Album Wildlife

Artemus said:
Did it accentuate your running speed? :)
Click to expand...

It's funny, right before I took those pics I was thinking how nice it was that the days are getting cooler so I wouldn't have to worry about rattlesnakes anymore. Then again I guess that big guy will be going down for a long nap soon enough too.
 
Beautiful! (...she says trying to convince herself...)

Snakes are OK by me, but I'll never get used to big spiders like this guy, though they don't bother me as much if they're outside. Where did you take the photo? I hope nowhere close to W. Colorado, though I have seen tarantulas down in the southwest corner of the state, though not this big.
 
Rockskipper said:
Beautiful! (...she says trying to convince herself...)

Snakes are OK by me, but I'll never get used to big spiders like this guy, though they don't bother me as much if they're outside. Where did you take the photo? I hope nowhere close to W. Colorado, though I have seen tarantulas down in the southwest corner of the state, though not this big.
Click to expand...

Dude was in my New Mexico wood pile this afternoon. Funny because I don't mind tarantulas at all but snakes make me jump. My place is crawling with both.
 
Rockskipper said:
Beautiful! (...she says trying to convince herself...)

Snakes are OK by me, but I'll never get used to big spiders like this guy, though they don't bother me as much if they're outside. Where did you take the photo? I hope nowhere close to W. Colorado, though I have seen tarantulas down in the southwest corner of the state, though not this big.
Click to expand...
I'd imagine they're in western CO at least a bit. We have a fair amount of Aphonopelma iodius (I think that's the species) up around SLC.

I was curious, so I did some rudimentary research. Here's a heat map for the Aphonopelma tarantula genus with the following description: "A distribution of known specimens B predicted distribution; warmer colors (red, orange, yellow) represent areas of high probability of occurrence, cooler colors (blue shades) represent areas of low probability of occurrence."
big_76366.jpg

Edit: I believe that map is just for the Aphonopelma genus, but according to Wikipedia, that's pretty much the only genus present out here.
 
Last edited:
I can vouch for them being in SE Utah. Weird how NM is showing blue though... I mean it's not like you see them every day but 4 or 5 times a year easy. I guess that may be relatively low occurrence, but I've seen more here than I ever did in Utah.
 
Not backcountry, but a nice wildlife shot for me. Bison crossing the Lamar, just downstream of its confluence with Soda Butte Creek.

wyoming2017-57-XL.jpg
 
Jackson said:
I'd imagine they're in western CO at least a bit. We have a fair amount of Aphonopelma iodius (I think that's the species) up around SLC.

I was curious, so I did some rudimentary research. Here's a heat map for the tarantula genus with the following description: "A distribution of known specimens B predicted distribution; warmer colors (red, orange, yellow) represent areas of high probability of occurrence, cooler colors (blue shades) represent areas of low probability of occurrence."
Click to expand...

Well, I'd say thanks for that, except I don't like the results. Looks like there may be some up my way (Glenwood Springs, Colorado). If you want to see something kind of creepy, search on giant desert centipede. I was going to post a photo, but these things really do creep me out. My cat used to bring them into the house when I lived in Moab, which would result in a frantic free for all until I could get the thing outside or kill it. They have a bite like a scorpion sting and are really fast. I saw one on the road out to Old Woman Wash one summer night that was a good foot long. I thought it was a snake at first, it was so big.
 
b.stark said:
Not backcountry, but a nice wildlife shot for me. Bison crossing the Lamar, just downstream of its confluence with Soda Butte Creek.
Click to expand...
Looks kind of chilly. That's an unusual photo, as you don't see too many pictures of them swimming like that.
 
Little Book Cliffs? Sand Wash? Great photo!

Oh wait, I just saw the file name says Corcoran Peak. I was just up there a couple of weeks ago. Didn't see any wild horses, but there's some weird volcanic rock up there. I've seen its pyramid shape many times coming back from Utah, and finally decided to go check it out.
 
Last edited:
Jackson said:
I'd imagine they're in western CO at least a bit. We have a fair amount of Aphonopelma iodius (I think that's the species) up around SLC.

I was curious, so I did some rudimentary research. Here's a heat map for the tarantula genus with the following description: "A distribution of known specimens B predicted distribution; warmer colors (red, orange, yellow) represent areas of high probability of occurrence, cooler colors (blue shades) represent areas of low probability of occurrence."
View attachment 58093
Click to expand...

Cooowelllll! Reference?
 
Scott Chandler said:
Sometimes it's the smallest things that can be the most inspirational.
Click to expand...

I applaud your sentiment, mister!

This animal looks pre-Cambrian. I don't know whether you know about the branch not taken on the Tree of Life and the wild and wonderful animals that were exposed in the discovery of the Burgesss Shale strata and resultant quarry in B.C.. I would strongly urge you and @Jackson and all, really, to read about it in "Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of History " by Stephen Jay Gould or research the Burgess shale elsewhere. Animals, very much like this, strange and seemingly impossible, roamed the earth for aeons and then extincted on a dead-end path of the evolution of life here on earth. Greatly Recommended.
 
Last edited:
Artemus said:
nimals, very much like this, strange and seemingly impossible, roamed the earth for aeons and then extincted on a dead-end path of the evolution of life here on earth. Greatly Recommended.
Click to expand...

Now creatures like this are considered extremophiles! Tadpole shrimp in potholes. Brine shrimp in the Salt Lake. So fascinating. I'll look into that reading, sounds like a fun rabbit hole to go down.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top