Desert reptiles are well adapted to life in such regions. Learn about the characteristics that allow the to thrive in a harsh environment.
Reptiles survive in the desert even with the intense heat and drought conditions. When traveling in the desert you may see some of the ones defined here, although you will not see them all as some are very inconspicuous. These reptiles have adapted to the elements in the desert and often blend in with the area.
Horned lizards
Horned lizards (Phrynosoma cornutum) as often called tapayas and even horned toads live in the desert. They are not related to the toads but have a flat head thus the connection. The body has pointed scales with ten to twelve inch projections jutting out from the back of the head. They can change the color of their bodies to blend into their surroundings. The pigment granules in them can change as the sun and shade affects them or when the temperature changes. This changing to blend in with surroundings protects them from predators and conceals them very well. Their ability to attack in surprise is camouflage.
Horned lizards shed tiny drops of blood from the eyes when excited. This is a defense mechanism against a predator. It burrows into the sand very rapidly.
The female deposits her eggs in a six inch hole enclosed in a soft membrane and then covers them. They eggs hatch in thirteen weeks.
The Banded Gecko
The only gecko lizard living in North American deserts is the banded gecko (Coleonyx variegatus). They eat scorpions, spiders, centipedes and insects. They are nocturnal. Dilation occurs on the fingers and toes of the climbing geckos. Sides have plates or suckers that let them grasp surfaces. When the winds blow tiny insects swept from hiding are eaten by the gecko.
Gill Monsters
The Gill monster (Heloderma suspectum) and the beaded lizards (Heloderma horridum) belong to the family of Helodermatidae. These are the only species of lizards in the word that are venomous. The Gill monster is a stout, heavy lizard that walks very slowly. It has bead-like scales covering the body in a mainly pinkish-orange patter with black and yellow.
It brings death to prey by biting with the fang-like teeth that have grooves on the front and rear. The venom is secreted by salivary glands. A sensing organ in the roof of the mouth helps with sensory perception of the nostrils. The tongue can pick up odor. The main targets of prey are animals that have no defense. Killing results from injection of the venom into wounds directly from the teeth.
Food reserves stored tissues make survival of cold winters and hot summers possible as it can go without eating for months. The tail gets very thin during this time.
Males have a double copulatory organ meaning the hemipenes is composed of two erectile parts that jut out from the sides of the cloaca. After copulation the female will lay eggs in the sand, usually about twelve. Babies hatch in thirty days.
Beaded Lizard
The beaded lizard has bead-like scales that are pale yellow and black. It is linked and very similar to the Gill monster and lives in the desert.
On North American deserts you will find land tortoise. One land tortoise lives in the desert Southwest and in Mexico while the other two live in Florida and Texas. They will hiberate in a deep burrow of sand during the winter and awake in spring. They will mate after the flowers have bloomed in the desert and there is plenty of food. The female buries her eggs a few inches below the surface and babies hatch in perhaps four months. All of these species of land tortoise are becoming more rare as the years pass.
The Chuckwalla
A vegetarian lizard that lives in the desert is the chuckwalla (Sauromalus obesuc). It grows to twenty inches long, weighs three pounds and is large and dark brown. Being a vegetarian the chuckwalls eats flowers and fruits especially in the early morning and evening. It will estivate for most of the year. Female lay eggs every two years. If a predator grabs it by the tail, the tail will snap off and regrow quickly.
Desert Iguana
The desert iguana (Dipsosaurus dorsalis) is another reptile living in the desert that eats flowers and leaves and sometimes rodents. This iguana does not like the sun so hides during the day.
Snakes
Coral snakes in the desert have contrasting colors or patterns that will make it readily seen among plants, etc. The Mexican moccasin (Agkistrodon ilineatus) has contrasting colors as in the coral snake. Rattlesnakes hunt by ambush. They will see or hear a prey near them then lift the tail and make a buzzing sound by waving it from side to side then sink the venomous fangs in the victim. They have a forked tongue and Jacobson's organ as does the Gill monster for better tracking of prey. Rattlesnakes can shed their skin. They also hibernate. Rattlesnakes have a facial pit between the nostril and the eyes that is like a temperature-differential receptor.
There are some snakes in the desert that will attack and eat other snakes such as the whip-snake (Masticophis flagellum), the king snake (Lampropeltis getulus) and the indigo snake (Drymarchon corais). The victims are killed by pressure on the neck then they are swallowed.
Rattlesnakes have babies that are born alive. Mating occurs when one male is able to posses the female. Depending on the temperature some years there are less rattlesnakes born as low temperatures retard development of embryos.
There are many other snakes such as the prairie rattlesnake (Crotals viridis), the western diamonback (Crotalus atrox) and the eastern diamondback (crotalus adamenteus). The timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horidus) also thrives in the desert.
Rattlesnakes will feed on toads, frogs and lizards when young then they prey and kill squirrels, rabbits, rodents and other smaller animals in the desert.
Some reptiles in the desert can be seen in the summer but most will be comatose during the winter months. When you are in the desert try to see if you can find any of the species mentioned in this article and others not mentioned.
