Interested in Wildlife?
Because the elevation, vegetation, and terrain within Washington County are so diverse, the Reserve is home to an unusual mix of wildlife which are by no means limited to the list below. Click on a species’ scientific name below for photos and info. Also, check out the cool videos where linked.
Mammals
Striped Skunk
Mephitis mephitis
Mule Deer
Odocoileus hemionus
Black-tailed Jackrabbit
Lepus californicus
Western Gray Squirrel
Sciurus griseus
Antelope Ground Squirrel
Ammospermophilus leucurus
Ord’s Kangaroo Rat
Dipodomys ordii
Desert Woodrat
Neotoma lepida
Bats
Order Chiroptera
Turtles and Tortoises
Mojave Desert Tortoise
Gopherus agassizii
Video
Spiny Softshell Turtle
Apalone spinifera
Red-eared Slider
Trachemys scripta
Lizards
Gila Monster
Heloderma suspectum
Video
Chuckwalla
Sauromalus ater
Long-nosed Leopard Lizard
Gambelia wislizenii
Great Basin Collared Lizard
Crotaphytus bicinctores
Desert Horned Lizard
Phrynosoma platyrhinos
Mountain Short-horned Lizard
Phrynosoma hernandesi
Zebra-tailed Lizard
Callisaurus draconoides
Yellow-backed Spiny Lizard
Sceloporus magister
Western Fence Lizard
Sceloporus occidentalis
Plateau Fence Lizard
Sceloporus tristichus
Side-blotched Lizard
Uta stansburiana
Tiger Whiptail
Aspidoscelis tigris
Plateau Striped Whiptail
Aspidocelis velox
Western Banded Gecko
Coleonyx variegatus
Western Skink
Eumeces skiltonianus
Snakes
Great Basin Rattlesnake
Crotalus lutosus
Mojave Desert Sidewinder
Crotalus cerastes
Video
California Kingsnake
Lampropeltis californiae
Sonoran Mountain Kingsnake
Lampropeltis pyromelana
Coachwhip Snake
Masticophis flagellum
Striped Whipsnake
Masticophis taeniatus
Long-nosed Snake
Rhinocheilus lecontei
Western Lyresnake
Trimorphodon biscutatus
Night Snake
Hypsiglena torquata
Ring-neck Snake
Diadophis punctatus
Wandering Gartersnake
Thamnophis elegans vagrans
Smith’s Black-headed Snake
Tantilla hobartsmithi
Ground Snake
Sonora semiannulata
Western Blind Snake
Rena humilis cahuilae
Birds (limited to common species)
Want your bird observations to contribute to science? Ebird is the largest citizen science project in the world. Submitted observations directly contribute to distribution maps, and towards discovering important long-term population trends.
Wild Turkey
Meleagris gallopavo
Gambel’s Quail
Callipepla gambelii
Lesser Nighthawk
Chordeiles acutipennis
Hairy Woodpecker
Leuconotopicus villosus
Loggerhead Shrike
Lanius ludovicianus
Western Kingbird
Tyrannus verticalis
White-throated Swift
Aeronautes saxatalis
Cliff Swallow
Petrochelidon pyrrhonota
Western Meadowlark
Sturnella neglecta
Cactus Wren
Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus
Canyon Wren
Catherpes mexicanus
House Wren
Troglodytes aedon
Rock Wren
Salpinctes obsoletus
Juniper Titmouse
Baeolophus ridgwayi
Black-throated Sparrow
Amphispiza bilineata
Chipping Sparrow
Spizella passerina
Sagebrush Sparrow
Artemisiospiza nevadensis
White-crowned Sparrow
Zonotrichia leucophrys
House Finch
Carpodacus mexicanus
Lesser Goldfinch
Spinus psaltria
Amphibians
American Bullfrog
Lithobates catesbeianus
Canyon Tree Frog
Hyla arenicolor
Pacific Chorus Frog
Pseudacris regilla
Red Spotted Toad
Anaxyrus punctatus
Southwestern Toad
Anaxyrus mexicanus
Woodhouse’s Toad
Anaxyrus hemiophrys
Great Basin Spadefoot
Spea intermontana
Tiger Salamander
Ambystoma tigrinum
