Herping: Searching for Reptiles in California's Deserts

You've heard of birding.  Now we come to something similar, but entirely different: herping, the act of intentionally searching for reptiles and amphibians in the wild.  And what better place to search for herps than in a hotbed of reptilian diversity, California's deserts.

Home to 80% of California's species of reptiles, the Mojave and Colorado Deserts support more diversity, of both plants and animals, than a cursory glance through the windshield at 55 miles per hour would suggest.  The best way to explore, in my opinion, is always to get out of the car and leave the buildings behind, put boots to earth and start walking.

A beautiful Long-nosed Leopard Lizard (Gambelia wislizenii) at Joshua Tree National Park

As a naturalist, I love to explore.  I love to see new species and learn about the complex interactions going on in the ecosystems around me.  But I have a phobia. 

As a naturalist, I am embarrassed to admit that I am afraid of snakes. 

No, it's not so much fear that drives me to avoid slithery serpents.  It's different from the rational trepidation one might experience upon encountering a rattlesnake.  My "fear" is more akin to feeling, as some might say, "totally creeped out" by snakes.  I can't seem to help it, try as I might.  I know all of the correct, rational things: snakes are much more afraid of me than I am of them, they will usually slither away to avoid me, and very few in California are dangerous (rattlesnakes and sidewinders in the genus Crotalus are California's only venomous terrestrial snakes).

Long-nosed Leopard Lizard

I appreciate and highly value the role of snakes in their habitats.  Not one piece of the intricate and beautiful puzzles that are our precious ecosystems ought to be disregarded or, worse, harmed.  And snakes, no matter how "creepy," are critical components of the delicate web of life, especially in our deserts.

Long-nosed Leopard Lizard

But I still get creeped out every time I happen upon a snake.  So before embarking on a week-long camping trip in the desert, the heart of reptile country, at just the time of year snakes tend to emerge from their winter slumbers to catch a few rays, I did what any sensible person with an abnormal fear of snakes would do: I researched them.  Extensively.

Desert Iguana (Dipsosaurus dorsalis) along the Bajada Trail in Joshua Tree National Park.  Hopefully the missing
tail is due to a close encounter with a natural predator rather than human-induced.
 
I read books, scoured internet sites, made lists of species and created charts noting preferred habitat, feeding habits and the diurnal or nocturnal tendencies of each species of snake (a very important piece of information, in my book).  I wanted to know everything I could about these guys; the fewer surprises, the better!  I found it particularly important to know if I'm likely to run into a certain species while scrambling over boulders in the afternoon, or while making a 3 a.m. run to the outhouse.

Desert Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma platyrhinos), spotted by Eric along the trail to the Desert Queen Mine in
Joshua Tree National Park

As luck would have it, the week passed without one single snake sighting.  I confess, I was actually a little disappointed; after all that work, I hoped to have at least one chance to put my new snake identification skills to the test.  (On second thought, I suppose I was perfectly fine without seeing any snakes.)

The Desert Horned Lizard is known for its predilection for feasting on ants.

That's not meant to imply that snakes weren't around; I'm sure they were, hiding under boulders and debris, tucked away in rock crevices and such.  (I've watched enough episodes of Jeff Corwin's television shows to know that!)  I just wasn't particularly motivated to search them out specifically!  I'm not much of a herpetologist, I suppose.  The other reptiles we came across on our hikes - the array of lizard species - were pretty cool!


Male Side-blotched Lizard (Uta stansburiana elegans)

So, if you were hoping for snake photos, I suppose I'm about to disappoint you: lizards only today.  But don't dismiss them quite yet.  Take a closer look at the coloring and adaptations exhibited by these beautiful creatures.  They're not just drab, "creepy" little things; these lizards are both brilliantly patterned and perfectly camouflaged to blend in with their desert surroundings, as well as physiologically fine-tuned to make their living in a very harsh environment.  They might not be as bright as orioles, as cute as kangaroo rats, or as famous as endangered desert tortoise and bighorn sheep, but these lizards, these small, often overlooked herps, are amazing animals, well worth a longer glance.

Female Side-blotched Lizard



I should mention that while I enjoy photographing reptiles (from a respectful distance), I don't make any attempt to capture them.  I believe catching the animals puts undue stress on them, in an already stressful environment, while providing very little "return" in the name of science.  I am far from a professional herpetologist and would gain little additional information about these animals from closer examination.  (And as I understand, capturing reptiles and amphibians in the state of California is illegal without a license.)  I think it is best to leave the live capture of reptiles to the herpetologists.  For casual naturalists, the best practice is to observe the animals as they go about their lives, take photographs and notes, then leave them in peace.

