Whoo! Just got back from a week-long vacation at Lake Powell. It was perfect—soft sand beach, sleeping under the stars, lots of laughs shared with good friends, and lots of writing time. But let’s talk about REPTILES! That’s right friends: Hubby and I did some Lake Powell herping!
According to the United States National Park Service, the following reptile species can be found at Lake Powell (click the links to see pictures).
Lake Powell Lizards
- Chuckwalla (Sauromalus ater)
- Desert horned lizard (Phrynosoma platyrhinos)
- Desert spiny lizard (Sceloporus magister)
- Eastern collared lizard (Crotaphytus collaris)
- Eastern fence lizard (Sceloporus undulatus)
- Great Basin collared lizard (Crotaphytus bicinctores)
- Great Basin whiptail (Aspidoscelis tigris tigris)
- Longnose leopard lizard (Gambelia wislizenii)
- Night lizard (Xantusia vigilis)
- Plateau striped whiptail (Cnemidophorus velox)
- Sagebrush lizard (Sceloporus graciosus)
- Side-blotched lizard (Uta stansburiana)
- Tree lizard (Urosaurus ornatus)
- Western banded gecko (Coleonyx variegatus)
Lake Powell Tortoises
- Desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii)
Lake Powell Snakes
- Black-necked garter snake (Thamnophis cyrtopsis)
- Common kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula)
- Gopher snake (Pituophis catenifer)
- Glossy snake (Arizona elegans)
- Grand Canyon rattlesnake (Crotalus oreganus abyssus)
- Long-nose snake (Rhinocheilus lecontei)
- Night snake (Hypsiglena torquata)
- Patch-nose snake (Salvadora hexalepis)
- Striped whipsnake (Coluber taeniatus)
- Wandering garter snake (Thamnophis elegans)
- Western rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis)
- Hopi rattlesnake (C. v. nuntius)
- Great Basin rattlesnake (C. v. lutosus)
- Midget faded rattlesnake (C. v. concolor)
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Herping at Lake Powell
…is a lot of fun! We didn’t find any Lake Powell snakes, but we saw tons of lizards! Hubby is a pro at spotting and catching lizards, so I must admit that I can’t take any of the credit there. But I did take the pictures.
Juvenile side-blotched lizard. And don’t worry, he’s not being pinched.
Suspected hatchling side-blotched lizard. So tiny!!!
Hubby looking for lizards on the rocks.
Adult or subadult side-blotched lizard (we named him Leroy). These little guys are so chill! After getting over the initial shock of being caught, they become your best friend.
Obligatory herping selfie with Leroy. Humor me, guys.
Side-blotched lizard
Camouflage on point. Can you find the side-blotched lizard?
Another side-blotched lizard
Meet Moby (short for Moby Dick), a Great Basin whiptail (something different—FINALLY!). His burrow was right next to the house boat, and Hubby chased him for *days* before finally catching him. Look at his long toes!