Title Image

Title Image

About:

This blog is predominately about camera trapping in California. We camera trap to save our souls and to teach primary school students about biology and conservation. We will also touch on other camera trapping news and musings, sets from afar, mediocre herpetology, sucky birding, and other natural history discussions.

Friday, March 30, 2012

More Mojave

I somehow managed to stretch out Mojave Desert pictures for almost a year. It was not really my plan, I just kept forgetting to post pictures. But it is time to start thinking of this year's trip and it reminded me that it was time to finish up these posts.



IMG_6787.jpg




IMG_6778.jpg




IMG_6780.jpg


Here are two different Mohave Shovel-nosed snakes, Chionactis occipitalis occipitalis, with two very different color patterns. This is the first white shovel-nosed snake I have seen. Okay so it was the first yellow one I have seen too. This was a lifer species for me in 2011. That being said this was the first time others on the trip had seen a white banded shovel-nose too despite seeing dozens of yellows. They are much less common than the yellow guys.



IMG_6723.jpg




IMG_6722.jpg


A plant eating dinosaur in hand. Common Chuckwalla, Sauromalus ater. Not a very pretty individual. When let go, he dove back into his rock crack but was back a few minutes later standing tall looking out for invading males.



IMG_6689.jpg




IMG_6694.jpg



Lastly a Long-nosed Snake, Rhinocheilus lecontei. This was the most common snake we found outside of Sidewinders.  Turned up half a dozen or so Rhinocheilus. The lighting wasn't great for these images but I kind of like the long shadows.

One last desert post coming up that lacks animals but has some of that good ol' desert weirdness.

2 comments:

  1. Nice! These are critters I only dream of having lived in the Midwest or east of it my whole life....

    ReplyDelete
  2. Lovelies, all. No matter how homely, chuckwallas are lovable.

    ReplyDelete