Field Notes

Friday Fauna Feature: Pronghorn
July 31, 2020The pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) is the last living member of the Family Antilocapridae, that roamed North American during the Pleistocene. While the pronghorn might look like antelope, their closest living…
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90 Days and 71 Species at the Border
July 24, 2020Sky Island Alliance staff and volunteers deployed trail cameras along 34 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border in early March 2020. Our mission was to document the wildlife community living in…
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Sky Island Snake Stories
July 16, 2020ZTZTZTZTZTZTZTZTZTZTCHITCHITCHIT, chit, chit, tet, tet!!! The now familiar sound of a buzzing rattlesnake comes from the ground at my feet and all I can do is freeze in place. I…
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Friday Fauna Feature: Border Wildlife Study Pollinators
June 26, 2020We designed our Border Wildlife Study to detect vertebrate species such as mammals and birds. Surprisingly, we keep finding invertebrates on our cameras and we love the multitude of insects…
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Friday Fauna Feature: Animals Immediately Return after Fire at the Border
June 19, 2020On May 31, 2020, lightning ignited a wildfire in the San Rafael Valley near the U.S.-Mexico border at one of Border Wildlife Study camera sites. After several days, the fire reached our wildlife camera as it burned across about 400…
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Friday Creature Feature: Hooded skunk
May 22, 2020 Today’s Friday Creature Feature is the hooded skunk (Mephitis macroura). This little creature has been captured on Sky Island Alliance cameras as part of the Border Wildlife Study and…
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Friday Creature Feature: Chiricahua Leopard Frog
May 15, 2020On this Endangered Species Day, we celebrate the Chiricahua leopard frog (Lithobates chiricahuensis) and efforts to protect this Sky Island endemic species. Being an endemic means that they are only…
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Earth Day Tips for Wildlife Watching at Home
April 22, 2020One of my greatest joys while we shelter in place is to keep a closer look at the wildlife around my home. On this Earth Day 2020, I invite you…
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Best Things About Bats
April 17, 2020Today is Bat Appreciation Day and these are my favorite Sky Island bat facts: What Sky Island Bats Eat Most bats are insectivorous, meaning they only eat insects like moths, flies, and mosquitos. However, there are some species of bats that only…
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Lecturas de Criaturas – Halconcito colorado
April 10, 2020 Después de unas pocas semanas, las cámaras trampa de nuestro Estudio de Fauna Fronteriza detectaron 27 especies diferentes de vida silvestre en estos increíbles paisajes fronterizos. Algunas de esas…
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