The Isolated Black-bellied Salamander: Wildlife of the Week – 2023 Week 22
Our Wildlife of the Week – 2023 Week 22… Meet the “Black-bellied Salamander”! (Desmognathus quadramaculatus) Black-bellied Salamander Physical Description Black-bellied Salamanders are thick-bodied, with a short curled tail. They are the largest species in the genus Desmognathus. Their tail is strongly keeled and they have 14 costal grooves. These salamanders can be mostly black, gray, or...
The Splendid Sandhill Crane: Wildlife of the Week – 2023 Week 21
Our Wildlife of the Week – 2023 Week 21… Meet the “Sandhill Crane”! (Grus canadensis) Sandhill Crane Physical Description Sandhill Cranes are large birds with heavy bodies and long necks and legs. They stand about 4 feet (1.2 meters) tall, with wing spans of about 6.5 feet (2 meters). They are uniformly grayish, with a...
The Promising Peregrine Falcon: Wildlife of the Week – 2023 Week 20
Our Wildlife of the Week – 2023 Week 20… Meet the “Peregrine Falcon”! (Falco peregrinus) Peregrine Falcon Physical Description There are 19 regional variants (subspecies) of Peregrine Falcon worldwide. They vary considerably in size and color. Like all falcons, Peregrine Falcons have long, tapered wings and a slim, short tail. In North America they are...
The Intimidating Killer Whale: Wildlife of the Week – 2023 Week 19
Our Wildlife of the Week – 2023 Week 19… Meet the “Killer Whale”! (Orcinus orca) Killer Whale Physical Description The average length for a male adult Killer Whale is 26 feet (8 meters), with the maximum length at 32 feet (9.75 meters). The average length in females is 23 feet (7 meters) with a maximum...
The Swift Fox: Wildlife of the Week – 2023 Week 18
Our Wildlife of the Week – 2023 Week 18… Meet the “Swift Fox”! (Vulpes velox) Swift Fox Physical Description The Swift Fox is the smallest of the wild dogs in North America. Adults weigh between 4 to 7 lbs (2 to 3 kilograms) and are approximately 12 in (30 cm) tall and 31 in (80...
The Majestic Bald Eagle: Wildlife of the Week – 2023 Week 17
Our Wildlife of the Week – 2023 Week 17… Meet the “Bald Eagle”! (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) Bald Eagle Physical Description Adult Bald Eagles are extremely large birds with characteristically yellow eyes and bills, white heads and tails and dark brown bodies, which may appear almost black. Although these birds obtain their adult plumage during their 5th...
The Beautiful Horned Puffin: Wildlife of the Week – 2023 Week 16
Our Wildlife of the Week – 2023 Week 16… Meet the “Horned Puffin”! (Fratercula corniculata) Horned Puffin Physical Description Horned Puffins have chests and white bellies. The “horns” are black fleshy spikes above each eye. Their bills function like pipe wrenches, opening wide to allow them to carry many fish at one time. The bills...
The Mesmerizing Snowshoe Hare: Wildlife of the Week – 2023 Week 15
Our Wildlife of the Week – 2023 Week 15… Meet the “Snowshoe Hare”! (Lepus Americanus) Snowshoe Hare Physical Description Snowshoe Hares range in length from 16.26 to 20.39 inches (413 to 518 mm), of which 1.54 to 2.05 inches (39 to 52 mm) are tail. The hind foot, long and broad, measures 4.61 to 5.79...
Be Prepared! Ticketed Entry Reservations, Know Which Park’s Will Have Them in 2022
With summer visitation to our National Parks growing each year, some parks now require entry reservations for certain areas or all of the park. In some cases, this is in addition to the normal park entrance fees, camping fees or wilderness permit fees. Below is information for the National Parks with a entry reservations system...
The Cunning Ringtail: Wildlife of the Week – 2022 Week 20
Our Wildlife of the Week – 2022 Week 20… Meet the “Ringtail”! (Bassariscus Astutus) Ringtail Physical Description Also known as the Ringtail Cat, Ring-Tailed Cat, Miner’s Cat or Bassarisk, the Ringtail is also the State mammal of Arizona. The body mass of both sexes from throughout the geographic range of Ringtails is from 1.8 to...