Reptiles

Lizards, snakes, and tortoises galore!

NPS / Robb Hannawacker

Reptiles are closely associated with the desert in many peoples minds. This seems to be based partly on reality and partly on perception. Reptiles do form a very conspicuous part of the vertebrate fauna of warm deserts such as are found in Joshua Tree National Park. There may not be any larger number of reptiles in the desert than in neighboring less arid areas, but the lack of dense vegetation on the desert certainly makes them easier to see. Many of the lizards are especially conspicuous as they bask atop boulders or other elevated sites.

Reptiles are better adapted to life in arid lands than are most birds and mammals. Being ectotherms (obtaining their body heat solely from the external environment), reptiles have a much lower cost of living than do birds and mammals, which require a great deal of food to fuel the metabolic process that allows them to produce their own body heat. In desert lands, where primary productivity (plant growth) is low, reptiles are thus able to maintain larger populations on the limited food supplies than is possible for birds and mammals.

The most limiting factor for life on the desert is drinking water. Reptiles are pre-adapted to such arid conditions. They do not need water for cooling because they do not perspire or pant. They just crawl into a cool hole in the heat of the day. Their scales also greatly retard water loss through the skin. In addition, reptiles do not need water for excretion; they produce no urine. Their nitrogenous wastes are excreted as a solid: uric acid. Reptiles can get all the water they need from the food they eat. Although desert tortoises and probably most other reptiles will drink water when it appears after summer rains, many lizards and snakes probably go their whole lives without a drink of water.

Check out our Reptiles album on Flickr.

 

Reptile List

Name	Habitat	Status
Tortoise
Mojave Desert Tortoise Gopherus agassizii	Creosote bush lowlands in the Mojave Desert. Rocky hillsides and bajadas in the Colorado Desert.	threatened
Lizards
Woodland Alligator Lizard Elgaria multicarinata webbii	Prefers moderately damp areas; northwest section	rare
San Diegan Legless Lizard Anniella stebbinsi	Sandy or loose loamy soils with some moisture; northwest section	special concern
Great Basin Collared Lizard Crotaphytus bicinctores	Rocky slopes, rock outcrops of gullies, and boulder-strewn alluvial fans	common
Long-nosed Leopard Lizard Gambelia wislizenii	Open sandy or gravelly flats and plains; less commonly in rocky areas	common
Desert Banded Gecko Coleonyx variegatus variegatus	Most common in sandy flats; occasional in canyons and rocky areas	common
Desert Iguana Dipsosaurus dorsalis	Most common on sandy flats, dunes, and washes but also along rocky washes and on alluvial fans	common
Common Chuckwalla Sauromalus ater	Rocky outcrops, rocky canyons, rocky slopes, and alluvial fans	special concern
Western Zebra-tailed Lizard Callisaurus draconoides rhodostictus	Open areas of sandy and gravelly desert flats, sandy washes, and alluvial fans	common
Blainville's Horned Lizard Phrynosoma blainvillii	Northwest section where loose, fine soil with high sand content is present	special concern
Southern Desert Horned Lizard Phrynosoma platyrhinos calidiarum	Sandy flats and canyon bottoms	common
Desert Spiny Lizard Sceloporus magister	Most abundant in the Joshua tree woodland. Occasionally on rock outcrops.	common
Great Basin Fence Lizard Sceloporus occidentalis longipes	Rocky outcrops above 3,000 feet.	common
Yellow-backed Spiny Lizard Sceloporus uniformis	Most abundant in the Joshua tree woodland. Occasionally on rock outcrops.	common
Mojave Fringe-toed Lizard Uma scoparia	Wind-blown sand of dry lake beds, washes, and large dunes	special concern
Western Long-tailed Brush Lizard Urosaurus graciosus graciosus	Bushes and small trees; also in clumps of galleta grass, Pleuraphis rigida	common
Western Side-blotched Lizard Uta stansburiana elegans	Open, sunny ground. Usually some rocks and loose soil are present.	common
Western Red-tailed Skink Plestiodon gilberti rubricaudatus	Prefers moderately damp areas; northwest section	common
Great Basin Whiptail Aspidoscelis tigris tigris	Most common in areas where vegetation is densest	common
Desert Night Lizard Xantusia vigilis	Most common in Joshua tree woodland, especially within fallen branches of Joshua trees and yuccas.	common
Snakes
Rosy Boa Lichanura orcutti	Rocky hills and canyons	special concern
Mojave Glossy Snake Arizona elegans candida	Prefers sandy areas, but also occurs on hard pan or in rocky areas; northern section	common
Desert Glossy Snake Arizona elegans eburnata	Sandy flats; southern section	common
Mojave Shovel-nosed Snake Chionactis occipitalis	Sandy desert, creosote busy, and dune areas. Occasionally in rocky canyons and on rocky slopes.	common
Red Racer Coluber flagellum piceus	Prefers open areas with high visibility.	common
California Striped Racer Coluber lateralis lateralis	Most common in pinyon-juniper woodland; northwest section	common
Northern Desert Nightsnake Hypsiglena chlorophaea deserticola	Most common in rocky areas	common
California Kingsnake Lampropeltis californiae	Found in all communities; most common in canyons with water.	common
Spotted Leaf-nosed Snake Phyllorhynchus decurtatus	Areas of mixed sandy and rocky soil	common
Sonoran Gophersnake Pituophis catenifer affinis	Creosote bush scrub; southern section	common
Great Basin Gophersnake Pituophis catenifer deserticola	Creosote bush scrub, pinyon-juniper, and Joshua tree woodlands, desert riparian community; northern section.	common
Long-nosed Snake Rhinocheilus lecontei	Creosote bush and pinyon-juniper woodlands	common
Desert Patch-nosed Snake Salvadora hexalepis hexalepis	Creosote bush scrub, desert washes; southern section	rare
Mojave Patch-nosed Snake Salvadora hexalepis mojavensis	Most common on sandy valley floors; northern section	common
Variable Groundsnake Sonora semiannulata semiannulata	Desert flats, sand hummocks, open rocky hillsides with loose soil, sandy washes, dry streambeds, and riparian thickets	rare
Smith's Black-headed Snake Tantilla hobartsmithi	Desert riparian, pinyon-juniper, and Joshua tree woodland; creosote bush and alkali scrubs; perennial grassland	common
California Lyresnake Trimorphodon lyrophanes	Rocky foothills, canyons, and mesas	common
Desert Threadsnake Rena humilis cahuilae	Sandy hills and rocky slopes where soil moisture is present; southern section	common
Southwestern Threadsnake Rena humilis humilis	Moist areas in canyons, rocky slopes, boulder piles, and among the roots of shrubs; northern section	common
Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake Crotalus atrox	Areas with fairly thick vegetation; southern section	common
Mojave Desert Sidewinder Crotalus cerastes cerastes	Sandy deserts, occasionally in rocky areas	common
Colorado Desert Sidewinder Crotalus cerastes laterorepens	Sandy, south-facing canyons; southwestern section	common
Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake Crotalus mitchelli pyrrhus	Rocky slopes, canyons, and rock outcrops	common
Southern Pacific Rattlesnake Crotalus oreganus helleri	Pinyon-juniper woodland communities; northwestern section	common
Red Diamond Rattlesnake Crotalus ruber	Brush shrouded granite boulders and cactus patches; western section	common
Northern Mojave Rattlesnake Crotalus scutulatus scutulatus	Desert flats; northwestern edge only	common