Occasionally an antelope is seen, but the great herds of buffalo are now almost entirely gone, as are the mountain sheep, the Merriam elk, the bear and wild turkey. The latter two were sacred to the Red man and were protected during his inhabitation of the Western United States, but the coming of the white man left no bird nor beast in safety.
© BY ROBERT NYMEYER
Along the banks of the nearby Pecos River one may see geese and ducks, and occasionally one can find a crane, a heron and perhaps a soft-shelled turtle. Scaled quail are in the vicinity, as are Mearns or fool quail. Buzzards, several varieties of owls, swifts and flickers are a few of the many wild birds which dot the countryside.
On the ground there are several kinds of snakes and lizards. There are several varieties of non-poisonous snakes such as the bull snake, the Mexican black snake, the coachwhip, the ring-neck, and several species of water snakes. Three poisonous snakes are found, the black-tailed or "Texas" rattler, the prairie rattlesnake, and the large western diamond-back.
Lizards are quite numerous and will be seen by any traveler who keeps his eye peeled along the roadside from which they suddenly dart, running swiftly to the other side of the highway. There are several species which consist of the rough, scaly rock lizard, the smooth, slender whip-tail, the brilliantly colored collared lizard, and the bar-tailed lizard. There are several smaller species including the horned lizard, often referred to as a horned toad. Scorpions and spiders are numerous, and there are many other smaller insects that inhabit the area and serve as a source of food for the birds, reptiles, and small animals.
As the journey to the park continues the visitor passes by small adobe shacks which may serve some cowboy or sheepherder as the necessary shelter while tending his herds. Range cattle are numerous and occasionally several goats will be seen. An old prospector or "desert rat" who can't stand the hustle of city life may perchance be found out on the dry, arid wasteland hoping for a find within the hills or neighboring Guadalupe Mountains which by now are quite plainly visible to the west.
Stretches of the land are alkaline, white as though touched by the fingers of Jack Frost, and now and then a dry lake reveals only the sodium given up as the water evaporated and left its soft white lining.
Beyond, the Guadalupes loom up a deep purple on the horizon, darkened by the foliage of pine trees that populate the peaks of this mountain range which reaches a height of almost 9,000 feet. It is the first mountain range to be encountered by the traveler coming from the east after having journeyed across the flat plains of Texas and the other midwestern states.
