I had great fun traveling/backpacking/canyoneering/herping across the bottom of Utah on a couple of consecutive trips in the last month or so
Ovis canadensis nelsoni Desert Bighorn Sheep
Crotaphytus collaris Eastern Collared Lizard
Uta stansburiana uniformis Plateau Side-blotched Lizard
Uta stansburiana uniformis Plateau Side-blotched Lizard
Uta stansburiana uniformis Plateau Side-blotched Lizard
Aspidoscelis tigris septentrionalis Plateau Tiger Whiptail
Crotalus viridis viridis Green Prairie Rattlesnake
Crotalus viridis viridis Green Prairie Rattlesnake
Spea intermontana Great Basin Spadefoot Toad
Spea intermontana Great Basin Spadefoot Toads
Spea intermontana Great Basin Spadefoot Toad and tadpole polywog
Spea intermontana Great Basin Spadefoot Toad tadpoles and fairy shrimp
Spea intermontana Great Basin Spadefoot Toad tadpoles and fairy shrimp
Spea intermontana Great Basin Spadefoot Toad
spadefoot pothole
Toad Tadpoles Anaxyrus punctatus (Red-Spotted Toads)
Toad Tadpoles Anaxyrus punctatus (Red-Spotted Toads)
Anaxyrus punctatus Red-Spotted Toad
Anaxyrus punctatus Red-Spotted Toad
Uta stansburiana uniformis Plateau Side-blotched Lizard
Anaxyrus woodhousii woodhousii Rocky Mountain Toad, Woodhouse Toad
Pituophis catenifer deserticola Great Basin Gopher Snake
Thamnophis elegans vagrans Wandering Garter Snake
Anaxyrus punctatus Red-Spotted Toad
Masticophis taeniatus taeniatus Desert Striped Whipsnake
Sceloporus magister cephaloflavus (neonate) Orange-headed Spiny Lizard, Desert Spiny Lizard
Uta stansburiana uniformis Plateau Side-blotched Lizard
Pituophis catenifer deserticola (neonate) Great Basin Gopher Snake
Pituophis catenifer deserticola (neonates) Great Basin Gopher Snakes
Sceloporus magister cephaloflavus Orange-headed Spiny Lizard, Desert Spiny Lizard
Sceloporus magister cephaloflavus Orange-headed Spiny Lizard, Desert Spiny Lizard
Uta stansburiana uniformis Plateau Side-blotched Lizard* corrected previously thought it was a Sceloporus graciosus graciosus Northern Sagebrush Lizard
Urosaurus ornatus wrighti Northern Ornate Tree Lizard
Urosaurus ornatus wrighti Northern Ornate Tree Lizard
Urosaurus ornatus wrighti Northern Ornate Tree Lizard
unkown moth species lizard food
Urosaurus ornatus wrighti Northern Ornate Tree Lizard
Pituophis catenifer deserticola Great Basin Gopher Snakes
Pituophis catenifer deserticola Great Basin Gopher Snake
Crotalus oreganus concolor Midget Faded rattlesnake and a nice beautiful red one at that, what a waste it is a road pancake before I could find it and save it
Gopherus agassizii Desert Tortoise
Gopherus agassizii Desert Tortoise with a face full of cactus spines
Gopherus agassizii Desert Tortoise
Gopherus agassizii Desert Tortoise
Spadefoot tadpoles Spea intermontana (Great Basin Spadefoot Toads) in abundance here in the Beaver Dam Wash
Lynx rufus Bobcat
Dipsosaurus dorsalis Desert Iguana
Dipsosaurus dorsalis Desert Iguana
Dipsosaurus dorsalis Desert Iguana
Dipsosaurus dorsalis Desert Iguana
typical Desert Iguana habitat in creosote flats
Dipsosaurus dorsalis Desert Iguana
Aspidoscelis tigris septentrionalis Plateau Tiger Whiptail
Gambelia wislizenii Long-nosed Leopard Lizard
Toad Tadpoles Anaxyrus punctatus (Red-Spotted Toads)
Uta stansburiana elegans Western Side-blotched lizard
Gopherus agassizii (neonate) Desert Tortoise
Gopherus agassizii (neonate) Desert Tortoise
Gopherus agassizii (neonate) Desert Tortoise
Gopherus agassizii (neonate #2) Desert Tortoise
Gopherus agassizii (neonate #2) Desert Tortoise
Hadrurus arizonensis Desert Hairy Scorpion
Hadrurus arizonensis Desert Hairy Scorpion
