Mojave Explorers Wildlife Guide

2

About the Guide This guide aims to give you a glimpse of the different habitat types, plants, and animals that you can find in the Mojave Desert. The Mojave is a diverse landscape, with mountains, sand dunes, rivers, and wide valleys. The Mojave is home to thousands of different species. We cannot fit them all in these pages. But we hope that this guide will help you become familiar with the more common features and inhabitants of the Mojave.

3

Contents Your Public Lands........................................6 Map of the Mojave......................................8 One Desert, Many Habitats........................10 Wasteland or Wildland?..............................26

Why are desert tortoises important in the desert ecosystem? p. 30

Wildlife Watching Tips................................28 Construction Workers of the Mojave........30 Where Does the Water Go?.........................31 Birds..............................................................34 Insects and Arachnids..................................41 Mammals......................................................45 Plants............................................................49

How do desert wildlife get the water they need to survive? p. 31-33

Reptiles and Amphibians............................58 An Explosion of Color..................................64 Volcanos in the Mojave?..............................66 Desert Nights...............................................68 Defending the Desert..................................70 Dierent Deserts?........................................72

4

Find out why they call this the Tarantula Hawk. p. 43

The desert is not a forgiving place. The plants and animals there have adapted so that they can survive hot temperatures with minimal or even no water. Humans are not as well-adapted to the desert and we have to be aware of our shortcomings. So, before we start exploring the Mojave, let’s run through some quick safety reminders.

1.) Plan ahead. Know the weather forecast, bring maps (remember, your smartphone may not have reception in the desert!), and contact a National Park Service or Bureau of Land Management ranger station to ask about the area you plan to visit.

2.) WATER! Always carry water with you when exploring the desert. Plan on drinking a gallon of water each day you spend in the desert. When it is hot outside, our body sweats to cool off. That means our body loses water fast. Dehydration is dangerous, but it can be avoided by drinking water regularly.

On very hot days it is best to avoid being out in the sun until cooler times of day, such as early morning or late afternoon.

4.) Stay together. It is always best to hike with a buddy, and let friends and family know where you plan to go and when you plan to return home. Some parts of the desert do not have cell phone service, but making sure other people know where you're going will help them find you if you run into trouble.

5.) Keep your hands and feet where you can see them. This will help you avoid unnecessary contact with desert critters and plants. They don’t want to be bothered, but will defend themselves if you invade their personal space. When hiking and exploring, watch where you step and where you put your hands. If you come across wildlife, keep a respectable distance.

3.) Cold nights. The desert can get hot during the day, but temperatures drop quickly when the sun goes down. Bring sufficient clothing layers to stay warm if camping overnight.

5

Did you know that within the Mojave Desert there are thousands of square miles of lands that belong to you and me?

They are public lands managed by the Federal government for our beneďŹ t. Some public lands are open to industrial development like gold mining or solar energy projects, and others are managed to protect wildlife and provide outdoor recreation. The Mojave National Preserve, managed by the National Park Service, protects a 2,500 square mile piece of these public lands.

The Preserve is at the heart of the Mojave Desert, which is considered one of the largest intact ecosystems in the United States. We are lucky to have easy access to a place that is still mostly dominated by nature. It is important that all of us respect and protect the desert, and the plants and animals that live there. Without proper care, these wildlands - and the wildlife that live there - can be lost forever.

6

These Are Your P ub lic

Lan ds

Things to do on public lands:

Hiking

Camping Wildlife Watching

Hunting & Fishing

Mountain biking

EXPLORING

Stargazing

Photography 7

The Mojave Desert The Mojave Desert spans parts of California, Nevada, Arizona and extreme southwestern Utah.

The Mojave is not the only desert in the United States; there are also the Sonoran, Great Basin, and Chihuahuan deserts. Some species of plants and animals can be found throughout all of these desert regions, while other species may only be found in one.

Barstow Palmdale Victorville

8

Needles

9

10

One Desert. Many Habitats.

One place in the Mojave Desert is not the same as another.

From tall mountains to low-lying valleys, sand dunes, natural springs and rivers. The elevation of the land, the average temperature, availability of water, or the type of soil can deďŹ ne what plants or animals you may ďŹ nd in any particular area of the Mojave. Some species are found across multiple habitat types, and others species may only be able to survive in a single spot in the Mojave. The next few pages will give you a glimpse of these habitat types.

11

Kelso Dunes, Mojave National Preserve

12

Desert Dunes Dunes in the desert are formed when wind carries sand from across a region and deposits it in one location, usually because the wind is interrupted by a mountain range. Dunes are home to a variety of plant and animal species, including some insect and plant species found only in a single dune ďŹ eld.

Portions of a dune ďŹ eld may be constantly shifting. Other portions of a dune ďŹ eld may be stabilized by the roots of plant life, including grasses and creosote bushes, providing refuge to other wildlife.

13

Ward Valley, Mojave Trails National Monument 14

Desert Washes Desert washes are essentially river beds that are dry most of the year, but ow with water during and immediately after a rain storm. Some plants can take root in a wash and survive the occasional ood, including mesquite trees, desert willow trees, smoke trees and cheesebush. Because water collects in washes after a rain storm, there is usually more moisture in the soil to support desert tree species, such as mesquite or desert willow. These tree species provide important nesting spots for birds.

