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Mt_Rider's creature feature has me looking at all the things that creep and crawl on our property, LOL

This one likes to carefully search the porch, even if we are sitting on the porch swing. He diligently goes around all the bottles of water searching for a sleeping moth or bug. It is an Arizona Striped Whiptail. It will even scurry past our feet while we are sitting there.

http://www.reptilesofaz.org/Lizards-Subpages/h-a-arizonae.html
ASPARI-2005b.jpg

Ornate Tree Lizards play in the wood pile, sleep between sheets of wood or anything that is a small place to squeeze into and hide for the night.

http://www.reptilesofaz.org/Lizards-Subpages/h-u-ornatus.html
u-ornatus-2004.jpg

There is a plethora of Mediterranean Geckos. They hang out on the outside walls at night. Patience, the ferret used to take them in and adopt them. LOL. I'd clean their room and find one under a blanket with ferret food near by. I caught her taking a mouth full of food and stashing it under the blanket. Curiosity got the best of me, so I checked under the blanket to get rid of the bug bait. There was the baby gecko. Patience came out of her sleeping place like a rocket. I caught the tiny thing and put it outside. For the next few days she went all through the house checking every single crack and crevasse looking for something. A couple of days later, she was busy stashing food under a towel. I checked and there was another gecko. Since they are bug eaters, I waited a couple of days before I caught it and let it out. Patience would get so mad at me every time I caught her hoarding them. LOL


HEMTUR-05.jpg

Then there is a Central Valley Kingsnake that has made it's residence in our yard. He climbed one of our trees and cleaned out one of the ring neck dove's nest high up in one of the pine trees. Recently we've had the pleasure of watching a Roadrunner come and go. There is a bright red cardinal who has been visiting in the evenings, shortly after the night hawks and bat fly through.

 

The rabbits are staying clear of the back yard because of Grrr. The other day around dawn, I walked out and saw a cotton tail lounging on the front lawn.

 

My biggest fight is the ants. Harvester and black. They have decided my yard is fair game. After being attacked by sugar ants the other day, my tolerance is very low.

 

We went swimming/diving. Our usual place to put our gear seemed to be filled with the sugar ants. I sat on a rock in the water fishing and was still bitten by the little buggers that had been caught by a wave and were swimming. It took two days and now I am welting up with itching bumps where they made their presence known. I have been using Tea tree oil and purslane to combat the itch. They got my arms, back and even got in my hair.

 

This morning the black ants were using the garden hose as a highway following a queen. I killed the queen and moved the garden hose. Before I could clear it from the area, several had climbed on me. My socks were the only thing that saved me from more welts. Tonight, after the birds settle in, I will take the poison and anoint the several mounds that have appeared in our yard.

 

 

 

 

What's in your yard?

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Squirrels, bunnies, several lizards I haven't bothered to learn, ribbon snakes, cotton mouth, timber rattler, wood rat, copperhead, rat snakes, fire ants, blister beetles, dung beetles, june bugs, big head ants, leaf cutter ants, rhino beetle, grasshoppers....

 

I wish my chickens would eat ant larvae.

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Ants. 1 bunny likes to visit and a squirrel. I think they do it to tick off Samson. The squirrel gets on the shop roof and barks at Samson so of course he barks back. It usually ends in a standoff. Of course the squirrel is either too smart or chicken to come into the yard.

 

 

 

:wormie2:

John

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Here...mostly squirrels, robins, sparrows, starlings (or junk birds as I call them) & some rabbits. Some pigeons around the downtown areas and the MFA granary. The little "P" ants that pesture your counters if you don't put out something for them to take back to the nest that will irradicate them. At the Roost, a deer or two wander through the yard, found some baby bunnies when we last mowed so wrapped them in newspaper while MrWE2 mowed and put them back & covered them with cut grass. Don't know if they survived or not, but will know when we go to mow again. At the homestead property, same that we have here but have ran on to a garter snake once or twice around the garden area, but we just leave them alone.

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As mentioned: Bats, mice, large fat crickets, :animal0017: , moths....lots of moths..... And that's all INSIDE THE HOUSE! :sigh:

 

On porch....squirrels by day [unless Koa is out there] and The Rat by night. Finally I.D.ed him! Possibly bats in chimney...

 

On property: coyotes [a pack was following Koa and I home from a walk one evening]; foxes, deer, elk, 4 baby bunnies by the house and lots of squirrels that provide Doggie TV. Salamanders in pond...no fish. No snakes this year...word spread that I shoot them. Have seen porcupine, raccoon, beaver, muskrat, bobcat...but not for a while. A badger one year. Haven't seen yet this season...Bear. Haven't seen ever but they are here....Mt.Lion. :behindsofa:

 

Rodents..... Don't ask.... :baseballbat:

 

Birds...swallows over pond- catching bugs. Loud, noisy robins. Sparrows. Mt. Blue jay. Tiny green bird...not hummers. We have hummingbirds too. RedTailed Hawks. Assorted black birds..including red-winged. Magpies. Big turkey vultures [i think that's what they're called]. Some golden eagles but spotting them is rare. Occasional wild ducks...mostly mallard in spring. Canadian geese in spring. Sadie-birds....nickname and I've forgotten the real name.

