trapping was underway all day. we captured 31 prairie dogs to add to 43 captured on friday. 74 prairie dogs will make the journey to arizona for tuesday's big release event.
Spotted ground squirrels are often found in areas where prairie dogs are living (or lived, in cases where prairie dogs have been extirpated). In Arizona, they live in a variety of habitats, desert to mountain meadows. Their burrows are generally found in sandy soils. In southeastern Arizona they are associated with mesquite and acacia. In northern Arizona, they live among sagebrush and saltbush. This photo taken at the Ladder Ranch, near Truth or Consequences New Mexico. They've been observed feeding on: insects, a variety of seeds (saltbush, mesquite, sunflower, wild gourd), grasshoppers, and the pulp of cacti.
This bull elk along with another bull and a cow sauntered near our camp. Each night we could hear the elk bugling and bellowing - as bull elk attempt to establish a small herd of females.
