Desert Gazette

I haven’t paid too much attention to my little scurrying friends in the last couple years.  But lately I found that if I move slow, and talk low, I can sit down right beside them and have a nice little one-sided chat.

This first one is a common side-blotched lizard I became acquainted with during a hike to Keane Springs in Death Valley.

Just behind the right front leg is the identifying side-blotch.  It looks sort of like a halfmoon, or boat shape just inside the shadow.  I was sitting about 3 feet from him/her.  I told the tiny creature (about 6 inches long) that I wasn’t interested in eating right then and thank you for the photo op.

This is another common side-blotched lizard I found roaming around while I was hiking at Amboy Crater in the eastern Mojave.

This creature apparently had been attacked, maybe a year or so ago.  Most lizards have regenerating, breakaway tails.  This comes in handy when a predator grabs it by the tail. The lizard releases the end portion and runs off. The predator gets a little lizard snack instead of a full meal.  The tail eventually grows back as can be seen by the difference in texture on this itty-bitty beast.  Almost seems like a win-win for both predator and prey. Again the identifying side-blotch can be seen on the body just behind the front leg. The lizard was about 8 inches long.  Notice the difference between the design on the back of this lizard and the one from Death Valley above.  I told this animal that their home was in a beautiful place and thanked them for letting me enjoy it with them.  I was kneeling about 3 feet away.

This last lizard is a Mojave fringe-toed lizard I sat next to in a remote sand dune field in the east Mojave.

This lizard was about 9-10 inches long.  I sat about 2 feet from it while talking about how it was the longest, fattest, juciest, looking lizard of its kind I ever seen.  Notice the fringed, or extra long toes on the feet.  These act sort of as snowshoes keeping the tiny little feet from sinking in the sand.  Other features include reversed nostrils and interlocking eyelids.  Both of these help the reptile when under the sand, which they often are to regulate their sensitive body temperature.

I’ve never ate a lizard, but someday I might.

More about desert lizards

http://digital-desert.com/wildlife/lizards/

When I first saw the desert I thought, ‘There’s nothing out there’, and I wanted to see ‘nothing’ closer- Maybe stand in the middle of it and scream or something. When I got there I found it was far more intricate and rich than I could have imagined. The more I saw, the more there was to see, and it’s never stopped or ever will. Never did scream, wouldn’t want to mess it up.

Anyway, I feel like screaming again. I just realized I haven’t posted anything for the months of January and February. This is terrible, because my stats are going up. Every month I get more and more visitors to the site.  It seems like the less I do, the more visitors there are that come to see it. I sure that if I prolong doing nothing I’ll have a very, very, popular website.

I’m used to punching code in by hand. Word by word, letter by letter.  This software program is awkward for me.  It seems like I have to learn it over everytime.  Posting images is a real pain. Maybe I’ll try another way.

–that didn’t work–

This probably isn’t much better:

Sand verbena in lava beds at Amboy Crater.

I was fortunate to be able to shoot two sunsets and one sunrise at this location a couple days ago. The wildflower display was intense and the air was thick with the perfume of the sand verbena (purple flowers on the left).

The crater is a volcanic cone which may have been active as recently as 600-900 years ago. A fun story is that one of the local high schools (50-60 miles away) in the 1950-60s, started a tire fire in the center of the crater during a party. The fire lasted for days and the black smoke could be seen for miles around. Folks driving by thought the volcano was going to errupt and notified the newpapers in Los Angeles- which started a panic of sorts, at least until geologists flew over to investigate. 

Amboy Crater at sunrise (March 2008).

Desert Marigolds and sand verbena

More about Amboy Crater:

http://digital-desert.com/amboy-crater/

And, in reply to a question I was asked regarding whether the crater was in the Mojave or Sonoran Desert;

Geographically and geomorphically the Mojave- Amboy Crater. Otherwise (botanically), I believe the area is an ecotone region between the two deserts; no Joshua trees (Mojave), no ocotillo cactus (Sonoran). Some instances of crucifixion cactus (rare- I believe Sonoran). Some instances of blue palo verde (Sonoran).

Mojave geomorphic region
Ecosubsection - Bullion Mountains - Bristol Lake
http://digital-desert.com/ecosections/322ao.htm

(See section “O” on map at bottom of page of: )
http://digital-desert.com/ecosections/322a.htm

The Sonoran Desert lies to the southeast (within sight).
Sonoran geomorphic region
Ecosubsection - Cadiz, Vidal Valleys
http://digital-desert.com/ecosections/322b.htm

(See section “A” on map at bottom of page of: )
http://digital-desert.com/ecosections/322b.htm

In a few days I’m attending a ‘Rocks and Minerals’, class in Joshua Tree NP. I’ll be spending an extra night in 29 Palms and hope to go through the Cadiz Valley on Monday. I’m hoping to get some shots of the Cadiz Dunes Wilderness area on the trip through this remote area. I’m thinking I may spend the night in my truck and get some shots of the dunes at sunrise- possibly sunset the first night. I’m wrapped. I’ve been eyeing the road on maps for 7-8 years now. Since it is remote and I’ll be out there on Monday and Tuesday, I’ve been making sure my truck is in proper condition.

Since I’m more concerned with the Mojave for my project I’ve been saving this arm of the Sonoran Desert that extends into the Mojave for near the last. Afterwards, (A month or two) I have another road that heads north from Ludlow to Baker that I haven’t been on. That will complete the basics on the California Mojave. Then this fall and beyond I’m hoping to go further north into Nevada, southwest Utah and western Arizona to the mouth of the Grand Canyon.

Sorry for rambling. I’m into my 14th year on my obsession and excited that I’m seeing light at the end of a project I initially thought would take me 5 years.