 

 

MtRider ....lots and lots of wildlife. :baseballbat: Needs to stay outta my house!

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Scrub jays (pulled one out of the cats mouth yesterday), mourning doves, hummingbirds, Swainson's hawks, the owl in the palm tree in the front yard.

The occasional possum and raccoon (thankfully not in months since the cat population has increased.)

Teeny, tiny ants that are invading my bathroom (whatever kind of ant they are...they've only been in our area for several years) and regular black ants. Cicadas...cucarachas....crickets.

And squirrels.

And....rats.

Which is why I'm up at 3 am typing this. The cat just did battle with one right outside my bedroom window.

Edited by dogmom4
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3AM...cat fight..... : :groooansmileyf: But a worthy cat fight. Gotta set the rat traps on my porch. Tried moth ball and bleach wash to repel the stupid thing but....I see his 'evidence' again this morning. We are talking about a second floor porch, btw.

 

 

 

Forgot to express appreciation to Annarchy for neat pics of the gecko ...lizards. Cute! :)

 

 

Also GREAT appreciation for NOT posting pics of their resident snake population.... :puzzledsmile: I was scrolling down verrrry carefullllly.... :blink:

 

 

MtRider .....ick....don't ....like.....snakes!!!! :behindsofa:

Edited by Mt_Rider
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Many species of birds, gray and fox squirrels, sometimes a red squirrel; mink, muskrats, raccoons, rabbits, groundhogs, opossums, deer, fox, sometimes hear coyotes but not lately. black bear (ate three hives of honey and bees), various snakes but none poisonous so far, salamanders, bullfrog, green frogs, spring peepers, and others I don't remember right now.

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Nothing too exciting at my house. And I'm glad of that by the way! I suppose the worse thing I see is about 1-2 garter snakes during the summer. We have the usual furry critters of squirrels, chipmunks and bunnies. We have robins, sparrows cardinals, blue jays, hummingbirds, and pretty yellow finches. I've seen hawks fly over. In the winter I sometimes hear an owl hooting. I do have lots of deer in my yard though. Once in a while I'll see a tiny toad in the mulch; I named him Todd. Oh and cicadas and lightening bugs and crickets. Canadian geese are bothersome with what they leave behind in some areas. That's about all I've seen around here. I saw a fox twice in the 24 years I've been here and a couple of groundhogs, raccoons and opossums along side the road. The only pests I've ever had in the house include an occasional fly or mosquito, little bitty spiders an ant or two in the spring and sometimes those horrible house centipedes. I HATE those things. I can't imagine bats and rats and mice and creepy crawly things. I guess I've been pretty lucky in that regard because there is a woods right behind my house. It's probably tick infested.

 

Edited to add:

I forgot, I did have a dead squirrel in the basement once. The insulation killed it.

Edited by Jeepers
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I miss lightning bugs. Childhood memories. Don't have them in HI or CO. There is a very tiny worm that lives in the decomposing granite that is our soil. If you look carefully you might catch sight of their glowing end.

 

Does it count that my duck herd has a new habit? If I'm late going down the steeeep hill to let them in duckyard for supper, they all troop up the driveway to find me. Sheeeeesh!

 

One day I had the dog on leash, two horses following, 6 goats hanging out with us, and 14 ducks waddling along too across the pasture. Pied Piper! :lol:

 

 

I actually DO attract animals. Always have. Terrorized my mom by sticking my little hand inside the car window to pet the "nice" big doggie....who'd been barking ferociously but fell under my charm! :P Did same to a "junk yard dog" to the disgust of owner.

 

MtRider ....but I'd really like to turn off that "charm" when it comes to pesky wildlife! REALLLLY! :rolleyes:

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Disgusting mosquitos! Glad I bought several bottles of T-tree oil. Watched and listened to a little wren that has taken up some sort of "residence" under the carport and loves to sing. Doesn't fly away unless I turn to give it a looksee! :-) This area has formerly been occupied with Mrs. Robin and her nest. Several years ago we put a small piece of plywood (maybe a 4"x4"?) in the corner so the wind didn't keep blowing her precious eggs or babies down on to the carport floor. Now wondering if the wren (small as it is) has now taken up the nesting ledge? Hmmm...strange that a robin would allow anything near her nest!

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LOL

Interesting what wild life lives where. Which ones are not hindered by the human presence. Someday, if we ever move, I will know what to look forward to. :animal0017:

Chickens eating fire ants, curious. The inca dove seem to hang around the ant hills, whether they eat them is another story. They do, however, enjoy the purslane in our yard. Last year they ate almost every single plant that was growing before I harvested it. :rolleyes:

In the past, we have had coyotes, javelina, wild turkeys, skunks (poor Grrr), and jack rabbits, around our neighborhood.

