Akkana PeckI saw a jackrabbit in the open space south of White Rock a couple days ago! First time I've seen one since moving to #NewMexico, though Dave saw one at Redwash, near Abiquiu, last year. Very cool to know we have jackrabbits (well, at least one) in the neighborhood. No photo, alas; it was running when I saw it.
Bosque Bill@akkana Cool. There are a few below the mesa edge west of Albuquerque within the Petroglyph park.
@bosquebill ABQ has such great wildlife. Way more roadrunners than we have, too.
@akkana At least in those areas not yet developed.
Bob Tregilus@bosquebill @akkana I've yet to spend much time hiking around the Aztec area but so far I haven't seen any jacks or road runners. Perhaps that will change once I get moved there? Can't say I've ever seen a road runner anywhere on the Colorado Plateau in SE Utah where I've done tons of hiking. Maybe, but if I did, it was a fleeting encounter.
Roy -- the dull one@elaterite @bosquebill @akkana
Do you have any indication that the snake and lizard populations are reduced?
@oldclumsy_nowmad @elaterite @bosquebill I've only been here 12 years so I'm not sure I'm qualified to judge changes, but we have LOTS of lizards here in summer, mostly fence lizards and whiptails (SO MANY whiptails). I've been surprised at how few snakes I see here: a few bullsnakes, a few coachwhips, the occasional garter snake, hardly any rattlers (fortunately). I saw more snakes hiking in the Santa Cruz mountains in CA than here.
@akkana @elaterite @bosquebill
Thanks for sharing your observations, Akkana! I enjoy comparing your comments on northern NM with what I see down south. And your photography makes it almost as good as being there!
I'm more interested in birds than reptiles, but herps are cool. I wondered if the scarcity of roadrunners where you are relates to food supply, but since you see a lot of lizards... Maybe the food supply in winter is what counts. Some lizards are active here all year.