This is a picture of Ralph, our resident Roadrunner. He was hightailing it up the driveway here at COC when we were returning from our morning field research. We know it's Ralph because he has a really funny way of running, kind of like Chester on the old TV show Gunsmoke when he was trying to catch up to the marshall. "Mr. Dillon--oh, Mr. Dillon." Roadrunners are members of the Cuckoo family. They can fly, but they prefer to run--17-18 mph at top speed. They eat everything: lizards, bugs, plants, even rattlesnakes which they pick up by the tail and whip around to crash their heads onto the ground. I haven't seen Ralph with a rattler, but I have seen him trekking across the desert with a big lizard hanging out of his mouth.
2 comments:
Is Ralph the roadrunner who comes into the backyard sometimes? He sits on top of the fence, annoyed that Research Assistant Becca is out doing her research, and then takes off in a huff.
There's a sort of crazed look in Ralph's eyes. As though he's an adrenaline junkie or something. Or has a pretty strong death wish.
These birds actually kill rattlesnakes? I've always liked them for their quirky running style. Now I can admire them for their complete lack of common sense.
Ralph totally rocks.
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