Thank goodness the rattlers are seldom seen! I know we are supposed to love all creatures, but that’s asking too much of me.

BD, I probably shouldn’t have put in that bit about the snakes. We do have them, but in the eight years I’ve lived here I’ve never known or heard directly about anyone who was a victim (not including a curious dog down the lane, poor thing. He survived, though). The rattlers really don’t want to encounter us any more than we do them, and will only strike if they feel cornered. They mostly sleep in the daytime, and prefer to be away from us humanoids when they do. I occasionally hear of someone spotting one in the garden, particularly if it has a lot of lush plantings (good for hiding). If this happens we call the fire department who has special trapping equipment and can remove them unharmed and relocate them way out in the desert. That’s the policy here, and we generally respect our creatures. Also, contrary to popular belief, a reasonably fit human can easily outrun a rattlesnake, so unless it’s in immediate striking distance, which rarely happens in cities and towns, we know to just run like he!! and call for removal. Honestly, we don’t see them slithering down the boulevard; they’d stand no chance on city streets, and generally know better. As for the mountain lions and wildcats, they do come closer if their food supply is diminished—we hear about that on the news. I had a neighbor who noticed a young wildcat had decided her patio lounger was just perfect for his afternoon nap. He returned every afternoon for a couple of weeks, and she just didn’t use her patio during that time. Of course, most of us know better than to crash through open desert and brush at night (most of the creatures are nocturnal) with no lights and wearing sandals and shorts. Anyone who does so is taking a bit of a risk.

Well, Will, unless your mate has taken to perching on Arizona rooftops and head-butting chimneys, I don’t think we’re talking of your Pecker. As it were. So you have them there coyotes and such, too? Must remember to keep the lid on! Our neighborhood trashcans were designed to be (nearly) coyote proof. A pack of them would have to charge one together in order to knock it over and get in. Indeed, best not to go down the road of animal vs. human characteristics! You’ve caused another attack of FOOCS (Falling Out Of Chair Syndrome—what did you think it meant?)

Hi Ian, good to see you! Thanks! That’s interesting about the different sound your German woodpeckers make. When I was searching for a picture to include in the post, I discovered there are many different kind, more than I’d thought. I picked one that looked the most like the ones we have, but I was surprised at how many different sizes and beak shapes were included in the woodpecker family. And now here you are telling us they sound different, too. Happy belated Canada Day to you!

The one thing I hate about Coyotes is that they tore into the garbage bin outside – if there ever was a need for a person to have a gun!

You have wildlife like we do, Muse – and the problem with that is they are wild – why can’t animals be like people?

Oh wait…scrub that one.