ST. GEORGE — Rudolph doesn’t live this far south, but his family does. So where and when can Southern Utahns see native holiday-themed critters?

Not pulling Santa’s sleigh

While not pulling Santa’s sleigh like the Great North’s reindeer, Southern Utah’s cervids, which belong to the same family, still boast a majestic presence and can be viewed locally.

Mule deer mate in November and December, so they can often be seen in larger groups, and bucks are at their most visible as they seek out receptive does, said Teresa Griffin, a wildlife program manager with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.

Deer can be seen throughout Southern Utah, particularly in the morning and evening at the edge of treelines, Griffin told St. George News. While they eat forbs, aspen leaves and other similar vegetation in the warmer months, the bacteria in their stomachs change in the winter to allow them to consume more sagebrush, Griffin said.

Elk are “really strong, hardy” animals known for eating grass and sometimes aspen leaves or shrubs. While larger, elk are less visible than deer as they’re not as numerous in Utah. Locals will have to “work a little bit harder to see them,” Griffin said.

They are commonly seen at dusk and dawn in higher-elevation forests with plenty of tree cover. Depending on the amount of snow, they may move to lower elevations.

For instance, elk seen along state Route 143 near Cedar Breaks National Monument sometimes travel to the hills above Parowan or Panguitch in the winter, Griffin said. In colder months, the cows and calves form large groups, sometimes joined by bulls. However, males will also form “their own little bachelor herds.”

“Whenever you do get to see elk, they’re pretty spectacular just because they’re so large,” she said. “Especially if you get to see the bulls — they’re pretty majestic.”

‘When a robin is near…’

European robins have long been associated with Winter Solstice and Christmas, becoming a popular feature on Christmas cards in England as artists alluded to the red-cloaked Royal Mail postal workers, according to the Scottish Wildlife Trust.

However, American robins are not closely related to European robins despite being named for their close resemblance, according to Audubon. The species belongs to the thrush family, like another symbol of Christmas — the mistle thrush.

Southern Utah is also home to Swainson and hermit thrushes, DWR wildlife biologist Danielle Finlayson told St. George News.

There are an estimated 370 million robins in the U.S., “so they’re not hurting for population size,” Finlayson said. The birds typically eat fruits and invertebrates, like worms.

They can be found in Southern Utah year-round and do well near humans, often seen in backyards and around cities. However, Finlayson said they are also commonly observed in the wilderness, particularly in or around trees.

While birdseed doesn’t typically attract them, individuals can leave fruit in their backyards to lure these colorful thrushes to their yards but should be mindful not to catch the attention of nuisance species, Finlayson said.

“I don’t think there’s any problem with helping the birds out, especially in the winter when there’s not a lot of food a lot around,” she added.

On the second day of Christmas

Doves are a universal symbol of love, friendship and peace, dating back thousands of years, and they are important to various religions. They are featured in the song “12 Days of Christmas,” and their likeness is often found on Christmas decorations.

The bird is also important in Jewish tradition as it returned to Noah’s Ark carrying an olive — the fruit from which the olive oil used to light Hanukkah candles is made, according to The Kosher Channel.

While locals won’t see turtle doves with their true loves this holiday season, they’re not entirely out of luck, with mourning and Eurasian collared doves commonly spotted throughout Southern Utah.

Additionally, Washington County is home to white-winged doves, which can be spotted throughout the area, especially near Ivins, Finlayson said. As a Mojave Desert species, they aren’t typically found elsewhere in the state. They can be identified by their wings’ bright white edges and the blue skin around their eyes.

“It almost looks like it’s got blue eye shadow on,” she said.

Collared doves are nonnative birds originally introduced to the U.S. in Florida. They’ve since populated most of the country, Finlayson said, adding that hunters are free to harvest this species sans permit year-round.

They do well in areas inhabited by humans and are commonly seen in cities. As their name implies, these birds can be identified by the black collar-like mark on their necks.

Mourning doves are one of the most abundant birds in North America and can be found both in cities and the “middle of nowhere,” Finlayson said. The birds’ cries are often mistaken for owls. The brown-gray doves will typically have spots on their backs.

The lion and the lamb

Lions and lambs both symbolically represent Jesus Christ in the Christian tradition. These animals could be nostalgic for those who watched Christmas specials in the ’90s, as they may have caught a showing of “The Lion and the Lamb,” where the title species teach a pair of siblings “the true meaning of Christmas,” according to the movie’s description.

The King of the Jungle doesn’t prowl Southern Utah, but mountain lions do. However, they’re more closely related to house cats than their larger cousins, according to the Mountain Lion Foundation. Cougars, like cheetahs, are not considered big cats.

“Neither mountain lions nor cheetahs can roar, but both species can purr,” the foundation writes.

Cougars are typically seen at dawn and dusk near rocky cliffs and ledges in wooded areas, like pinyon-juniper forests, according to the Utah State University Extension. Still, these felines are a rare sight.

Domestic sheep are a common sight throughout Southern Utah, parading through Cedar City annually. Their wild cousins, Bighorn sheep, are also frequently spotted in Zion National Park, Griffin said.

“Most herds aren’t quite so used to human presence,” she said. “So we do have that unique viewing opportunity.”

They can also be found near Colorado City, Arizona, to Kanab. The “sure-footed and nimble” species lives in steep, rocky areas, which helps them to avoid predators like cougars.

While they can be seen in Zion throughout the year, during the August mating season, the rams partake in “spectacular” fights, cracking their heads together and creating loud sounds often mistaken for gunshots. In March and April, Griffin said visitors could see lambs playing on the rocks.

“When the little ones are first born, they are so cute because some of them are born even in the first part of March, and then they’re just tiny,” she said. “But even when tiny, they just run around on the rocks — act like creepy, little toddlers.”

Christmas mice

In Anne Mortimer’s “The Christmas Mouse,” festive rodents prepare overnight for the big day — a somewhat accurate portrayal of house mice, which are most active at night, says Utah State University.

In cold winter temperatures, mice are likelier to wander indoors, but these bustling mammals can be quite a nuisance, spreading disease through urine and feces, making nests and munching on the food in Southern Utahns’ pantries.

House mice are invasive and originally spread across the globe via ships from India thousands of years ago, Finlayson said.

Still, not all native mice species want to invade human homes. There are at least a dozen species of mice in Southern Utah. Finlayson said the “adorable,” bigheaded dark kangaroo mouse is more at home in the sandy desert and unlikely to be spotted. They are only active at night, are one of the least common mouse species in Utah, and are similar in appearance to larger kangaroo rats.

“Dark kangaroo mice are my favorite mouse species … they have a huge head, and they basically just look like a head with a tail,” she added. “They’re freaking adorable.”

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