HikeArizona.COM

I just encountered a grey fox running across Broadway Road in Tempe (my second fox sighting with a mile radius in the past 6 months) and it got me thinking of all the wild animals I've had the fortune of seeing on my many years of adventures. The fox in Tempe is probably the most unusual for its urban location, but others are memorable too.

Mammals:
Mountain Lion
Black Bear
Coatimundi
Javelina
Porcupine
Skunk
Grey Fox
Ringtail
Bobcat
Teva
Elk
Feral Horse
Burro
Bighorn Sheep
Fluffy sheep
Deer
Pronghorn
Raccoon
Otter
Beaver
Bison

Reptiles:
Western Diamondback
Black Tailed
Arizona Black
Speckled
Prairie
Mojave
Rock
Tiger
Twin-spotted
AZ Mountain Kingsnake
Gopher
Desert Tortoise
Gila Monster

Birds:
Too many to list (plus I have no idea what most of them are. These are notable though.)
Bald Eagle
Golden Eagle
Great Horned Owl
Condor
Turkey

It makes me realize that there are only a few creatures in this state that I haven't seen but would like to. I think
Ocelot
Chupacabra
Grey Wolf
Jaguar

What have you seen, or what is still on your wish list?

All except for:

chumley wrote:Cupacabra
Grey Wolf
Jaguar

I could be wrong, but isn't it Chupacabra?

Caveats to my sightings:
The racoon was dead.
I have seen live bison in other states, but the one I saw in Arizona was stuffed.

All your mammals except porcupine, plus otter and raccoon. Seeing my first otter - verde river at Beasley flat- was fun ... probably the cutest thing I have seen other than coati's. Come to Roper Lake if you want to see raccons! ;)
Checked the biggest bird off my wishlist this summer - Elegant Trogon ... that along with my many Condor sightings leaves me without a most wanted right now.
Black bear was the other big first this year.
I would love to see wolf, jaguar, ocelot, moose.

If I don't see a gila monster one of these days, I'm gonna be ticked!

toddak wrote:If I don't see a gila monster one of these days, I'm gonna be ticked!

It took me something like 17 years to catch my first sighting.

I love this topic!
I had thought about asking people what their backyard wildlife list was like ... considering the yards I have had, my list is pretty fun - elk, deer, raccoon, gray fox, gila monster, rattlesnakes, kingsnakes, gopher snakes, tarantulas, cottontails, jack rabbits, mice, moles, gophers, packrats, coyote,tons of various lizards and insects, and an astonishing array of birds.
People are always amazed at the number of animals I see, but it's pretty simple - I spend time where the animals are, and I pay attention ... you see what you look for.

@cactuscat
Like you I always take time to look around. I would hate myself if I did a hike and missed a Jaguar because I was to in a hurry.

Saw a family of Coatimundi down in Tucson while dropping off a date back in college. They were walking across the road in her parent's subdivision.

Great topic Chumley!

Elk
Deer
Pronghorn Antelope
Black Bear
Coyotes
Coatimundi
Javelina
Skunks
Desert Bighorn Sheep
Wild horses
Otters
Jackrabbits
Regular Rabbits
Kaibab Squirrels
Western Diamondbacks
Gila Monster
All types of Horned Toads
Bald Eagles
Vultures
Turkeys
Hawks
Owls
Bunch of insects and random reptiles as well

CannondaleKid wrote:isn't it Chupacabra?

Indeed! Thank you.

cactuscat wrote:I would love to see ... moose.

I've got that one, but didn't put it on the list because it was in Colorado. I wonder if they could find a suitable habitat if introduced anywhere in Arizona. I'm guessing the White Mountains or North Rim would be the only possibilities.

@chumley
I wasn't thinking moose in Arizona - just that I want to see them in general.

So no badger? Also, there're several variety of deer in Arizona, they aren't all muleys. Plus, I gotta believe you've seen one if not 100 coyotes.

@rcorfman
lol. yes. plenty of coyotes. I think there's only two kinds of deer though (Mule and White-tailed aka Coues?)

rcorfman wrote:So no badger?

I suspect it's almost impossible to see a badger by coincidence. I figure I'll have to stake out a den if I'm ever going to see a (live) one.

Let's give some props to the awesome birds we have in Arizona. I've seen pretty much all of the breeding species in the state (I will not bore you with a list that is mostly grayish sparrows and flycatchers). But there are some birds that are definitely worth keeping an eye open for. Besides Chumley's list, there is:

red-faced warbler
California condor
Montezuma quail
Harris' hawk
elegant trogon
Scott's oriole
magnificent hummingbird

As for mammals, I know a good spot for Mexican wolf not far over the border in New Mexico. And I've seen tracks in Arizona. Not saying where, though.

big_load wrote:

rcorfman wrote:So no badger?

I suspect it's almost impossible to see a badger by coincidence. I figure I'll have to stake out a den if I'm ever going to see a (live) one.

I've seen a few in pinyon-juniper north of the rim. They like it pretty open, like in areas verging on grassland.

Add prairie dogs to my mammals list - how could I forget those cute guys?!
Magnificent hummingbird still on my to-do list ...

cactuscat wrote:@chumley
I wasn't thinking moose in Arizona - just that I want to see them in general.

Did see a couple in the appropriately named town of Moose WY.

Tarantula Hawk (from the Wasp family)...on ridgeline of Mount Tritle.... did not know at the time what it was.....until a fellow HAZ'er made a photo comment.... a wasp that kills and eats Tarantulas..... lovely.... 2nd most painful bug bite on planet... nice.

Peter_Medal wrote:Tarantula Hawk (from the Wasp family)

For a good laugh