Gopherus agassizii Desert Tortoise
Gopherus agassizii Desert Tortoise
Uta stansburiana elegans Western Side-blotched lizard
Anaxyrus puctatus Red-Spotted Toad
Anaxyrus punctatus Red-Spotted Toad
Hadrurus arizonensis Desert Hairy Scorpion
Coleonyx variegatus utahensis Utah Banded Gecko
Coleonyx variegatus utahensis Utah Banded Gecko
Aphonopelma iodius Utah Desert Tarantula
Anaxyrus woodhousii woodhousii Rocky Mountain Toad, Woodhouse Toad
Anaxyrus woodhousii woodhousii Rocky Mountain Toad, Woodhouse Toad
Anaxyrus woodhousii woodhousii Rocky Mountain Toad, Woodhouse Toad
Coleonyx variegatus utahensis Utah Banded Gecko
Coleonyx variegatus utahensis Utah Banded Gecko
Coleonyx variegatus utahensis Utah Banded Gecko
Sauromalus ater Common Chuckwalla
Sauromalus ater Common Chuckwalla
Sidewinder disk and in-track
Sceloporus occidentalis longipes Great Basin Fence Lizard, Western Fence Lizard
Anaxyrus microscaphus Arizona Toad
Anaxyrus microscaphus Arizona Toad
Sceloporus uniformis Yellow-backed Spiny Lizard
Uta stansburiana elegans Western Side-blotched lizard
snake track
Sceloporus occidentalis longipes Great Basin Fence Lizard, Western Fence Lizard
Sceloporus uniformis (neonate) Yellow-backed Spiny Lizard
Sceloporus tristichus Plateau Fence Lizard
Crotaphytus bicinctores Great Basin Collared Lizard
Crotalus cerastes cerastes Mojave desert Sidewinder DOR
Crotalus scutulatus scutulatus Mojave Rattlesnake
Crotalus scutulatus scutulatus Mojave Rattlesnake DOR
Arizona elegans eburnata (neonate) Desert Glossy Snake DOR
Pituophis catenifer deserticola (neonate) Great Basin Gopher Snake
Arizona elegans eburnata (neonate) Desert Glossy Snake
Arizona elegans eburnata (neonate) Desert Glossy Snake
Crotalus cerastes cerastes (neonate) Mojave desert Sidewinder
Crotalus cerastes cerastes (neonate) Mojave desert Sidewinder
Crotalus cerastes cerastes (neonate) Mojave desert Sidewinder
Mojave and sidewinder rattlesnake DORs
Crotalus cerastes cerastes (neonate) Mojave desert Sidewinder
Phrynosoma platyrhinos calidiarum (neonate) Southern Desert Horned Lizard
Phrynosoma platyrhinos calidiarum (neonate) Southern Desert Horned Lizard
Phrynosoma platyrhinos calidiarum (neonate) Southern Desert Horned Lizard
Phrynosoma platyrhinos calidiarum (neonate) Southern Desert Horned Lizard
Gila Monster tracks
Gila Monster tracks
Gila Monster tracks
Gila Monster tracks
Toad Tadpoles Anaxyrus punctatus (Red-Spotted Toads)
Uta stansburiana stansburiana Northern Side-blotched lizard
Heloderma suspectum cinctum Banded Gila Monster
Heloderma suspectum cinctum Banded Gila Monster
Heloderma suspectum cinctum Banded Gila Monster
Heloderma suspectum cinctum Banded Gila Monster
Crotalus cerastes cerastes Mojave desert Sidewinder
Crotalus mitchellii pyrrhus Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake
Crotalus mitchellii pyrrhus Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake
Crotalus cerastes cerastes Mojave desert Sidewinder
Crotalus oreganus concolor Midget Faded Rattlesnake
Crotalus cerastes cerastes Mojave desert Sidewinder
Crotalus cerastes cerastes Mojave desert Sidewinder
Just kidding!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! the Gila Monsters and all rattlesnakes after the Gilas are replicas that I hand painted! I wish I saw specs and Gilas on this trip. I tracked the slightly old Gila tracks (rained 3 days before) but could not find him.
Also had a coachwhip in my hand on this trip and it got away with no pic (well one other forum member shot a pic of the head)
What a great couple of weeks in the deserts of Utah and Arizona.
