Desert Destination: Four-wheel Driving

Every Monday we visit a desert destination.

Yesterday morning we cleaned, so we were ready for something different in the afternoon and decided to do a little sightseeing in some nearby hills. (Hills around here are just smaller mountains, generally only  a few thousand feet higher than the valley floor rather than over a mile higher than the valley floor.) We got into the truck and headed out.

The truck was a narrow fit through one section, but for the most part the road we chose was in good shape.

You can see the fields in the background, so we aren't too far from the ranch. We were feeling a little adventurous, but not too adventurous. After all, it was a hot afternoon and we didn't have much gumption.

Desert Boy loved all the jostling as we went over the rough road. I wasn't quite so fond of it, so I jumped out to take some photos. Having a camera close at hand is a good excuse for a lot of things, like getting out of bumpy vehicles and taking extra breaks when hiking. 

I told my husband I wanted to look at the vegetation, but as you can see in the photo, most of the vegetation is really brown now, after a rather dry summer. I was hoping if I looked around long enough I might find something interesting.

I did manage to find this cute cactus growing out of a little hole in the rock. It won't be able to get too much bigger.

A few white flowers were growing off this green mat of leaves on a rocky area. I still haven't figured out what they were, but the bright green leaves and long stems were distinctive. (Note: 9/29/08: This is Petrophytum caespitosum, in the Rosaceae family.)

I even found some pretty yellow flowers to help brighten up the landscape. 

These hills are really dry, with no streams or springs. This is some of the typical desert landscape, tall cliffs, scattered pinyon and juniper trees, and lots of sagebrush, Mormon tea, and shadscale. After driving awhile we stopped and took a nap. Desert Boy was the one who inspired us, he had already fallen asleep. 

After our nap and flower break it was time to get back in and see where else the road led to. We felt like rugged explorers. Except that we were in an air-conditioned truck with cushioned seats and plenty to eat and drink. And we had just taken a nap. It's tough being an explorer these days.

Desert Survivor Needs Your Help

I walked into the kitchen the other day to behold this troubling sight: Desert Boy had clambered up on the kitchen table, sat squarely on his tray, and was about to dump a box of cereal on the floor. Yeehaw, what a good time (if you're Desert Boy!).  As you can see, he doesn't pay any attention to me.

So I need your help with a caption for this photo. What do you suggest?

Beetles that Swim

Over time we've looked at how some animal species have adapted to live in the desert with little water and hot temperatures. Well, some wildlife have just chosen to live where there is water and cooler temperatures, despite being in the desert.

These spots are few and far between, but they do exist, like this spring out in the middle of a salt marsh. The surrounding soil is very salty, but the water temperature rarely rises above  15 degrees Celsius (about 60 degrees Fahrenheit). 

 
Here is one of the most common inhabitants, Dystiscus marginicollis, a predaceous diving beetle in the family Dytiscidae. As larvae, the long and skinny creatures are known as water tigers due to their predatory nature. 

As adults, they develop a hard exoskeleton and become oval shaped. They move through the water by using their legs as oars, moving their flattened hind legs in unison. They have a bubble of water stored under their wing covers to help them resurface, and they come to the surface tail first. As adults they can also fly around and find the perfect spring to live in.

To me, just the name predaceous diving beetle sounds a little scary. And learning that they are cannibalistic adds to their creepiness. So it took me some time to work up the courage to pick up a beetle to examine more carefully. After all, I didn't want to become part of its prey, even if it was just a nibble. 

After a few clumsy attempts, I finally managed to grasp the beetle and lift it up, making sure that its mouth was far from my skin. The photo doesn't do justice how wiggly the beetle was. It didn't really like me to hold it, and I didn't really like holding it, but I did it for you, the readers of this blog, for your personal edification. I'm sure you will feel intellectually stimulated after reading today's post. (Actually, I think you might be paranoid about these beetles if you see them, but that's really not my intent.)

It has six legs, just like any insect, along with two eyes, antennae, and mandible parts. Those mandible parts are what scared me. They're short but sharp, and anything that's sharp can really get your attention.

This particular species is widespread throughout North America. It has lots of close relatives; the family has about 475 species in North America. 

