Reptile & Amphibian Forums

This past weekend my herpetology class went out to the desert and caught a record number of animals (for the 27 years this class has been going to the desert). Here is a list of what we found, and I will post some pictures later on this weekend once I've gone through them all.

SNAKES
- 9 western shovelnose (one anerythristic) most of these had either one large hard lump or several smaller not so hard lumps... would this be eggs and ovulation?
- 4 glossy snakes (1 DOA)
- 4 gopher snakes (2 DOA)
- 1 sidewinder
- 4 mojave greens (2 DOA)
- 1 long nose snake
- 3 coachwhips (all DOA)
- 1 baby california kingsnake

LIZARDS
- 1.1 leopard lizards (female in breeding colors)
- 1.1 chuckwallas the male was courting the female, who was full to bursting with eggs
- 3 desert iguanas
- sideblotched lizards
- whiptails
- zebratails
- night lizards
- 1 desert spiny lizard
- 1 alligator lizard (what was he doing? )

OTHER
- pacific tree frog tadpoles
- 1 western toad (DOA)
- 1 desert tortoise one female found in the saddleback butte campground near lancaster. she had a hole drilled into one of her scutes and looked like a dog had chewed on her, so we called the ranger station and they picked her up. Definately one of the high points of the trip.

Although, im not sure where in the Mojave you were at, it sounds as though you may have been in Kern Co. The Alligator Lizard, W. Toad, and P. treefrog sitings sound unusual, where about de you encounter them?

I was definately not in Kern county, we were also surprised by what we found.

The tree frogs were found in Jawbone Canyon, just outside Red Rock Canyon state park, about 20 miles east of Mojave city.

The alligator lizard was found a few miles before mojave , and was dead on the road.

The western toad was found on Avenue J in Lancaster (an hour south of Mojave city), also dead on the road.

I don't want to make waves or anything, but dude, Mojave City, Jawbone Cyn and red Rock are all in Kern County. Anyways, if you're not mad or anything, would it be safe to assume that the alligator was on Hwy. 14, north of Mojave?

Not mad at all, sorry if it sounded that way... I guess I don't know the county lines as well as I though I did.... I thought kern county ended at tehachabi. The alligator lizard was found just north of mojave, on 14.

http://www.fishgeeks.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=gallery&file=index&include=view_album.php&set_albumName=album86

those are the only ones I think people would be most interested in.

Sounds like you guys had successful expedition. Interesating finds too, was that DOR alligator lizard inhabiting creoste bush desert? And was there water near by?

I for one would like to see a pic of the dead alligator lizard. Do you have one?

Was it keeled scales or smooth? Juvenile or adult?

we found it really close to mojave city... so it is technically creosote bush desert, but we figured he was taking advantage of the nearby human territory.

Amazon - I don't have a picture of any of the dead animals... we just picked them up off the road and put them on the side. Since you asked for keeled scales I assume you want to know if its a northern or southern? It was a southern, without the keeled belly scales and with the keeled dorsal scales. It was an adult (male I think, by the large size of his head) about 4" SV length.