Bats and the Carlsbad Caverns National Park
The park's most famous cave, Carlsbad Cavern, is over 1,000 feet deep, contains 30 miles of mapped passages and the largest underground chamber in the U.S. View formations of stalagmites, stalactites, and columns as well as the evening flight of Mexican free-tailed bats from the entrance of the Cavern.

 

The Secret World of Bats - Movie Preview
A 30 second preview of an astounding DVD showing beautiful slow motion imagery of bats in motion. There are almost 1,000 species of bats. Nearly a quarter of all mammals are bats. They play a huge role in ecosystems all over the world. See one up close in this video!

 

The Desert Bighorn at Play
Bighorn Sheep live in dry, desert mountain ranges and foothills, near rocky cliffs, in an environment that is almost waterless and relatively barren of vegetation. Watch a Desert Bighorn grazing on grasses on a rocky hillside, then gamboling up the hill to meet up with another Bighorn. Great shots of this beautiful animal against the skies of Anza Borrego.

 

The Desert Bighorn Sheep
The Desert Bighorn Sheep formerly ranged in the Rocky Mountains from southern Canada to Colorado, but are now reduced to areas where small bands are protected by inaccessible habitat or by refuges. Join us as we take a look at these reclusive creatures.

 

The Bobcat
Despite its pussycat appearance when seen in repose, the bobcat is quite fierce and is equipped to kill animals as large as deer. However, food habit studies have shown bobcats subsist on a diet of rabbits, ground squirrels, mice, pocket gophers and wood rats. Join us as we watch this sleepy bobcat show his teeth.

 

The Coyote
The ubiquitous coyote originally ranged primarily in the southwest corner of the US, but it has adapted readily to the changes caused by human occupation and, in the past 200 years, has been steadily extending its range.

 

The Ferret
The ferret - slender, slinky, swift and agile - bears a Zorro-like mask across its eyes. It most likely emigrated from Siberia to the Americas across the Bering Strait land bridge early in the Ice Ages, and established itself as a fearful nighttime presence in the prairie dog towns of the Great Plains.

 

The Gopher
Rat-sized rodents with short, mostly hairless tails, minute eyes and ears, gophers weigh six to eight ounces and range in color from pale gray to russet to black. Their lips close behind their large front teeth, which lets them dig without getting a mouthful of soil. On each side of the mouth is an external, fur-lined storage pouch.

 

The Gray Fox
The Gray Fox is the only member of the dog family that can climb trees, usually to seek refuge or in search of roosting birds. It can reach a speed of 28 mph for short distances. Here two gray foxes drink from a water hole in the Mojave Desert.

 

The Mule Deer
This stocky deer with sturdy legs has large ears that move constantly and independently, hence their name, "Mule" or "Burro Deer." They can reach speeds up to 45 mile per hour, helpful when pursued by coyotes or mountain lions. Watch them grazing in Zion National Park.

 

The Mountain Lion
The Mountain Lion, also known as the Cougar, Panther or Puma, is the most widely distributed cat in the Americas. It is unspotted -- tawny-colored above overlaid with buff below. It has a small head and small, rounded, black-tipped ears. Watch one in this video.

 

The Prairie Dog
In 1900, a huge prairie dog settlement was reported on the high plains of Texas. It extended 100 miles in one direction and 250 miles in the other. An estimated 400 million prairie dogs lived in this "town!" Learn more about this most social members of the Squirrel Family on this video.

 

Desert Rabbits
Take a look at the Desert Cottontail, named after its cottony-ball-shaped tail, and the Jack Rabbit, a true hare because, unlike the cottontailed rabbits, they do not build nests. The mother simply chooses a place to her liking and the young are born fully furred, with their eyes wide open.

 

River Otter
The river otter has a long, supple, slender body with a long, muscular tail. It has an angular head with a broad snout and light-colored whiskers. It has amber-colored eyes with third eyelids that function like goggles when the animal takes to the water. It has small ears and a bulbous nose with valve-like flaps that the animal closes under water.

 

The Rock Squirrel
Rock squirrels are one of the largest members of the Scuridae family, growing to nearly a foot in length, not including their long, bushy tails which are nearly as long as their bodies. Omnivorous, they eat seeds, insects, mesquite beans, fruits, carrion, small birds and eggs. Watch this rock squirrel having a snack!