Western Diamondback Rattlesnake have a large triangler head and have a narrow neck and a deep pit located between their nostrils and their rattle, to help them detect heat from prey. Because of this they are also known as "pit vipers". The Western Diamondback Rattlesnakes have vertical pupils while other snakes have round pupils. The Western Diamondback Rattlesnake lives in dry rocky conditions with little vegetation and hibernate in the winter months. Rattlesnakes eat small mammels like mice rabbits,gophers, lizards, and ground dwelling birds. The Western Diamondback Rattlesnake reproduces 11 offsprings that are extremely venomous. The Rattlesnakes have predators such as eagles, bobcats and foxes.
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Collard Lizard is distingished by the two black collars around the neck. Adult males have bright green scales as well as tan, olive, brown, bluish, and yellow scales. Females are less colorful but both have whiteish bellies and large heads. Collard Lizards aret the only few lizards that can run using only their back legs. They are very fast and have a stride up to three times there length. The Collard Lizard lives around sagebrush, desertscrub, and rocky areas in the desert. The collard lizard eats insects and other collard lizards. Predators include other lizards, birds, and coyotes. They live 5-8 years and are 10 inches in length. Females develop bright red spots when they are carrying their eggs when they hatch the mother and the father go away and the babies take care of themselves.
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Red Tailed Hawk are known as birds of prey also known as buzzard hawks they are efficient hunters. They prefer open areas or deserts they eat mice, rabbits, reptiles, and ground squirrels. During breeding season hawk pairs fly in large circles to gain great height and then the male and female grab hold of one another with there talons and fall spiraling toward earth. They mate for life. They make high stick nests above the ground and the female lays one to five eggs each year. Both male and female hawks incubate the eggs for four to five weeks and both feed them until they are ready to leave the nest about six weeks later. When the red tailed hawk is displaying an aggressive posture it holds its body and head upright and its feathers are standing out.
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The Greater Earless Lizard It can grow up to 3-7 inches in length. It has tiny ear openings, so sand cannot enter their body while digging. They are usually tan and gray so they blend into the rocks and into their native habitat. Males develop blue or sometimes green coloration, while females are duller in color except when they are pregnant they turn into a brighter orange color. They also have black,white or brown dots to blend in even better to their enviroment. They usually hunt for insects in the morning, later spending several hours in the sun. They are usually found in higher eleveations of the desert. The live in loose gravel like rocky areas. The prey on butterflies, moths, beetles, grasshoppers, bees, ants, and spiders. The larger lizzars eat the bigger prey, while the younger lizzards prey on the smaller insects. When the desert gets cold at night they burry their bodies in the sand.
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Road Runner is New Mexico's state bird and is the largest member of the cuckoo family, it measures 20 inches in length. The Roadrunner nests on a platform of sticks low in a cactus or in a bush. It lays 3-6 egg which hatch in 20 days. The bird walks rapidly, running down prey. They prey on small animals including insects, spiders, mice, small birds, small snakes and lizzards. It kills them by holding it in it's bill and smashing it repeatedly into the ground. It spends most of the time on the ground and can run up to speeds at 20mph.
Mexican Prairie Dog is a keystone and endangered animal that lives in the Chihuahuan Desert. They like to live in rock-free soil at higher altitudes around 5000-7000feet. The Mexican Prairie Dog eats native grasses and herbs, this is also how they get water. Northern Prairie Dogs hinernate and have shoter mating seasons which normally last from January to April. The female usually has a litter once a year, an average of 4 hairless pups. They pups are born with their eyes close and use thei tails to guide them. The pups eventually leave their mother around fall. They live up to 3-5 years and adults weigh about 2.2lbs and can grow up to 14-17 inches long (males are usually bigger than females). In color they are yellowish with darker ears and lighter stomachs. They speak to one anothe in high-pitched yips and barks and can rup up to 35mph. They became endangered in 1994 because they were thought of as a pest and were poisoned. The Mexican Prairie dogs now inhabit less than 4% of their former territory. They are prey to many bigger mammals. The smaller populations of these dogs are already affecting the food chain, the Black-footed Ferret which depends on eating the Mexican Prairie dog is now near extinction. It is proven that where there are more Prairie dogs that there is more small mammal population, more bird diversity and greater predator populations.
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