One of my favorite little desert creatures, is the Couch'sSpadefoot, which is also called "spadefoot toad." Spadefoots are among the first amphibians heard after a heavy summer rain. Their long wailing calls often sound like the bleating of several sheep. After they surface from their underground burrows, the males will call loudly to attract the females. They will breed and lay eggs in nearby ponds and temporary pools of water. Spadefoots can hatch from an egg, and grow from a tadpole into a frog in just 10-14 days! They mostlyare active at night, andfeed on insects, such as winged termites. After the summer rains have gone, the spadefoots will use the spade-like ridge on each of their hind feet to scrape away the soil as they dig into the ground. They will hibernate in their protective underground burrows until the summer rains soak the dry ground once again.
"As round as barrel cactuses, pudgy little spadefoots! They call from moonlit puddles And though they sing off-key, --A couple of verses from "Cactus Garden" by Carolyn French
they surface from the ground,
and everywhere there's sound.
with the only tunes they know.
to me, the melodies grow."
A True Toad
You can hardly see the difference between a spadefoot and a true toad, but there are differences. True toads, like the large Sonoran Desert Toad to the left, generally havelarge glands behind their heads. The glands ooze poison, which helps protect the toad from would-be attackers. The skin of true toads is not as smooth, and toads also lack the sharp-edged spades on each of their hind feet. The black pupil of a true toad's eye is more horizontal, whereas the spadefoot has cat-like eyes. There are other slight differences, but both alsohave much in common. You can read a funny poem about a Sonoran Desert Toad by clicking on its photo.
Regal Horned Lizard, Author, Room237, CC-BY-SA-3.0, Wikimedia Commons
(# 2) One of the first reptiles people seewhen they visitthe desert, isa lizard. And out of allthe lizards living in the Sonoran Desert, my favorite is the horned lizard. These largeoval-shaped lizards are also known as "horny toads." Most of them are armed with dagger-like head spines (horns), and sharp scales along the surfaces of their bodies. Horned lizards are not that easy to find. Their colors and spiny skinoften match the sandy, rocky, and gravelly desert floor. That's where theycansometimes be found--eating their favorite insect meals--ants. The lizards are not fast runners. So instead of running,horned lizards will oftencrouch low, and sit still. They blend so well with their background, people do not notice them, and end up walking right by. When picked up, a horned lizard may inflate its body by gulping air. This helpsthe lizard look larger and spinier, which discourages hungry animals. The animals don't want to put something like that in their mouths. Some kinds willeven spurt blood fromsmall pores in their eyelids. Thisdiscourages would-be attackers, such as coyotes and foxes.I gethappy every time Icome across a horned lizard.
Lovable Lizards There are lizards of all shapes and sizes in the Sonoran Desert--from the chunky short-legged horned lizard (above), to the slim-bodied long-legged zebra-tailed lizard (right photo). In fact, one of the first lizards I ever saw in the Sonoran Desert, was a zebra-tailed. These fast lizards will often not run until a person is very close. Like horned lizards, they blend into their sandy rocky surroundings quite well, and they seem to know this. When running, the zebra-tailed lizard will curl its tail over its back, and wave it at the beginning and ending of its run. It's believed that this attracts its enemies attention away from it, and onto its tail. When the lizard stops waving its tail, its enemy gets quite confused--"where did that meal-to-be go?"
A Beloved Reptile
(# 3) I could not talk about the Sonoran Desert without speaking of another beloved reptile--the desert tortoise. These amazing animals are famously known for their slow and steady ways. Since they cannot walk too fast, the tortoises rely on their thick shells for protection. A desert tortoise can pull its head, short tail, and elephant-like legs inside the shell whenever it feels threatened. Although they move slowly... desert tortoises can walk up to seven miles (11 km)a day. That's a lot of walking!They are mostly active during warmer months, when there is seasonal rains. When the tortoises are not out searching for food or mates, they will spend their time in deep underground burrows. The burrows protect the tortoises from extreme heat and cold. In fact, most of a desert tortoise's life is spent hibernating in its underground burrow.
