On the Range
Sharing the Range - The jerusalem cricket!
This large (2-3 inches long!), odd looking insect is native to the Truckee Meadows, as well as other areas in the Western United States and Northern Mexico. They are flightless and non-venomous, and generally considered docile.
Like true crickets, they have their own mating song - the Jerusalem cricket beats its abdomen against the ground in a drumming pattern. They prefer arid habitats such as found on the Virginia Range, and burrow in loose or sandy soils and under rocks. The feed primarily on dead plant matter and smaller insects.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature considers the Jerusalem cricket to be a vulnerable species. And if disturbed, they can inflict a painful bite so best to leave them be!
Photo credit: Truckee Meadows Parks Foundation
The Nevada State Quarter
While the quarter itself may not be on the range, the Mustangs it features sure are!
Did you know? Nevada’s state quarter was released on January 31, 2006 and features a trio of Wild Mustangs, the sun rising behind snow-capped mountains, bordered by sagebrush and a banner that reads “The Silver State”. The coin also bears the inscriptions “Nevada” and “1864”.
The 18 member Nevada State Quarter Commission reviewed submissions for design ideas from around the state. They forwarded five selections to the United States Mint. More than 60,000 votes were cast. Other concepts considered for the Nevada Quarter included native artifacts, a silver miner, a Big Horn Sheep, and a pair of pick axes with a stylized star. A statewide vote from the citizens of Nevada selected the final design featuring the galloping horses!
