Hot weather brings out the reptiles

In keeping with the theme started in my last post, I want to address the looming issue of possible reptile encounters.  The weather here in Az. continues to set records.  Hot, hot, hot....  Tomorrow the temperature will be a cool 75F.  No one is going to complain about seeing the daytime temp dip into the 70's after many days in the 80's and even 90's.  This will be a one day event as the temps go back up to 80 for the rest of the week.  I can see the faces of our Pacific Northwest friends who have been suffering through one of the wettest winters in some time.  I don't know if the look is bewilderment  but I know these are not happy faces.  I digress......

Right.  Reptiles.  Dana and I went to the Boyce Thompson Arboretum this morning.  We had not been to BTA for several weeks.  The last time we were there it was not "very birdy".  We had better luck this morning by identifying 26 species of birds, including 3 species new to our year to date list.  These new birds are: American Robin, Hammond's Flycatcher and Broad-billed Hummingbird.  

Here we go.  Reptiles.  In addition to the many birds that we saw today at BTA we also saw many lizards.  The are 107 species of reptiles in Az.  There are 49 species of lizards, 6 species of turtles and 52 species of snakes.  There is a saying here in the desert that when you start seeing lizards, the snakes are not far behind.  I can't say for certain how many species of lizard we saw today, perhaps only a few.  I did get a good picture of one which I have included in this post.

No, we did not see any snakes today but we were certainly on the lookout for them.  While we don't spend all day talking about snake encounters, it is a topic that comes up whenever we venture out into the desert.  We are trying to educate ourselves on how to avoid snakes, what to do when we encounter one and of course what to do in the event we are bitten.  The Arizona Fish & Game Department has a website page dedicated to "Reptiles".  It states "Among the snakes are 13 species of rattlesnakes, which is just over one-third of the world’s rattlesnakes, and more than can be found in any other U.S. state".  Such an upbeat statement.  Yippee!  We have more snakes than anyone else in the U.S.!!  Fine.

It would be so easy to become paranoid about being bitten by a rattlesnake and dying a slow agonizing death in the hot Arizona desert, Turkey Vultures circling waiting to feast, while Coyotes yip with excitement and anticipation of an easy meal.  Of course that would be sooo... Hollywood.  The reality is that only 150 people get bit by rattlesnakes in Arizona each year.  Deaths are rare.  They say that the best way to avoid being bitten is to avoid "handling" rattlesnakes and to "walk" away from any encounter.  Got it.  Check, check and double check!  No handling and walk away.  Got it!

I leave you with two photos from today.  The first one is what I believe to be a Hammond's Flycatcher, although my friend and master birder has yet to provide his feedback on my identification.  The second is a photo of one of the lizards we saw today.  It is a Greater Earless Lizard.  I can't say with any certainty how huge this lizard was but apparently it is harmless but I did not handle it so I don't know for sure.