Apparently some species of these beetles are eaten fairly frequently in China, Thailand, and New Guinea, and are even raised for consumption. They reportedly taste like chicken. No, I'm kidding, the report I read said they taste rather bland. I have to admit that even though I sometimes do strange things, I did not taste this beetle for you. But if you want to taste one, let me know and we'll see if we can sort out something.

Closely related are the water scavenger beetles, in the family Hydrophilidae. Instead of using their legs like oars (both moving together), they use them like paddles (moving them alternately). Another difference is that when they come to the surface, they bring their head up first instead of their rear. 

Both predaceous diving beetles and water scavenger beetles will also eat carrion. So don't fall into a spring and die or you really will become dinner. 

The Many Faces of Desert Boy

I'm working on a post about some cool beetles, but I realize that I need some more time to research them. So when I need something fast to post about, Desert Boy is always an easy solution. 

One of my brothers said I've posted way too many photos of happy Desert Boy, so today here are some other expressions. Like the one above, where you can see a tired and crying Desert Boy. Maybe he's crying because he is so clean. 

Here's sleepy Desert Boy. The hike wore him out. Wait a minute, he didn't have to do the hiking, why is he so tired?

This is dirty and opinionated Desert Boy. He is not afraid to check out the scene and figure out what he wants.

Take two: Dirty and opinionated Desert Boy.  This is a look I'm seeing more often. His personality is definitely developing.

This Desert Boy doesn't think much of his cousin's music. It won't take him long till he thinks it's cool. (Sorry, that word "cool" just slipped in, and now that it's written I just can't bring myself to go back and delete it.)

Okay, I couldn't help myself, I had to put in one picture of a giggly, happy Desert Boy. It's just one picture, after all. 

Getting to Know a Desert Short Horned Lizard

9/21/08 I've consulted with a herpetologist and this is indeed a Short Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma hernandesi) rather than a Desert Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma platyrhinos). Short horned lizards are rarer around here than desert horned lizards, and the principal way to tell them apart is by the shape and size of the little horns on the back of their heads. Both species have very similar life histories, so the information originally presented here for desert horned lizard still holds true for the short horned lizard.

I was out wandering in the desert the other day and got lucky enough to come upon a desert horned lizard (Phrynosoma platyrhinos), my favorite lizard. My camera was handy so I snapped a ton of photos. Doesn't the lizard look like he (or is it a she?--I don't even know how to tell) is having a good time being a model? Look at the giant smile and the come-hither look of those dark eyes.

By the way, the desert horned lizard is sometimes called a horny toad, although it's not a toad at all. The name is kind of fun, though. I can see you smirking.

Okay, back to the lizard. The desert horned lizard is the widest and thickest of the lizards we have in our area. Most lizards are streamlined, but the desert horned lizard has survived just fine with its different shape. Part of the reason that it does so well is its cryptic coloring--it blends in with its surroundings so well. Another way it's different from the other lizards are the rows of fringed and pointed scales (spines) along its back and sides. Makes it look a little more dinosaurian. (That's probably not a word, but pretend you know what I mean.)

I was in a saline area, with lots of white salt and soil, and the desert horned lizard was white to match it. In another part of the valley with brown dirt, the horned lizards are browner. The black and yellow speckles look just like lichen, and if the lizard stayed still while you were walking, it would be virtually impossible to see it. However, desert lizards tend to try to run away to the nearest bush if someone approaches, making it possible to spot them. 

The two dark splotches on the neck are characteristic of the desert horned lizard. One of the cool things about this lizard is that it will partially bury itself in sand and wait for its favorite prey, ants, to walk by, and then stick its long tongue out and lift them off the ground and to its mouth and eat them.

Sorry about using the word "cool" so much in this blog. I guess it kind of dates me. I would be a different generation if I used the word "awesome." And the kids today would say that this lizard is "sick." Now back to the lizard--again.

Little baby lizards should be out and about now in August, hatching from eggs that were laid about two months ago. It will take a baby lizard about two years to become an adult, and they live about 5 to 8 years. Because they eat mostly ants and are picky about what ant species they eat, they don't do well in captivity. 

By the way, I almost forgot to point out the horns behind the eyes that give the desert horned lizard its name. But you probably already figured that out.

As the weather gets cooler (which will occur at some point despite the heat wave we're in), the desert horned lizards will eventually go into hibernation for the winter. Then they'll come back out in the spring, ready to pose for pictures.