Oro Valley Wildlife

Coyotes

While the saguaro is the de facto icon of the Arizona desert, coyotes run a close second. A close relative to the wolf, these canines are prolific in our area. Traveling in packs, coyotes can be heard yipping and howling at night as they find their evening meals or play. I love seeing these animals but always keep my distance. Be forewarned—they have been known to take small pets, even from a fenced yard. Please always monitor your pets!

Bobcats

Bobcats are one of our favorite desert animals. I never tire of seeing them, but they can be dangerous for pets as well. Bobcat kittens are unbelievably cute — and you may have the good fortune of a momma bobcat selecting your backyard to birth her litter, as many in the Oro Valley area have. If they do show up, just keep pets and kids inside, leave them alone and enjoy the kitten show through the windows. Bobcats are handy climbers and like to lounge in trees as well as under shady plantings. Their prime hunting times are dawn and dusk—keep a close eye on pets if they are outdoors. Bobcats can easily hop a wall—in fact, we have had bobcats run over our roof!

Rattlesnakes

While I respect all living creatures — rattlesnakes are not my favorite. They are a part of living in the desert Southwest — and I am happy to say I have only seen a few in the almost 2 decades we have lived here. However, especially during dawn and dusk from spring until fall you would be wise to be aware of your surroundings when you are out walking or other outdoor activities. Further, if you have a dog we would strongly encourage that you enroll him or her in rattlesnake avoidance school. I wish I could say that dogs being bit by rattlesnakes was very uncommon — but it isn’t. Rattlesnake avoidance training is absolutely worth it and offered in the area. Not only is the antivenom and treatment for your pet very expensive (well into the thousands) but sparing your pet from pain is priceless. Just do it. 😉

Antelope Squirrel

Truthfully, this is one cute little rodent! Active during the cooler parts of the day during the summer, they will pop up on their haunches like little prairie dogs. The antelope squirrel live in little burrows, and they keep a multitude of entrances so they can elude their many predators.

Harris Hawk

A social bird of prey, these striking hawks are one of only two raptors known to hunt cooperatively in a group. This coupled with amazing vision several times better than a human allows them to feast on many of the deserts small mammals, including rabbits and rodents with ease. We have some roosting in a very large tree adjacent to our property, and in the spring when the desert comes alive I can hear them screaming as they dive-bomb their prey. It sounds like a tropical jungle when they really get going! The Oro Valley Country Club, just off Oracle Road in Oro Valley, has several species of hawks living in the massive trees that line the golf course.

Desert Bighorn Sheep

You probably won’t see one in Rancho Vistoso, but you may be hiking in nearby Catalina State Park. Living in separate male and female camps for most of the year, they come together in breeding season. Herds are as small as 8 and as large as a hundred, with males battling for dominance by charging each other and ramming their horns together until one surrenders. Desert Bighorn Sheep have excellent eyesight and are capable of handily navigating rocky terrain thanks to their unique hooves.

Mountain Lion

The king of our desert eco system generally prefers mountainous or rocky terrain, weighs in between 70 and 150 pounds and is incredibly stealth. Their diet consists mainly of deer, but they also like javelina, Bighorn sheep and other mammals —including pets. With the ability to jump 20 feet vertically and 40 feet horizontally (!), a mountain lion is a formidable adversary to any creature living in its territory — including humans. But don’t worry too much about these gorgeous felines – spotting them in person is pretty rare in Oro Valley as they generally avoid places where humans live. However, if you are hiking anywhere, including Catalina State Park, being aware of your surroundings is generally a good idea.

Kingsnake

Unlike the rattlesnake, you don’t necessarily want to evict a kingsnake from your yard. These snakes are not only immune to the venomous rattlesnake – rattlesnakes are on their menu of choice. Like most desert creatures, just leave it alone and it won’t be a bother to you. Some kingsnakes varieties are brown, others black with red and yellow rings and are often confused with the venomous coral snake. Remember the old rhyme to ascertain which snake you are dealing with – “red next to black, safe for Jack. Red next to yellow, Jack’s a dead fellow”.

Desert Tortoise

Majestic in their own special way, desert tortoises are an elusive desert dweller, spending the majority of their time underground. You cannot take desert tortoises from the desert legally – but Arizona Fish and Game has tortoises that were previously captive for adoption. These cool animals hibernate fall to spring and caring for them is unlike conventional pets – so do your research first. If you don’t think you will be in your home for many, many years I would caution against adoption – these guys don’t like to be moved around and disrupted.

Gila Monster

Hibernating from November to through February, the slow – moving Gila Monster is the only venomous lizard native to the United States. You won’t see them that often, but when you do leave them alone if you can—it will probably eventually shuffle off. It is against the law to harm a Gila Monster in the state of Arizona. If you encounter one in a place that requires removal (we had a neighbor years ago that had one wander in her house – another reason to NOT leave doors open!) there are services that will handle it. Please don’t try and pick one up as it may bite you.

Vermilion Flycatcher

Only the adult males boast the eye – catching vermilion color – good advertising for finding a mate, perhaps! Despite the name, vermilion flycatchers are not discriminatory abut their diets and will eat most types of insects. If you want to attract them, a fountain or other water source would be a good start. The Vermilion Flycatcher is also the mascot of the Tucson Audubon Society.

Raven

The massive black birds you may see from time to time aren’t crows – they are ravens! (Yes, like the Edgar Allan Poe poem!) These birds are incredibly intelligent (they have been spotted using “tools” made from twigs and can mimic several other bird calls) and very adaptable. Ravens mate for life after an elaborate courtship that includes the male “stunt-flying” —soaring and then tumbling, flying upside down, doing somersaults and generally tumbling through the air to attract the female’s attention. Who says romance is dead? 🥰

Anna’s Hummingbird

Graceful and able to move with lightening speed, beautiful hummingbirds are common in Oro Valley and the surrounding areas. You can further entice them to visit your yard with bold, brightly colored desert flowers and plants or hanging a hummingbird feeder and keeping it full of nectar. One part sugar dissolved in four parts water is a great DIY hummingbird nectar recipe is a great recipe for DIY nectar – just be sure to change the nectar frequently or it will spoil in the Arizona summer sun.

Roadrunner

I can’t watch one of these guys fly across the road without being reminded of the velociraptors in the Jurassic Park movie – the similarity of movement is uncanny! Roadrunners are extremely quick (can run 20 mph!) and are common throughout the area. Many times you will see them with a lizard meal dangling from their mouths as they speed away. As fast as they are, they are no match for the coyote, who clocks in at 40 mph – scientific proving that Wile E Coyote wouldn’t really be going hungry! Here’s another fun fact—a group of Roadrunners is called a “marathon”.