Sauropod Vertebra Picture of the Week

In lieu of the sauropod neck cartilage post that I will get around to writing someday, here are some photos of animals London and I saw at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum this Sunday morning.

In chronological order:

Mountain lion, Puma concolor

Black bear, Ursus americanus, which taxon has also graced these pages (and my desk) with its mortal remains.

Bobcats, Lynx rufus. These two play-fought for a while. Watching them was the highlight of the morning, and maybe the highlight of the whole trip.

Gray fox, Urocyon cinereoargenteus. This guy just paused here for a moment, but I am super happy with the chiaroscuro effect.

Javelina, Pecari tajacu. Sunday evening we saw a couple of wild javelinas alongside one of the roads on the west side of Tucson–only the second time I’ve seen them in the wild.

Coyote, Canis latrans. Now these guys I see all the time–on my own street, even, some mornings.

Great Horned Owl, Bubo virginianus. This one flew right over our heads during the Raptor Free Flight demonstration. I tried to get photos of it on the wing but it was too darned fast. Most impressive: however big they look in pictures, they look a heck of a lot bigger–and scarier–swooping two feet over your head.

Mexican Wolf, Canis lupus baileyi

And, okay, here’s a sauropod, or part of a sauropod: a mounted cast of the forelimb of Sonorasaurus thompsoni. Nine-year-old Homo sapiens for scale.

So, pretty outstanding place, and I highly recommend going. But, like every other printed or digital source I found, I recommend getting there first thing in the morning to see all the animals while they are out and about. London and I walked out of the big “critter loops” at 10:30 and the Mexican wolf was the only animal still roaming around.