Southwest Critters, Continued

Hi Quilting Friends,

I’m back today to finish introductions to the amazing animals who are featured in our “Southwest Critters” quilt. If you missed the first half of the introductions, read about it here!

Let’s get started!

The Gila monster is the only venomous lizard native to the US. However, because it moves quite slowly, the Gila monster usually isn’t a threat to humans.

The armadillo’s name means “little plated one”, in Spanish. The armadillo’s armor protects it from most predators. (There’s a barbeque restaurant in Houston that has a giant silver armadillo statue in the parking lot, LOL. I wonder if they serve armadillo there. . .)

The javelina is also called “collared peccary”. They love to eat roots, grasses, and seeds. Groups of javelina can be quite destructive, digging up plants and shrubs as they seek sustenance.

The kangaroo rat gets his name because he hops around on his hind legs just like a kangaroo! He often makes leaps of up to 7 feet (2.1 m), and can change direction between jumps. All of this makes it harder for predators to catch him.

The ring-tailed cat is a relative of the raccoon. He has great big eyes to help him see at night, and a long tail to help him balance when climbing trees. He’s sometimes called “miner’s cat”, because miners would keep them in the cabin to control the mouse population.

Scorpions are arachnids, a relative of the spider. They feed on insects and other small critters, and prefer dry climates. It is best to avoid being stung by a scorpion! When we lived in Odessa, we’d occassionally find a scorpion hanging out in the bathtub or sink. Yikes!

We chose the “Double Arrow” block to use for the “Southwest Critters” quilt, because it definitely has a Southwest vibe. I chose to use several color combinations for my “Double Arrow” blocks, because I couldn’t choose just two colors. I two extra “Double Arrow” blocks, so I made a pair of hot pads with them. You can read about the hot pad project here!

I hope that you enjoyed meeting these unique animals! If you’d like, you may browse the individual block patterns on the “Southwest Critters” page. The complete pattern is available right here!