# Creatures of the Sonoran Desert



## AntlerAlchemist (Apr 21, 2017)

I have been living in Tucson for the past two winters. So I'm not seeing as much activity as there is in the summer months ( I've been here for that too but, no pics to show right now) The various things I have gotten to see though I will post here.


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## AntlerAlchemist (Apr 21, 2017)

Gopher snake

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## AntlerAlchemist (Apr 21, 2017)

Stripe tailed scorpion

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## AntlerAlchemist (Apr 21, 2017)

Although this isn't the creature it's self, a mountain lion track. This is about a week old, I saw it when it was fresh but I didn't have my camera. The picture was taken in Saguaro National Park.

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## AntlerAlchemist (Apr 21, 2017)

western baby gekco baby

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## AntlerAlchemist (Apr 21, 2017)

western banded gekco adult

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## AntlerAlchemist (Apr 21, 2017)

Common king snake

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## AntlerAlchemist (Apr 21, 2017)

regal horned lizard

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## AntlerAlchemist (Apr 21, 2017)

Gila monster

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## AntlerAlchemist (Apr 21, 2017)

Western diamond back rattle snake

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## AntlerAlchemist (Apr 21, 2017)

Canyon tree frogs

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## AntlerAlchemist (Apr 21, 2017)

Greater short horned lizard on Mount Lemmon. I don't think I ever see this species in the low lands, only on the mountain.

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## AntlerAlchemist (Apr 21, 2017)

More canyon tree frogs, water is starting to get scarce.

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## AntlerAlchemist (Apr 21, 2017)

another greater short horned lizard.

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## AntlerAlchemist (Apr 21, 2017)

Solifuge, I was hoping it was a T burrow. But I can't say I was disappointed!

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## AntlerAlchemist (Apr 21, 2017)

This is a T burrow, they seem to web the opening durring the day to keep the predators at bay.

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## AntlerAlchemist (Apr 21, 2017)

Another A. chalcodes in the burrow

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## AntlerAlchemist (Apr 21, 2017)

I though this could be another tarantula burrow, but when I used my flashlight to see inside I could tell by the large eyes that it wasn't. It was a giant wolf spider! I was able to coax it out by tickling a piece of grass in front of the burrow. Look at those creepy eyes!

(edited to the correct species of spider!)

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## AntlerAlchemist (Apr 21, 2017)

This is the first tailless whip scorpion I've ever seen  It was right next to the trail.

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## Biollantefan54 (Apr 22, 2017)

AntlerAlchemist said:


> View attachment 237639
> View attachment 237640
> View attachment 237641
> 
> I though this could be another tarantula burrow, but when I used my flashlight to see inside I could tell by the large eyes that it wasn't. It was a huntsman spider! I was able to coax it out by tickling a piece of grass in front of the burrow. Look at those creepy eyes!


This is a wolf spider, Hogna, maybe carolinensis


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## AntlerAlchemist (Apr 22, 2017)

Biollantefan54 said:


> This is a wolf spider, Hogna, maybe carolinensis


 Oh dang! You are right, now that I looked up the huntsman again. I've seen them before so I should have known Doh! This spider was so big I was thinking the giant crab spider. I've never seen a wolf spider this big!


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## AntlerAlchemist (Apr 22, 2017)

Definitely an adult male Carolina wolf spider!


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## GingerC (Apr 22, 2017)

Those are some cool pics! I just took a trip to the Sonoran desert museum yesterday, and we really do have an awesome biodiversity. Forget about the enclosures, I was happy just to see a phainopepla for the first time!

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## AntlerAlchemist (Apr 22, 2017)

It truly is an awesome place! The Sonoran desert the best desert there is!

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## Ran (Apr 22, 2017)

Great photos of those beautiful desert fauna! Thank you for sharing

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## Ratmosphere (Apr 22, 2017)

Such awesome finds!


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## AntlerAlchemist (Apr 23, 2017)

I found another tailless whip scorpion  Walking in the dark with a flashlight has opened my eyes to the amount of arachnids just hiding and waiting for nightfall!

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## Chris LXXIX (Apr 23, 2017)

No centipedes?

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## Biollantefan54 (Apr 23, 2017)

Looks like Paraphrynus mexicanus

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## AntlerAlchemist (Apr 23, 2017)

No Centipedes yet... Todays finds though include another regal horned lizard and a possible taratula burrow? Now that I look at it again, it looks similar to the Carolina wolf spider burrows.

