People Don't Realize

A lot of people don't realize Southern California has a very desert-like climate.

Along with that, comes a lot of desert creatures, especially in the canyons and mountains.

I was reminded of this a few times last week.

First, I noticed this sign as I was leaving Malibu:

My neighbors dog was bit by a rattlesnake a few years ago.  We get them every year when the weather heats up.  It has been very hot lately.

I was reminded again the other night when I parked in one of the local canyons to attend a party.  When I returned to my car, I heard coyotes howling nearby.  It made me walk just a little faster to my car.

I've also had an (overly?) friendly critter hanging around me a lot at home.

 

We get a lot of road runners, but this particular one likes to look in at me through my back/patio glass door while I'm writing.  He'll stare in at me for quite awhile before moving on to catch lizards for his lunch.  Recently, he stood right in front of me and gobbled a lizard down whole.  He ate it head first while it was still wiggling its tail.  

Yummy?

After finishing his lunch, he hopped through the fencing and hung out by our pool for awhile.

 

I suppose that made for a great day in the life of a road runner?

© Twenty Four At Heart

Comments

[Joanne]

he was probably waiting for you to bring him a pool float and an umbrella drink

[Karen]

We have coyotes in Connecticut... I had one snatch my little dog 15 feet away from me. Thankfully it let him go a few minutes later and he survived with welts and saliva on his neck. RATTLESNAKES>>> Good God.

[di]

I used to laugh at them when we would get one in our yard in Arizona. They sure are fast little boogers! Beep Beep.

We hear coyotes here in the countryside of Roanoke. Small kitties beware! And of course we will never forget when our rottie, Missy (rest her soul) was bitten by a timber rattler in our backyard 2 summers ago.

DI

[Lori]

We have our own wild creatures where I live but thank God no rattlesnakes! That roadrunner is kinda cute. :)

[Nancy @ The Wife of a Dairyman]

Coyotes, we hear them every night at our place. I have never seen a road runner before! Neat photos:)

[Kelly]

He's adorable!

[Jack]

One of my claims to fame is that I have killed a rattlesnake. I was working as a camp counselor in Ojai and discovered that one thought that life in our tent would be good.

It was good for us, not so good for him. Tent poles and shovels work well.

[San Diego Momma]

What? You don't eat lizards whole?

[WebSavvyMom]

-->Thank goodness you didn't see Wile E. Coyote with a box of dynamite too.

[Maureen@IslandRoar]

A roadrunner?? I don't think I've ever seen one. Kinda cute. I also had no idea there was a vaccine for rattlesnakes.

[dogmother]

Thanks to reading your "rattlesnake vaccines" sign late last night, and actually stumbling across a 5 foot black (rat) snake yesterday on my run, I dreamed last night that I was being chased by a copperhead!

[Freda]

I never realised they were real birds! Thanks for the photo and for making me grateful I don't have to worry about my dog getting bitten by a rattlesnake.

[Jason]

I love it here.

[karen]

I saw 3 roadrunners on the way to visit my g-ma's grave. Kids didn't know what they were until i had to explain the darn cartoon. these kids of mine need more school.

[Chantel]

I've never seen a real roadrunner. Only in that silly cartoon. He's cute. :) What do your dogs think of him?

[DuchessOmnium]

Heck, when I saw your picture of that sign I thought people with pet rattlesnakes were meant to bring them in for their annual jabs.

I'd believe just about anything of OC.

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