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| Wildlife at Arabia Mountain Heritage Area |
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The diversity of habitats found throughout the Arabia Mountain Heritage Area allows a wide variety of wildlife to thrive there. From White-tailed Deer crossing the rock outcrop to tadpoles in the Frog Pond, animals of all kinds can be seen at Arabia, including bobcat, coyote, the common night hawk, Chuck-will's-widow and lichen grasshoppers.
While the wooded Piedmont area surrounding the rock outcrop provides water, shade, and shelter for a variety of insects and animals, it takes a tough breed to survive the conditions of the outcrop. The 140 degree heat and drought in the summer and the flooding and freezing in the winter would drive many animals away. But these conditions satisfy the habitat requirements of many animals.
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Birds such as the Pileated woodpecker, the largest woodpecker in North America (and model for Woody Woodpecker), do quite well on the outcrops. They spend most of their time in the forests but can be seen flying around the edges of the outcrop and over Arabia Mountain.
Due to shallow soil depths, drought and extreme temperatures, pine trees frequently die before their time. Insects move in immediately to feast on the dead and dying wood, providing a smorgasbord for many types of insect eating birds.
Bluebirds eat insects and also nest in holes in the pine trees. This type of excavation is called cavity-nesting. Most woodpeckers raise their young in tree cavities. Other birds such as the goldfinches, nuthatches, owls and more utilize this type of nesting also.
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