This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The lesser prairie-chicken is a species of grouse. They can be found in Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado. These birds face numerous threats such as habitat loss and destruction at the hands of farming, ranching, utility lines (which can result in electrocution), fires, and fire suppression; hunting; trapping; […]

Thanks for reading! Follow Critterman for more updates and insights.

This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The Arizona blonde tarantula, aka blond tarantula, western desert tarantula, or Mexican blonde tarantula, is a large bodied species of spider belonging to the family Theraphosidae. They can be found in Arizona, New Mexico, and Mexico. These tarantulas prefer the drier climates found in the southwestern deserts. Arizona blondes are […]

Thanks for reading! Follow Critterman for more updates and insights.

This article was originally published on Critter Science.

This article is devoted to one of the world’s smallest known snake species, the southwestern threadsnake. This fossorial (burrowing) snake has many alternate names as well, names like Leptotyphlopidae, leptotyphlopid, wormsnakes, blind snake, brown blind snake, California blind snake, California rena, California worm snake, Cedros island worm snake, sheep-nosed snake, […]

Thanks for reading! Follow Critterman for more updates and insights.

This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The Mexican grey wolf is considered Critically Endangered by the IUCN. Only 115 Mexican gray wolves live in the wild and about 300 exist in captivity. Campaigns of poisoning and trapping in the early to mid 1900s nearly caused them to go extinct. Even though their numbers have been slowly […]

Thanks for reading! Follow Critterman for more updates and insights.

This article was originally published on Critter Science.

Found in silt heavy streams, the Gila trout calls Arizona and New Mexico home. These troubled trout have faced adversity for ages. More recently at the hands of agriculture and rerouting rivers and streams. Gilas are among the rarest trout species in the United States. This is due to multiple […]

Thanks for reading! Follow Critterman for more updates and insights.

This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The Gambel’s quail is a pear shaped stout little bird found in the southwestern U.S., mainly in Arizona. Their range extends from Mexico, west to California, east to parts of Texas, and also a small portion of southern Colorado, Utah, & Nevada. They primarily live in warm deserts with thorny […]

Thanks for reading! Follow Critterman for more updates and insights.

This article was originally published on Critter Science.

Having the second most potent venom of any snake, the coral snake is not only beautiful but deadly! These beauties can be found in the southwest, southern, and southeastern United States, as well as Mexico. These venomous snakes would much rather slither away than confront a predator. They will stand […]

Thanks for reading! Follow Critterman for more updates and insights.

This article was originally published on Critter Science.

Once upon a time the Chiricahua leopard frog was found in over 400 water locations in the Southwestern U.S. Now the frog can be seen, if you’re lucky, at less than 80! In Arizona, the Chiricahua’s populations have dwindled more than any other leopard frog species. These frogs need a […]

Thanks for reading! Follow Critterman for more updates and insights.

This article was originally published on Critter Science.

Imagine a scorpion up to 6 inches long, from tip to tip! Welcome the desert hairy scorpion. Few critters give people the heebie jeebies like scorpions. The predominant species of scorpion in the southwest is the Arizona bark scorpion. Those are only 2 – 3 inches long. I’ve worked with […]

Thanks for reading! Follow Critterman for more updates and insights.

This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The western diamondback rattlesnake lives in deserts, forests, grassy plains, rocky hillsides and even along the coastline. They live at elevations from below sea level up to 6,500 feet. They can be found in Arizona, California, New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma; as well as northern Mexico. They go by several […]

Thanks for reading! Follow Critterman for more updates and insights.