Look, But Don't Touch
Desert tortoises are "herbivores," which means they eat a wide variety of plants. They love to eat plants, such asjuicy cactus pads and fruits, flowers, and grasses. They can also drink large amounts of water at one time, and then go long periods before drinking again.A tortoise stores the water inits bladder.Itmay emptyits bladder ifit ishandled or picked up. This loss of water could lead to the tortoise's death. They need that stored water for the dry seasons. That's why it's important to never pick up a desert tortoise. I like to take photos of the tortoises I see. I sometimes look at the photo, and then draw a picture of the tortoise. I also like to read books about desert tortoises, and write stories and poemsabout them. Can you think of a story about a desert tortoise?
Desert tortoises can live for many years.... It is said that they can live for around 40-70 years. Sadly, though, many do not get to live for very long. Someare destroyedby off-road vehicles, and from the new construction of buildings.Others are taken bypeople who want to keep them as pets. Often, the tortoise is not handled or housedproperly, or fed the foods it needs. So it suffers a very slow death. If you should ever see a desert tortoise, make sure no one disturbs it. Don't forget to take plenty of pictures, and write about your wonderful experience. The tortoise will be so happy to carry-on its slow and steady way....It will also get to mate. If it's a female, she will lay a clutch, or more,of 4-6eggs--starting a whole new family of beautiful desert tortoises!
Western Banded Gecko, Author, AzWildcard, CC-BY-SA-3.0, Wikimedia Commons, File: Coleonyx Variegatus
(# 4) This cute little animal, in the right photo, is a Western Banded Gecko. Unlike other geckos, which like to climb, this gecko prefers tostay on the ground. It oftenlives underneath rocks, and in rock crevices. You can identify the Western Banded Gecko by its brown bands on both its body and tail. This 2-3 inch (5-7 cm)long lizard, with its soft skin and large eyes, is nocturnal, which means it's mostly active at night. That's when it searches for insect mealsand mates.After mating, the female will layup tothree clutches a year,oftwo eggs. The youngwillhatch, looking just like the parents.
Did you know that geckos communicate by squeaking and chirping. The name "gecko" is based on thesound made by an oriental gecko that squeaks! when disturbed. There are many kinds of geckos in the world. The gecko seen near lights on houses, in the Sonoran Desert, is often the Mediterranean House Gecko. The geckosare able to climb welldue tothousands of tiny microscopic hair-like structureson the bottom of their toes. These help the lizards cling to surfaces, such as ceilings and walls. The Western Banded Gecko's slender toesdo not have these structures.
Better to Eat Part of Me Than All of Me!Geckos can store fat and water inside their plump tails. When caught by the tail, a gecko can release the tail from its body, and run away. The gecko saves its life, and the attacker still has a nutritious meal. A new tail will eventually grow back, but it may be shorter than the first one. It's important not to handle agecko, soit doesn't end up losing a tail.