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## AntlerAlchemist (Apr 23, 2017)

Biollantefan54 said:


> Looks like Paraphrynus mexicanus


Yeah it most likely is


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## AntlerAlchemist (Apr 23, 2017)

Other things I've seen the past two evenings include a ring necked snake and two prowling western banded geckos. Too dark and too fast for pictures

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## AntlerAlchemist (Apr 25, 2017)

The Iron Cross Blister Beetles are out in full force. They are hard to photograph when they are walking around! They barely hold still! I did eventually find one eatting so I could take a better picture. In doing a bit of research I learned that they contain cantharidin. Which can cause blistering and was ( and still is) used in making "Spanish Fly"

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## AntlerAlchemist (Apr 25, 2017)

A few more insects from yesterday. A katydid and a praying mantis. Both are immature, I'm not really sure of the exact species.

Edit: Actually the Mantis is an adult agile ground mantis https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Litaneutria_minor

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## AntlerAlchemist (Apr 25, 2017)

Hummingbird eggs April 2nd. Hummingbird babies April 24th.
I believe these are broad billed hummingbirds. The mother is always flitting around chasing other birds away, so I never get a good look.

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## GingerC (Apr 25, 2017)

The picture of the blister beetle is giving me so many memories! I remember once, when I was around six or so, my dad found one in a parking lot and brought it home because it was entirely unfamiliar. With the help of Wikipedia, we identified it, but only after digging through a few hundred insect pages, lol. A pretty pointless story, but a fond memory of mine.

Also, that black mantis is incredibly cool. I know it's a young one, but how big was it?


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## AntlerAlchemist (Apr 25, 2017)

GingerC said:


> The picture of the blister beetle is giving me so many memories! I remember once, when I was around six or so, my dad found one in a parking lot and brought it home because it was entirely unfamiliar. With the help of Wikipedia, we identified it, but only after digging through a few hundred insect pages, lol. A pretty pointless story, but a fond memory of mine.
> 
> Also, that black mantis is incredibly cool. I know it's a young one, but how big was it?



Ah trying to figure out a bug species can be so hard! I figured out that the mantis is probably an adult agile ground mantis! It was about 1.5 inches I would guess. Wikipedia says they get to be around 1.2 inches

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Litaneutria_minor

I didn't actually see it, my husband did  My eyes are better, but he is more observant!


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## aphono (Apr 25, 2017)

Nice pics!  Thank you for the ID on ground mantis.  I've seen tiny mantises just like that except not as dark, on the ground in my yard. When mowing weeds I try to catch and put them up on a plant but they are nearly impossible to catch(very fast!) and they refuse to stay up on anything. Just never occurred to me there might be some kinds that favor the ground..  Interesting!

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## GingerC (Apr 25, 2017)

AntlerAlchemist said:


> Ah trying to figure out a bug species can be so hard! I figured out that the mantis is probably an adult agile ground mantis! It was about 1.5 inches I would guess. Wikipedia says they get to be around 1.2 inches
> 
> https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Litaneutria_minor
> 
> I didn't actually see it, my husband did  My eyes are better, but he is more observant!


Interestingly enough, my little brother just found a blister beetle in the yard today! Had absolutely no clue they lived in my neighborhood.

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## AntlerAlchemist (Apr 25, 2017)

aphono said:


> Nice pics!  Thank you for the ID on ground mantis.  I've seen tiny mantises just like that except not as dark, on the ground in my yard. When mowing weeds I try to catch and put them up on a plant but they are nearly impossible to catch(very fast!) and they refuse to stay up on anything. Just never occurred to me there might be some kinds that favor the ground..  Interesting!



I was able to find a list of the mantis species of Arizona, but they were all latin and no pictures! So I copied and searched each until I found a picture of one that looked like the one pictured. It was the only one that resembled it! They do come in a lighter form as well it seems  I'm pretty stoked. I've never seen a mantis species like this.


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## AntlerAlchemist (Apr 25, 2017)

I know it happens all the time... but I still felt bad. Such is life. I have been noticing a lot of tarantula hawks out now that it has warmed up. I watch them as they check out every hole, and I secretly hope there isn't a tarantula in there. Well here is where they get their name sake. You can see how the tarantula hawk has dragged the tarantula through the sand. It will find a quiet place to lay it's egg and bury the spider. The tarantula was about the same size as my little Shelob, which would make the wasp about 2 inches long. I hear it has one of the most painful stings there are, I don't ever want to find out what it feels like.

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## AntlerAlchemist (Apr 25, 2017)

About the sting from the tarantula hawk. Copied from Wikipedia 

Tarantula hawk wasps are relatively docile and rarely sting without provocation. However, the sting—particularly that of _P. grossa_—is among the most painful of all insects, though the intense pain only lasts about five minutes.[7]One researcher described the pain as "…immediate, excruciating, unrelenting pain that simply shuts down one's ability to do anything, except scream. Mental discipline simply does not work in these situations."[4] In terms of scale, the wasp's sting is rated near the top of the Schmidt sting pain index, second only to that of the bullet ant, and is described by Schmidt as "blinding, fierce [and] shockingly electric".[1] Because of their extremely large stingers, very few animals are able to eat them; one of the few animals that can is the roadrunner. Many predatory animals avoid these wasps, and many different insects mimicthem, including various other wasps and bees(Müllerian mimics), as well as moths, flies (e.g., mydas flies), and beetles (e.g., _Tragidion_) (Batesian mimics).

