Wile E. Coyote (also known simply as "The Coyote") and The Road Runner are cartoon characters from a series of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons. The characters were created by animation director Chuck Jones in 1948 for Warner Brothers, while the template for their adventures was the work of writer Michael Maltese. The characters went on to star in a long-running series of theatrical cartoon shorts (the first 16 of which were written by Maltese) and the occasional made-for-television cartoon.

Coyotes are usually most active in early morning and late afternoon throughout the year. Some are active at night on cooler overcast days. Coyotes weigh about 23 pounds and are about four feet long including the tail. Their food consists of a wide range of animal and vegetable matter. Rodents, rabbits, and insects as well as juniper berries, cactus fruit, and berries are commonly eaten.

The Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus) is a long-legged bird in the cuckoo family, Cuculidae. It is one of the two roadrunner species in the genus Geococcyx; the other is the Lesser Roadrunner. This roadrunner is also known as the Chaparral Cock.

The roadrunner is about 56 centimeters (22 in) long and weighs about 300 grams (10.5 oz), and is the largest North American cuckoo. The adult has a bushy crest and long thick dark bill. It has a long dark tail, a dark head and back, and is pale on the front of the neck and on the belly. Roadrunners have four toes on each foot; two face forward, and two face backward.

The Greater Roadrunner nests on a platform of sticks low in a cactus or a bush and lays 3-6 eggs which hatch in 20 days. The chicks fledge in another 18 days. Pairs may occasionally rear a second brood. This bird walks rapidly about, running down prey or occasionally jumping up to catch insects or birds. It mainly feeds on insects, small reptiles, rodents, tarantulas, scorpions and small birds, as well as fruit and seeds. Although capable of flight, it spends most of its time on the ground, and can run at speeds of up to 20 miles per hour (32 km/h). Some Pueblo Indian tribes, such as the Hopi, believed that the roadrunner provided protection against evil spirits. Both the coyote and the roadrunner are often seen on our Joshua Tree Adventure!