Tortoises and Iguanas

Hello!

On a hot tip from my housemate, I ventured into the desert uplands in search of the elusive Desert Tortoise and Desert Iguana. My first attempt was late in the evening, and I was unsuccessful in locating the creatures (though I did find many burrows). There were, however, many cool cacti to see.

Fishhook Barrel Cactus

Yellow Cactus Flower (Cholla sp.?)

Pink Cactus Flower (Opuntia sp.)

I was slightly discouraged by my failure to locate the reptiles, so a second trip was in order. This time earlier in the afternoon, I was able to locate a tortoise right at the entrance to her burrow. I was surprised at how big she was, easily the size of an average watermelon!

Desert Tortoise (Gopherus aggassizii)

My tortoise desires satisfied, I soon planned a third excursion for the iguana. As this was a day off, I was able to go in the morning. I did manage to catch a glimpse of a Desert Iguana as its banded tail disappeared into some scrub. I also observed Tiger Whiptail and many Side-blotched Lizards, but the highlight of the day was this juvenile Common Chuckwalla that I saw retreating into a crevice.

Common Chuckwalla (Sauromalus ater)

I spent a lot of time searching the area for snakes, but to no avail. There was some awesome-looking habitat, including all varieties of rock shelves, crevices and caves. It is still early in the season, and I am hoping that the snakes simply aren't out yet, but the search will continue.

The most exciting bird update of late has been numerous Phainopepla, perhaps the bird I was most eager to see in Arizona. They have a unique life history, and are gorgeous to boot. All in all, not a bad week.

Kyle