By George L. Mountainlion
Marvelous mammals
Mammals are animals that have hair, give birth to live young (except the platypus and spiny anteaters), nurse their young with milk produced by the mother, and control their body temperatures from within. We are mammals.
Mammals come in an amazing variety of forms, abilities and living habits.
Our Sonoran Desert is home to 130 different species of mammals! Here is some information about a few of them:
● Two can claim to be the smallest desert mammal. The pipistrelle bat weighs a mere one-tenth of an ounce, and the seldom seen desert shrew, with a 2-inch body, ranges from the weight of a penny to that of a nickel.
● Many mammals are well-adapted to detect danger. Pronghorn rely on their large eyes and good vision to spot predators as much as four miles away. Antelope jackrabbits have large eyes high up toward the back of their heads that allow them to see nearly 360 degrees.
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● Antelope jackrabbits can make leaps in 15-foot bounds, and black-tailed jackrabbits have been reported to leap 20 feet horizontally and almost 6 feet vertically trying to get away from a predator. We lions are superb at leaping, too, and can cover up to 23 feet in a single bound!
● Pocket gophers spend almost their entire lives underground in extensive tunnels — up to 200 feet long — that they have dug. Their teeth, which grow 9 to 14 inches per year, stay short with constant gnawing. They run backward through their narrow tunnels, using their short, naked, sensitive tails to help them feel their way.
● Kangaroo rats do not need to drink water — they survive on water from the dry seeds they eat. Other animals, such as kit foxes, can live in some of the desert's most arid areas and survive on moisture they get from the animals they eat, like kangaroo rats.
● California leaf-nosed bats have large ears and can hear sounds as faint as a munching caterpillar.
● The ringtail is Arizona's state mammal. They are relatives of raccoons, are active at night and omnivorous, meaning they eat both meat and plants. They are excellent climbers and use their long tails for balance. Ringtails also have semi-retractable claws and can rotate their hind feet 180 degrees, allowing them to descend face-first from heights.
● Desert shrews are insect eaters that consume 75 percent of their body weight in food every day.
● Grasshopper mice (see picture above) form family packs. Both parents feed and care for the young and teach them how to hunt.
● Javelinas eat prickly pear cactus pads, spines and all.
George L. Mountainlion
Keep reading BYOBrain throughout the school year, with George L. Mountainlion's kid-friendly column on desert and environmental topics.
kit fox
ringtail
coyote
bobcat
javelina
mule deer
bat
jackrabbit
pronghorn
packrat
Solution to word search is on Page E2.
Try this word search puzzle
Many mammals in the Sonoran Desert seem almost invisible as they hide in the dappled shade of a palo verde tree. See if you can find these mammals hidden in this word search. Hint: All two-word names are written as one word.
