Saturday's Critters - Lizards

Desert Spiny

Zebra-tailed

Whiptail

Whiptail close-up

Check out more critters at Viewing Nature with Eileen.

Rattlesnakes

I saw two Western Diamondback rattlesnakes so far this year.  The first snake (observed April 9th) is hard to see as it blends in with the creosote bush it was under.

This snake was full grown, a good four feet long.

The black and white section of the tail is the easiest part of the snake to see.

Today I saw a much smaller rattlesnake slowly crossing the road.

Much easier to see!

I didn't hear any rattling.

A short video:

On the rocks

Rumor has it that colorful collared lizards can now be observed in Rattlesnake Canyon.  On Saturday we went to see what we could find.  The only problem is, when the weather gets hot and sunny enough to see reptiles, I  prefer to go out very early in the morning.  Chris pointed out that we weren’t likely to see heat-loving collared lizards so early in the day.  He was right, we didn’t find any collared lizards.  I was not disappointed though, because we did see:
a tiny trickling waterfall

some water still standing in Rattlesnake Creek

green and orange colors in the creek bed
 
Red Admiral butterfly

greenish yellow lichen

Trailing Four O’clock

Desert Grassland Whiptail lizard

Still waiting for our first grandbaby to make an appearance. :)

The World According to Abe

“I used to be with it

but then they changed what "it" was.

Now, what I'm with isn't it, and what's “it” seems weird and scary to me.”

 ~Grandpa Simpson of The Simpsons








Notes about the images:

1. reflection of box turtle on water
2. looking at turtle thru a window with reflection of poker chips on the glass
3. same as first image but cropped and set vertically

More Weekend Reflections at James’ Newtown Area Photo.

Spring is here

Look who has emerged from his den:

 

warm sun shines
on tortoise with grass stained lips    
fullness of spring

In this corner of the Sonoran desert, besides tortoises, ground squirrels are awake from their long winter naps.  Even though abundant mistletoe berries remain, Cedar Waxwings and Western Bluebirds seem to have left this area.  Robins can still be heard chattering while White-winged doves are arriving from Mexico.  For weeks, Cactus wrens and Cooper’s hawks have been building nests.  Trees, shrubs, cacti and grasses are spring green and some wildflowers are blooming.

Hole in the Wall

Yes, we saw a Gila Monster today!  It is a large venomous lizard native to the Southwest US and Mexico.  They are becoming more rare and are protected by state laws.  It is illegal to "harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect the Gila Monster."

The last time I saw one, I was able to get more pictures.  Click here to see the Gila Monster at De Grazia Gallery.

Update:  I checked the hole in the wall a couple of days later and the Gila Monster was gone.

Blue Sky over Snake Bridge

Greetings from sunny Tucson, Arizona! This post is for Skywatch Friday.

Diamondback Bridge is a pedestrian bridge which crosses over Broadway Boulevard in downtown Tucson. The outside of the steel bridge is painted to look like rattlesnake scales.

Pedestrians and cyclists can enter through the mouth between the fangs...



or through the other end. The tail has a motion sensor which triggers a rattle sound.
Rattlesnake Bridge was part of a fun one-mile race on December 19Th which also went through Basket Bridge. The sky was clear and blue which is typical for Tucson. To see other skies from around the world click the Skywatch Friday icon below.

Wordless Wednesday - Yellow Bells

More Wordless Wednesday entries here.