The above photo is of a very young Mediterranean House Gecko. It isjustunder2 inches (5 cm)long, and much thinner than the adults. This little one wasclinging to the walljust outside my door, a few hours after dark. The gecko is so little, it was able to squeeze right under my door. I had to gentlycoax it back outside.Like the adults, the young geckos also search for insects, whichare drawn to the outside lights. They make great pest-controllers! I love having these adorable geckosaround.If you should ever look for desert geckos at night, make sure you are with an adult, have a flashlight, and are on a trail. You have to walkvery slow, and continue to look at the ground. Like many desert creatures, geckos alsolike to use man-made trails as pathways. Watch out forrattlesnakes! You can read more about them below. | I took theabove photo at night, along a desert trail. It is a Tucson Banded Gecko. This brightly colored gecko is very tiny. Notice the dark bands along most of its body. Every time I took a step away, this little gecko kept coming closer... It did not seem one bit afraid. It was hard for me to leave this little one. Geckos are great lizards to have around. |
Western Diamondback Rattlesnake, Author, Clinton & Charles Robertson, CC-BY-2.0, Wikimedia Commons
(# 5) When we think of reptiles, one of the first that comes to our minds, is the snake. And one of my favorite snakes, is the rattlesnake. The largest of these, in the Sonoran Desert, is the Western Diamondback.This snake is one of the largest rattlesnakes in the west. Although it is large, the snakeis generally non-aggressive.Rattlesnakes willshake their tails when they feel threatened. It's a warning--"back off! or I will bite!" When the tail rattles, it soundssimilar toa burst of steam. The sound is made by dry loosely connected hornysegments, called buttons. A rattlesnake grows a new button each time it sheds its skin. Young rattlesnakes are born with one button. They may shed their skin three times a year as they grow.Older snakesusuallyshed their skin once a year.Rattlesnakes are very venomous. They use their deadly venom to kill rodent prey (food they eat), such asmice, rats, and squirrels. This is a bigreason why rattlesnakes are good for the desert. They help it not become overrun with rodents. If you should ever see or hear a rattlesnake, stand still until you have located it. Then slowly move away, and tell an adult. Never go near a rattlesnake--not even a dead snake. People have even been bitten by a dead rattlesnake's reflex actions. There are specialistswho can relocate a rattlesnake, if one shouldcometoo close toa home. Usually the snakesleave after a while, but sometimes theydecide to stay around. To read a rattlesnake poem, clickon the photo.
What a Tongue!Rattlesnakes do not see or hear very well, but they do have other body parts to help them out. The rattlesnake uses its long-forked tongue to pick up particles in the air.The particles then move through a small sensory organ in the roof of the snake's mouth, called the Jacobson's Organ. This helps the snake better detectit* surroundings. Rattlesnakes also have two pits located between their nostrils and eyes. The pits help them detect temperature changes,like the heat from a body.Rattlesnakeswill use the pitsto find smaller animals to eat. Notice the long black tongue in the photo above.
Always Look Down when Walking in the DesertThis Diamondback Rattlesnake blended well with its surroundings. At first glance, I thought it was another piece of wood.It was a reminder to always look down when walking in the desert. I tooka fewpictures from a safe distance, and then quickly left the snake alone. |
I walked right past the above rattlesnake. It blended well with its rocky surroundings. I had stood right by the snake before I noticed it. The snake stayed very still, so I wouldn't.
Have you ever seen a Tiger Rattlesnake (left photo)? The darker colored bands on its body look similar to a "tiger's markings." That's how the rattlesnake got its name. Tiger Rattlesnakes like to move about during the day and the evening. The snakes prefer to live in dry rocky areas, where there is a lot of desert cacti and shrubs. Did you know that rattlesnakes give birth to live snakes? The young snakes are covered in a thin membrane that breaks open right after they are born. The small snakes will feed on insects, such as grasshoppers and cicadas.
(# 6) Where does the Gila Monster--one of two venomous lizards in the world--live? If you guessed the Sonoran Desert, you are correct. This largeheavy-bodied lizard prefers to live in rocky areas of the desert, where there is lots of plants. You can easily identify the lizard by its large size, and black and orange to yellow, or reddish-pink bead-like scales. It often moves around during warmer weather, following seasonal rains.The Gila Monsteris aground-dwelling lizard, andis mostly activeat dusk and just after dark. This is when the lizardsearchesfor food, such as eggs and small nestlings. Itseeks out the nests of ground-dwelling animals, such as quail andwood rats. Then itfeeds with the crushing action of its powerful jaws. With its strong jaws, it can crack open eggs, and then lick out the liquid insides.Glands alongthe lizard'sjawlineooze venom.The venomcan flow into thewound ofanything the Gila Monster bites. That's why it's important not to touch a Gila Monster. These slower-moving lizards are not aggressive, and will only bite if they are being provoked. Gila Monsters are protected animals, which means it is illegal to harm them, or remove them from the wild. I wrote a funny poem about Gila Monsters. It is found under "Desert Poetry."
