Naturalist View November and December 2010

If it looks like a pig and smells like a pig…….it must be a…
Collared PeccaryBetter known around here as …

Javelina

The phone call came in from a lady who seemed very concerned.  She explained, “There is a sick baby pig by my front door”.  I asked her why she thought it was sick. She replied that it was all by itself, just lying there and not moving. I got her address and went to investigate. When I got to the house, I found no sign of anything on her front porch. She explained that it had gotten up and walked away. I asked her some other questions and determined that the pig was actually a javelina, since it was 2 to 3 feet long, it was hardly a baby. I asked if she knew if any of her neighbors had been feeding wildlife; she did not know of any. I told her that it is common for javalina, that are being fed by well intentioned people, to become pests since they have no real fear of people. I told her that if it returned to give me a call. Minutes after I returned home, the phone rang; wouldn’t you know, the javelina had returned. When I got back to her house, I found “Baby” taking a nap on her welcome mat.

I signaled for the lady to let me in the back door and then proceeded to open the front door, after prodding “Baby” it reluctantly walked down the walkway and settled down for a nap under a window by the front of the house. Since it was Sunday and I was not going to be able to call Game and Fish for a relocation permit, I advised the home owner to give me a call if this javalina was still around the following day and I left.

This could have been the end of the story, but there is more! The home owner had followed me out the door as I left her house to talk to some neighbors about the situation. Oh, yes, she did not shut her front door. “Baby” had been waiting for this opportunity. She found her way into the living room; lo and behold there was a basket of fruit and candy for guests. You can use your imagination for the rest of the story.



Though some people think javelina is a type of wild pig, they are actually members of the peccary family, a group of hoofed mammals originating from South America. Javelina are common in much of central and southern Arizona, including the the Tucson area, and occasionally as far north as Flagstaff. Javelina form herds of two to more than 20 animals and rely on each other to defend territory and protect against predators. They use washes and areas with dense vegetation as travel corridors. Javelina are most active at night, but they may be active during the day, especially during the cold winter months, in order to take advantage of the sun's heat

When alarmed, they can run off at speeds up to 21 mph.  While their eyesight is poor, peccaries have good senses of hearing and smell.  Groups have individual territories which overlap at focal points, such as watering holes. These territories are usually about a quarter square mile in size.  The inner territory (non-overlapping part) of each group is characterized by smell.  Males often mark rocks and trees near resting areas using their dorsal glands.  At these well-used resting spots and along the territorial boundaries are defecation sites which are visited by the whole herd.  The group is completely closed, with no new members ever being accepted. One in every ten offspring born is rejected from the group. As you can see, this becomes a problem for the rejected offspring as it will never be accepted by any group.

Babe Looking for a Treat

Occasionally one is brought into a rescue center. One adopt me as its “herd”; I must have smelled just right. I named it Babe. It followed me around as I was cleaning cages and feeding the animals at the Center; whenever I sat down, it would lie at my feet and take a nap.  Javelina have several vocalizations, including snorts, squeals, barks, and rumbling growls. These sounds have different meanings, most of which are warnings if you are close enough to hear them. The javelina are very protective of their young and will not hesitate to charge any threat.



Babe asleep

Family group:Herds of 2-20 animals, with herds up to 54 individuals being recorded.

Diet:Roots, fruits, tubers, grasses, leaves, eggs, carrion.

Main preditors:Coyote, puma, jaguar, bobcat.

Distribution

Plains with brush, semi-deserts, and forests in southern North America, Central America, and northern South America.

Description.
 

These pig like creatures are characterized by presence of four-hoofed toes on the front feet, but only three on the hind feet (outer dewclaw absent); short, pig like snout; crushing molars; nearly straight and dagger like canines (tusks); harsh pelage with distinct "mane" from crown to rump; distinct musk gland on rump; distinct whitish collar across shoulder in adults.

Habits.
In Arizona, javelina occupy the brushy semi desert where prickly pear is a conspicuous part of the flora. They are commonly found in dense thickets of prickly pear, chaparral, scrub oak; also in rocky canyons where caverns and hollows afford protection. 

Through exaggerated tales of the javelina’s ferociousness, it has been charged that peccaries will kill or injure dogs. It is true that encounters between peccaries and untrained dogs usually end with dead or crippled dogs. It is also true that in these battles the dog is always the aggressor, and any animal will defend its life to the best of its ability when attacked.

