Bobcats are found in almost all types of habitat -- except metropolitan areas -- especially in mountains and even in desert areas where water is available. In fact it ranges through all four deserts of the American Southwest, but favors rocky, brushy hillsides on which to live and hunt.

The name Bobcat may have originated from its short tail, which is only 6 or 7 inches long. The end of its tail is always black, tipped with white, which distinguishes the Bobcat from its northern cousin, the Canadian Lynx, whose tail is tipped solid black.

The Bobcat has long legs and large paws. Large specimens can weigh up to 30 pounds, but the average Bobcat is only 15 to 20 pounds. The Bobcat's growls and snarls are so deep and fearsome, particularly when hidden from view, that one gets the mis-impression it must be a Mountain Lion.

Geographic variations have some effect on their color. Those found in timber and heavy brush fields are darker with rust-colored tones, while those found in the Great Basin area of northeastern California generally are a paler tawny-gray, often with a complete absence of spots on the back and less distinct markings. The coat in wintertime is a beautiful fur.

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The Turkey Vulture, Cathartes aura, also known in North America as the Turkey Buzzard (or just "buzzard"), is a bird found throughout most of the Americas. One of three species in the genus Cathartes, in the family Cathartidae, it is the most widespread of the New World vultures, [2] ranging from southern Canada to the southernmost tip of South America.

It inhabits a variety of open and semi-open areas, including subtropical forests, shrublands, pastures, and deserts. [1] With a wingspan of 173-183cm (68-72in) and an average weight of 1.4 kg (3.1 lb), [3] the Turkey Vulture is a large bird. It has dark brown to black plumage; a featherless, purplish-red head and neck; and a short, hooked, ivory-colored beak.

The Turkey Vulture is a scavenger and feeds almost exclusively on carrion. [4] It finds its meals using its sense of smell, flying low enough to detect the gases produced by the beginnings of the process of decay in dead animals.

In flight, it uses thermals to move through the air, flapping its wings infrequently. It roosts in large community groups.

Lacking a syrinx - the vocal organ of birds - its only vocalizations are grunts or low hisses. [5] It nests in caves, hollow trees or thickets, each year generally raising two chicks, which it feeds by regurgitation. [6] It has very few natural predators. [7] In the United States of America, the vulture receives legal protection under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918.

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Mule Deer

There are two major subspecies: the Mule Deer, with tail white above, tipped with black; and the Black-tailed Deer, with tail black or brown above.

The Cervidae Family includes deer and their allies, including moose, elk, and caribou. Member of this family occupy a wide range of habitats, from arctic tundras to tropical forests, and can be found over most of the world. All have slender legs.

Most are brown or gray in color, with white spots characterizing the young, and in a few species, the adults. In all but one genus of cervids, at least the males have antlers.

Comparisons

The Mule Deer, while closely related to the eastern species-the white-tailed deer, are remarkably distinct in their biological, ecological, and behavioral attributes.

The Mule Deer carries its thin, black-tipped tail drooped, unlike the uplifted, bushy white tail of its cousin. They have a distinctly different gait from the leisurely, graceful leaps of the white-tail.

When startled, a Mule Deer will move in a series of stiff-legged jumps with all four feet hitting the ground together.

Mule Deer are usually a dark gray-brown, with a small white rump patch and a small, black-tipped tail. Their large ears are distinctive. White-tail deer are tan in color, with a larger tail.

Mule Deer antlers are normally smaller and branch to form 2 equal forks, while the male White-tailed Deer has forward curving antlers with a number of points (tines) branching from the main beam.

Description

Mule Deer have large ears that move constantly and independently, from whence they get their name, "Mule" or "Burro Deer." They do not run as other deer, but have a peculiar and distinctive bounding leap (stotting) over distances up to 8 yards, with all 4 feet coming down together. In this fashion, they can reach a speed of 45 m.p.h. for short periods.

This stocky deer with sturdy legs is 4 to 6-1/2 feet in length and 3 to 3-1/2 feet high at the shoulder. During the summer, the coat on its upper body is yellow- or reddish-brown, while in winter more gray.

The throat patch, rump patch, inside ears and inside legs are white with lower portions running cream to tan. A dark V-shaped mark, extending from a point between the eyes upward and laterally is characteristic of all Mule Deer but is more conspicuous in males.

Males are larger than females. The bucks' antlers, which start growth in spring and are shed around December each year, are high and branch forward, forking equally into 2 tines with a spread up to 4 feet.

Coccinellidae is a family of beetles, known variously as ladybirds ( British English, Australian English, South African English), ladybugs ( North American English) or lady beetles (preferred by some scientists). The family name comes from its type genus, Coccinella.

Coccinellids are found worldwide, with over 5,000 species described [1], more than 450 native to North America alone. Coccinellids are small insects, ranging from 1 mm to 10 mm (0.04 to 0.4 inches), and are commonly yellow, orange, or scarlet with small black spots on their wing covers, with black legs, head and antennae.

A very large number of species are mostly or entirely black, gray, or brown and may be difficult for non- entomologists to recognize as coccinellids (and, conversely, there are many small beetles that are easily mistaken as such, like tortoise beetles).

Ladybirds are generally considered useful insects as many species feed on aphids or scale insects, which are pests in gardens, agricultural fields, orchards, and similar places.

Some people consider seeing them or having them land on one's body to be a sign of good luck to come, and that killing them presages bad luck. A few species are pests in North America and Europe.