2021 Reptile BioBlitz Results

This article was originally published in The Midden – Great Basin National Park: Vol. 21, No. 2, Winter 2021.

A BioBlitz participant visits with a kingsnake up close.

NPS Photo by Gretchen Baker

By Bryan Hamilton, Wildlife Biologist and Gretchen Baker, Ecologist

The thirteenth annual BioBlitz at Great Basin National Park was held on June 11-13, 2021 and focused on reptiles under the direction of park wildlife biologist Dr. Bryan Hamilton. Over 60 people attended the three-day event, contributing over 1,000 volunteer hours.

Participants found five of the nine species of snakes known to inhabit the Park and eight of the nine species of lizards. Photos are available on the Great Basin NP 2021 Reptile BioBlitz iNaturalist page.

The snake species found during the BioBlitz:
• Longnose snake
• Gopher snake
• Striped whipsnake
• Great Basin rattlesnake
• Wandering garter snake

The lizards:
• Great Basin whiptail lizard
• Desert Horned lizard
• Northern side-blotched lizard
• Sagebrush lizard
• Collared lizard
• Blue-tailed skink
• Leopard lizard
• Western Fence lizard

Many thanks to all the trip leaders and speakers for sharing their knowledge and making this such a fun event.

Thanks also to our sponsors, the Great Basin National Park Foundation and the Western National Parks Association.