Arizona Wildlife

Whether you live in Arizona or just plan on visiting, you will likely see a lot of Arizona Wildlife. There is so much wildlife that Arizona has to offer that the question is not whether you will see any, but rather How Much will you see.

Whether it is wildlife plants or wildlife animals, you will certainly find more than a supply for you to discover as wellas enjoy. Arizona is well known for a wide variety of desert wildlife. The first thing that comes to mind is a plant that has a very unique name, known as the Prickly Pear. And also the Saguaro Cactus.

Oh, and we cannot forget about those cute little creatures referred to as Scorpions!

Another hearty cactus is the Ocotillo.

Chances are that you also love all of the "wildness" of the

Check out More Wildlife below...

Rattlesnakes

Disappearing Honeybees

Coyotes

I love this cardinal; he is beautiful and he is so boisterous, too. He just loves to let the entire neighborhood know that he is here. I have not been very lucky at getting a worthwhile picture,though. It is obvious to me that this cardinal wants no part of the "glamour shots," as he will not allow me to get too close. (In fact, I can hear him outside right now. I think he is taunting me!)

Another one of Arizona's famous birds, and certainly one of my favorites, is the quail. These quail are quite plentiful and I really like these little guys. (As so do many hunters!) Somehow I don't think I could ever hunt quail because they are just so cute.

I love that little thing that bounces on their head as they scurry around, which is usually the case. What I mean is that this Arizona wildlife species is not known to fly long distances so you usually will see them running as fast as their little legs will make them go. It's so funny to watch and especially cute when you see the little babies following close behind their parents as they frantically try to keep up!

I certainly do not have to travel far to see the quails. In fact, I noticed two of them underneath a part of our roof one day. My only complaint about this species of Arizona wildlife is that when driving, you really have to be careful not to run them over as they are notorious for running out in front of your car at the last moment! I mean it is almost as if they want to see just how close they can get to death without getting killed. Fortunately, I have never run a desert quail over with my car and I hope I never do.

Hey, have you ever seen a Western Banded Gecko? Check this out.
One day as I was driving home, I saw another one of my favorite animals, known as the coyote, running along the residential street here in Gold Canyon. I was so shocked to see him, although I shouldn't have been, as it is increasingly becoming more and more common as the land that these coyotes and other Arizona wildlife call home, is becoming more threatened as humans claim their once owned space and "urbanize it."

Just like the cardinal, though,the coyote was just too quick for me! I guess that is why these and other Arizona wildlife species are able to survive in the wild, at least some of them. Obviously, there are species who live off one another and depend on other Arizona wildlife species for survival.

The Sonoran Desert, home to Arizona wildlife, is described by the Wikipedia Encyclopedia as "a North American desert which straddles part of the border between the United States and Mexico and covers large parts of the states of Arizona, California and Sonora. It is one of the largest and hottest deserts in North America, with an area of 120,000 square miles. The desert contains a variety of unique plants and animals, such as the saguaro cactus." I just refer to it as a very beautiful place to both live and love! It has so much diversity to offer that there is certainly something for everyone here to enjoy.

The Sonoran Desert is a huge part of what makes up the Arizona wildlife and the Arizona desert here in the southwestern part of the United States. Like I have said before, many people think of deserts as lifeless, brown, having little if any beauty at all. I believe that this view very likely changes after those individuals take the time to visit this beautiful state called Arizona. I would bet that the beauty of the Arizona wildlife will likely change their attitude.

If you have never traveled to Arizona before, you should know that it is certainly different in a lot of ways, especially when it comes to the wildlife. The geography is different and it's easy to see why Arizona is home to very different species than many of the other areas of the United States.

Arizona consists of many, many mountains and plateaus. I learned from Netstate.com that more than half of Arizona consists of mountain and plateau areas and is home to the largest Ponderosa Pine forest in the United States.

Something that I also learned from Netstate is that Arizona can be divided into three major land areas. The three major land areas that make up the state is the Basin/Ridge Region, the Transition Zone and the third region is the Colorado Plateau.

The Sonoran Desert is located in North America and includes a vast area of the southwestern part of the United States. As described by the Desert Museum Organization of Tucson, Arizona, the Sonoran Desert covers approximately 100,000 square miles. This is also inclusive of the southern half of Arizona, but the Arizona wildlife does not stop there, though. It also includes an area of southeastern California, as well as all of the area of Baja California peninsula, much of the state of Sonora, Mexico and the islands of the Gulf of California.

For anyone that needs confirmation that Arizona wildlife exists, you may be surprised, as I was too, to learn that the Sonoran Desert actually has more "life" than other deserts in the world. Here, you will find Legume Trees and Columnar Cacti. Two plants within the Sonoran Desert, set themselves apart from the other North American deserts, which are the legume trees and Columnar Cacti.

This very "alive" Sonoran desert houses many plant and animal species here in the state of Arizona. It is estimated that the desert supports approximately 2,000 species of plants! If you are an allergy sufferer though, this is very bad news in the Spring.

Arizona wildlife obviously has to depend on the Sonoran Desert's climate, which can be very "trying," for many of the species. The typical rainfall is a mere several inches. The animal species use their instinctive survival skills and will intentionally decrease in numbers in order to survive.

Currently, there is an abundance of wildlife in Arizona. This could change though. According to the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service, there are currently 54 threatened and endangered species that are listed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, along with an additional nine that have been suggested for listing under the Endangered Species Act.

To make matters worse, U.S. Fish and Wildlife estimate that there are also another 194 species proposed as candidates for special listing. The Arizona Game and Fish Department also maintains a list of Arizona wildlife species, whose existence in the state is threatened. The ever growing population within the state of Arizona has been a major stressor for Arizona wildlife, without question.

The BLM (Bereau of Land Management) of Arizona, understands the reality and the extreme possibility that these species could face extinction. Many Arizona Wildlife species are threatened but it is everyones' hope that their existence will not only survive but increase in numbers for years to come. Arizona wildlife is a priority for many which I personally applaud.

Once these species are gone, they are gone. If all of these species that were mentioned were to perish, what would we do then? I hate to think of the other repercussions, should this occur.

I am sure that I feel the same way as others do and realize that we all need to protect the Arizona wildlife. Not only do we need to support the Bureau of Land Management of Arizona Wildlife, along with other agencies, but we all need to do our part to ensure that we and countless generations that follow us will have all of these Arizona Wildlife species to enjoy.

Discover How The Arizona Coyote Has Adapted To Changes

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