15

Desert Riparian These are areas in the desert where water is present at the surface most of the year, unlike desert dry washes where water is only present after a storm. Riparian areas may occur along streams or at natural springs, like the spring pictured here in Mojave Trails National Monument. Common plants include cottonwood tree, mesquite, and reeds and grasses. It provides a vital source of water for many wildlife species, including migratory birds, rare species of ďŹ sh and amphibians, and bighorn sheep.

16

Bonanza Spring, Mojave Trails National Monument 17

Near Kelbaker Road, Mojave National Preserve 18

Creosote Bush Scrub Creosote bush scrub typically is found at lower elevations on relatively at terrain that receives between 2 and 8 inches of rain each year. This habitat type is usually found at elevations below 3,500 feet elevation, where average temperatures are warmer and precipitation is more sparse. The creosote bush dominates this habitat type, but other plant life, like white bursage and cacti, are also found here. The creosote bush is known for generating the “smell of rainâ€? in the desert because falling rain drops release resin from creosote leaves that have a distinct smell.

19

Cactus-Yucca Scrub The Mojave yucca and various types of cacti are most numerous in this habitat type.

Compared to the relatively sparse plant cover found in creosote bush scrub habitat, plant life in cactus-yucca scrub habitat is usually more dense. Precipitation may range from 6 to 11 inches of rain per year, and soils can be rockier than creosote bush scrub.

You can usually ďŹ nd this habitat at elevations between 2,500 and 6,500 feet.

20

Clipper Valley, Mojave National Preserve 21

Joshua Tree Woodland The Joshua tree is the most dominant feature of this habitat type, but many other plants and wildlife can be found here. Cacti of various types and a shrub called blackbrush are also common. The dense vibrant diversity of bird species, as well as bobcats. This habitat type is found to 6,000 feet where average an average of 7-12 falls annually.

22

cover of vegetation supports a large mammals like mule deer and at elevations ranging from 4,000 temperatures are cooler and inches of rain

Mojave National Preserve 23

Pinyon-Juniper Woodland This habitat type occurs between 4,500 and 7,500 feet elevation, especially on mountain slopes, and is characterized by the presence of pinyon pine and juniper.

Average temperatures are cooler at these higher elevations, and the soiil type can vary from gravel to clay. Pinyon-juniper woodland is an important stop-over habitat for birds migrating through the desert, giving them shelter and a chance to forage for food.

24

New York Mountains, Mojave National Preserve 25

Wasteland or Wildland?

The Mojave Desert is home to...

252

of birds Over different species of plants

Thousands of species of insects insects,, spiders spiders,, centipedes and millipedes 26

57

species of reptiles

101

species of mammals

Amphibian

10

es

es of fi i c e p s sh 9 1

27

species

Wildlife Watching Tips Despite the abundance of different wildlife species in the Mojave, they can be elusive and hard to find. Many animals conserve energy by limiting activity during the day, and others have plenty of places to hide if they sense we are approaching. What will not be hard to find will be the clues they leave - tracks in the sand, burrows in the ground, scat, and sounds. Here are some tips to improve your wildlife watching game: • Study the ground and the branches of plants for clues that wildlife are in the area. When hiking, keep an eye out for tracks, burrows, nests, scat, and other signs of animals.

• Sit quietly for a while and scan with your eyes and ears. Most wildlife either have great vision or great hearing. If they sense that you are coming, they will hide. When you rest in one spot for a while, eventually some wildlife may assume you are a part of the landscape and walk or fly within sight.

• When you do spot wildlife, keep your distance and let them do their thing. The more wildlife change their behavior because of us, the more they are distracted from important tasks, like finding food or staying out of the desert heat.

Bird nest in cactus

Lizard tracks

28

Tortoise burrow

Wood rat nest at base of yucca

29

Construction Workers of the Mojave

Desert tortoises dig a lot of holes to use as burrows. Most tortoises dig more than one burrow. These burrows allow the tortoise to escape the heat of the day. But all of this digging helps other animals, too. Small mammals, lizards, snakes and burrowing owls will use those extra tortoise burrows for shelter. Without the tortoise and its skill at digging, other wildlife would suer. This is what we call a keystone species, because without the desert tortoise, the ecosystem would be very dierent.

30

A wall of rain drops on the Mojave Desert during a thunderstorm.

Water ows down the Amargosa River in Death Valley after heavy rains .

Where Does the Water Go? The Mojave Desert receives an average of ďŹ ve inches of rain each year, although the amount may vary by location and elevation. Some rainfall is soaked up by plants. And when animals eat those plants, they beneďŹ t from that water and pass it on to the larger food chain.

The Amargosa River collects water from a wide area of the desert.

But most of the rainfall collects in washes and rivers, and either evaporates or is eventually absorbed into the ground. But the water absorbed into the ground is not necessarily lost.

Once the water is underground, it can appear again on the surface in the form of a natural spring. A natural spring is a place where the geology of an area forces water from underground back to the surface, making it available to plants and animals. But natural springs are very fragile. Drought and human uses of groundwater can cause natural springs to go dry, depriving some desert wildlife of a vital water source.

Water at this natural spring in the Mojave comes from underground, and provides a haven for wildlife.

31

32

33

Birds Anna’s Hummingbird Habitat: Variety of desert habitat types where it has access to its food sources.

Diet: Anna’s hummingbird can take advantage of nectar from flowers, but also small flying insects and even sap from trees.

