Today the temperatures dropped into the mid 40s (Fahrenheit) and it rained this morning. It is mighty cool -- the desert dwellers might even say it is downright cold. When the sun came out after the rain, I looked out the window, and there were the Javalina.
They like to eat plants. Prickly pear is said to be one of their favorites. This herd of Javalina was feeding on the yellow fruit of a barrel cactus. See the next photos.
There are 5 Javalina in this photo, including the baby. Can you spot them all? |
See that pink snout! |
An adult Javalina can weigh up to 60 pounds and stands 19 inches tall. They can be aggressive and have been known to bite humans. They will defend their territory, especially if they are eating or have young Javalina with them.
Years ago I saw a herd of Javalina eating some fancy flowers at night. Their eyes glowed red in the headlights of my vehicle. They would not leave those tender, store bought, hand watered flowers until they had their fill.
I have also seen Javalina eat bird seed blocks and knock over trash cans to feast on vegetable pulp from the juicer! The only time they bothered to knock over my can to get the pulp was when I juiced some garlic in my vegetable juice. They ate all the pulp, then left, but they would not leave until they had finished every morsel of pulp. I could not get into my gate until they left. The largest one defended the area in front of the gate while the others finished eating. There were young ones, so I dared not cross until they left.
Javalina have a strong, musty smell. Sometimes you can smell them after they have been in an area. It is said they identify members of their herd by smell. Their eyesight is poor. Loud noise will startle them. Here are two more photos:
This was the first of the herd to spot the yellow cactus fruit. |
I AM stayin' warm as I can,
Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c) 2011
No comments:
Post a Comment