Javelina are chiefly herbivorous and feed on various cacti, especially prickly pear, mesquite beans and other succulent vegetation. Terrestrial insects also are eaten.
I’ve got to say that the pesky part of having javelina around has much improved due to the larger trash containers now provided by waste management. Before, we could count on our units being “trashed” by javelina who knew when trash day was.

Possible Conflicts with Humans and Pets

Javelina will likely visit occasionally if you live in Saddlebrooke near a wash or other natural desert. Javelina usually cause only minor problems for people by eating a few plants. However, people should never feed javelina. This can cause them to become regular visitors and lose their fear of people, creating problems for the neighborhood. Javelina occasionally bite humans, but incidents of bites are almost always associated with people providing the javelina with food. They can inflict a serious wound. Javelina may act defensively when cornered or to protect their young. Dogs, coyotes and cougar are natural predators of javelina.

What Should I Do?

If javelina have become a problem or have caused property damage, see the suggestions below to deal with the situation. Do your part to keep javelina healthy and wild because their removal almost always means death. Work with your neighbors to achieve a consistent solution to the problem.

To discourage a javelina you should immediately:

       Scare off animals by making loud noises (bang pots, yell, stomp on the floor, etc.); throwing small rocks in their direction; or spraying with water from a garden hose.

       If the animal is confined, open a gate, have all people leave the area, and allow it to leave on its own. If it is still there the following day, contact the Arizona Game and Fish Department.

    If you see javelina while walking your dog, avoid going near the javelina and quickly take your dog in a different direction.

Naturalist View October 2010

The Deal

It is a few minutes before 7 a.m. as a blue SUV pulls into the gas station at the corner of Oracle and Ina. Pulling up to the pumps, a scruffy, older man with a gray beard and wearing a black western hat gets out and starts filling his car with the cheap stuff. He looks around as if searching for someone. Finished filling his tank he pulls the SUV next to some bushes that screen the car from the busy intersection. He gets out of the car and opens the rear door and sits on back bumper. He sips on a cup of coffee still scanning the area as if expecting someone. The gas station attendant in the service booth begins to take notice.

A few minutes later a rather beat up yellow and white pick-up truck pulls up and parks just ahead of the SUV. The driver, a large, tough looking 40’ish man gets out as the man in the black hat approaches him. A few words are exchanged and the driver of the pickup returns to the vehicle and pulls out a small Styrofoam cooler and approaches the man in the black hat. He pulls a clear plastic ziplock bag that is filled with what appears, to the gas station attendant, a white substance. The station attendant is now devoting his full attention to the scene outside. The man in the black hat pulls out a roll of money and exchanges it for the zip lock bag. Both men return to their vehicles and drive off in opposite directions. The gas station attendant can’t believe what he just saw and then realizes that he did not even get the license plate of either car. He wonders “should I call 911?”

I, on the other hand, am saying to myself as I drive my blue SUV back to Saddlebrooke, “It was sure nice of Tom to meet me halfway with those frozen mice. Two hundred mice will last me for a while. Now I can get home in time to write the October ‘Naturalist View’ article.”

Tuna in the Desert?

Early October is the last chance to harvest those prickly pears, because the blossoms you saw in May that turned to green pears in June, pink in July and purple in August will be gone by November. “Where do they go?” you ask. Well, of course, I pick a few buckets to feed my box turtles and Desert tortoise and  make prickly pear ice tea, jam, syrup etc. But, that does not account for the hundreds of thousands, yea maybe millions of pears that were here in August. And even if the rest of you who are reading this indulged in making tasty Prickly Pear Margaritas, it still wouldn’t account for all those pears. Of course we humans are not the only ones that have a taste for the “Tuna” of the desert. Tuna is the Mexican name for the fruit of the cactus.

During daylight hours, you may observe many birds, such as finches and thrashers, feeding on the ripe fruit. In fact, as the fruit starts to ferment, some birds seem to indulge a little too much. This fruit is also a favorite of box turtles and tortoises as well as Javalina, Coyotes, Ground and Rock Squirrels, Packrats Mice, Fox, Rabbits, Badgers, Coatis and even Deer. Some, such as the Chelonia (Turtles and Tortoises) and the Javalina have enzymes that can handle the spines and glochids (they are microscopic hairs called that will stick in your skin and drive you to distraction). Other animals have developed methods of removing most of these by brushing or rolling the pear to remove the spines.