Behavior: Females will build a nest using small plant parts but also pieces of a spider’s web.

Barn Owl Habitat: Can nest in abandoned buildings, holes in cliff sides, and in trees.

Diet: Mostly small rodents, such as mice, kangaroo rats, and voles.

Behavior: Can nest in abandoned buildings, holes in cliff sides, and in trees. Barn owls use their strong hearing can detect prey hiding beneath grasses or leaves.

Black-Throated Sparrow Habitat: Creosote scrub, cactus-yucca scrub, desert washes and Joshua tree woodland up to about 7,000 feet elevation.

Diet: Seeds and insects.

Behavior: Typically build their nests in low shrubs and cacti, including creosote bush and cholla cactus.

34

Burrowing Owl Habitat: Populations in the Mojave prefer open grasslands or creosote-bush scrub habitat where it is easier for them to spot and pursue prey on the ground.

Diet: Large insects and rodents.

Behavior: These owls can dig their own burrows for shelter and nesting, but they often use burrows already dug by desert tortoises.

Cactus Wren Habitat: Cactus-yucca scrub and Joshua tree wodland where cacti are available for nesting.

Diet: Eats insects and arachnids, including beetles, grasshoppers, butteries and ants.

Behavior: Cactus wrens build their nests in any plant with plenty of thorns, including cholla cactus and mesquite. This bird has a distinct, raspy call.

Canyon Wren Habitat: Rocky clis and canyons throughout the Mojave.

Diet: Feeds mostly on insects.

Behavior: The Canyon Wren can cling to vertical rock as it forages for food. Probably gets most of the water it needs from eating insects.

35

Birds Common Poorwill Habitat: Can be found in multiple habitat types throughout the Mojave.

Diet: Feeds on insects in mid-air at night.

Behavior: The poorwill nests on the ground and hides from predators with its camouflage. During winter when its insect prey are less abundant, the bird enters a state of ‘torpor,’ like hibernation, when it will conserve energy.

Gambel’s Quail Habitat: Prefers habitat types with dense vegetation that can provide cover as they forage or for nesting.

Diet: Mostly plant seeds, but also leaves and grass.

Behavior: Usually out foraging in the early morning or late afternoon. They spend most of their time scurrying about on the ground in large groups that will take flight for short distances if threatened.

Golden Eagle Habitat: Forages across a variety of habitat types, but typically builds its nest on rocky cliffs.

Diet: Small to medium-sized mammals. Black-tailed jackrabbit are a favorite source of food for golden eagles in the Mojave.

Behavior: Golden eagles sometimes play in midair, carrying sticks or other objects high into the air, dropping them, and then catching them before they reach the ground.

36

Great Horned Owl Habitat: Forages across a variety of habitat types but nests in trees and in cavities in rocky cliffs.

Diet: Small mammals and birds, but also sometimes insects.

Behavior: Great horned owls become active at dusk and may be out hunting throughout the night, during which time you may hear their hooh’hoo-hoo call.

Greater roadrunner Habitat: Usually found in semi-open cactus and creosote bush scrub.

Diet: Will eat just about anything they can catch, including lizards, toads, insects, centipedes, scorpions and small birds.

Behavior: Very good at traveling along the ground, but not great at flying. Roadrunners form lifelong bonds with their mates.

Ladder-backed woodpecker Habitat: Most common in the Joshua tree woodland of the Mojave.

Diet: Insect larvae and some adult insects.

Behavior: Forages for insects and insect larvae by pecking and probing along tree and yucca stems and branches.

37

Birds Loggerhead Shrike Habitat: Variety of desert habitat types with open, well-spaced shrubs, probably so that they can spot prey.

Diet: Insects, arachnids, small birds and reptiles.

Behavior: To kill larger prey, such as lizards, a shrike may impale them on the spines of yucca or cacti.

Raven Habitat: Adapted to a variety of habitat types, including our own cities.

Diet: They will eat almost anything, including reptiles, insects, birds, and small mammals.

Behavior: The raven has learned to take advantage of food sources created by humans, including open trash bins. But raven also prey upon young desert tortoises.

Red-Tailed Hawk Habitat: Wherever they have access to nesting spots on tall trees, cli ledges or human structures, such as telephone poles.

Diet: Small to medium-sized mammals and birds, weighing up to nearly 5 pounds.

Behavior: Red-tailed hawks are very territorial, and will chase down other hawks, eagles and owls that come close to their nest.

38

Ruddy Duck Habitat: Desert riparian.

Diet: Aquatic insects, crustaceans and other invertebrates.

Photo: Tom Koerner/USFWS

Behavior: There are some more reliable sources of water in the desert, such as rivers, marshes and lakes that provide habitat to water fowl like the ruddy duck. If chased by a predator, they prefer to dive under water rather than fly away.

Rufous Hummingbird Habitat: This hummingbird is a migratory visitor to the Mojave desert, meaning that it spends a short amount of time in the desert each year on its way north or south.

Diet: Nectar and small insects.

Behavior: The rufous hummingbird likes tubular flowers, like those on the desert willow or desert paintbrush.

Say’s Phoebe Habitat: Prefers sparsely vegetated areas, including creosote bush scrub and cactus-yucca scrub.

Diet: Insects, including grasshoppers, bees, flies and crickets.

Behavior: Usually perches on a low branch of a bush or tree and then catches flying insects in midair or pounces insects on the ground.

