After having written extensively about our woodrat visitor in yesterday's post I think it's only fair to include the rest of the wildlife we have been encountering here in the Southern Californian desert. By the way, little Roger hasn't made another appearance. This could have a number of reasons, including becoming prey to a number of possible predator candidates, such as an owl, a fox, a snake, or a coyote. All the better, that way we won't have to be the ones to deport him.
Snake Country
With loads of junk piled up everywhere, and a notoriously leaking water pump (which we had fixed only two weeks ago), it's not a surprise that there is a great abundance of snakes here. They live on this land anyway, but we just happen to make it even more attractive for them, partially by evicting all the rodents from the RV and the workshop.
The first snake we saw was a humongous rattler, easily six feet long, with a big belly (presumably full of rats or baby snakes). She was being quiet, carfully holding her rattle down, as she was making her way over to one of the junk piles. Later on, I encountered a smaller one, rattling at me vigorousy from under the pallet where I usually brush my teeth. After overcoming my innitial shock, I managed to sneak a picture of it.
This other curious snake is not a rattlesnake, but a harmless Pacific gopher snake. Harmless for us, that is, but I'm sure Roger the Rat and his kind have a different opinion about it.
Tarantulas and Tarantula Hawks
Another creature this region is famous for are these big hairy spiders people tend to be afraid of. And yes, supposedly they can bite, which may hurt a lot. But unless provoked into self defense, tarantulas are rather easygoing. Some people like to play with them, letting them walk from hand to hand to hand... but as for myself, taking a picture of them is sufficient. I'm not sure if I'd appreciate it if someone put me on an endless walking loop.
And to illustrate the circle of life and all that, here's a picture of a bug who likes to hunt tarantulas. The tarantula hawk is quite pretty, with blue or orange colors, who can be mistaken for a giant wasp when flying. When walking on the ground they look nervous and erratic, with their jerking motions. But seeing them drag a captured tarantula leaves no doubt about what they are.
To be exact, they ARE related to the wasps, and they don't kill the tarntula to eat it themselves. Instead, they paralize it to become the live food for their larva. Oh yes, being killed by venom and eaten by a snake is one of the better ways to go, considering...
Birds of Diverse Feathers
Did I mention, the tarantuala hawk is not an actual hawk? (Okay, quite obviously not!) But we have real hawks here too, by the way, along with other avian friends, such as owls, crows and ravens, hummingbirds, and numerous others, an ornthologist would have fun with. And yes, for a desert, there is lots of life here!
Toads and Lizards
A few weeks ago we had a bit of rain on two occasions. It wasn't more than a drizzle, barely wetting the surface of the dust, and neither lasted for longer than ten minutes. But it was enough to get the toads out! Lots of small toads hopping around everywhere, along with the occasional big one. Like this California toad venturing into the the shop.
Lizards are a different story. They always like to hang out wherever it's sunny and where we disturb swarms of bugs, while cleaning out the shop. Sometimes they appear to be listening to our music... and who knows, maybe they actually like it!
The List Goes On
Oh, and then there are of course the hares. Being the first larger animals we noticed, by now they've learned to keep a distance from us. However, they are all over our compost, or "bunny-bucket" as we like to call it, which we empty around the edges of the property.
Where there are hares, foxes and coyotes can't be far. The latter we hear every night, yipping in large groups, to the annoyance of the local dogs. The foxes are more stealthy, but we have seen some footprints that looked less coyote like.
Of course, with all this diversity of life, we're probably just scratching the surface. I can't wait to find out that there are many, many more species living on this land.
If You're Interested, Here Are the Other Posts I Wrote During My Time on the Stone Turtle Property:
Introduction to Stone Turtle
The Natural Building Project I Started
Mysteries of Stone Turtle - The Lay of the Land
A Natural Venue for Performing Arts
An Encounter with a Local Woodrat
Wildlife on the Property
About the Stuff Found Among the Trash
Two of the Most Prominent Trucks on the Site
Tackling The Garbage Challenge
All the Cool Pics on Stone Turtle