A Celebration of Life in the San Pedro Watershed – Native Mammals

Being  grateful for what we have is a wise way to live. With the advent of this new year, I feel an urge to share a gallery of original photographs that reflect that gratitude. It is a privilege to share habitat with the rich variety of living creatures that so grace this landscape. All of the following images, with only one exception, were taken within the watershed of the San Pedro River. All of the animals were wild and free  when photographed. Meet a few of the 90 species of mammals that live here…

This bobcat (Felis rufus) was sitting quietly near a gopher mound, hunting pocket gophers. Eventuallly, the cat’s patience paid off as it nabbed a gopher that made the mistake of peeking out of its burrow at the wrong time.

Trail cameras tend to render very poor quality images, but they do allow us to see things we otherwise might not, like the fire in this bobcat’s eyes. A highly reflective layer of cells known as the tapetum lucidum enables exceptional nocturnal vision for all felines.

The same trailcam recorded this beautifully colored gray fox – (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) a common predator here, but rarely glimpsed because of its nocturnal habits. Gray foxes are among the very few canids on Earth that can climb trees with ease.

A coati (Nasua narica) exploring an old barn. This one was unconcerned with my presence – these are not shy mammals. Coatis are native constituents of the fauna of the Sierra Madrean Ecoregion. Here, they are close to the northern limits of their range.

When mammals grow front claws to lengths like these, it can mean only one thing – that digging is a prominent part of their lives. Coatis use their flexible, sensitive noses to locate underground food sources (mostly insects, grubs, and pupae), then employ their stout claws to dig out dinner.

When they are not raiding gardens or gnawing on the electrical wires in the engine compartments of vehicles, rock squirrels (Otospermophilus variegatus) play a valuable role in the local ecology. Equally at home in the trees or on the ground, this species digs deep burrows to live in. By virtue of their relatively large diameter, rock squirrel burrows furnish secure underground retreats for a wide diversity of other creatures.

This young Mearn’s kangaroo rat (Dipodomys mearni) had become trapped in our (always empty) swimming pool. This species is abundantly distributed in the valley floor, providing food for many predators and playing a valuable role in the ecology of local native plant communities via seed consumption and seed distribution.

Coyotes (Canis latrans) are amazingly adaptable – they are among the few native mammals whose ranges have expanded considerably since the occupation of this continent by Europeans and other non-native peoples. They are also widely misunderstood and unjustly vilified by many people. Is ignorance bliss? Not in the case of the coyote.

I remember how thrilled I was to see my first javelina (Tayassu tajacu) – now I see them daily roaming through our bosque. This one had just finished taking a drink from the San Pedro River.

It would be a misnomer to apply the word “cute” to an adult javelina, but with respect to their tiny young, the adjective fits like a glove. Mother javelinas are both fearless and fierce when it comes to protecting their young, as all good mothers should be.

Desert cottontails (Sylvilagus audubonii) are quite common in this river valley, but they are not often seen due to their preference for staying in or near dense cover. Unlike precocial jack rabbits, cottontails dig burrows and care for their altricial young.

A Botta’s pocket gopher (Thomomys bottae) takes a quick, furtive look at the world of light. This mammal’s life is spent almost entirely in darkness. A keystone species, its role in our local ecology is of pivotal importance. I devoted an essay to this topic in The Life of the San Pedro River.

Here is what gives nightmares to any animals that think they are safe and secure deep in their burrows. Badgers (Taxidea taxus) are enormously powerful rapid digging machines, specialized to follow rodent burrows deep underground until dinner is served. They leave many holes in their wake as they roam large territories seeking food. Badger holes often plunge below the frost line. Their large holes can fit a wide variety of other animals and are used by numerous other species for shelter or brumation / hibernation dens long after the badgers leave them.

I will follow this post with a series of additional blog posts focused on birds, ophidians, and more in celebration of this new year of 2024.

5 thoughts on “A Celebration of Life in the San Pedro Watershed – Native Mammals”

  1. Ralph,

    We are blessed to have so many mammals here along the San Pedro Valley. Thanks for sharing all those pictures – that’s quite a variety. Good to see,

    Looking forward to your upcoming blogs on birds and snakes

    Gilbert

  2. Thank you for these beautiful photos. I can’t imagine how patient you must be to get them

    1. Thank you, Kate. You know what they say: “Patience is a virtue.”
      Without patience, one cannot aspire to being a naturalist. As
      for the photographs, there is that special extra ingredient, too –
      luck!

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