Birds include the fly catchers, cactus wren, wood peckers, mocking birds, house finch, sparrows, morning dove, ring neck dove, white wing dove and the inca dove, starlings, cow birds, threshers, cardinals, 3 or 4 different type of humming birds, chickadees, buzzards, several types of hawks, golden and bald eagles, 2 types of owls, egrets, grackles, and more. During migration seasons we are constantly looking up what type of birds are flying through. There is a tiny yellow colored bird, about the size of a hummer that sits on the feeder eating the bugs. I have not figured out what it is yet.

Bugs, too many to count. The bad ones like the scorpions, tarantulas, and giant centipedes occasionally pass through, but not without being in danger of being crushed. :whistling: Oh, and there is the hooorrrrable date palm cockroaches. :runcirclsmiley2: They give me the heebee jeeebeees. :0327:

We also have a Desert Iguana that lives in our yard. This year its' babies are scurrying around.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desert_iguana
This one is giving 'Flowers for the Ladies'... lol
lizfl1.jpg

 

Luckily, we do not get rattle snakes in the yard. And hoping we never do.

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I forgot to mention the black widows. We have not had one in the yard for over 10 years. I told my mother I was combating them. A few days later she brought over a margarine container of daddy long legs, put it in my shed and opened it up, while I was not home. Yes, she caught a whole container full.

 

A couple of days later, she called and asked if I had noticed. :groooansmileyf: "Spiders! Really Mom?!"

 

The long legs are still in my yard, but I do not have the widows any more.

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REALLLY? :thumbs: Daddy Long Legs are the ONLY spider that doesn't give me the creeeeps! Dunno why cuz I remember being "chased" :) by one as a child. But I can pick them up with my hands and move them or ignore them. GLAD TO KNOW my policy of ignoring them in the house is a good policy. CO does have the widows, but I've never seen one.

 

MtRider Go Daddies. :animal0017:

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We have quite a variety. Hawks, owls, hummingbirds, finches, doves, woodpeckers of all sizes (Pileated to small Downy), turkeys, lots of little common birds, deer, foxes, raccoons, opossums, armadillos, squirrels, chipmunks, some little lizards and snakes (rat, king & cooperheads are ones we've seen).

Of course, we have mice around too. Part of country living.

I've seen in our area but thankfully not on our property - skunks, beaver, ground hogs and bob cats.

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Daddy long legs take care of black widows? That's good to know....

 

After the Daddies got established, there has not been any widows around our property.

 

Before that, we were constantly finding them. One had made residence under/around my washing machine. (Ours are outside.) I noticed a bug bite on my foot one day. It swelled and drove me crazy for a long time before it healed. A couple of weeks later, I got another bite. Same reaction. I began to look to see what was in the yard that could be biting me. My first thoughts were focused on ants, but I could not catch it biting me.

 

That went on for months, until the reaction to the bites was only a red dot that turned brown. I still have freckled marks on that area of my foot. In desperation, I took a flashlight out with me, when I loaded the washer, to look for whatever it was. She was in the exact area I stood when I dumped my clothes in. She also died for it. :animal0017:

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We have quite a variety. Hawks, owls, hummingbirds, finches, doves, woodpeckers of all sizes (Pileated to small Downy), turkeys, lots of little common birds, deer, foxes, raccoons, opossums, armadillos, squirrels, chipmunks, some little lizards and snakes (rat, king & cooperheads are ones we've seen).

Of course, we have mice around too. Part of country living.

I've seen in our area but thankfully not on our property - skunks, beaver, ground hogs and bob cats.

 

Armadillos in TN? I thought they were mostly desert dwellers.

 

We have a friend who traps bob cats every year. Last year he got around 200.

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Wow...200? I wouldn't have any duckies left! :o What does he do with them?

 

Yeah, I was thinking the same for the armadillos... :scratchhead: Way up in TN? Are they edible...by anything?

 

MtRider ...ya know this thread gives me the itches, don't ya? Glad you got the widow!!!

Edited by Mt_Rider
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Armadillos in TN? I thought they were mostly desert dwellers.

 

We have a friend who traps bob cats every year. Last year he got around 200.

 

They've been migrating out of the west for some time now and I don't think they really care if the live the desert or the humid South. We seem them all over the place here.

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Wow...200? I wouldn't have any duckies left! :o What does he do with them?

 

Yeah, I was thinking the same for the armadillos... :scratchhead: Way up in TN? Are they edible...by anything?

 

MtRider ...ya know this thread gives me the itches, don't ya? Glad you got the widow!!!

 

 

He 'pelts' them.

 

Somewhere I read armadillos carry leprosy. I really need to look that up and find out if it is true. :scratchhead:

 

MIL had a tree trimmed in her yard, the following week a young wood pecker decided to make her carport awning its new place to sleep. She was thrilled to see it every evening at sunset when she shut her window louvers. It finally found another place to roost after being disturbed when we would go out after dark.

 

Our woodpeckers like to tilt the hummingbird feeders making the solution spill out.

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