One of the main things I was looking forward to on this trip was encountering the wildlife of the West. I thought it would be neat to experience different animals than we have in the East, as well as see if there were any differences between animals of the same species from the East and West. We did come across several wildlife species and several domesticated ones as well.Â
The first species we came across was in a domesticated setting, but does still roam free in some parts of the West. The American Buffalo once played an enormous role in the lives of the native people of the West. These tribes followed and lived by the herds that provided them with everything they needed to live on. Once the white man came out West and discovered these majestic animals, things drastically changed. Buffalo hunting became one of the main industries of the plains, often with kills of 250 animals a day.   Millions of buffalo once roamed the western plains, but by the late 1800’s only about 300 were left in the wild (http://www.fws.gov/species/species_accounts/bio_buff.html). In 1894, buffalo hunting was made illegal and conservation efforts over the years have brought the number of buffalo up to about 200,000 (http://www.fws.gov/species/species_accounts/bio_buff.html). However, these gentle giants will never again have total free roam over the land that once was theirs.Â
Driving through Colorado, on our way to the base camp in Utah, we came across another of the West’s best known animals on the side of the road. The Big Horn Sheep can be found all over the West, although its range changes seasonally. This animal is best known for the attribute that gave them their name; their big curled horns. The males use these horns when competing for territory or for females, in head butting contests that can last up to 20 hours! (http://www.nhptv.org/Natureworks/bighornsheep.htm). They are also well known for their climbing and jumping abilities, which help them to live in areas that are unsuitable for most other species and to evade predators.Â
Once on the San Juan River, we encountered many other animals, both wild and domesticated. I say domesticated, but as the horses and the cattle we encountered basically have free range of the land, I would almost classify them as wild. They were all along the river banks and we encountered many when we were on our hikes as well. The wildlife we encountered was varied. There were several species of birds that we saw on our first day on the river. The first were a few Blue Herons, some Cliff Swallows, and we thought we saw a Willow Flycatcher. The Southwestern Willow Flycatcher is an endangered species due to habitat destruction and large flood control dams (http://audubon2.org/webapp/watchlist/viewSpecies.jsp?id=217). Due to its status, it is great if we actually did see one. We also believe we saw a Bald Eagle soaring above us on the second day of the river trip. It may have been a Golden Eagle, but whichever it may have been was definitely a sight to see. As for other animals, there were many lizards running about the warm rocks along the sides of the river. I do not know the species, but they were tiny. There were also many chipmunks running in and out of holes as we passed them. We came upon a funny site when I pointed out what I thought to be a large nest, and it turned out to be a large porcupine. As we realized what it was, we saw another one in a neighboring tree, both of which appeared to be sunning themselves. All along the river bank were beaver homes as well. It was interesting to see them because when I think of a beaver, I think of a dam on a pond. This is not the case with these beavers. They burrow into the sides of the river beds and make their homes here. Sometimes there were sticks around the entrances, but for the most part there were just concealed holes. Our guide pointed out that the lack of dams is most likely due to the fact that the river is not constant in speed and depth. We did not actually see any beavers, but between their homes and all the chewed logs, there were signs of them everywhere.Â
One of the animals I encountered that sticks out foremost in my mind was a hare. I say this not because the hare was overly amazing or anything, but because it almost gave me a heart attack. I knew hares were abundant in the area, but had not seen one until I was going to bed and it was dark out and I almost stepped on one as I was walking to my tent. It took off in such a flash that I wasn’t sure what it was at first. I figured it out once my heart came back down to earth. There were also coyotes in the area. We could hear them at night, but did not actually see any. I’m sure there were many more intriguing animals along the river that we just did not run into, but I was thoroughly satisfied with the amount we were able to see. –Alyssa Langley
Lizards are the animals I have seen on each of my three trips to the Colorado Plateau in the last three years. However, upon rereading ‘Desert Voices’ by Byrd Baylor, I thought about the fact that lizards like turtles emerge from eggs laid in the sand. I wondered for the first time how common it was to witness baby lizards climbing out of the sand. At our camp on a lake in Maine, which we’ve owned since 2000, we are still hoping to observe a snapping turtle dig a hole and lay eggs on the shore of the lake or be there when the babies hatch and head to the lake for the first time. So far, we’ve only heard our neighbors stories and seen their photos of the turtles and babies in action and we’ve found trial excavations in front of our cabin.
Then I read Baylor’s words, “When my mother laid her eggs she looked for sand that was just right. It had to be damp and it had to be warmed all day by sun. Down in the sand she buried her eggs. When she left, she didn’t come back. There wasn’t any need to. Sand and sun are mother enough for lizards.” I had a whole new appreciation for the lizards I observed and I tried to imagine what kind of evidence if any would be left after the baby lizards climbed out of their nest and went searching for their first meal.
Two such different organisms- lizards and turtles, and two such different ecosystems- the high desert and the shore of a temperate lake, and yet such similar reproductive behavior.