The Cottontail Rabbit

The Cottontail Rabbit

- Kate

          The cottontail rabbit is a very common rabbit in Colorado. They might seem like annoying pests, always eating people's lawns and leaving spots of dead grass all over the grass. Yes, it is true that they can be pests, but they are also very interesting animals. Here are some facts about this rabbit and how it can be more than just a pest. Most of these facts are about eastern cottontail rabbits, but there are also facts that can relate to all types of cottontail rabbits.

Habitat

          The cottontail rabbit likes to live in meadows or fields but also adapts to living with humans. They usually like to nest under bushes or decks, where they are safer than they are out in the open. Most also dig holes in the ground, almost like a prairie dog. They will make their nests in fireplaces and flowerbeds too.

Food

          Cottontail rabbits eat grasses and herbs, and will also eat things from your gardens such as flowers or veggies. They usually feast at night, so it is hard to prevent them from eating your vegetation. Although they will also eat throughout the day too. They will eat bark and sticks during the winter when other food isn't as available.

Looks

          The cottontail rabbit is mostly gray or brown. The young look a lot like the adult rabbits, just cuter. They have a small white tail, kind of like a cotton ball. They don't grow to be very big, and they can blend in with their surroundings well.

Cottontail Rabbit Juvenile 

Fun Facts

• They are very fast
• They can jump about 1-2 feet into the air (I've seen them do it 😂)
• Scientific Name: Sylvilagus floridanus 
• Produce 3-4 litters of young per year
• Like to live in one area for most of their lives
• It's a lot of fun to watch them fight and play 😁
• For more facts, you can go to https://www.wildlife.k-state.edu/species/cottontail-rabbits/index.html or search "cottontail rabbit fun facts"

Coyotes

How They Look

Coyotes range from grey to light brown, resembling large, shaggy dogs. Their bodies are lean and muscular, because they have to be strong runners to catch food. 

They have  wedge shaped faces and large, pointed ears that help them to hear their prey. Their backs are usually grey to speckled black and they have big, bushy tails with black tips. Pups look like scrawny, mini adults, though their tails are not really bushy. They are smaller than wolves, although they are often known as prairie wolves or bush wolves.

What They Eat

Coyotes are omnivores, which means they eat both meat and vegetation, as well as opportunistic eaters, which means that they are not picky eaters. They will eat just about anything: rodents, carrion, fish, deer, even insects, among many other things. Sometimes they will even eat garbage! They enjoy a wide range of foods. Coyotes are mainly nocturnal - they usually hunt at night. They usually hunt alone, although they will often form packs in the fall and winter when food is hard to come by.

Where They Live

Coyotes can be found across North America, and their numbers are increasing due to their large ability to adapt. They were formerly found mainly in wild areas, like grasslands or deserts, but can now be found everywhere including urban environments. They can even be found in busy cities.

Other Facts

1. Coyotes have litters of 3-12 pups.

2. They can run up to 40 miles per hour

3. They are excellent swimmers

4. Coyotes mate for life

5. They can live up to 20 years in captivity.

Conclusion

Although many people dislike coyotes and think of them as pests, coyotes are actually just another animal trying to survive. I find coyotes very interesting because they can be found right in my backyard - literally - and in the city too. I think we should all strive to learn more about the animals around us.

Source of Information:                   Source of Photos:

National Geographic                      Urban Carnivores

American Expedition                      Youtube

Animal Sake                                   Ninnescah Biology Field, Kansas

-Lili

Coyote

I have some exciting news! So, apparently, we have a coyote in our backfield!!! I haven't actually seen it, but my siblings and my dad have, and it's pretty big! I will try to post a picture as soon as I can get one, but I don't know when that will be.😁

Wildlife in Moab

Wildlife in Moab

Moab is a very different environment from Westminster, Colorado. Moab is in Utah and is in a very hot and dry environment. This effects both plants and animals. I am on vacation in Moab and I'm going to post some pictures and share some facts about what lives in Moab.

- Kate

Canyons

There are tons of canyons in Moab. They are rock with a few plants scattered around. These canyons make you feel like a little ant with a super tall tree right next to you. There isn't much to say about them, but I have a picture below.

Animals

There are a lot of different types of creatures in Moab, but I didn't get a lot of pictures. I did get some pictures and videos of bats though. It's hard to see them because they're fast, but you can catch glimpses.

Baby News!!!!!!

This is defiantly one of the most exciting wildlife sightings I have seen in a LONG, LONG time!!! You see, there is this deer I named Wildflower, who usually stays alone and does not hang out with the herd so much. She has a favorite eating spot on the edge of a small, seasonal creek nearby our house. Recently I saw a VERY pregnant Wildflower on my wildlife cam, (I'll post the pics once I take my cam down!) and was wondering if I would ever get to see her fawns. And lo and behold, what do I see this morning? A very exhausted, fat Wildflower, (mothering must be exhausting) and TWO FAWNS! TWO ADORABLE, WITH WHITE SPOTS FAWNS!!!! I  decide to name them all after wildflowers, (hint, their mom's name) and came up with Daisy for the bold one, because those flowers are popping up everywhere, and Columbine for the shyer one, since those are pretty rare! I didn't get any pictures, but if I do, I'll definitely post them on here! Have a happy rest of the week and weekend!

-Lili

Wildlife List Part 1: Birds

Hi everyone, and happy weekend! Today I am going to share a list of the all the birds usually found where I live. (Meaning all the ones that can be found where I live and are not rare.) If you would like to hear more about any of the animals in the list, please put it in the comments and I'd be more than happy to oblige! That is, in fact, the purpose of this list!

