javelinas

ptown · Post by **ptown** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 9:17 pm

A herd of javelinas have been hanging around my neighborhood lately. They are tough animals to be able to survive on the streets of Tucson. Here they are the other day munching on a non-native opuntia for breakfast. 6 people have been bitten around here this year, according to the newspaper.

And a few other backyard visitors. Gambel's quail. These birds are hilarious they have so much character and attitude.

cactus wren, always going 90mph and difficult to get a photo of.

and a thrasher.

Tony · Post by **Tony** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 9:23 pm

Great pics Ptown! Are those javelinas natives?

ptown · Post by **ptown** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 9:27 pm

Yes, "Collared Peccary (Javelina, Pecari tajacu) is the only wild, native, piglike animal found in the United States."

They are native to the Sonoran desert, I don't know where else.

iann · Post by **iann** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 10:08 pm

These are a central and south American animal that wasn't found even as far north as Mexico until about 200 years ago. Now they are widespread in Arizona, New Mexico, western Texas, and much of Mexico. They are still found living in more jungle habitats further south.

Post by **daiv** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 3:57 am

Man, you would have stole the show on our "Cactus Friends" contest with those pictures!

perrycornish · Post by **perrycornish** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 8:25 pm

That's some fascinating wildlife you have there

The javelinas are great, looks as though they may well have bags of character too ( but then I reckon all pigs have character....big time!)
The Quail is gorgeous, quails too have character and I know what you mean about them having attitude as far as yours go,who wouldn't have attitude with headgear like that?

MrCrimson · Post by **MrCrimson** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 10:25 pm

love those pics

The javelinas has an interesting history:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Javelina

Franj · Post by **Franj** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 1:16 am

Quite a menagerie you've got there Ptown

Great pics! Almost like a petting zoo, though I've heard that Javelinas aren't exactly friendly if you get too close. But I've also heard they are tasty when cooked right. I've always been amazed they can eat a plant that I give grudging respect to. Ouch! glochids in your tongue? How do they do that !?

Love the Quail also but have to take exception to the Thrasher. Rats with wings! Horribly destructive birds. Not very pretty either. They've destroyed quite a few of my plants with their "thrashing". Took out half my Lithops collection along with a lot of other Mesembs and even gouged inch wide and deep holes in a Parodia magnifica, a small Pilosocereus and a Thelocactus bicolor in my garden! They also seem to be particularly fond of Euphorbia obesa. Pecked holes in 5 out of six in my collection. And one of them ate the flower buds and a few tubercules off my Mammillaria theresae! No forgiveness for that! Last straw!!!!! I've tried everything to dissuade them from bird repellants to recordings of raptor calls. I've been officially at war with them the last few seasons. Have you had similar problems? In the end only deadly force has maintained a sort of equilibrium. Bought me a pellet gun. Ain't afraid to use it.

Franj

Tony · Post by **Tony** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 2:30 pm

I sure hope those Javelinas dont find your house Franj.
You will have to get a bigger gun

cactuspolecat · Post by **cactuspolecat** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 8:32 pm

Nice wildlife pictures ptown we don't have anything like those piggie-wiggies here, except on the mainland they have wild pigs, but they are feral animals and very destructive!
the birds are lovely, (obviously except the thrasher)... Franj wrote:

Bought me a pellet gun. Ain't afraid to use it

I got one of those too, for sparrows and blackbirds, they are also ferals, and destroy my vegie garden, and eat my fruit.

Post by **daiv** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 9:21 pm

Awww. I like the Thrasher. They are native after all. It's the House Finches, Starlings, and English Sparrows that made me give up on my bird feeder. Once in a blue moon something interesting would show up like a Black-Headed Grosbeak or something, but otherwise it was one House Finch after another!