Reptiles and Amphibians of Surprise Canyon

AMPHIBIANS:

Pacific tree frog (Hyla regilla)

Red-spotted toad (Bufo punctatus)

REPTILES:

Desert banded gecko (Coleonyx variegatus variegatus)

^Juvenile gecko.

Side-blotched lizard (Uta stansburiana)

Zebra-tailed lizard (Callisaurus draconoides)

Great Basin collared lizard (Crotaphytus bicinctores)

Desert horned lizard (Phrynosoma platyrhinos)

Great Basin fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis biseriatus)

Desert spiny lizard (Sceloporus magister)

Chuckwalla (Sauromalus obesus)

^A Chuckwalla hides in a rock crevice next to a Dudleya.

^This big male has a battle scar on his jaw, probably from a fight with another male.

^The big Chuck male defends his bouldery territory in Surprise Canyon.

Western whiptail (Cnemidophorus tigris)

Gilbert's skink (Eumeces gilberti rubricaudatus)

^An adult Gilbert's skink.

^Most juvenile skinks in Surprise Canyon have blue tails, although in other areas they have red tails.

^A fiesty adult bites hard! We took a photo and let him go.

^Baby skinks bite too.

^A juvenile Panamint alligator lizard climbing into cottonwood saplings.

Desert night lizard (Xantusia vigilis)

Common kingsnake (Lampropeltis getulus californiae)

Coachwhip (Masticophis flagellum)

^Head of a Coachwhip.

Speckled rattlesnake (Crotalus mitchellii)

Southwestern black-headed snake (Tantilla hobartsmithii)

Night snake (Hypsiglena torquata)

--the Roving Naturalist