Nature

Of the five species of prairie dogs, Gunnison’s prairie dogs are the smallest. Unlike other prairie dogs, Gunnison’s are not known to kill their young, but they’re dying…

Every week, a colony of Mexican free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) can eat hundreds of tons of insects, particularly moths — some of which prey on cotton…

Mexican gartersnakes (Thamnophis eques) spend their time in marshy areas and streams, foraging next to the water. In places with dense vegetation, such as…

Emerald jumping spiders (Paraphidippus aurantius) are flashy, and they flaunt it — the iridescent scales on their bodies make them especially shiny, which shows…

If you’re afraid of scorpions, you can thank Western banded geckos for making sure the population doesn’t get out of hand. In addition to foraging at night for small…

Most Arizonans will recognize the buzz that rises from trees in late spring and early summer — the call of the cicadas. Apache cicadas, scientific name Diceroprocta…

If Jurassic Park taught us anything, it’s that predators prefer live prey. Blue death-feigning beetles (Asbolus verrucosus) use that fact to their…

Western hognose snakes are sometimes called “bluffers” or “faux vipers” for their dramatic playacting when they feel threatened. At first, they’ll spread the skin on their…

Clark’s nutcrackers are hoarders. With their dagger-like bills, these birds jab into pine cones and harvest their seeds, storing up to 150 of them in pouches under their…