Protect your skin during the harvesting, as well as the cleaning process of the cactus fruit by using tongs and rubber gloves. Once you have harvested the fruit, you will need to remove the glochids. I prefer burning the spines and glochids with my blow torch and a pair of BBQ tongs. It only takes moments of rotating the fruit in the flame and they are burned away. They can also be removed by cutting them away with a knife or peeling off the skin, of course you should wear good rubber gloves that should be disposed of afterwards. The native people of the area used limbs of the Desert Broom plant to brush the spines away and then rolled the fruit in dirt or sand. Once you have prepared the pears this way you can proceed safely to use the cactus fruit in many ways.

I usually make prickly pear syrup which can be used in many recipes.

Such as:

Prickly pear margaritas - Looks great! Tastes great! Be careful!

12 ounces crushed ice

8 ounces prickly pear syrup (recipe below)
1 ounce tequila

Combine ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  Serve with a wedge of sliced lime. 

Prickly Pear Cactus Jelly Recipe

4 cups strained prickly pear tuna juice

6 cups granulated sugar

2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 package pectin

Wash and chop prickly pear tunas as previously instructed.  Cover chopped fruit with water even with level of tunas in pan.  Cook over medium heat for approximately 20 minutes.  Use cheesecloth and a colander to strain liquid from cooked prickly pear fruit. 
Combine strained prickly pear juice and lemon juice and cook over medium heat until solution is boiling.  Once boiling add sugar and pectin and stir constantly.  Continue to keep mixture at a rolling boil for two minutes, then remove pan from heat.  If canning jelly, ladle into sterilized jars and water bath can for 16 minutes.  Prickly pear jelly may take up to two weeks to gel inside the jars.  If using for fresh jelly, cool jelly and store covered in the refrigerator for up to one month.

Prickly pear syrup recipe

6 cups strained prickly pear tuna juice
6 cups white sugar
4 tbsp. lemon juice
Wash and chop prickly pear tunas after removal of spines.  Cover chopped fruit with water about 2 inches above level of tunas in pot.  Cook over medium heat for approximately 20 minutes.  Use cheesecloth and a colander to strain liquid from cooked prickly pear fruit.  This will make the strained juice thinner to increase production of the syrup without any decline in flavor. 
Combine strained prickly pear juice and lemon juice and cook over medium heat until solution is boiling.  Once boiling add sugar and stir constantly.  Keep at a rolling boil until all of the sugar is dissolved. Then remove pan from heat.  If canning syrup, ladle into sterilized jars and water bath can for 16 minutes.  If using syrup immediately, cool syrup and store covered in the refrigerator for up to one month.
Many more uses and recipes can be found online

A Puzzle

What is the connection between Prickly pear cactus, Aztecs and Betsy Ross?


 Solution:

Cochineal (Dactylopius coccus)

Cochineal is a traditional red dye of pre-Hispanic Mexico. This precious dyestuff was obtained not from a plant, but from an insect that lives its life sucking on a plant. The host plants are the flattened stems (pads) of prickly pear cacti (Opuntia), especially the species called nopales. The animal is a scale insect that manufactures a deep maroon pigment and stores this pigment in body fluids. Early Mixtec (Aztec and Mayan) Indians used indigo, derived from native legumes, for blues and cochineal for various shades of red.

Scale insects are lazy creatures. A cactus pad is colonized by a female, who produces some new females that settle around the mother. A female inserts the proboscis, a tube, into the pad for obtaining nourishment, and secretes a white, web-like, wax-based material over the area for camouflage and to prevent desiccation. Males are small and live for only a week, just long enough to mate with as many females as possible. I have noticed that in nature males all seem to have a similar role. Hmm.

Mixtexs and their successors in southern Mexico farmed cochineal so they could crush the insects and extract the red body fluids for dye. When Spaniards arrived in Mexico, they were fascinated by the intense scarlet color of cochineal dye, which was brighter and better than anything in the Old World. Textiles dyed with cochineal were shipped to Europe and became the rage; in fact, next to gold cochineal was the most desired import commodity from Middle America.

The red coats as in “the Red Coats are coming” and the red stripes in the first American flag sewn by Betsy Ross were made by fabrics dyed with Carmine. Carmine is the name of the color pigment obtained from the insect Dactylopius coccus (Cochineal) that lives on cacti from the genus Opuntia.