39

Birds Scott’s Oriole Habitat: Joshua tree woodland and cactus-yucca scrub.

Diet: Insects.

Behavior: The Scott’s Oriole will use fibers from yucca and Joshua tree spines to weave a nest.

Its population is in decline, according to recent research.

Turkey Vulture Habitat: Forages in a variety of habitat types, but they prefer to roost and nest on cliffs or tall trees.

Diet: Carrion, which is the meat of dead animals.

Behavior: Turkey vultures have an excellent sense of smell, which helps them locate a dead animal from miles away.

Western Tanager Habitat: Forages in a variety of habitat types during their migration through the Mojave.

Diet: Mostly feeds insects, such as wasps, bees, ants, beetles, but also on nectar and fruits.

Behavior: This bird is not a desert resident, meaning it only stops over in the Mojave during its migration north or south.

40

Insects & Arachnids Desert Black Swallowtail Habitat: Variety of habitat types where there are turpentine broom or cymopterus, which are host plants where this butterfly prefers to lay its eggs.

Diet: The larvae hatch and eat host plants, but adults feed on the nectar of desert wildflowers.

Behavior: Most common in the spring, but may appear again in the fall if summer rains produce more wildflowers.

Desert Blister Beetle Habitat: Creosote bush scrub and cactus-yucca scrub where it can feed on the leaves and flowers of brittlebush or paperbag bush.

Diet: Larvae feed on other insects, but adults feed on leaves and flowers of other desert plants in the spring.

Behavior: If disturbed, they can secrete their yellow-ish blood that can cause painful blisters.

Desert Hairy Scorpion Habitat: Found in a variety of habitat types between where they are able to dig burrows or find shelter under rocks.

Diet: Insects and spiders, and some small vertebrates, such as lizards and small mammals.

Photo: Cathy Bell/NPS

Behavior: Nocturnal, meaning they tend to forage at night. The hairs on the scorpion help it detect vibrations from moving prey or predators.

41

Insects & Arachnids Marine Blue Butterfly Habitat: Found in a variety of habitat types.

Diet: Larvae eat the host plants’ flowers and fruits.

Butterflies often visit mud or springs to sip water, and eat the nectar of a variety of flowers.

Behavior: Compared to black swallotails, the marine blue butterflies are not as picky about choosing host plants for their young.

Photo: Matt Bristol/NPS

Pinacate Beetle Habitat: Found in a variety of habitat types, including desert dunes and creosote bush scrub.

Diet: Forages for fallen leaves and flowers on the ground.

Behavior: Also known as a darkling beetle or stink beetle, this insect has a built-in defense mechanism. When threatened, the beetle will point its rear-end upward and can spray a foulsmelling liquid.

Tarantula Habitat: Creosote bush scrub and cactus-yucca scrub.

Diet: Insects, and small lizards, mice, and snakes.

Behavior: This large spider is more likely to be seen during the fall, its breeding season, when male spiders are out looking for a mate.

42

Photo: Stacy Manson/NPS

Tarantula Hawk Wasp Habitat: Found in a variety of habitat types.

Diet: Adult tarantula hawks feed on the owers of milkweed and mesquite. Females will sting and paralyze tarantulas to bury them with an egg. The tarantula hawk ospring will hatch and eat the paralyzed tarantula.

Behavior: Tarantula hawks have the second most painful sting in the world.

Velvet Ant Habitat: Found in a variety of habitat types.

Diet: Preferred food is nectar, although they sometimes kill other insects to feed to their young.

Behavior: Despite its name, these are actually considered to be more closely related to wasps.

Female velvet ants do not have wings, but they do have stingers.

White-Lined Sphinx Moth Habitat: Found in a variety of habitat types because they can lay their eggs on a wide variety of host plants.

Diet: Caterpillars feed on wildowers, then transform into a moth and feeds on nectar.

Behavior: The caterpillars of the white-lined sphinx moth have a distinct orange horn on their back, before they transform into a moth.

43

Insects & Arachnids Western Tent Caterpillar Habitat: Typically found in cactus-yucca scrub or Joshua tree woodland.

Diet: Leaves of their host plant.

Behavior: Before transforming into moths, groups of these caterpillars can be found in a cotton-like “tent” among the branches of a host plant. They prefer to build this “tent” on desert almond plants.

Wolf Spider Habitat: Found in a variety of habitat types, including cactus-yucca scrub and Joshua tree woodland.

Diet: Small insects, including ants and beetles.

Behavior: Wolf spiders can grow almost as large as tarantulas, and often dig their own burrow from which they can ambush their prey and stay cool during the day.

Yucca Moth Habitat: Joshua tree woodland and cactus-yucca scrub.

Diet: The hatchling caterpillars feed on the seeds of Joshua trees and other yucca species. They develop into moths that are short-lived and do not need to feed.

Behavior: This moth plays a vital role in pollinating Joshua trees and other yucca species.

44

NPS/Public Domain

Mammals American Badger Habitat: Typically found in areas where plant cover is not as dense, such as creosote bush scrub and grasslands.

Diet: Feeds on rodents, reptiles and insects.

Behavior: Badgers have very long claws that they use to dig their own burrows and also dig to catch their prey. Can be active at night and during the cooler hours of the day.

Black-Tailed Jackrabbit Habitat: Found in a variety of Mojave habitat types, including creosote bush scrub, cactus-yucca scrub, and pinyon-juniper woodland.

