tlmgcamp
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- Jul 16, 2016
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Yup... biggest I ever saw.
Birds & Animals from our USA travels
- Thread starter FastEagle
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
JudyJB
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This gopher tortoise decided that Site 43 in Reed Bingham SP in Georgia was the perfect place to dig his/her burrow. It was 6' from my side door, so every time I stepped out, he/she hissed at me. Tried to advise him/her that if privacy was the goal, that this was not the best place to set up housekeeping. Shell was about 14" long and 8" wide, so it was an adult. Spent most of his time inside the burrow or grazing grass in the campsite.
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tlmgcamp
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There is a large field behind my property with a pond at the bottom. My daughter had friends over and announced that they were going to the pond, which was nothing unusual. She came back a few minutes later saying that there was a big turtle making its way from the back of my neighbor's property (also along the field) and going toward the pond, a distance of about 100 yds. Yelling to stay away, I confirmed that it was a snapper that seemed to be on the way back to the pond after laying eggs in my neighbor's nicely mulched landscaping. I went back for a 2x4 and the wheelbarrow figuring that I would get her back to the pond before somebody's curiosity cost them a finger or two. Her shell was about 16" long and as she marched down the grassy slope toward the pond, I approached from the side assuming that she would hightail toward the pond once she saw me. To my surprise, once she saw me approaching, she turned to face me with that "You want a piece of this?" kinda look. Well, after some maneuvering with the 2x4, resulting in considerable battle scars on the lumber, I got her into the wheelbarrow, wheeled her down the hill and dumped her in the pond. Needless to say, nobody in the neighborhood swims in the pond
JudyJB
Well-known member
There was a broken faucet in the campground a couple of years ago here in Valley of Fire, Nevada. This old ram won the head butting contest and hence won the faucet. Maintenance guy came around and filled up a bucket for him, but he really wanted the faucet.
Bighorn sheep is keeping close watch on man repairing faucet. When the faucet was fixed, ram went off a few feet for a nap.
One of my favorite state parks is Valley of Fire, about an hour northeast of Las Vegas. Beautiful place and lots of bighorn sheep wandering around. (Ewes and lambs hang out in the hills, while rams hang out in campground.) The above photos were taken in Jan 2021, but I just saw a herd of 13-14 in the campground so ran out and took some video.
Bighorn sheep is keeping close watch on man repairing faucet. When the faucet was fixed, ram went off a few feet for a nap.
One of my favorite state parks is Valley of Fire, about an hour northeast of Las Vegas. Beautiful place and lots of bighorn sheep wandering around. (Ewes and lambs hang out in the hills, while rams hang out in campground.) The above photos were taken in Jan 2021, but I just saw a herd of 13-14 in the campground so ran out and took some video.
JudyJB
Well-known member
Yes, snapping turtles are not to be messed with. My son and I once tried to help one cross a two-lane highway, but had to give up as we had nothing to prod it along, and it had a "bad attitude!" I certainly would not swim in that pond either!! Good job of getting her back home!
Gopher tortoises are much calmer although I have been hissed at several times in Florida trying to take photos of them. Like desert tortoises, gopher tortoises are protected because they dig burrows that many other animals use--like foxes, snakes, burrowing owls, etc. They ave strong front arms and large claws for digging.
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DonTom
Well-known member
edjunior
Well-known member
These are beautiful birds. I had a couple hanging out in my backyard (10 acre lake) for a couple of years. I haven't seen them now for a few years. I hope they come back. Here's a couple of pictures of mine.
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DonTom
Well-known member
Texas Horned Lizards are still very common. I wonder how many you have looked at that you didn't see. They are masters of camouflage. And they know it. That why they stay perfectly still when they know they are being watched.
Perhaps they take lessons from this guy:
-Don- Auburn, CA
edjunior
Well-known member
Hah. That's pretty funny. We used to see "Horny Toads" (what we called them as kids), all the time when we were in Abilene. Dad would take us camping a lot, and lots of places, from Possum Kingdom Lake (just west of Weatherford), to places around Swee****er, and Coleman. They were everywhere.
Larry N.
Well-known member
So did we- I went to Crockett and Bonham Elementary schools and Lincoln Jr High before moving to the midwest. Goatheads, "horny" toads and mesquite, along with Bermuda grass, which messed up the few snowmen we could even attempt.
DonTom
Well-known member
That's just about everybody in any area where horned lizards are found. I think we all call them "horny toads".
Out here, we have the "Coast Horned Lizard".
There are many types. While they are most famous for being a desert lizard, Some "horny toads" do not like deserts at all. The Short-Horned Lizard prefers high elevations. You can find these in the mountains even well above 10,000 feet elevation.
-Don- Auburn, CA
The population does seem to be in decline and is being monitored by Texas Parks and Wildlife. I live near the coast and have never seen one around here - Brazoria County. But yes, they are masters at camouflage. My sharp eyed bride spotted this one.
DonTom
Well-known member
The population of almost all reptiles in the USA is in decline. But those reptiles that can live very well around houses, such as the Western Fence Lizard, probably are on the increase. I see them every warm spring and summer day at both my houses. Not nearly as common during a hike in the boonies!
But the "Texas Horny Toad" is still considered "LC" (least concern) as shown there under the photo.
Unlike something like the Texas Indigo Snake which is considered "as a threatened species by the state of Texas." Ever see one?
-Don- Auburn, CA
No, never seen one although over the years we have had plenty of snakes. Inside the house, the pool, etc. Hognose, copperhead, grass snakes. We are now surrounded by development so not so much now but still lots of lizards and turtles.
ButchW
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If you are a fisherman, you wont like those birds.... They must eat their weight in fish a day... Also, don't park your car under one.
....Butch
DonTom
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JudyJB
Well-known member
A couple of days ago, a large herd of Bighorn rams came to the middle of our campground at Valley of Fire and spent half an hour eating shrubbery. It is rutting season, so they were all males and in very good physical shape. You can't hear the head butting on the video, but they were arguing about who should get the best browse.
Contributor
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Not from my RV travels but from my back yard. This guy and his bride hang out in my backyard here in the city. I took this picture 5 minutes ago. I have a ravine in my backyard and gophers and rabbits abound. He has been here for years. Comes and goes with the seasons but this time of the year he rests there all day then goes out at dusk. He is majestic in flight.
