Hiking Springs Preserve's Trails

November 2 marks the end of Daylight Savings Time in 2014. To adjust the time change, experts recommend maximizing sun exposure to counter the darkness that looms one hour earlier. Taking advantage of the monthly Bank of America's Museums on US program, I went out to explore the hiking trails at the Springs Preserve.

The Springs Preserve has trails of 3.65 miles or 5.87 kilometers in total on its 110 acres of native habitats and archaeological sites. In addition to native plants and Mojave Desert wildlife, there are a number of historical sites along the way, such as the remnants of caretaker's house and chicken coop. A 10,000 year-old spring mound, an important geologic remnant that still holds significant prehistoric artifacts, can be seen on the left of the photo below. A well derrick from the early waterworks is on the right. 

Postcard US-3038794 to Finland was bought at the Springs Preserve's gift shop during my earlier visit, showing Yellow Two-Tone Penstemon that is native in the Mojave Desert of southern Nevada and adjacent southeastern California and northwestern Arizona. The gift shop now has some cool 3D postcards featuring various wildlife and plants, priced at US$ 3.95 each.

Arctic Hare in its Winter Coat

Postcard US-2955780 to NC, USA shows a portrait of an Arctic hare (Lepus arcticus), a species of hare adapted to harsh polar and mountainous habitats, in Manitoba, Canada. It is also called polar rabbit. According to Wikipedia, "the arctic hare survives with a thick coat of fur and usually digs holes in the ground or under snow to keep warm and sleep. Arctic hares look like rabbits but have shorter ears, are taller when standing, and, unlike rabbits, can thrive in cold climates. They can travel together with many other hares, sometimes huddling with dozens or more, but are usually found alone, taking, in some cases, more than one partner. The arctic hare can run up to 60 km/h (40 mi/h). Its predators include the arctic wolf, arctic fox, and ermine, as well as, the Gyrfalcon, Peregrine Falcon, and Snowy Owl."

Copyright Norbert Rosing / National Geographic. The card was purchased at National Geographic store at Zazzle.

Elephant Charging: An African Experience

Postcard ZA-38095 from South Africa shows an elephant charging towards the camera. On the back of the card, the description reads: "Elephants are potentially dangerous animals if provoked or threatened. They do sometimes charge cars, although most charges are only mock charges intended to scare off the offender." Indeed, a bull elephant was reported to flip over a car occupied by a pair of British tourists in in the Kruger National Park on December 30, 2013.

The park manager advised visitors that the best way to avoid injury in the national park was to keep a safe distance from these big animals. And the worst of it is that when incidents like this happened, the animal got killed.

Mule Deer

Outgoing postcard US-2651000 to Germany shows a Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus), known for its stocky body, sturdy legs, and an antler spreading of up to 1.2 meters or 4 feet. According to the descriptions on the back of the card, its large ears can move independently and almost constantly,  thus account for the common name with those "mule-like" ears. These ears move constantly and independently. Surprisingly, despite their big ears, mule deer are thought to rely primarily on their sense of smell in detecting danger. In addition, their hearing is also extremely acute. As a solitary animal, it seldom forms large herds, but occasionally some of them band together before and after rutting season.

The postcard was purchased at the Mount Charleston Visitor Center along with other wildlife cards featuring Baby Coyote and  Least Chipmunks. Photo by Jim Osterberg.

Least Chipmunk

Postcard US-2205864 to Belarus was one of the several wildlife cards that I bought at the Mount Charleston Visitor Center. The description on the card says "the Least Chipmunk climbs swiftly and nimbly, often ascending tress to sun itself or build a summer nest. The winter nest is less sheltered and constructed of grass and other fibrous or downy material. It will use its large cheek pouches to carry food back to its nest. It feeds on seeds, fruit, insects and reptiles."