*edits to correct lizard identity/to correct broken picture links
Southern Utah trips (pic heavy)
Moderator: Scott Waters
- Jeremy Westerman
- Posts: 634
- Joined: October 12th, 2010, 11:05 am
- Location: Utah
- Contact:
- occidentalis
- Posts: 39
- Joined: June 7th, 2010, 9:13 pm
- Location: the west
Re: Southern Utah trips (pic heavy)
fun pics. were your iguanas actually in utah? what county were those spea from? also, i think that your s. graciousus and s. tristichus might both be u. stansburiana.
-
- Posts: 28
- Joined: March 8th, 2011, 2:08 pm
- Location: Utah
Re: Southern Utah trips (pic heavy)
I agree with occidentalis about those two being Utas. Who is this occidentalis person who sees lizards like I do?
In that area you have to be up pretty high (higher than your habitat pics suggested) to see S. graciosus, at least according to my experience so far.
Thanks for the post. I may have a chance to get down there myself a bit before November--I can hope.
--Mark
In that area you have to be up pretty high (higher than your habitat pics suggested) to see S. graciosus, at least according to my experience so far.
Thanks for the post. I may have a chance to get down there myself a bit before November--I can hope.
--Mark
- Jeremy Westerman
- Posts: 634
- Joined: October 12th, 2010, 11:05 am
- Location: Utah
- Contact:
Re: Southern Utah trips (pic heavy)
Alas, even though the Utah border was very very close, the Dipsos were firmly on the Arizona side. The first group of Spea in the pothole in a slot canyon was in Garfield County very close to the Kane County border, the next groups of Spadefoot tadpoles were in Washington County. Thousands of toad tadpoles and red spotted toadlets in various states of change were seen and no adult red spotted toads compared to a handful of spadefoots in that area. In Washington County the opposite seemed true, spadefoots appeared more common and many adult Red spotted toads were seen. I will agree the S.gracious right before the washed out patternless Tree Lizards was misidentified mainly because it looked so different than many I had seen that day and had faded pattern colors with no side markings with the dorsal a vibrant pink. Closer examination of the photo and I believe you are right it looks more like Uta. the S. Trich however was with more numerous Uta on the same rock outcrops and was much larger and obviously different in appearance with rougher scalation and lacked the blue spotting and orange hue of the Utas of both sexes all around it.
Re: Southern Utah trips (pic heavy)
Awesome stuff! I am green with envy! Now, be honest, how long did it take for you to put up all these pics? haha.
-Jeff
-Jeff
- cody.lee81
- Posts: 17
- Joined: June 28th, 2012, 12:49 pm
- Location: Springville UT
Re: Southern Utah trips (pic heavy)
look like fun, the moth is Arctia caja a species of tiger moth commonly called great tiger moth they are really rare so your lucky to have seen such a nice specimen im so envious
-
- Posts: 103
- Joined: August 30th, 2010, 2:39 pm
- Location: Columbia, MO
Re: Southern Utah trips (pic heavy)
Ridiculous beauty! Great post. Hey...those gopher snakes...were both of them out on the crawl together?
- Bryan Hamilton
- Posts: 1234
- Joined: June 10th, 2010, 9:49 pm
Re: Southern Utah trips (pic heavy)
Wow! I can't believe its taken me this long to go though this post!
Incredible!
You completely fooled me on the gila's. I was even comparing their patterns to see how many individuals there were. At first glance I thought mitchelli was really strangely patterned but then when I saw the sidewinder below I knew something was up.
Great post.
Incredible!
You completely fooled me on the gila's. I was even comparing their patterns to see how many individuals there were. At first glance I thought mitchelli was really strangely patterned but then when I saw the sidewinder below I knew something was up.
Great post.
- Fieldnotes
- Posts: 1474
- Joined: June 7th, 2010, 6:12 pm
- Location: Anaheim, California
- Contact:
Re: Southern Utah trips (pic heavy)
WoW WoW WOW!!!
Amazing adventure. What’s the story with finding the Gila? That is an amazing mitchellii I never seen one look like that, matter fact many of those animals look different from those I've seen in California. Could that final "sidewinder" be another mitchellii, the pne that looks as coiled DOR? Really neat habitat, the sand makes that place an amazing herping spot. What’s the theory on the dead bobcat; near a road = hit, dehydration. Love the post.