Birds Usually Found Where I Live:

Dark Eyed Juncos (Grey-Headed)
One of the most common birds, especially during winter!

Mountain and Black Capped Chickadees

Sooo cute! These little guys are everywhere, usually in flocks of five to ten or more, and occasionally in flocks with both species. Once when a Bird Bander came from the Bird Conservancy came we even found a hybrid!

 

Violet-Green Swallows

New this year, I love their energetic swooping and diving, and constant, beautiful, calls. And don't forget their flashing, iridescent green color!

White Breasted Nuthatches

Who doesn't love these guys?! We are lucky enough to have several living quite near our house. I love their calls!

Broad Tailed Hummingbirds

Ever gotten dive bombed by a hummingbird? Frightening experience - until you discover it is, in fact, not a giant bee! They are everywhere, and especially love the feeder we put up for them in early spring when the flowers aren't quite out yet!

Hairy a Woodpeckers

Found often in pairs, and they can be very loud! Woodpeckers are one of the coolest birds to watch up here.

Crows

I mean, duh! We have a pair that will fly around up here, raucously crying out to all the world that they are here. They are often accompanied by a third, slightly smaller crow, usually following at a small distance from the pair.

American Robin

Not as common as it is lower down, say, Kate's house, but still seen every now and then. Robins are my favorite bird!

Stellar's Jays 

Absolutely breathtaking, although we do not see them nearly as often this year, which, in the least, is sad!

House Sparrow

Not really that common, but not rare either. We have seen both the red and yellow males.

Red Tailed Hawk

No matter how many times I see them, whether in the city or in my own backyard, I always find the sooo cool! Although I haven't ever seen them actually catching something, I have seen them circling around prey.

Golden Eagles

Although we only see them occasionally, they're not rare. The last time we saw them we saw an adult and a juvenile.

Pygmy Nuthatches

They are new this year, and although we have only seen a couple sightings of them, but both were flocks and I;m starting to hear they're calls quite often. They are so tiny, and so cute!

-Lili

Ocelots

I recently decided to research ocelots, and I thought I might share what I found with you. I hope you enjoy this, and happy weekend!

Ocelots

How They Look

Ocelots are small compared to most wildcats, about twice the size of an average house cat. They have lithe, muscular bodies, and slightly wedge-shaped faces. Unlike the Jaguar’s individual spots, the Ocelot’s spots often run together for a slightly stripy pattern. It helps them to camouflage so they can catch their prey. Ocelots have pink noses and round, golden-brown to dark brown eyes. Kits are born with spots, but have grey coats. They are also born with blue eyes, which turn brown at three months of age.

 

What They Eat

Ocelots are nocturnal, meaning they are most active at night. Thus, they will do most, if not all, of their hunting at night!

Ocelots will eat a variety of different animals, such as rabbits, rodents, iguanas and other reptiles, fish, frogs, monkeys, birds, and, in some places such as the Sonoran Desert in Arizona, will occasionally eat animals as large as the Javelina. (A large, hairy, pig-like animal.) Instead of chewing their food, Ocelots tear their food in pieces and swallow the pieces whole. It has a raspy tongue to clean every last morsel of meat off of the bone.

Where Do They Live?

Ocelots can be found in the upper half of South America, Central America, and the bottom of North America, going as far as Texas. They can also adapt to human areas and can be found in the near or even in places inhabited by humans. They live in both desert and jungle habitats.

Other Facts

1. In many areas, Ocelots are prey to animals such as: Harpy Eagles, Pumas, Jaguars, and Anacondas.

2. Their paw prints are about two inches long.

3. Ocelot families consist of a mom and one or two kits.

4. Kits leave their mother at about three months to go establish their own territory.

5. Ocelots have very sharp eyesight and hearing that helps them hunt.

Conclusion

I hope this has helped you learn more about Ocelots, and I encourage you to explore and learn more about these amazing and beautiful animals. Have fun, and remember: You are never too old or too young to learn more!

Source of Information:        Source of Photos:

National Geographic           National Geographic

Wild Kratts Ocelot Episode    Wikipedia

                              Pinterest

- Lili

America's National Bird: Ten Fun Facts About Bald Eagles

Happy Fourth of July everyone! In honor of Independence Day, I decided to share ten fun facts about Bald Eagles with you guys. I hope you enjoy them, and happy, once again, happy Fourth!

                                                                 Image from ebird.com

1. Bald Eagles can be found in most of North America, including Canada.

2. They are actually a type of Sea Eagle. 

3. The Bald Eagle has a wingspan of 7 ft. and is one of the largest raptors in the world.

4.On average, they lay three eggs per year, although usually they don't all survive.

5. Bald Eagles like almost any wetland, such as large lakes, rivers, or seacoasts.

6. Their nests are very large, usually about 5 ft. wide.

7. Bald Eagles eat A LOT of fish.

8. They at 4-5 years of age and mate for life.

9. Females are 25% larger than males.

10. Bald Eagles became badly endangered since 1950, but have made a significant comeback since then!

- Lili

Insects

Dragonfly and Bee
- Kate

          Here are a few pictures of a dragonfly and a bee. The bee is on a very bright colored table, and the dragonfly is on a flower pot. What I thought was cool is that they were both on things that were pretty much the same color as they were, even though they weren't trying to blend in with their surroundings: the bee was on the yellow part of the table, and the dragonfly looked like the flower pot it was sitting on.

The reason the bee is sitting on the yellow table is that the yellow table's bright colors look like the colors of flowers, so the bee goes to it as it would go to the flowers.

One thing I think is really cool about the dragonfly is the small diamonds on its tail.

Also, I just wanted to say that I will be gone on vacation next week so I will not be posting anything.

-Kate