Aside from the possibility of triggering an allergic reaction, the sting is not dangerous and does not require medical attention. Local redness appears in most cases after the terrifying pain, and lasts for up to a week.

Reactions: Informative 1


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## Ungoliant (Apr 26, 2017)

AntlerAlchemist said:


> I hear it has one of the most painful stings there are, I don't ever want to find out what it feels like.


Skip to 10:40 for the actual sting.


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## GingerC (Apr 26, 2017)

Ahh, the tarantula hawk! They're really pretty, but I wouldn't wanna mess with one :s

Reactions: Funny 1


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## AntlerAlchemist (Apr 26, 2017)

Ha ha I know! At least they aren't very likely to sting unless provoked. I've even had them fly into me, thankfully they are wasps and not hornets!


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## AntlerAlchemist (Apr 26, 2017)

Ungoliant said:


> Skip to 10:40 for the actual sting.



Ha ha I disliked the guy in the clip "I'm going to show you why not to get a pet alligator by provoking this one here and then sticking my arm in it's mouth!" But the part where he gets stung, yeah no thanks!

Reactions: Agree 1


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## aphono (Apr 26, 2017)

Yeah he is kind of stupid.. on top of it all, he apparently has a thing about NOT crying...  Uhm, okay..compensating or whatever...

On the other hand, those rubber tipped tweezers! Would that work in picking up little crickets without killing them?  I have a heck of a time trying to pick out pin head crickets for T slings- sometimes they get uhm, "squished a bit too much for their good"..


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## GingerC (Apr 26, 2017)

I've always liked that channel- you've got to remember, the dude's working from a script, so the things he says aren't necessarily his own opinions. But that's not really the point, the point is the "educational" value of it all.  

(In case it wasn't obvious, replace "educational" with "sadistic".)

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## AntlerAlchemist (Apr 27, 2017)

The reptiles were really out yesterday! Here is a snake track in the sand.  We hiked to the wild horse tank in the saguaro NP from the speedway trailhead.

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## AntlerAlchemist (Apr 27, 2017)

Canyon tree frog tadpoles and a Sonoran mud turtle!

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## AntlerAlchemist (Apr 27, 2017)

Even rattle snakes get thirsty  It was drinking before we scared it into a defensive position.

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## AntlerAlchemist (Apr 27, 2017)

Gila monster  this is the third one I've seen this year! They on average spend only 3 weeks a year above ground. The rest of the time is spent in burrows. They can survive on 5 meals a year!

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## Chris LXXIX (Apr 27, 2017)

Still no centipedes... peccato

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## AntlerAlchemist (Apr 27, 2017)

Chris LXXIX said:


> Still no centipedes... peccato


 I have sadly never seen a centipede in Arizona! I have always wanted to find a Scolopendra heros  I have looked under many pieces of wood, I only ever see lizards, scorpions and beetles!

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## AntlerAlchemist (Apr 28, 2017)

I actually took a picture of the same horned lizard before. This is the one I pictured next to the spider burrow. This time the lizard was not running away, but instead becoming one with the dirt. The ants didn't even notice it's ominous presence. Even walking over it multiple times. I was able to watch it eat one ant, but by the looks of it this isn't a super hungry lizard

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## AntlerAlchemist (Apr 28, 2017)

The sad remains of a desert tortoise. This was off the trail in a wash.

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## AntlerAlchemist (Apr 28, 2017)

The bees have been swarming a lot the past month or so :-S This swarm looks as though it built a comb in the tree. Twice while hiking I have had huge swarms of bees fly over head, it's pretty scary. I'm not sure what the percentage of Africanized bees are out here in the desert. But I try to avoid any I see

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## AntlerAlchemist (Apr 29, 2017)

Another Gila monster, again on the wildhorse trail. Although judging by the patterns and the fact that this one seemed to be missing the tip of it's tail. It is a different lizard! I guess maybe it is the breeding season, so they are more active than usually. I have a video clip but I would have to upload it to a file sharing site :-/ so I'm not going to add it here.

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## aphono (Apr 29, 2017)

Way cool.   I have never seen them in the wild... sure would love to someday.


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## GingerC (Apr 29, 2017)

At this point, I'm just living through you because I live in Mesa


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## AntlerAlchemist (Apr 29, 2017)

Best time to see them is around dusk.  But we hike 5-6 miles in the national park everyday around that time, so your bound to see something if you spend that much time out in the wilds.


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## AntlerAlchemist (Apr 29, 2017)

GingerC said:


> At this point, I'm just living through you because I live in Mesa


 There is always mcdowell mountain park or south mountain park? But I can see it is harder to get to wild places living in the Phoenix area :/


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