01-28-2004, 11:00 PM
Come Learn About Arizona’s Amazing Wild Animals
Did you know turkey vultures smell odors from up to 25 miles away? Or that they protect themselves by playing possum?
Come learn about turkey vultures and other native Arizona wildlife during the March 6–7 open house from 10 a.m.–3 p.m. at the Wildlife Center at Adobe Mountain operated by the Arizona Game and Fish Department. Admission is free.
To reach the Wildlife Center, take I-17 north to the Pinnacle Peak Road exit (exit 217). Turn west, cross the overpass, turn right into the Adobe Mountain Juvenile Center and continue north to the special event parking. A tram will bring visitors from the parking area to the gate. For more information call the center at (623) 582-9806.
Here are some other fun facts about these high-flying animals:
- Vultures can detect odors in the parts-per-trillion spectrum and can determine the direction from which an odor is coming.
- Vultures defend themselves by rolling over and playing dead or by spewing smelly vomit.
- They expel waste onto their legs and feet to keep cool, making their pink feet look white.
- They have a terrific immune system that kills bacteria and viruses, therefore allowing them to eat decaying animals without becoming infected.
- Adults have red, featherless heads, which allows them to stay clean when eating.
- Mature vultures stand 32 inches tall and have wingspans of up to 6 feet.
- Vultures do not build nests but lay eggs in a hollow area; both parents incubate the eggs.
- Vultures have little strength in their feet compared to hawks.
- They do not kill animals for food; they eat only carrion.
· Vultures soar high in the air riding thermals, flapping their wings only rarely.
- They hold their wings in a dihedral (“V” shape) when they fly and their flight feathers underneath are gray.
- Vultures belong to the same order as storks and flamingos: the turkey vulture is technically not a buzzard.
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Did you know turkey vultures smell odors from up to 25 miles away? Or that they protect themselves by playing possum?
Come learn about turkey vultures and other native Arizona wildlife during the March 6–7 open house from 10 a.m.–3 p.m. at the Wildlife Center at Adobe Mountain operated by the Arizona Game and Fish Department. Admission is free.
To reach the Wildlife Center, take I-17 north to the Pinnacle Peak Road exit (exit 217). Turn west, cross the overpass, turn right into the Adobe Mountain Juvenile Center and continue north to the special event parking. A tram will bring visitors from the parking area to the gate. For more information call the center at (623) 582-9806.
Here are some other fun facts about these high-flying animals:
- Vultures can detect odors in the parts-per-trillion spectrum and can determine the direction from which an odor is coming.
- Vultures defend themselves by rolling over and playing dead or by spewing smelly vomit.
- They expel waste onto their legs and feet to keep cool, making their pink feet look white.
- They have a terrific immune system that kills bacteria and viruses, therefore allowing them to eat decaying animals without becoming infected.
- Adults have red, featherless heads, which allows them to stay clean when eating.
- Mature vultures stand 32 inches tall and have wingspans of up to 6 feet.
- Vultures do not build nests but lay eggs in a hollow area; both parents incubate the eggs.
- Vultures have little strength in their feet compared to hawks.
- They do not kill animals for food; they eat only carrion.
· Vultures soar high in the air riding thermals, flapping their wings only rarely.
- They hold their wings in a dihedral (“V” shape) when they fly and their flight feathers underneath are gray.
- Vultures belong to the same order as storks and flamingos: the turkey vulture is technically not a buzzard.
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