Nature

Hollywood horror films have given tarantulas a bad reputation as bloodthirsty monsters on eight legs, but these fuzzy arachnids are really just humble hermits. There are…

When it comes to spotting Arizona mammals, Mount Graham red squirrels (Tamiasciurus fremonti grahamensis) are among the rarest sights of all. Found only high atop…

Members of the family Riodinidae, Ares metalmark butterflies (Emesis ares) are found across Southern Arizona, Southwestern New Mexico and Mexico and are…

Photographer Bruce D. Taubert captured this image of a bobcat (Lynx rufus) near Rye, south of Payson. Bobcats are common in the Sonoran Desert and elsewhere — their…

Of the three fox species in Arizona, kit foxes (Vulpes macrotis) are the smallest — adults typically weigh less than 5 pounds, according to the Arizona Game and…

Western tiger salamanders (Ambystoma mavortium) are among the largest salamanders in North America. According to photographer and wildlife expert Bruce D. Taubert,…

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…