Wildlife conservation has become critical for all Arizona species groups such as amphibians, birds, bats, and turtles.  Each article posted in this blog introduces a group, comments on conservation needs, and provides references and a species checklist.  Emphasis is on the species found in Agua Fria River Basin of central Arizona, and the habitats near the Agua Fria River in the town of Dewey-Humboldt.  Send questions or comments to the Agua Fria Open Space Alliance, Inc. at info@aguafriaopenspace.org.

The chicks peering out of the nest in the photograph are Great Horned Owls.  The nest is in a Cottonwood tree near the Agua Fria River.

TOKEN:  JZ499KB3MBB5

Arizona Snakes

Humans, and many other species, are born with a ready-made instinctive fear of snakes.  All it takes to activate the instinct is seeing an adult being afraid of a snake.  Many people overcome their fear after learning which snakes are dangerous, and which ones are harmless.  This is a good thing for snakes, and it’s good for everybody else, because snakes are necessary for a balanced ecosystem.  Snakes help regulate populations of rodents, frogs, and other small animals, and snakes serve as food for many birds, mammals, and reptiles.  The references include field guides in print (Stebbins 1966) and online (Arizona Herpetological Association (AHA), Brennan, 2008).  AHA and HerpDigest provide news and information.

About half the snake species and recognized subspecies in the U. S. are present in Arizona.  Many of them are present in the Agua Fria River Basin, but the only ones I see around Coldwater Farm are garter snakes, gopher snakes, and king snakes.  It’s odd that over the past 50 years, no one has reported seeing a rattlesnake on the Farm.  They are probably present, but most rattlesnakes are shy and rarely advertise their presence.

The photograph shows a California King Snake, a common species of the Agua Fria River Basin and Coldwater Farm.  The photo is from the website of the Arizona Herpetological Association.

Arizona Lizards

Almost half the lizard species found in the U. S. are present in Arizona.  They are a colorful group with fascinating life histories.  Lizards help control ants, termites, and other insects, and with only one exception, the Gila Monster, they are unable to seriously harm humans.  Field guides are available online (Arizona Herpetological Association, Brennan, 2008), and in print (Jones and Lovich, 2009, and Stebbins, 1966).

The most common species seen around homes in the upper Agua Fria River Basin where I live are the Plateau Fence Lizard, the Ornate Tree Lizard, and several Whiptails and Horned Lizards (HLs–also called horny toads).  Here they are active from March to November.  In the Sonoran Desert at the south end of the Basin they are active all year.  Lizard body temperature is controlled by surroundings rather than by internal systems.  Without warm air, sunlight, or sun-warmed surfaces, they have to find shelter.

The photograph shows a Plateau Fence Lizard on a tree.  These lizards do like fence posts, but they will sit on any convenient object that gives them an elevated view.