Southern Owens Valley

The rocky slopes at the base of the Inyo Mountains are drained by canyons. At the mouth of each canyon a rocky, boulder-strewn alluvial fan gradually merges into the sand dunes around Owens Lake (Fig. 10.6). Scattered Creosote Bushes are present at the base of the mountains.

Amphibians

Great Basin Spadefoot (Spea intermontana ). Nocturnal; breeds in temporary pools in sand dunes.

Lizards

Western Banded Gecko (Coleonyx variegatus ). Nocturnal; most common in rocky areas.

Zebra-tailed Lizard (Callisaurus draconoides ). Diurnal; very common on gravel flats and at bases of sand dunes.

Great Basin Collard Lizard (Crotaphytus bicinctores ). Diurnal; basks on boulders.

Desert Iguana (Dipsosaurus dorsalis ). Diurnal; uncommon on alluvial fans and around bushes in sand dunes.

Long-nosed Leopard Lizard (Gambelia wislizenii ). Diurnal; basks on small rocks and under bushes; rare on rocky slopes.

Desert Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma platyrhinos ). Diurnal; most common in sandy areas; well camouflaged except when basking on small rocks.

Chuckwalla (Sauromalus obesus ). Diurnal; basks on boulders on slopes and in canyons.

Desert Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus magister ). Diurnal; occurs in rocky areas and around large bushes in sand dunes.

Side-blotched Lizard (Uta stansburiana ). Diurnal; occurs in all habitats; most common lizard in the area.

Western Whiptail (Cnemidophorus tigris ). Diurnal; present in all habitats; less common in rocky areas.

Desert Night Lizard (Xantusia vigilis ). Diurnal; secretive; active under cover objects such as logs and brush piles.

Snakes

Glossy Snake (Arizona elegans ). Nocturnal; usually occurs in sandy areas.

Western Shovel-nosed Snake (Chionactis occipitalis ). Nocturnal; most common among sand dunes.

Night Snake (Hypsiglena torquata ). Nocturnal; usually occurs on rocky slopes and in canyons.

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Figure 10.6
East side of Owens Lake, southern Owens Valley.

Common Kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula ). Nocturnal during summer, diurnal during spring and fall; occurs in all habitats but rare in sand dunes.

Coachwhip (Masticophis flagellum ). Diurnal; lives in all habitats but less common in rocky areas.

Gopher Snake (Pituophis catenifer ). Both nocturnal and diurnal; occurs in all habitats.

Long-nosed Snake (Rhinocheilus lecontei ). Nocturnal; most common in sandy areas.

Western Patch-nosed Snake (Salvadora hexalepis ). Diurnal; most common in sandy areas.

Ground Snake (Sonora semiannulata ). Nocturnal; active in the early evening; prefers rocky areas.

Southwestern Black-headed Snake (Tantilla hobartsmithi ). Nocturnal; occurs in rocky areas.

Western Blind Snake (Leptotyphlops humilis ). Nocturnal; occurs in washes of rocky areas; can be common in areas with permanent surface water.

Sidewinder (Crotalus cerastes ). Usually nocturnal; occurs in all habitats but most common in sandy areas.

Speckled Rattlesnake (Crotalus mitchellii ). Both nocturnal and diurnal; most common in rocky areas.