that serves as a heat-sensing device to help determine location and size of prey--especially at night, when they do most of their hunting. About 25% of all poisonous snakes are "dry" in that there is no envenomation. Every bite varies in the amount of venom injected, exact location of the venom, how toxic the venom is at the time of the bite, condition of teh bite and immune system response. Signs and symptoms of envenomation are metallic or rubbery taste in the mouth several minutes after the bite, with tingling or numb tongue; swelling within ten minutes of the bite; nausea, weakness and temperature change; possible black and blue discoloration within 3-6 hours. First-Aid for snakebites focuses on reducing anxiety and getting to the hospital as soon as possible. Medical experts recommend that individuals do not treat the bite themselves.

Scorpions

Like most wild animals, scorpions have no use for humans--unless they get sat upon, grabbed by accident or have their immediate territory invaded. They will sting out of defense, which results in numbness or swelling that some say is like a bee sting, while others claim the pain is excruciating. There is one scorpion that has the most potent venom--the bark scorpion, a small, delicate, slightly translucent animal. The great big scorpions seen in zoos have big stingers but only average venom potency. Desert-bare-ground campers are the most likely to get stung, especially if they do not make camp until after sundown.

Paper wasps and bees are prevelant.

Velvet Ant

The female is a wingless wasp with a velvety body of varying bright colors including black, orange, red, yellow and white. Her body is beautiful but her sting is very painful, like a severe bee sting.