Tag: wildlife
Featured Artist: Cheryle Hoover Davis
Once a month, Arizona Oddities features a Q&A with a talented Arizona artist who is influenced by our state’s people, places and history. This month, Cheryle hoover Davis shares her deep appreciation for the Arizona landscape and the inspiration behind her ceramic collection.Why Do Rabbits Have White Tails?
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
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
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
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 ...Ocean Monsters in Arizona Deserts
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 ...What’s With All the Cockroaches in the Valley? (And How to Get Rid of Them)
Q: We thought we left cockroaches behind in Chicago. Instead, we find they’re huge out here. My wife is completely freaked. A: Oh, yeah, and you’re not freaked? Perhaps no crawly thing, aside from the Legislature, invokes more horror and disgust than a big old sewer roach skittering around your bathtub or grazing on a ...Are There Opossums in Arizona?
Q: My wife swears she saw an opossum the other night while walking the dog in our Mesa neighborhood. I think she was seeing things. Settle our bet. Are there opossums in Arizona? A: Are there opossums in Arizona? Are you kidding? Why do you think some parts of the state are uninhabited? There are opossums out ...What’s Lurking Around the Valley? Snakes, Gila Monsters and More
Q: Since we moved to Arizona, my daughter and I have become avid hikers. The other day we saw our first rattlesnake. How many kinds of rattlesnakes are there around here? A: I hate to tell you this, but there are a lot of them. And not just rattlesnakes. There are coral snakes, and a lot ...Are Horny Toads Disappearing from Phoenix?
Q: When I was a kid growing up in Phoenix there used to be horny toads everywhere. I even had a pet horny toad. Now I never see them. What happened to all the horny toads? A: You had a pet horny toad? That’s sad. Couldn’t you get your parents to buy you a dog or ...
