Photoclubalpha

There are wild burros in the Mojave Desert and sometimes you can see them close to the road. A few days ago we were driving in the desert and there were 5 burros grazing on the side of the road so I pulled over to take a few photos. The burro in the first photo looks to be very young. The next 2 are of an older one who came up to my wife's open window and put his snout inside and looked around. Very gentle animals. He probably hoped we had an apple or something to give him. He really enjoyed resting his chin on the door sill and rubbing it back and forth.

Some Mojave Desert Joshua Trees

bakubo wrote:There are wild burros in the Mojave Desert and sometimes you can see them close to the road.

He looks quite friendly, for a "wild" burro, as friendly as Platero (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platero)

More nice desert pictures, Henry. I like the last one of the donkey just peeping in to the car

Nifty Burro’s Henry, I think the friendly one has done that before. Those Joshua trees are interesting they look like a modified cactus…sort of, but I get the impression from Wiki they are some kind of palm. They are worried about its survival now with climate change starting to affect them, apparently.
Greg

Great shots Henry, as always.

Sury

Greg Beetham wrote:Nifty Burro’s Henry, I think the friendly one has done that before.

Oh yeah, I am sure he has. There are signs along the desert highway saying please watch out for wild burros and wild horses and please don't feed them.

Cute burros If I had an apple..... Joshua trees are nice too. Like 2 & 5 best. Which of your cameras?

Cogito wrote:Cute burros If I had an apple..... Joshua trees are nice too. Like 2 & 5 best. Which of your cameras?

I used the E-M5 for these.

I was reading up about the desert Burro’s and got to wondering if they had to keep a wary eye out for any predators, and it seems there is a desert Puma possibly here and there and I remember seeing a show on TV where they had a night cam set up and took a short movie of a Jaguar, (like the African Leopard but slightly larger) I think that was more southerly though down towards the Mexican border. (The American Lion is extinct now, only recently too, about thirteen thousand years ago, they say it was the largest big cat there ever was, they found complete skeletons in the tar pits).
Greg

Fun photos of the Wild Burros, Henry.

He has beautiful, deep, dark, almond-shaped eyes...and I loved the rabbit-quality long ears.

Joshua trees are interesting. I suppose they are located in some kind of private territory from the looks of the barbed wire fencing.

Thanks for sharing,

Yildiz

aster wrote:Joshua trees are interesting. I suppose they are located in some kind of private territory from the looks of the barbed wire fencing.

There is lots of open desert and the middle Joshua Tree photo was made there, but I found an old fence with Joshua Trees next to it and liked the twisted, old barbed wire and old fence posts so I took those other two photos.

Greg Beetham wrote:I was reading up about the desert Burro’s and got to wondering if they had to keep a wary eye out for any predators, and it seems there is a desert Puma possibly here and there and I remember seeing a show on TV where they had a night cam set up and took a short movie of a Jaguar, (like the African Leopard but slightly larger) I think that was more southerly though down towards the Mexican border. (The American Lion is extinct now, only recently too, about thirteen thousand years ago, they say it was the largest big cat there ever was, they found complete skeletons in the tar pits).

Greg, you motivated me to search and find some info on the wild burros.

Wild Burros of the Mojave Desert Southwestern United States
http://www.tribeequus.com/burros.html

Wild Burro (Feral Ass)
http://digital-desert.com/wildlife/wild-burro.html

I think I have known a few feral asses over the years. Now I know where they came from.

Yeah Henry I agree you gotta watch those feral asses. Hmm I read the links and it looks like the Burro isn’t on the menu for the Puma, maybe those feral asses don’t taste very good. (maybe the adult Burro are too big for a Puma but I reckon they would take a juvenile Burro if the opportunity presented just the same)
Greg

Greg Beetham wrote:Yeah Henry I agree you gotta watch those feral asses. Hmm I read the links and it looks like the Burro isn’t on the menu for the Puma, maybe those feral asses don’t taste very good. (maybe the adult Burro are too big for a Puma but I reckon they would take a juvenile Burro if the opportunity presented just the same)

Puma vs. Feral Ass. Could be a fight worth seeing.