Diet: Feeds on grasses, shrubs, and wildowers.

Behavior: The jackrabbit’s large ears provide an increased surface area where blood vessels can release heat, helping the animal stay cool during hot days.

Bobcat Habitat: More common in Joshua tree and pinyonjuniper woodland habitat where it has access to den sites and also places to escape predators.

Diet: Small mammals and birds.

Behavior: The bobcat is only about twice as large as a typical house cat, and mostly nocturnal and crepuscular, meaning active at night or twilight hours.

45

Mammals Desert Cottontail Habitat: Variety of habitat types, but commonly found in cactus-yucca scrub, Joshua tree woodland and desert riparian areas.

Diet: Feeds mostly on wildflowers and grass.

Behavior: Dependent on ample shade from vegetation to stay cool during the heat of the day, and they will raise their young in burrows dug by other animals.

Coyote Habitat: Able to thrive in a variety of habitat types.

Diet: Primarily carnivorous, preying on rabbits, lizards, snakes, birds, rodents.

Behavior: The coyote’s range in North America used to be limited to grasslands and deserts until humans exterminated wolves, which was the coyote’s primary competitor and a threat to the coyote.

Desert Bighorn Sheep Habitat: Prefers steep and rugged mountains, although they will enter flatter terrain to forage or find sources of water.

Diet: Grasses, shrubs, and cacti.

Behavior: They can go weeks or months without visiting a water source, but will eventually need to have access to surface water at natural springs, lakes or rivers.

46

Desert Kangaroo Rat Habitat: Usually found in desert dunes, washes and creosote-bush scrub habitat.

Diet: Forages on seeds. These rodents do not need to drink water since they can extract the moisture they need from their seed diet.

Behavior: Primarily nocturnal, the kangaroo rat has excellent hearing. True to its name, it usually moves about by hopping on its hind legs.

Desert Woodrat Habitat: Typically found in cactus-yucca scrub or other habitats with suďŹƒcient access to cacti and other succulents, its primary source of water.

Diet: Feeds on the beans and leaves of mesquite, juniper, parts of cacti, and other plants.

Behavior: Its nest consists of a pile of cactus pieces, sticks, rocks, and other items at the base of cacti and yucca, or nestled into rock crevices.

Mountain Lion Habitat: Typically found in habitat types at upper elevations, such as pinyon-juniper and Joshua tree woodland, close to rocky slopes and canyons.

Diet: Variety of animals, including bighorn sheep and deer.

Behavior: Primarily nocturnal and crepuscular, meaning active at night or during twilight hours.

Photo: USFWS

47

Mammals Pallid Bat Habitat: Common in a variety of habitat types.

Diet: Eats insects, such as scorpions, beetles, and grasshoppers.

Behavior: Known to roost in crevices of trees or rocks during the day. In winter, the bat may seek a cave or deeper cracks in the rocks to enter a state of torpor, a period of inactivity similar to hibernation.

Townsend’s Big-Eared Bat Habitat: Forages throughout a variety of habitats, but roosts in rock crevices, caves or derelict buildings.

Diet: Moths, beetles, flies, wasps and other insects.

Behavior: This species’ population is declining, and it is sensitive to human disturbance. It may abandon its roost site if disturbed by humans.

Photo: Ann Froschauer/USFWS

White-Tailed Antelope Squirrel Habitat: Variety of habitat types, as long as they have access to firm enough soil to construct burrows.

Diet: Mostly feeds on foliage, seeds and insects.

Behavior: Takes refuge in its burrows during the hottest part of the day, and are more active during early morning or late evening hours.

48

Plants Plants Big Galleta Grass Habitat: Can be found from about sea level up to 4,000 feet elevation in the Mojave. Common in Joshua tree woodland, creosote bush scrub, and desert dunes.

Notes: This grass grows in large clumps, some of which can be nearly 100 years old and is an important food source for desert herbivores.

Brittlebush Habitat: Found along rocky slopes and in desert washes.

Notes: This shrub is sensitive to frost, so it is found at lower elevations where temperatures are less likely to go below freezing. Produces bright yellow blooms.

Blackbrush Habitat: Found in Joshua tree woodland and cactus-yucca scrub. Needs. well-drained soils.

Notes: This plant is drought-deciduous, meaning that it will drop its thick green leaves during the driest part of the year. The blackbrush is a “nurse plant� for species like Joshua trees and cholla cactus. Seedlings of these other plants can grow among the blackbrush and have a better chance of survival than if they grew out in the open where they would be more vulnerable to foraging animals or hotter temperatures.

49

Plants Buckhorn Cholla Cactus Habitat: Can be found in creosote bush scrub, cactus-yucca scrub, Joshua tree woodland up to about 5,000 feet elevation.

Notes: The buckhorn cholla’s flower color can vary across plants, ranging from orange, to yellow or red.

Pencil Cholla Cactus Habitat: Creosote bush scrub and cactus-yucca scrub up to about 5,000 feet elevation.

Notes: This cactus can grow to nearly 6 feet in height and can produce flowers that are orange, pink or brownish in color.

Silver Cholla Cactus Habitat: Found throughout the Mojave, up to about 6,500 feet elevation.

Notes: The silver cholla can grow up to about 6 feet in height, and usually produces flowers yellow or greenish in color.

