Desert Tortoise Natural Area Inventory of Vertebrate Animals This inventory of the reptiles, mammals and birds of the Desert Tortoise Research Natural Area is based on the lists prepared by Dr. Kristin H. Berry in 1973. Additions include animals observed by DTPC naturalists stationed at the Natural Area and others. Reptiles ORDER TESTUDINES - Turtles and Tortoises   Family Testudinidae Desert tortoise, Gopherus agassizii (Cooper, 1863)   ORDER SQUAMATA SUBORDER LACERTILIA - Lizards   Family Gekkonidae Banded gecko, Coleonix variegatus variegatus (Baird, 1858) Family Iguanidae Chuckwalla, Sauromalus obesus Dumeril, 1856 Collared lizard, Crotaphytus insularis bicinctores Smith & Tanner, 1972 Desert horned lizard, Phrynosoma platyrhinos calidiarum (Cope, 1896) Desert iguana, Dipsosaurus dorsalis (Baird & Girard, 1852) Desert spiny lizard, Sceloporus magister uniformis Phelan & Brattstrom, 1955 Long-nosed leopard lizard, Gambelia wislizenii wislizenii (Baird & Girard, 1852) Side-blotched lizard, Uta stansburiana Baird & Girard, 1852 Zebra-tailed lizard, Calisaurus draconoides Blainville, 1835 Family Teiidae Western whiptail lizard, Cnemidophorus tigris tigris Baird & Girard, 1852 Family Xantusiidae Desert night lizard, Xanthusia vigilis vigilis Baird, 1858   ORDER SQUAMATA SUBORDER SERPENTES - Snakes   Family Boidae Rosy boa, Lichanura trivirgata Cope, 1861 Family Colubridae Black-headed snake, Tantilla hobartsmithi Taylor, 1936 Desert night snake, Hypsiglena torquata (Gunther, 1860) Glossy snake, Arizona elegans Kennicott, 1859 Gopher snake, Pituophis catenifer deserticola (Blainville, 1835) King snake, Lampropeltis getulus californiae (Blainville, 1835) Long-nosed snake, Rhinocheilus lecontei lecontei Baird & Girard, 1853 Mojave patch-nosed snake, Salvadora hexalepis mojavensis Bogert, 1945 Mojave shovel-nosed snake, Chionactis occipitalis occipitalis (Hallowell, 1864) Red racer or coachwhip, Masticophis flagellum piceus (Cope, 1892) Spotted leaf-nosed snake, Phyllorhynchus decurtatus perkinsi Klauber, 1935 Western ground snake, Sonora semiannulata Baird & Girard, 1853 Family Leptotyphlopidae Western blind snake, Leptotyphlops humilis (Baird & Girard, 1853) Family Viperidae, subfamily Crotalinae Mojave rattlesnake, Crotalus scutulatus scutulatus (Kennicott, 1861) Mojave desert sidewinder, Crotalus cerastes cerastes Hallowell, 1854 Panamint rattlesnake, Crotalus mitchelli stephensi Klauber, 1930   Mammals Order Carnivora   Family Canidae Desert kit fox, Vulpes macrotis arsipus Grey fox, Urocyon cinereoargenteus (Schreber, 1775) Coyote, Canis latrans mearnsi Family Felidae Bobcat, Lynx rufus baileyi Family Mustelidae American badger, Taxidea taxus berlandieri Striped skunk, Mephitis mephitis Spotted skunk, Spilogale putorius Family Procyonidae Ringtail cat, Bassariscus astutus willetti   Order Chiroptera   Family Vespertilionidae Western pipistrelle, Pipistrellus hesperus hesperus   Order Insectivora   Family Soricidae Crawford's desert shrew, Notiosorex crawfordi crawfordi   Order Lagomorpha   Family Leporidae Black-tailed hare (Jackrabbit), Lepus californicus Audubon cottontail, Sylvilagus auduboni arizonae   Order Rodentia   Family Sciuridae Antelope Ground Squirrel, Ammospermophilus leucurus leucurus Mohave ground squirrel, Spermophilus mohavensis Family Geomyidae Botta pocket gopher, Thomomys bottae mohavensis Family Heteromyidae Little pocket mouse, Perognathus longimembris longimembris Long-tailed pocket mouse, Perognathus formosus mohavensis Merriam's Kangaroo Rat, Dipodomys merriami Mearns, 1890 Panamint Kangaroo rat, Dipodomys panamintinus (Merriam, 1894) Family Cricetidae Canyon mouse, Peromyscus crinitus stephensi Deer mouse, Peromyscus maniculatus sonoriensis Desert woodrat, Neotoma lepida lepida Grasshopper mouse, Onychomys torridus pulcher   Birds Species that breed at the Natural Area are indicated in bold.   