Red Food Coloring from Beetles?

The common food colorants cochineal and carmine (carminic acid) are indeed made from Central and South American ground beetles, cochineal. Aside from food, these pigments are also used in many cosmetics, shampoos and even fruit juice!

Maybe that’s more information than you wanted to know.

Naturalist View September 2010

As summer wanes, I look forward to lizards and butterflies. Of course they have been active all summer but September is my “Bug month”. When you have bugs you have lizards.


Whiptail lizards
Among my favorite lizards are the Whiptails, a slender, shiny and colorful lizard that searches for ants and other insects found in the litter on the ground. While hunting it moves with a short jerky motion and turns over litter with its nose looking for prey. When you spot one you can be certain that it is a female. Why you ask? I am glad that you asked. No examination is necessary since all the known species of whiptail lizards reproduce by a process called parthenogenesis. The eggs produced by the female have a full set of chromosomes, so no male is needed to fertilize them and the offspring are perfect clones of the mother. Some ladies I know think that this is a really good idea.

It’s a Girl!

Desert Spiny Lizard

Of course we have all seen the most common lizard of Saddlebrooke the Desert Spiny Lizard. Almost every yard has its resident spiny. You can often see them running across the street looking for a mate, or a fight with a neighbor lizard. I have seen hundreds of them in the road during a monsoon shower lapping up the water for a rare drink.

Horned Lizard

Often called a “Horned or Horny Toad” this Lizard reminds us of the Dinosaurs of the past. This diurnal ground-dweller can be active at any time of the year but winter activity is usually restricted to unseasonably warm days. It seeks shelter from cold temperatures by burrowing into the soil, and occasionally squirts blood from its eyes when threatened or captured. This blood might have a foul taste designed to deter predators. Other defensive behaviors include inflating itself by gulping air and “poking” with the horns. These spiny “horns” protect the lizard from predators, such as snakes that would find it hard to swallow. The Horned Lizard feeds primarily on ants but it also takes beetles and other insects.

I am a Lizard! I am not a Toad!

Banded Gecko

You may come across our next lizard when turning over rocks or debris or more likely at night while it is hunting insects attracted by your porch light. The delightful Banded Gecko is a small (3" from snout to vent), creamy yellow lizard with reddish brown cross bands, spots, and reticulations on the body and tail. The scales are small and granular and the skin is soft and translucent.

Western Banded Gecko

Gila monster

With dozens of lizards in the Southern Arizona region, it is impossible for me to cover all the lizards you may encounter here in Saddlebrooke. So I will conclude with my very favorite the infamous Gila Monster (Heloderma suspectum)

A Tohono O’Odham myth

Indians and animals were invited to attend the first saguaro wine festival. Of course, party goers wore their best. Gila monster, not wanting to be dowdy like some lizards, gathered bright pebbles and tossed them over his back, making a durable and beautiful coat.

The Latin name, Heloderma suspectum, reflects the impression given by this animal: the Greek heloderma, studded skin; suspectum: suspected to be poisonous. In Mexico, both the Gila monster and the beaded lizard are called “escopión” or “spitter,” because of the misconception that these lizards spit venom at their enemies.

Most people, when asked to name a venomous reptile, would think of a snake, and would probably not even realize that there are two species of venomous lizards that live in the Sonoran desert - the gila monster, Heloderma suspectum, and the Mexican beaded lizard, Heloderma horridum. Until 2009, they were thought to be the only venomous lizards in the world. Recent research has shown that the Komodo dragons also have venom. Until now the thought was that their prey died from bacterial infection from their bite. I was not aware of that when I was stalking them with my camera (and two guides) recently on Komodo Island in Indonesia.

Gila monster venom is a neurotoxin that causes respiratory failure in small mammals. So far there is no authenticated proof that anyone has died from their bite. A newspaper report that a man from the Phoenix area died from a Gila Monster bite in the late 1890’s prompted investigation that revealed that, yes the man had been bitten, and yes he had died but failed to mention that the events were twelve years apart.

These lizards have a tenacious bite in which they hold on to their prey. During this time they tend to gnaw, which seems to aid in the delivery of the venom. Unlike snakes they do not inject venom through fangs, but chew the venom (which is mixed with the saliva) into the wound.

