These are a couple of candid shots from around the property this morning:
The Pride of Barbados shrub, also known as Caesalpinia pulcherrima, is a beautiful and fast-growing plant native to tropical America. It can grow up to 10 feet tall as a shrub. Our three in the courtyard have been with us for about thirteen years and still going strong. We trim them to the ground in late fall and they come back in the spring boasting flowers in May through late fall when they get trimmed back again.
Overall, the Pride of Barbados shrub is a stunning addition to any garden, with its vibrant flowers and fast growth rate making it a great choice for those looking to add some color and texture to their outdoor space.
The white-tailed antelope ground squirrel (Ammospermophilus leucurus) is a small, diurnal species of ground squirrel found in the southwestern United States and the Baja California Peninsula of northwestern Mexico.
- Habitat: They inhabit arid regions with hot and dry climates, often living in burrows and using them as shelter from extreme temperatures and predators.
- Diet: White-tailed antelope ground squirrels are omnivorous, feeding on foliage (10%-60% of their diet), seeds (20%-50%), arthropods, and vertebrates (mainly lizards and rodents).
- Behavior: They are active during cooler parts of the day, avoiding midday heat and using their burrows as a refuge. They are solitary animals, but may live together in burrows during winter.
- Reproduction: They reach sexual maturity by their first year, breed from February to June, and typically have one litter per year with 5-14 young.
From AI:
The name “white-tailed antelope squirrel” is somewhat misleading because the tail of this species is not entirely white. Instead, the underside of the tail is white, while the outer surface is brown to gray with two white stripes from the shoulder to the hind end. The white stripes on the sides of the body and the white underside of the tail are distinctive features that help identify this species.