50

Teddy-Bear Cholla Cactus Habitat: Creosote bush scrub and rocky slopes up to about 3,600 feet elevation.

Notes: Standing up to 5 feet tall, the teddybear cholla’s lower branches may fall off and the trunk darkens as it ages, giving it a more distinct appearance from the other cholla cacti species.

California Barrel Cactus Habitat: Gravelly or rocky slopes up to about 5,000 feet elevation.

Notes: This cactus sports pink spines and can produce bright yellow flowers. Older cacti can reach nearly 6 feet tall.

Creosote Bush Habitat: Usually found on well-drained soils, meaning that the soil never stays saturated with water. Saturated soils can deprive roots of oxygen.

Notes: The creosote’s roots are so efficient at absorbing moisture that other plants often have a hard time surviving in close proximity to a creosote bush. The resin on the creosote is responsible for the unique “smell of rain” in the desert.

51

Plants Desert Almond Habitat: Rocky or sandy soils on desert slopes.

Notes: The desert almond is a large, deciduous shrub that produces white flowers that turn into a wild almond. This is the primary host plant for the western tent caterpillar, which you may notice as small to large tents of silk on the branches of the desert almond and other desert plants.

Desert Holly Habitat: Found in alkaline, clay-like soils, meaning that its roots can tolerate high acidity in the soil.

Notes: This plant may be me one of the most drought tolerant in North America because it can survive high temperatures and long periods with no rainfall. Its light-colored leaves are an adaptation that allows it to reflect heat from the sun and reduce its need for water.

Photo: Stan Shebs

Desert Paintbrush Habitat: Found in variety of habitat types, including cactus-yucca scrub and Joshua tree woodland.

Notes: This plant can grow up to 18 inches tall and will produce brilliant red flowers in the spring if the plant received sufficient rains in the preceding winter. It is hemiparasitic, meaning that the desert paintbrush steals some nutrients from a host plant.

52

Desert Willow Habitat: Found in desert washes and canyons at elevations below 4,800 feet.

Notes: This small tree produces pink flowers that are an important source of nectar to hummingbirds. The tree is winter-deciduous, so it loses its leaves in the winter.

Engelmann’s Hedgehog Cactus Habitat: Variety of desert habitats, including cactus-yucca scrub and Joshua tree woodland.

Notes: This cacti’s bright magenta flowers bloom in April and May if it received sufficient rainfall in the winter. The hedgehog cactus’ fruit, like that of other cacti, is a favorite food source for many desert animals because it is high in sugar content and the seeds are a good source of fat.

Joshua Tree Habitat: Found between 1,300 and 5,900 feet in elevation, but tend to be more numerous at the upper range of that elevation span.

Notes: Joshua tree seeds used to be spread by the now-extinct giant ground sloth, a large mammal that could travel long distances and scatter the seeds widely. Now, Joshua trees rely mostly upon small rodents to disperse seeds. Because small rodents do not travel far and the tree faces other human-caused threats, the Joshua tree is likely declining.

53

Plants California Juniper Habitat: Found primarily at elevations of 2,400 to 5,000 feet. Not as cold-tolerant as its relative, the Utah juniper, which can be found at much higher elevations.

Notes: Most California junipers are dioecious, meaning they produce the cones of only one sex (males produce a brown cone, and females produce a bluish-colored berry-shaped cone).

Photo: Robb Hannawacker/NPS

Utah Juniper Habitat: Found primarily at elevations over 4,000 feet up to about 8,000 feet.

Notes: Similar in appearance to the California juniper, the Utah juniper is mostly monoecious, meaning a single juniper can produce the cones of both sexes. Both species of juniper can be found in the Mojave desert.

Photo: NPS

Mesquite Habitat: Most common in desert washes and creosote bush scrub.

Notes: The mesquite produces beans that are an important source of food for a variety of desert wildlife, and provides nesting locations for birds.

The mesquite grows a “taproot� that reaches up to 100 feet below the surface to reach more reliable groundwater.

54

Mojave Mound Cactus Habitat: Typically found above 3,500 feet elevation in cactus-yucca scrub, Joshua tree woodland and pinyon-juniper woodland.

Notes: This cactus grows low to the ground in a large clump, and can produce bright red blooms in the spring.

Mojave Yucca Habitat: Typically found in rocky and gravely slopes and desert flats with well-drained soils.

Notes: This plant can sprout from seeds or clone itself resulting in a ring of yuccas all stemming from the same original plant. Some clonal rings of yucca may be hundreds or thousands of years old. Native Americans used fibers from the yucca leaves for rope and cloth.

Blue Yucca Habitat: Cactus-yucca scrub and pinyon-juniper woodland, typically at elevations above 3,000 feet.

Notes: Unlike the Mojave yucca, the banana yucca grows close to the ground, and will occasionally grow an approximately 3 foot tall stalk with flowers that turn to seed pods. Leaves are a bluegreen color.

55

Plants Pancake Prickly Pear Cactys Habitat: Often found in cactus-yucca scrub and on rock slopes.

Notes: Cacti of this species can vary in how many spines they have, some covered in golden colored spines and others having hardly any spines at all.

Flowers in May and June and can produce bright red fruits beloved by animals as a source of food.

Paperbag Bush Habitat: Desert washes and Joshua tree woodland.

Notes: This plant can grow from 2 to 4 feet in height, and produces purple flowers that turn into dry, inflated bladders with a paper-like texture, hence the name paperbag bush.