Frightened by these oversized lizards, territorial settlers made up some gruesome tales, which gave the Gila monsters a nasty reputation. Every time one clamped its jaws onto a person and refused to let go, the lizard’s legend grew. They will open mouth and hiss when disturbed or threatened. A Gila monster will defend himself, but it’s not looking for a fight.

In 1959, a really bad movie, “The Giant Gila Monster” came out which did not help this poor lizards reputation. It has since become a cult classic. Well you probably saw it with your date at the Drive-In back in ’59.

Note: actually the lizard used for the movie is a Mexican Beaded Lizard

The Gila Monster is very selective about the people they bite. Statistics show that most bites occur to younger males that have been drinking, have Tattoos and only after they say “Here hold my beer and watch this!” Of the 40 or 50 Arizonans bitten by Gila monsters in the past few years, only a few had to spend the night in the hospital. The bites hurt, but no one dies.

Rule one: Don’t hassle a Gila monster and it won’t hassle you.

Rule two: Don’t put your hand where your eyes can’t see.

Many stories are told by Indian tribes of the Southwest about the magical powers of the Gila Monster.

When a Navajo storyteller tells the tale of the Gila Monster, his mind returns to the forgotten days when Gila Monster was the first medicine man. If the storyteller happens to be a medicine man, he may, at the outset of the tale, open up his pouch, full of sacred pollen, and sprinkle some around the four directions. When he does this, he is especially mindful of Gila Monster. For not only is this a medicine story particularly suited to Gila Monster's divining power, but it is also a "myth of armor," of covering the body with a protective shield, of which Gila Monster with his hard scales is considered the best and most exemplary veteran. He is the well-armored warrior of the Navajo. When abroad in the desert, crawling around his domain, Gila Monster's forefoot trembles as he walks. Navajos say that he is the original hand-trembler, which means that he can foretell the nature of mortal illness and protect against it.

Gila monsters are ectotherms. Like other lizards, they rely on their surroundings to maintain a preferred body temperature. The big lizards function at their optimal body temperatures in cool, underground burrows. They may remain underground for months at a time and survive on reservoirs of fat and water in their bodies. However they must eventually surface to eat, drink and reproduce.

One of the first things they do is search for food. Gila monsters are expert nest raiders. They don't just come across bird and rodent nests on a regular basis; they spend a lot of time roaming the desert searching for food. It can take days, weeks or a month to find a nest. That leaves them at risk for temperature extremes, either during the day when it can be too hot or at night when it’s far cooler than their preferred body temperature (approx 85°F)

Gila monsters solve this problem in some very clever ways. They minimize the time they spend on the desert’s surface by gorging on food when they find it. Some Gila monsters have been known to clean out a nest of juvenile rabbits in a single feeding.

They can eat up to 100 percent of their body weight at one time. Much of this food energy is stored as fat reserves in the lizard’s body cavity and tail. Gila monsters draw sparingly from these energy reserves when they retreat to underground burrows. They might stay in the burrows for months at a time during winter. They are also capable of storing large amounts of water. This portable water supply allows the lizards to roam far and wide without dehydration. But, since water is heavy, they will jettison their fluid burden when other sources are readily available in the wild. In the Sonoran Desert, Gila monsters have a peak of activity after the summer monsoons stimulate another spurt of breeding.

The Sonoran Desert’s “hot season” lasts from April through October. To minimize water loss, Gila monsters are most active at night when temperatures dip to 70 to 80 degrees F. At the onset of winter, they tend to locate their holdouts in south-facing rock outcrops. These areas offer protection from the season’s cold. They also provide warm basking sites when the lizards emerge in early spring. During the summer months, however, the lizards tend to retreat into far cooler earthen burrows. Among the most desirable are packrat middens. Once the lizard finds just the right kind of shelter they will use them over and over again.

Currently, Gila monsters are not officially listed as either a rare or endangered species. But their populations exist in highly localized pockets, many of which are experiencing a surge of human development. They are quite often found in swimming pools and ponds where they have gone in their quest for water. Unfortunately if they can’t get out they will tire and drown. Call me I know how to give mouth to mouth resuscitation.

 

Gila monster

Looking forward to hearing from you

Naturalist View August 2010

Monsoon storms, Lightning and Toads

In Arizona, the monsoon begins with the extreme dry heat of May and June, when temperatures rise to 100 plus degrees. As the atmosphere warms, the dry jet stream moves northward and the winds shift up from the south bringing in humidity and moisture from the Sea of Cortez. Once the moist air arrives, the intense summer sun heats the air, creating cumulonimbus clouds, which lead to afternoon and evening thunderstorms and spectacular displays of lightning. It’s a great time to sit out in the patio and watch the storms move up the Catalina Mountain range from Pusch Ridge toward Saddlebrooke. Of course sitting on your patio is not the safe thing to do, and I am not recommending that you watch lightning storms while having a beer on the porch.

