# Desert Wildlife



## mjschijf

Having worked as a seasonal ranger at Snow Canyon State Park this year, I have had the opportunity to view many different species of desert wildlife, especially reptiles. Wherever possible, I had my camera on hand. Here is a compilation of wildlife photos I have taken at work, starting in March, and continuing throughout the summer. Hope you enjoy!

Desert tortoises:














































Baby:



















Long-nosed leopard lizards:














































Desert spiny lizard:










Chuckwalla (hidden in crack of rock, then coming out for a peak of sunshine):




























Gopher snakes:





































California kingsnake:










Desert horned lizard (AKA horny toad):










Gila monster (taken on cell phone camera--I happened to see it on the ONLY day all summer that I forgot my real camera):










Desert scorpion (only one of this group not taken at Snow Canyon. I found this guy on a dirt road at Sand Hollow):










PHEW! That took me a while. I think that's about all of them. Enjoy!


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## SteepNDeep

Awesome pics...thanks for sharing.


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## holman927

Awesome pictures Mike.


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## legacy

And I thought those Desert Tortoises didn't really exist! I guess those 12" fences ARE justified! Cool pics! The only Gila Moster I've seen down here was walking down the middle of our street. They are pretty cool.


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## shotgunwill

Thanks for the pics Mike! SAH WEET!!!


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## 12 Volt Man

wow, that's a nice collection of photos. Great shots!


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## Al Hansen

I love Snow Canyon the Desert Tortoise was great. Thank you for sharing.


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## wyogoob

Bravo!


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## The Naturalist

Good job! See any Mojave rattlers? I stumbled across one down there a few years back.


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## Huntoholic

What a great set of pictures! Must have been one heck of a summer.

Thanks


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## nate1031

Awesome! Thanks for sharing. Chuckawallas are my favorite. Only come accross one though - even in all my days of "lizard huntin'" growing up. Don't seem to be to common.


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## pkred

Rad pics man. That California king was awesome never seen on of those in the wild.


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## mjschijf

Thanks for the praises guys. Reptiles really spark an interest with me, and it has been awesome getting to see so many different species.



legacy said:


> And I thought those Desert Tortoises didn't really exist! I guess those 12" fences ARE justified! Cool pics! The only Gila Moster I've seen down here was walking down the middle of our street. They are pretty cool.


That's funny because I've talked to several people who have lived in the St. George area their whole lives, and they actually think the tortoises are a myth because they've never seen one. But I can assure you that they are very real, and if you are at the right place during the right time of year, there is a very good chance that you will see one. I'm not sure if you are familiar with the Chuckwalla trailhead (located off Highway 18, just north of Bluff Street) but it is in that group of trails (known as Paradise Canyon) where I saw the tortoises, as well as the Gila monster.

That must have been pretty cool watching a Gila monster walking down the middle of the road. It's a rarity to see them out and active because they spend the vast majority of their time underground. I'm still really disappointed that I only have a cell phone pic of the Gila monster that I saw. It's the only one I've seen in the wild. If I ever see another one, rest assured, I'll be ready with my real camera. 



The Naturalist said:


> Good job! See any Mojave rattlers? I stumbled across one down there a few years back.


From my understanding, the Mojave rattlesnake's range does not extend into Snow Canyon. However, they are found down on the Beaver Dam Slope in the extreme southwest corner of the state. I think it would be awesome to see one, but I never have. In Snow Canyon, there are two types of rattlers--the Great Basin rattlesnake (seen most often and quite common), and the sidewinder (rarely seen). Neither of these species are nearly as venomous or aggressive as the Mojave.

I didn't see any rattlesnakes in the park this year, but last summer I saw one (a Great Basin). I thought it was awesome. Of course, I stayed a safe distance away. A lot of people hate snakes (especially rattlesnakes) but they are one of my favorite animals.

Here are some links on rattlesnakes that you might be interested in:
http://www.californiaherps.com/snakes/p ... tosus.html
http://www.californiaherps.com/snakes/p ... latus.html
http://www.californiaherps.com/snakes/p ... astes.html



nate1031 said:


> Awesome! Thanks for sharing. Chuckawallas are my favorite. Only come accross one though - even in all my days of "lizard huntin'" growing up. Don't seem to be to common.


I agree, chuckwallas are really cool. They are another species that is rarely seen because they are so secretive. In fact, my boss (the park manager at Snow Canyon) has been working there for about 10 years, and she told me that in all her years there, she has only seen one in the wild. You definitely have to keep your eyes peeled. I could see how someone could walk right past one hiding in the shadowy crack of a rock, and not even see it.


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## legacy

Yes, I am familiar with that trailhead. In fact, I live in Castle Rock, which is next to Paradise Canyon (subdivision). We are just south of that trailhead, the reserve is just across the steet from us. I'll have to get out and do some more looking!  Again, cool pics!


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## REPETER

Way cool pics...glad I checked in here. That must have been a very fun summer. Got any cool stories to share?


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## JAT83

Love the pics!!! Thanks for sharing!!!


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## JERRY

Nice!


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## Nor-tah

holman927 said:


> Awesome pictures Mike.


+1!


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## LOAH

I love the close-ups. Great work.


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## Tigru

Very cool,thanks for sharing!


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## Bax*

Thanks for sharing. Those pictures were great! 8) 

Its been years since I have seen a horned toad, those were my favorite pets growing up. They were so much more tame than a lizard, and they lived for years.

I came across a King Snake last summer that couldnt have been more than a few weeks old, and then later found another one dead in a wash that was about 18 inches long.

These were some of my favorite pictures that I have seen on the forum (not that others arent good, these just reminded me of growing up)


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## Windage

Great pictures, I've been to Snow Canyon a bunch of times but have never seen that many different critters. Next time we will have to look better.


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## Size Matters

Those are some awesome photos thanks for sharing. 8)


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