Science Q and A!
Wonderquest

About Me:

I live in the American high desert. 

Climate:
We get about 300 sunny, dry days per year, and not much humidity.  When it rains or snows (which is even more rare than rain), it's brief and dramatic. 

Our summers have temperatures ranging from 80s to 100s F (27 to 37 C), which are tolerable because of the low humidity.  Our winters are mild with day temperatures in the 40s and 50s F (5 to 10 C) and night temperatures in the 20s and 30s (-6 to -1 C).  Our spring season is windy, and our fall season (September through November are our best months) is crisp and cool.

Wildlife:
Lots of the usual little birds:  sparrows, finches, juncos, mourning doves, pigeons, scrub jays and the occasional more exotic sightings of woodpeckers, flickers, roadrunners, and even kestrels.  

The turtle native to this area is the Western box turtle:  sub-species ornate turtle (Terrapene ornata ornata) and desert turtle (Terrapene ornata luteola).  But we have a lot of Eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina) and three-toed box turtles (Terrapene carolina triunguis), former pets, that escape into and out of people's backyards.  I’m not a turtle vet or a herpetologist, but I do have years of experience with pet turtles (see My Turtles).

Plants: 
We have a long and forgiving growing season here at the Ornate Bird Garden and our only real problem is scarce water.  I grow vegetables (tomatoes and peppers) in containers, herbs, strawberries, and a couple of potted fruit trees.  I also have some cacti and succulents as houseplants that I move outside through spring, summer, and fall.