What do you do when lightning is near?

  • Avoid high ground, water, solitary trees, open spaces, metallic objects. Search for low   ground, ditches unless they contain water or if the ground is saturated, then find clumps of shrubbery or trees, all of uniform height.

  • Remove all metal objects, bracelets, watches, rings, if possible. It is best to crouch down on the balls of your feet with your hands over your ears. There should be at least 20 feet between you and other people. Do not all huddle together.

  • If you are in a fully enclosed metal automobile, seek refuge with all the windows rolled up and your hands in your lap.

  • Avoid all metal shelters and sun shelters. If golfing, put down the clubs and get off the golf course.

Some Interesting Lightning Data

  • Around the earth there are 100 lightning strikes per second. That’s over 8 million a day!

  • Americans are twice more likely to die from lightning than from a hurricane, tornado or flood.

  • Annually, there are more than 10,000 forest fires caused by lightning.

  • 85% of lightning victims are children and young men aged 10-35 engaged in outdoor recreation and work 

    activities such as golf.

Toads in Saddlebrooke

I’m sure that by this time you have noticed that the toads are active as the monsoon rains are very important to their life cycle. During the summer monsoon season, Sonoran Desert Toads (Bufo alvarius) are common, nocturnal visitors to yards near water. They emerge after the summer rains in order to feed and breed in large, temporary rain pools. Eggs are laid in the puddles and permanent ponds. Larvae metamorphose in as little as two weeks. This species lives from 10 to 20 years.

During the rest of the year, Sonoran Desert Toads hibernate underground. These huge toads like to gorge on insects, especially beetles, near outdoor lights or lighted windows and doors. Male Sonoran Desert Toads will also get into swimming pools and then call to attract females.

With their large size and frequent habit of sitting nonchalantly out in the open as they wait for something edible to happen by, Sonoran Desert Toads might seem to be an easy target for predators, but these large, slow toads are very well defended. If picked up or mouthed by a predator, Sonoran Desert Toads will exude a potent, milky white toxin from their parotoid glands. If ingested, their toxin is capable of seriously sickening or killing potential predators.

Residents are usually aware of the Sonoran Desert Toad (formerly known as the Colorado River Toad) but other toads found in Saddlebrooke include the Red-spotted , Great-plains and Woodhouses toads. For the last 10 years I have taken a census during the Moonson rains by counting the toads at certain locations around the golf courses. Last year I took my brother and my niece on what started as a light rain but ended as a real gully washer. My niece and I had a great time; I’m not so sure my brother did. We all got very wet but counted 127 toads. As I write this in Late June, I am waiting for that Monsoon rain and looking for volunteers for this years toad count.

Sonoran Desert Toad

A Toad for all Seasons

Oh big fat toad

upon the road

why do you sit so still?

The rain has come

to cool your tum

your pond begin to fill

With Summer's song

don't sit too long

a lady passing by.

Her favour's give

new life to live

don't leave her there to sigh….

By Jayne Scott

Suggestion: If you leave a water dish outside for your pet a toad may sit in it at night and leave some of its toxin in the water. Just in case rinse out and refill before your pet drinks from it in the morning.

Symptoms of poisoning in pets

 • Pawing at mouth

 • Licking of lips and drooling

 • Dazed or uncoordinated behavior

Treatment

 • If the animal is conscious, rinse its mouth with a gentle flow of water. Don't force water into the throat; run 

   the water gently from the side of the mouth out the front.

 • If the eyes are affected, rinse them gently with water as well.

 • Wet the animal's coat to help keep body temperature down.

 • Take the animal to a veterinarian immediately.

Toad venom is not a great risk to humans who handle them, but you should wash your hands before touching eyes, mouth or nose after touching a venomous toad.

Thanks to all of you who are not using poisons to control pests. Let’s be good neighbors to our native plants and animals. I will be teaching “Natural History of the Sky Islands” again in October in Saddlebrooke. Any wildlife problems or questions call me 818-3545 or e-mail jecloer@aol.com