The coyote, native to the Mojave Desert, is a member of the dog family and weighs approximately 20 to 50 lbs. Coyotes in the Mojave Desert are light gray or tan with darker colors on the tip of the tail. The coyote has acute hearing and uses a variety of sounds to communicate with other coyotes and animals such as howling, yelping, barking and huffing. Coyotes are active at both night and day and eat mice, rabbits, squirrels, other small animals, insects, reptiles and certain fruits.
The Western diamondback rattlesnake is one of the largest rattlesnakes found in the Southwest. Diamondback rattlesnakes range from approximately 10 inches long as newborns to about 60 inches long as adults. Diamondbacks in the Mojave Desert are usually light tan to dark tan in color and have a long forked tongue. Diamondbacks are extremely defensive and use sometimes-deadly hemotoxic venom that attacks the victim's bloodstream. When they are aggravated, rattlesnakes will shake their rattlers to ward off threats.
Red-tailed hawks reside in many Southwestern deserts including the Mojave Desert. Red-tailed hawks weigh between 2 to 4 lbs. and have a wing-span of approximately 56 inches. Their general lifespan is between 10 to 21 years with a sexual maturity duration at 3 years old. Red-tailed hawks are birds of prey; their diet consists primarily of small rodents, snakes and other reptiles. Although they are not truly migratory, some red-tailed hawks from Northern climates will migrate to the Southern deserts during winter.
Bats are common residents of the Mojave Desert. Bats are small creatures, ranging from 1/2 oz. to 3.3 lbs. with an average wingspan of six to seven inches. Bats in the Mojave Desert, like most bats, use sonar to help navigate at night when hunting insects. Bats are shy creatures and try to avoid contact with humans or any other predators. Avoid touching bats, even if they appear to be injured; bats are common carriers of rabies.
