Why Do Rabbits Have White Tails?

Desert Cottontail Rabbit

Q: Why do rabbits have white tails? A: A rabbit’s tail, by the way, is called a scut. It comes from a Middle English word meaning rabbit or hare. Here’s another good rabbit word, fomm. A fomm is a little pocket shelter a rabbit makes by trampling down grass or small shrubs.

Arizona Oddities’ Top 10 Posts of 2011

Movie Film Strip

Thank you to all of the new and loyal readers of Arizona Oddities. 2011 has been an amazing year and we look forward to 2012. We believe we have a truly special publication and a very special audience. Here’s a look at our most popular posts of 2011.

Drum roll please…

The Dinosaurs of Holbrook

Dinosaurs of Holbrook

HOLBROOK — Millions of years ago, dinosaurs were common across the flatlands that now encompass this city. But they disappeared. A couple decades ago, several small-scale dinosaurs appeared along Interstate 40 near this city. But they also vanished. Holbrook, however, maintains a strong relationship with the big earth-stompers because some of them are still visible.

How to Keep Javelinas Away from Your Yard

Javelina

Q: We have a herd of javelinas that have decided to come down to a common area in our neighborhood directly behind our house and use it for a latrine. If you’ve never smelled javelina poop, it’s something else. Is there anything that will repel these creatures? I tried mothballs already.

A: Thank you for sharing your thoughts about javelina poop. I really wasn’t hungry for lunch anyway.

Ocean Monsters in Arizona Deserts

Crabs

TEMPE — Japanese spider crabs are most often found off the coasts of Japan and Taiwan, in ocean waters as deep at 2,000 feet or as shallow as 160 feet. But not all of them live in those areas. Two members of the species are currently residing in a tank of water less than 10 feet deep smack in the middle of the Sonoran Desert.