Nature's Neighbors ~ Giant Desert Centipede

Centipedes are distinguished from millipedes by the presence of only one pair of legs per body segment, and they usually have a flat body profile as compared to a millipede’s  “domed” shape.

Giant redheaded centipedes are not frequently observed or collected, but those that make themselves known attract a great deal of attention because of their size and fierce appearance. Specimens average about 6 ½” in length, and they may reach nearly 8” in some instances. 

All centipedes are believed to be predators. Their diet is composed primarily of insects and spiders, although some have been found feeding on toads, small snakes, and other vertebrates. The prey is captured and killed or stunned with the poison “claws” just behind the head, then each gland drains its toxic contents through a small opening near the tip of the fang.

This type of centipede lays eggs, often in cavities hollowed out in pieces of decayed wood, and then they watch over them and the juveniles that hatch. The female winds herself around the egg mass, her legs directed toward the eggs, and then the newly hatched young.

This might be one neighbor you’ll only want to wave to over the fence! 

Nature's Neighbors ~ Collared Peccary

Also called Javelina because of their razor-sharp tusks, it is Spanish for javelin or spear.

In Texas, Collared Peccaries live in the brushy semi-desert where prickly pear is a conspicuous part of the flora. They have poor eyesight but good hearing. They travel in small herds or "family groups" from six to twelve, although as many as 50 have been seen together, and seem to have a somewhat limited home range. In the winter, they are generally active in the early morning and late afternoon.  Javelina are largely nocturnal during the hotter times of the year. They feed primarily on cacti (particularly prickly pear), mesquite beans, lechuguilla, sotol, nuts, fruits, and insects.  In areas where prickly pear is abundant, peccaries seldom frequent water holes because these plants provide both food and water.

Incorrect tales of the peccary have caused hunters to kill them because of fear rather than for either sport or food. Through the exaggerated stories of the peccary’s ferociousness, it has been charged that peccaries will kill or injure dogs, and that they are a menace to deer hunters in the dense brush. It is true that encounters between peccaries and untrained dogs usually end with dead or crippled dogs, but it is also true that in these battles the dog is always the aggressor, and any animal will defend its life to the best of its ability when attacked. The peccary is absolutely harmless to the range, to livestock, and to people.

The collared peccary is the only wild ungulate of the western hemisphere with a year-round breeding season. The number of young is usually two, but litters range in size from one to five. In Texas, the peccary was hunted commercially for its hide until 1939 when it was given the status of a game animal.

A far greater value is in its relationship to range vegetation, as peccaries are able to control (by eating) certain undesirable cacti present on the many acres of overstocked rangeland. 

Nature's Neighbors ~ Crested Caracara

The Crested Caracara is the largest and most terrestrial of the falcon group, and is the only falcon to build an actual stick nest.  Mated pairs are monogamous and highly defensive of their home territory, which they are faithful to year after year.  In flight it can be distinguished by its regular, powerful wing-beats as it cruises low across the ground or just above the treetops.

Preferring open country, the Crested Caracara is an opportunistic feeder, at different times taking carrion, insects, and small vertebrate prey. They have even been observed wading in shallow water, peering under the leaves of vegetation. Piracy is another common feeding tactic, practiced at times on birds as large as Red-tailed Hawks.  Caracaras are even known to harass vultures in this manner, causing them to disgorge their putrid meals.

In parts of Texas, expansion of the poultry industry, land-clearing, and habitat conversion to ranching and agriculture may be benefiting the species. In other regions, direct human persecution continues, primarily via shooting and poisoning, mostly because of negative attitudes towards scavengers. These individuals do not know that the caracaras are providing a valuable service to the food chain and mankind.

Nature’s Neighbors ~ Nine-banded Armadillo

Despite its name this species does not always have nine bands. It ranges from 8 to 10 bands and has bony armor with leathery skin and they cannot roll into a ball to escape predators like it’s three-banded cousin.
They are nocturnal, foraging at night for mainly insects, grubs, and other invertebrates.
They will have many unconnected burrows within their territories, number depending on soil quality, and usually live near a constant water source.
They have poor circulation and eyesight, but a very excellent sense of smell.
Nine-banded armadillos always give birth to four identical young, the only mammal known to do so. All four young develop from the same egg, and they even share the same placenta.

They may have short legs but can move quite quickly. Because of the density of its armor, an armadillo will sink in water unless it inflates its stomach and intestines with air, which often doubles its size and allows it to swim across streams and rivers, but they can remain underwater for as long as six minutes, walking along the bottom.

Nature's Neighbors ~ Grey Fox

These small but powerful canids will climb trees to find food and escape enemies, something their red “cousins” can’t do.  They are omnivorous, which is a fancy way of saying they will eat almost anything, from animals & insects, to fruits and plants.   They are beneficial to humans because they keep rodent populations in check.  They are threatened with displacement primarily by human encroachment on wild areas, hunting, dogs running loose, and feral cats competing for food and spreading diseases such as distemper.