Browse our nature archive.

Western Painted Turtle

You don't have to travel to the wilderness to see a Western painted turtle. These aquatic creatures, indigenous to the Lyman Lake area of Northeastern Arizona, are now…

Pallid Bats

If pallid bats could be kept as pets, they'd be all the rage in Arizona — despite the creepy claws, vampiric reputation and complete dearth of cuddliness. Because what…

Porcupines

Count yourself lucky if you see an Arizona porcupine. "Because they're so thinly distributed, you're not likely to see one anywhere except the Grand Canyon," says Dave…

Elf Owls

Elf owls are aptly named. In fact, they're so small, they can fit comfortably in an adult human's hand. They nest anywhere from 15 to 35 feet aboveground, in…

Javelinas

Javelinas are difficult to love. If the javelina were human, it would be the scraggly haired boor with B.O. who pilfers your lunch from the office refrigerator…

Ringtails

If you ask most Arizonans, they can usually identify the state flower (saguaro blossom), the state flag and maybe even the state motto ("God Enriches"), but…

Desert Cottontails

It's hard to think for too long about cottontails without Here Comes Peter Cottontail popping into your head. That is, if you grew up with a mother whose…

Tarahumara Frogs

Although they’re similar in appearance to American bullfrogs, Tarahumara frogs are rarely seen. And when they are, they’re usually in the canyons of Southern…

Bobcats

There’s one very famous bobcat in Arizona: D. Baxter, the mascot for the Arizona Diamondbacks baseball team. But the state is home to many other bobcats, and…