Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus)
- The greater roadrunner is a bird in the Cuckoo (Cuculidae) family. It joins the lesser roadrunner in the genus Geococcyx. Scientifically the name means "Californian earth-cuckoo”. It is also referred to as the chaparral cock, ground cuckoo, and the snake killer. Found within the Aridoamerica ecoregion, the roadrunner lives in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The bird can be found from 60 ft below sea level to 7,500 ft above, occupying arid and semi-arid scrubland with typically less than 50% vegetation cover.
- The greater roadrunner has adapted to the dry and warm habitat through thermoregulation to reduce dehydration and overheating. When sunbathing for heat, the bird lays perpendicular to the ground, back to the sun. It spreads its wings and and ruffles the blacking feathers on its back and head, allowing the sun to be absorbed by both the bird’s skins and feathers.
- When nesting, the roadrunner chooses a spot about 3-10 feet off the ground on a branch or sturdy bush, cactus, or small tree. The nest is shady and well-concealed, made from twigs, leaves, grass, feathers, snakeskin, and horse and cattle manure.
Burrowing owls are found in rangelands, grasslands, desert, agricultural areas, and any other open dry area. They are active during the day, unlike most species of owls, but they do most of their hunting at night using night vision and advanced hearing. Because the burrowing owl lives in open areas rather than forests, they have developed longer legs allowing the bird to sprint while hunting. They nest in burrows in the ground, such as those made my prairie dogs and other burrowing animals. When building their nests, the owl uses mammal dung to line it, controlling the climate inside the burrow and attracting insects for the owls to eat.
Pale Kangaroo Mouse (Microdipodops pallidus)
Found in Nevada and California, Kangaroo mice are known to survive well in extreme desert conditions. Scientists study the health of an ecosystem and sand health by noting which areas the mice thrive in and which areas they avoid. Interestingly, they take in most of their water through a diet of eating insects, rather than drinking free water. As a nocturnal species, the Kangaroo mouse tends to avoid moonlight. This is theorized as being a way to avoid predators. Their pale coats allow them to blend in with the sandy desert while they collect seeds and insects.