Roadrunner, Coyote’s After You !

This female roadrunner was at our campsite the other day running around eating bugs. This is a fascinating creature to say the least.

Roadrunners eat small birds, rodents, insects, fruit, seeds, lizards and snakes up to 2 feet long. A friend of ours, Joy, saw one watching a hummingbird, then like lightning jumped up and snatched the bird midair, shook it violently then swallowed it whole.

Roadrunners prefer walking or running and rarely fly and when they do fly it is for short distances only. They can run up to 17 miles per hour.
They have 4 toes, two forward and two behind. They are very quick and can catch and kill a rattlesnake. When they eat a snake whatever doesn’t fit, just hangs out its mouth and slowly digests until it disappears.

Their natural enemies are raccoons, bobcats, hawks, and (as everyone knows) coyotes. If Wylie doesn’t catch him they live 7 to 8 years.