Nature

Gambel’s quail (Callipepla gambelii) are found across Arizona and are well adapted to survive in the desert. The plump little birds, which are characterized by…

If you’ve ever been hiking on a desert trail, odds are you’ve encountered a spine field of teddy bear chollas (Cylindropuntia bigelovii). These fluffy-looking…

Also known as desert cardinals, pyrrhuloxias (Cardinalis sinuatus) live year-round in Arizona and are found primarily in scrubby desert thickets and mesquite…

Although you might associate common raccoons (Procyon lotor) with forests and trash cans, they’re also prevalent in the Sonoran Desert — as long as their habitat is…

Mexican free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) are fast little creatures, traveling at speeds of up to 65 mph. The smallest of the free-tailed bat species, they…

The thing about Western spotted skunks (Spilogale gracilis) is that they’re actually striped. Their stripes are broken, giving the appearance of blotches. You’ll…

Vermilion flycatchers (Pyrocephalus obscurus) are indisputably adorable. That said, they’re also members of the tyrant flycatcher family, which is perhaps a bit…

Everything seemingly slows down during summer in Arizona, but super slow is the baseline speed for desert tortoises. In Arizona, you’ll find two native species of the…

Depending on the time of year, elk (Cervus canadensis) can easily be spotted in Arizona’s high country, notably in the ponderosa pine and piñon-juniper forests on…