Critter Page

Here are some fun critters made out of clay. Can you recognize them? Which one is your favorite?

Jackrabbit The jackrabbit is larger than a rabbit with longer hind legs and ears. The big ears help the rabbit to keep cool.

Gambel's Quail This quail has a teardrop shaped head plume on the top of its head. The male acts as a sentry and looks out for the rest of the family perched. They make a soothing clucking sound and scratch at the ground for seed as chickens do.

Coyote The coyote hunts small animals mostly at night. Their high-pitched yapping is a common sound in the desert.

Lizard The lizard can dash over the sand up to 15 miles per hour. To escape the sun or danger, it dives into the sand and "swims" beneath the
surface.

Desert Box Turtle This turtle has the ability to completely enclose
its feet, tail and head within its "box" shell.

Desert Tortoise The desert tortoise eats the prickly pear cactus fruit.

Roadrunner This bird spends most of its time walking on the ground. It eats small animals and snakes. He is a fun bird to watch running
along the roadside.

Ground Squirrel This animal spends a lot of time running and playing around. He runs with his tail up and is even active during the heat of the day.

Javelina The cute little javelina likes to eat flowers and prickly pear cactus. They have a pink nose and a scent gland on their back that helps them keep their herds together.

Saguaro The Saguaro (suh-WAH-row) grows in the Sonoran Desert of Southern Arizona. It stores water in its trunk and arms. Lots of birds including woodpeckers, owls and red-tailed hawks perch and nest on them. The woodpeckers drill holes to make a new nest in them each year.

Cholla This is sometimes called the Jumping Cholla as its branches with their sharp-barbed spines seem to jump out and get on your clothing when walking by them.

Prickly Pear The prickly pear has beautiful red berries. The javelina love to munch on the leaves on this plant. Many animals eat the
fruit and obtain moisture that they need for desert life.

Snakes The desert has several snakes but the most commonly thought of are the rattlesnakes. When the rattlesnake feels threatened, its muscles vibrate its tail and makes the 'rattle' sound which alerts animals to stay away.

Tarantula The fuzzy tarantula is the largest spider in the Sonoran Desert. It may grow to have a six-inch legspan. They are gentle creatures and only bite if threatened.

Scorpions Scorpions seek shelter from the heat in crevices or under rocks during the day. They come out at night to hunt insects.

Centipede: Centipedes have elongated bodies with one pair of legs for every segment. The giant desert centipede is usually up to 8 inches long and is orange with a black head and tail.

Black Bear: The black bear lives off the desert in the high country - up in the mountains. There he feasts on acorns and flips over rocks for other grub.

Horny toad: Is is not an amphibian. It is really a horned lizard, a reptile. They flatten their bodies and turn perpendicular to the sun's rays to warm themselves and parallel to cool down.

                                                   (creation of J. Becker)

Gila Monster: The Gila monster is found in the Sonoran and Mojave deserts, ranges in length from eighteen to twenty-four inches.

(we purchased this one for fun in our fountain)

Bobcat: The bobcat is the most common member of the cat family found in Southwest deserts. It stays well-hidden among rocks or in bushy thickets. The bobcat's tail is short and stubby - is only about 6 inches long.

(this is a picture of a real one.)