Desert iguana, a common lizard in Amargosa Valley and Death Valley, Mojave Desert.
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Kangaroo rat. There are several species of these seed-eating rodents common in the area. They are usually nocturnal, and can hop away from predators on their long hind legs.
Desert cottontail
Desert cottontail
This is a baby cottontail rabbit. These rabbits undergo cycles of abundance, and then population crashes during droughts.
Black-tailed jackrabbit
Black-tailed jackrabbit
Jackrabbits are survivors. They dine on tough and fibrous desert vegeation, and can out-run coyote predators with long legs and zig-zagging manuevers. Their large ears help diffuse heat during hot desert summers.
Mojave desert tortoises range well north of Beatty into Sarcobatus Flat, Nevada.
Mojave desert tortoise.
Patterns on the back of a desert horned lizard.
Juvenile desert horned lizard.
Bobcat
Bobcat
Bobcats inhabit the desert, and are well-adapted to hunting rodents, rabbits, and birds. This is a growing bobcat kitten photographed in Oasis Valley.
Gray Fox
Gray Fox
Gray foxes dwell in riparian trees along the Amargosa River, hunting rodents like cats. They climb trees well. This one was photographed at a local ranch.
Badgers are common in the Mojave Desert, wandering far in search of rodents and beetle grubs. This one came into a ranch to look around, then left. Those claws are for digging.
Painted lady butterfly. On certain years large migrations of this butterfly travel through the Mojave Desert.
Tarantulas are harmless large spiders that will not bother you if you leave them alone. In the Rhyolite region they can be seen traveling during certain cooler seasons. Let them be, they are an interesting part of the Mojave Desert.
Desert collared lizard. Look for these colorfaul lizards in rocky areas. They prey on other lizards.
Desert bighorn sheep can be seen in the mountain ranges around Rhyolite and Beatty, and on occasion they will travel across creosote flat basins to travel between mountain ranges. Thius is why valleys and basins need to be preserved to allow wildlife connectivity.
California king snake in Oasis Valley--these snakes are friendly to people, and hunt bird eggs, but also rattlesnakes. They are beautifully patterned and should be left alone.
Sidewinder in sand. Don't bother them and they won't bother you.
White-tailed antelope ground squirrel.
Sidewinder tracks.
Desert spiny lizard, found around trees and rock outcrops.
Bobcats roam the Mojave Desert widely, and can be glimpsed in Oasis Valley riparian groves when rabbit populations are high.
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