Rabbitbrush Habitat: Found in a variety of habitat types, including at higher elevations among pinyonjuniper woodland, as well as in salty soils.

Notes: One of the most common shrubs throughout the southwestern United States.

Full of yellow blooms after sufficient rains.

56

Sandpaper Plant Habitat: Usually found in desert washes and dune habitats.

Notes: This plant has a rough, coarse feel thanks to very small barbed hairs on its surface, which might dissuade some animals from foraging on this plant.

Singleleaf Pinyon Habitat: This pine inhabits pinyon-juniper woodland on desert slopes from 3,900 to about 7,500 feet elevation.

Notes: The pinyon nuts provide nutrients to desert wildlife and were also a source of food for Native American tribes.

White Bursage Habitat: Very abundant in creosote bush scrub.

Notes: During a drought, the white bursage can lose all of its leaves to avoid losing too much water. Also known as the burrobush.

Photo: Stan Shebs

57

Reptiles & Amphibians Chuckwalla Lizard Habitat: Rocky flats, hillsides and lava flows.

Diet: Eats plant leaves, flowers and fruits.

Occasionally insects.

Behavior: The Chuckwalla takes shelter in rock crevices. If pursued, it may scramble in between rocks and inflate its lungs so that they are wedged tight and difficult for a predator to remove.

Photo by Todd Gonzales

Desert Horned Lizard Habitat: Typically found near patches of sand, such as the edge of desert dunes or in dry washes.

Diet: Feeds mostly on ants.

Behavior: The horned lizard will often sit still to avoid detection by predators, but it has also been known to bury itself partly in the sand. As a last defense, it may inflate itself with air and hiss.

Photo by Gary Spiers

Desert Iguana Habitat: Mostly creosote bush scrub habitat and desert washes below 3,300 feet.

Diet: Mainly feeds on the fruits and leaves of plants.

Behavior: Desert iguanas can tolerate higher temperatures than most other lizards, and can often be seen active later in the day than lizard species that mostly forage in the cooler hours of the morning and late afternoon.

58

Desert Spiny Lizard Habitat: Variety of habitats from mid- to low elevations .

Diet: Feeds on insects, spiders, and even small lizards.

Behavior: Typically active near its preferred hiding places, such as rock piles, woodrat nests or the branches of trees. Adult male spiny lizards typically have bright blue throats and blue patches on the sides of their belly.

Desert Tortoise Habitat: Creosote-bush scrub and cactus-yucca scrub where there are suitable soils for them to dig sturdy burrows.

Diet: Grasses, herbs and wildowers, and occasionally cactus.

Behavior: Tortoises spend up to 95% of their life in their burrows, where they can avoid the heat of the desert.

Gila Monster Habitat: Cactus-yucca scrub Diet: Small mammals, birds, lizards and insects.

Behavior: The Gila monster is one of a small number of venomous lizards in the world. It is a slow-moving lizard that can be active during the day or night depending upon the season. It can dig its own burrow but will also use the burrows of other animals. More common in the Sonoran Desert than in the Mojave.

59

Reptiles & Amphibians Gopher Snake Habitat: Variety of habitat types, including creosote and cactus-yucca scrub.

Diet: Feeds on rodents, birds and lizards.

Behavior: Not venomous; kills its prey by constriction. Can reach up to 6 feet in length.

Long-Nosed Leopard Lizard Habitat: Can be found in creosote bush scrub and cactus-yucca scrub. Avoids densely vegetated areas.

Diet: Preys on smaller lizards and sometimes rodents.

Behavior: The leopard lizard is very fast and runs on its hind legs when it reaches high speeds.

Mojave Fringe-Toed Lizard Habitat: Prefers desert washes and dune habitat.

Diet: Primarily eats small insects, but occasionally eats blossoms and seeds.

Behavior: This lizard will bury itself underneath ďŹ ne, loose sand when threatened. Scales on its limbs are especially adapted to allow it to travel quickly across loose sand.

60

Mojave Rattlesnake Habitat: Can be found in most Mojave habitat types.

Diet: Small mammals, including mice, rats and rabbits, but also occasionally lizards and other snakes.

Behavior: Also known as the “Mojave green.� Like other rattlesnakes, the Mojave can sense the heat of its prey through pits on the side of their head.

Primarily nocturnal, meaning active at night.

Red Spotted Toad Habitat: You’re most likely to see these in desert riparian areas or along rocky streambeds, but also found in other habitat types where they lay dormant until rains.

Diet: Primarily feeds on insects.

Behavior: Will spend dry periods beneath rocks or plants where moisture levels may be higher until it rains when it will emerge to forage or breed.

Julia Lynam/NPS

Rosy Boa Habitat: Variety of habitat types where there is rock cover between sea level and 6,000 feet elevation.

Diet: Rodents, other snakes, lizards and birds.

Behavior: The rosy boa is not venomous, and kills prey by constriction. When disturbed, it may release a foul-smelling musk. Forages primarily at night during hotter periods.

NPS/Robb Hannawacker

61

Reptiles & Amphibians Side-Blotched Lizard Habitat: Variety of habitat types with scattered vegetation to provide cover.

Diet: Primarily insects.

Behavior: Like other lizards its tail is easily detached when the lizard is trying to escape a predator. The tail will grow back. Mostly diurnal, meaning active during the day.