Western Whiptail (Aspidoscelis tigris)




Comments

Post a Comment

You Might Also Like:

Birds of the Desert: Residents & Spring Migrants

Image
Nearly everyone knows the desert as a barren, desolate land of extremes: high heat, low precipitation; little available food and water; prickly, spiny, unfriendly plants growing in a sea of rocks and sand as far as the eye can see.  But for those who stop and look closer, the desert reveals itself as the beautiful, incredible, mesmerizing place it truly is, teeming with unexpected life. Juvenile male Costa's Hummingbird visiting chuparosa blooms next to our campsite in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. I particularly love the desert in the spring, when the annual wildflowers, cacti, flowering trees and shrubs are all in bloom.  (I've experienced the desert in the searing 120 degree heat of summer, and the rainy, even snowy cold of winter... and spring wins every time!)  Eric and I just returned from a week in the Colorado desert, exploring the imperiled, accidental Salton Sea (more on that coming soon), the vital wetlands of the Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refu
Read more

A Shorebird Primer: Godwits, Curlews, Willets and Whimbrels

Image
For those of us living in the Great Central Valley, autumn is the time to head to the coast.  Of course, there is no bad time to visit California's magnificent coastline.  But as the heat and haze of summer drag on in the Valley, the sea becomes increasingly tantalizing: September and the onset of autumn bring sunny weather and an abundance of migratory seabirds and shorebirds to our coast. A new birder visiting California's Central Coast will undoubtedly be met with a splendid array of very confusing birds.  Among these are small shorebirds like  "peeps" (sandpipers), Sanderlings and various  plovers .  But the larger birds can be just as confusing, until you learn a few distinguishing features.  Four large shorebirds that are commonly seen (and commonly confused) along California's Central Coast are Godwits, Curlews, Willets and Whimbrels. Marbled Godwit (upper left), Whimbrel (upper right), Long-billed Curlew (center front) The distinguishing featu
Read more

Birding in Adverse Weather Conditions: Wind and Rain

Image
Though I often extol the virtues and merits of winter in the Central Valley , especially when it comes to birding, the whole truth is that we experience "bad" weather also, just like anywhere else.  But even when the winter weather rolls in, the birds are still out there!  And sometimes, despite our best planning efforts, a birding day happens to coincide with crummy weather.   In that case, what's a birder to do?  Usually, we go birding anyway!   Birders far more intrepid than I regularly brave the ice and snow of northern winters to see their favorite birds, so perhaps you should look to them for real tips on winter birding!  For those of us in the valleys of California, the worst weather we see - wind and rain - is really comparatively mild.  Birding on an extremely windy day! I don't know of anyone who actually likes birding in the rain.  But I would argue that birding in the wind is just as aggravating as trying to bird in the rain!   Wind can be utterly infuri
Read more

Joshua Tree Woodlands: A Tale of Sloths, Moths and the Trees that Need Them

Image
In 1844, early California explorer John C. Fremont gave a somewhat scathing review of Joshua trees when he wrote, "...their stiff and ungraceful form makes them to the traveler the most repulsive tree in the vegetable kingdom."  Rather unkind, don't you think?  But when Joshua trees were formally described by scientist William Trelease in the 1890's, he noted that Joshua Trees are "the most attractive of all the Yuccas."  I am inclined to agree with this sentiment, and must disagree most heartily with Lieutenant Fremont! I, for one, adore Joshua Trees, with their whimsical shapes and great ecological significance!  If you struggle with plant identification, the iconic Joshua tree, hallmark of the Mojave Desert, is a good place to start.  With densely spiked tufts protruding from the ends of gangly arms stretched towards the heavens, this looks like a plant straight from a Dr. Seuss book.  Native people called these trees “humwichawa,” and used thei
Read more

Winter Gulls: The Great I.D. Challenge

Image
Gulls are a fun challenge for birders, from beginners to experts.  A few things make gulls an interesting study: they are large and conspicuous in their open habitats, so they are easy to see, easy to put a scope on, and easy to watch and study for long periods of time.  Furthermore, gulls are almost always identifiable as gulls; none of this confusing warbler/vireo/kinglet nonsense! And yet, gulls are almost impossibly difficult!  (Though perhaps not nearly as difficult as Empidonax flycatchers!) An intimidating scene to many a birder: a mixed flock of gulls.  I see five different species of gull here. Oh, and one American Coot in the background. One of the reasons they are so complicated is most gull species take two or three years to achieve adult plumage, and go through multiple molts in a year.  So, you may be looking at three or four gulls together that look like four completely different species, when they are actually just different ages (individuals in their first, s
Read more

Exploring New Places: South Carolina's Salt Marshes and Tidal Creeks

Image
Throughout South Carolina's Low Country, winding tendrils of water wend their way through a sea of grass, rising and falling with each new tide.  Low-lying intertidal areas immediately inland from the coast, salt marshes and tidal creeks form the interface between upland forests and urban areas, and brackish estuaries where freshwater and saltwater mix.   Tidal creeks are, to a first-time visitor to the South Carolina coast like myself, absolutely beautiful, mysterious, enthralling places where silvery ribbons of water meander seemingly aimlessly through a vivid green matrix.  They give the impression that there is water everywhere , a foreign concept to someone from arid, drought-stricken Mediterranean California.  And that was my first impression of South Carolina: there was water everywhere I looked!  Water in the ocean, lakes, rivers, creeks and wetlands, water covering the ground, falling from the sky, in the air itself!   Is there any land at all in this veritable wa
Read more