Snakes and Lizards of the High Desert Plains of the Mojave Desert | Field Herping California

Just outside of the Los Angeles is the High Desert Plains and Hills of the Mojave Desert. Blooming with magnificent yellows and oranges its the perfect place to see many of the desert secret creatures. Exploring the hills turned up coachwhips, horned lizards, and more, but the real spectacle was at night. Glossy snakes, Leaf-nosed snakes, and Mojave Rattlesnakes traveling across the roads of the desert plains. What we saw: Coachwhip: Masticophis flagellum Western Banded Gecko: Coleonyx variegatus Desert Horned Lizard: Phrynosoma platyrhinos Common Chuckwalla: Sauromalus ater Desert Collared Lizard: Crotaphytus bicinctores Gopher Snake: Pituophis catenifer Mojave Desert Tortoise: Gopherus agassizii Glossy Snake: Arizona elegans California Kingsnake: Lampropeltis californiae Mojave Rattlesnake: Crotalus scutulatus Spotted Leaf-nosed Snake: Phyllorhynchus decurtatus Be sure to check out the instagrams of the group   / z_e_herping     / paisleyinthedesert     / justin.pittman3613     / agiantsperspective     / scottieholcombe     / elly_jj   And as always, if you want to learn how to identify what you see in the field, check out Schechter Natural History's Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians. https://schechterguides.com/herp-guide/