AZ403p2

ARIZONA

April 2003

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The next day we camped in the middle of a mountain range, huge rock piles separated by creosote flats engraved with dry, sandy stream beds. We first photographed a Gecko found the night before, then proceeded to explore the slopes and washes of the desert wilderness.

Western Banded Gecko

Coleonyx variegatus

On the rocks we didn’t spot much, just one Collared Lizard who briefly posed in the distance, then dove for cover as soon as we approached. We had better luck in the washes, such as this Leopard Lizard who hunkered down trying to hide in plain sight, his spotted pattern merging with the gravel.

Sonoran Collared Lizard

Crotaphytus nebrius

Long-nosed Leopard Lizard

Gambelia wislizenii

One species that made no attempt to hide were the Whiptails, whose jerky movements drew our attention as they foraged in and out of the shadows, unconcerned about us humans, knowing full well they were too fast for a couple of middle-aged bipeds. In fact, as if to mock our two-legged inferiority, they would run away raising their forelegs, leaning forward with their tail stretched out backwards for balance, like miniature bipedal dinosaurs plunging through a tiny Jurassic Park.

Western Whiptail

Cnemidophorus tigris

Another lizard that taunted us was the Zebra-Tail, which relied on a combination of camouflage and speed to avoid being caught. First they would lie flat, blending in perfectly with the course stream bed. We often didn’t see them until they exploded from the sands when we got too close, blasting across the wash before we had a chance to react. When safely out of reach they would stop and wag their tails in our direction, or bob up and down to assert their dominance, sometimes facing off with another lizard to prove who was more macho.

Zebra-Tail Lizard

Callisaurus draconoides

That night we went road cruising and found several snakes which we saved for photographs. They were returned and released the next morning where they were found.