The Great Lizard Hunt

Since our last post we have turned into field scientists. After a day off yesterday exploring the towns and running errands, we took to the sand dunes today to hunt for elusive fringed toed lizard, whose domain we are guarding here in the Coachella Valley. To do so we had to drive several miles west on I10, take a side street, park, and walk to the smaller dunes. We went with our boss, Ginny, the manager of the Center For Natural Lands Management here at the Oases. Our other companions were three guys from the state fish and wildlife. Armed with our desert hiking accroutrements, we walked across the highway and up the dunes to their study area. For three and a half hours we walked along the dunes looking for our lizards. When one was caught with the noose stick, it was measured and numbered on back and belly with permanent marker (which comes off with the next shedding). Its tail tip was snipped and preserved for future DNA testing, and two toenails clipped for futher identification. Of course all this info was recorded along with exactly where in the (scientists') grid area it was found. It was then released. Once caught they became docile and sat quietly for all of the above stated shenanigans. Once released they sped away as fast as they could, which was like a streak of lightning. These lizards and the snake in the pic were about the only wildlife we saw, excepting some grasshoppers and one teeny butterfly. We were pretty pumped about the snake. It was the first sidewinder we had ever seen in the wild. It was curled at the base of a creosote bush. We would have walked right past it but the sharp-eyed herpatologist in our group pointed it out. We saw tracks aplenty--kangaroo rat, coyote, desert fox, some kind of large beetle, various sizes of sidewinder, and of course lots of lizard tracks. Very interesting. About noon we knocked off. The guys went their way, while Ginny led us to her favorite local Mexican restaurant. While we ate, Duane and I soaked up information about the Preserve. That was it for us as scientists. Back home we are doing our things--carving and sewing Christmas presents.

Later. Louise and Duane