Amazing adventure. What’s the story with finding the Gila? That is an amazing mitchellii I never seen one look like that, matter fact many of those animals look different from those I've seen in California. Could that final "sidewinder" be another mitchellii, the pne that looks as coiled DOR? Really neat habitat, the sand makes that place an amazing herping spot. What’s the theory on the dead bobcat; near a road = hit, dehydration. Love the post.
- Jason Hull
- Posts: 203
- Joined: June 7th, 2010, 6:43 pm
Re: Southern Utah trips (pic heavy)
Nice post Jeremy! Southern Utah is a beautiful place.
I enjoyed the Iguana and Tortoise pics.
Looks like your plastic snakes are pretty convincing. The Gila would get anyone.
Cheers,
Jason
I enjoyed the Iguana and Tortoise pics.
Looks like your plastic snakes are pretty convincing. The Gila would get anyone.
Cheers,
Jason
- Jeremy Westerman
- Posts: 634
- Joined: October 12th, 2010, 11:05 am
- Location: Utah
- Contact:
Re: Southern Utah trips (pic heavy)
Frodaman I take a billion pics and I have not learned either the fine art of photography or of forbearance. I tend to upload most crappy pics I take.
sonorandesertman the two neotate Gopher Snakes were found 4 feet apart in a desert slot canyon less than 3 feet wide. A third was found 70 feet later in the same slot. I speculate that they may get trapped in there as I frequently encounter snakes of all kinds in slots, it usually is way more productive for snakes than flipping cover or trying to walk one up by chance in red rock country. They may crawl in but cannot get out or they get washed in from flash floods, I'm not really sure. They do appear stuck as I see dead snakes frequently in the cracks. Alternatively perhaps it is preferred habitat either for thermal reasons or for hunting trapped quarry?
cody.lee81 thanks for the moth ID it was definitely an unusual looking fuzzball.
Bryan...Bazinga! got you on at least some of my replicas.
Fieldnotes, the bobcat was definite roadkill, I dragged it off the road for the pic.
I see you breezed the pics but didn't read all the captions. Gotcha!
the Gilas and all of the rattlesnakes pics below them are replicas that I handpainted for some films I was working on. They are cast from real specimens by Joe Morgan of Morgan Replicas in North Carolina http://www.reptilereplicas.com/html/pro ... tails.html I can't afford his finished pieces so I just buy the blanks and finish them myself. Here is pics of the Morgan's Gila Monster blanks I hand painted
Apparently I need to repaint this speckled it didn't fool anyone enough just raised questions
Jason thanks for the kind words I had great fun on my trip photographing real reptiles and painting my fakes.
sonorandesertman the two neotate Gopher Snakes were found 4 feet apart in a desert slot canyon less than 3 feet wide. A third was found 70 feet later in the same slot. I speculate that they may get trapped in there as I frequently encounter snakes of all kinds in slots, it usually is way more productive for snakes than flipping cover or trying to walk one up by chance in red rock country. They may crawl in but cannot get out or they get washed in from flash floods, I'm not really sure. They do appear stuck as I see dead snakes frequently in the cracks. Alternatively perhaps it is preferred habitat either for thermal reasons or for hunting trapped quarry?
cody.lee81 thanks for the moth ID it was definitely an unusual looking fuzzball.
Bryan...Bazinga! got you on at least some of my replicas.
Fieldnotes, the bobcat was definite roadkill, I dragged it off the road for the pic.
I see you breezed the pics but didn't read all the captions. Gotcha!
the Gilas and all of the rattlesnakes pics below them are replicas that I handpainted for some films I was working on. They are cast from real specimens by Joe Morgan of Morgan Replicas in North Carolina http://www.reptilereplicas.com/html/pro ... tails.html I can't afford his finished pieces so I just buy the blanks and finish them myself. Here is pics of the Morgan's Gila Monster blanks I hand painted
Apparently I need to repaint this speckled it didn't fool anyone enough just raised questions
Jason thanks for the kind words I had great fun on my trip photographing real reptiles and painting my fakes.
- Fieldnotes
- Posts: 1474
- Joined: June 7th, 2010, 6:12 pm
- Location: Anaheim, California
- Contact:
Re: Southern Utah trips (pic heavy)
You got me for sure! Those are amazing especially the Gila, it looks spot on!