Photo: NPS/CC BY 2.0

Sidewinder Rattlesnake Habitat: Prefers sandy dunes and washes, but also open creosote bush scrub habitat.

Diet: Feeds on lizards and small rodents.

Behavior: Named for its ability to glide across the sand in a sideways motion. Like all rattlesnakes, this venomous reptile will warn you by rattling its tail if it senses that you are approaching. Mostly active at night.

Western Banded Gecko Habitat: Variety of habitat types, include creosote bush scrub and pinyon-juniper woodland.

Diet: Small insects.

Behavior: The banded gecko is nocturnal, meaning that it is mostly active at night. During the day it seeks shelter in burrows or under rocks.

62

Reptiles & Amphibians Name Western Diamondback Rattlesnake Habitat: Associated with various habitat types, including rocky slopes and creosote bush scrub.

Habitat:

Diet:

Diet: Mostly small mammals.

Behavior: Usually inactive between October and March. Hawks, golden eagles and roadrunners areBehavior: known to eat the western diamondback.

Whiptail Lizard

Name

Habitat: Found in a variety of desert habitats, but Habitat: prefers types that are not too densely vegetated.

Diet: Eats insects and arachnids, including scorpions and centipedes.

Diet:

Behavior: Diurnal, meaning active during the day.

This lizard has very halted movements, with abrupt stops and starts.

Behavior:

Zebra-Tailed Lizard Habitat: Found primarily in sandy and gravelly lands, especially in creosote bush and cactus-yucca scrub.

Name Habitat:

Diet: Feeds on insects and arachnids.

Diet:

Behavior: This very fast lizard prefers habitat where the plants are not too dense so they have enough room to get up to speed and escape predators.

Behavior:

63

63

Monkeyflower

Phacelia

An explosion of color!

Desert Dandelion

Did you know that millions of wildflower seeds are waiting in Mojave soils until they receive sufficient rain to germinate?

Most wildflowers will bloom in the spring if there are good rains during the preceding winter.

But other factors, like strong winds and heat after the seeds germinate can affect how many wildflowers we see and how long they last.

Prickly Poppy

Desert Five-Spot

64

64

Desert Calico

Mojave Aster

Paintbrush

Primrose

65

Volcanos in the Mojave?

66

Volcanic eruptions transformed the landscape of what we now call the Mojave Desert. You can find evidence of these past eruptions across the desert.

Cinder cones, like the one pictured at right, spewed lava as recently as 8,000 years ago. The lava cooled and hardened, forming black lava rock known as basalt.

Plants and animals have slowly become adapted to life on the lava rock. Over time, erosion of the rock has given plants enough soil to take root. The chuckwalla lizard, pictured above, prefers to live among the rocky landscape. It escapes predators by squeezing in between larger rocks and inflating its lungs to make it more difficult for a predator to pry it out.

67

68

Desert Nights Nearly 80 percent of Americans cannot see the Milky Way at night because of light pollution in the cities where they live. When we light up our streets, billboards, gas stations and parking lots, we make it harder to see the stars in the night sky. One of the beneďŹ ts of camping in the desert is being able to enjoy the night sky without the light pollution of the city.

If you really want to see a good night sky, plan your desert visit for when there is a new moon and check the weather to make sure there will not be much cloud cover.

The Milky Way, as seen from the Mojave National Preserve.

Photo: Gary Spiers

69

Defending the Desert The Mojave Desert, like other ecosystems, faces many threats from human activities and development. Climate change leads to more extreme weather patterns, including longer periods of drought and temperatures that are hotter than some wildlife are able to manage. But building large-scale solar and wind projects in the desert also results in the destruction of wildlife habitat. Other human activities include urban sprawl and mining. The desert can always use more advocates and creative solutions to reduce human impacts.

70

Can you think of ways that we can be better neighbors to the Mojave?

71

Different Deserts?

The Mojave is one of four deserts in North America. The other three are the Chihuahuan, Sonoran, and Great Basin Deserts. There are some similarities in plant and amimal life across these deserts.

For example, the coyote can be found in all of North America’s deserts. But there are also many differences in average temperature, precipitation, patterns and the plants and animals that call them home.

Sonoran Desert This desert is home to the iconic saguaro cactus, and receives most of its rain during the summer, wheras the Mojave typically receives most of its rain in the winter. The Sonoran Desert has warmer winters than the Mojave. This is why you can find plants that thrive in the Sonoran and not the Mojave Desert. The saguaro cactus, for example, cannot tolerate freezing temperatures very well, so they thrive in the Sonoran but would perish in the colder Mojave winters.

Chihuahan Desert This desert is generally situated at higher elevations and experiences cooler average temperatures than the Sonoran Desert. Like the Sonoran, it receives most of its rain in the summer. The Chihuahuan desert is situated in New Mexico, Texas, and Mexico, and is includes an array of habitat types. The Pecos and Rio Grande River provide important riparian habitat, and there are also large grassland areas that are home to pronghorn antelope.

Great Basin Desert This desert is the largest and coldest of the four North American deserts. Low-lying shrub species - such as saltbrush and sagebrush - are the most common plant here. In some areas the sagebrush is so dominant over such large swaths of land that the Great Basin is referred to as the “sagebrush sea.” Although some areas may appear to be dominated by just one plant species, do not be fooled; hundreds of different plant species thrive in this desert.

72

(Photo credit: Bob Wick/Creative Commons)