Order Apodiformes   Family Trochilidae Anna's hummingbird, Calypte anna Black-chinned hummingbird, Archilochus alexandri Costa's hummingbird, Calypte costae   Order Caprimulgiformes   Family Caprimulgidae Lesser nighthawk, Chordeiles acutipennis Poor-will, Phalaenoptilus nutallii   Order Charadriiformes   Family Recurvirostridae Black-necked Stilt, Himantopus mexicanus (Connor and Kaur, 2004)   Order Ciconiiformes   Family Ardeidae Snowy Egret, Egretta thula (Connor and Hemingway, 2003)   Order Columbiformes   Family Colubidae Mourning dove, Zenaida macroura Rock dove (domestic pigeon), Columba livia   Order Cuculiformes   Family Cuculidae Greater roadrunner, Geococcyx californianus   Order Falconiformes   Family Accipitridae Golden eagle, Aquila chrysaetos Northern harrier, Circus cyaneus Red-tailed hawk, Buteo jamaicensis Rough-legged hawk, Buteo lagopus Swainson's hawk, Buteo swainsoni Osprey, Pandion haliaetus (Connor and Kaur, 2004; ibid 2005) Family Cathartidae Turkey vulture, Cathartes aura Family Falconidae Prairie falcon, Falco mexicanus Kestrel, Falco sparverius (Connor and Kaur, 2004)   Order Galliformes   Family Phasianidae California Quail, Callipepla californica (Connor and Kaur, 2004) Chukar, Alectoris chukar Gambel's quail, Lophortyx gambelii   Order Passeriformes   Family Alaudidae Horned lark, Eremophila alpestris FAMILY Certhiidae Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Polioptila caerulea (Connor and Kaur, 2005) Family Corvidae Common raven, Corvus corax Family Emberizidae Black-headed grosbeak, Pheucticus ludovicianus Brewer's sparrow, Spizella breweri Chippping sparrow, Spizella passerina Dark-eyed Junco, Junco hyemalis House finch, Carpodacus mexicanus Lark sparrow, Chondestes grammacus Lazuli bunting, Passerina amoena Lawrence's Goldfinch, Carduelis lawrencei (Connor and Kaur, 2005) Lesser goldfinch, Carduelis psaltria Sage sparrow, Amphispiza belli White-crowned sparrow, Zonotrichia leucophrys Family Fringillidae Black-throated sparrow, Amphispiza bilineata Family Hirundinidae Barn swallow, Hirundo rustica Cliff swallow, Petrochelidon pyrrhonota Rough-winged swallow, Stelgidopteryx ruficollis Tree swallow, Iridoprocne bicolor Violet green swallow, Tachycineta thalassina Family Icterinae Brewer's blackbird, Euphagus cyanocephalus Bullock’s oriole, Icterus galbula Hooded Oriole, Icterus cucullatus (Connor and Kaur, 2004) Scott’s oriole, Icterus parisorum Western meadowlark, Sturnella neglecta Family Laniidae Loggerhead shrike, Lanius ludovicianus Family Mimidae LeConte's thrasher, Toxostoma lecontei Mocking bird, Mimus polyglottus Sage thrasher, Oreoscoptes montanus Family Muscicapidae Ruby-crowned kinglet, Regulus calendula Family Paridae Verdin, Auriparus flaviceps Family Parulinae Audubon's warbler, Dendroica coronata Black-throated gray warbler, Dendroica nigrescens Townsend's warbler, Dendroica townsendi Wilson's warbler, Wilsonia pusilla Family Ptilogonatidae Phainopepla, Phainopepla nitens Family Sturnidae European starling, Sturnus vulgaris Family Thraupidae Western tanager, Piranga ludoviciana Family Troglodytidae Cactus wren, Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus Rock wren, Salpinctes obsoletus Winter wren, Troglodytes troglodytes Family Turdidae Hermit thrush, Catharus guttatus Mountain bluebird, Sialia currucoides Family Tyrannidae Ash-throated flycatcher, Myiarchus cinerascens Black phoebe, Sayornis nigricans Say’s phoebe, Sayornis saya Western kingbird, Tyrannus verticalis Western wood pewee, Contopus sordidulus Family Vireonidae Bell's vireo, Vireo bellii Gray vireo, Vireo vicinior   Order Piciformes   Family Picidae Common (red-shafted) flicker, Colaptes auratus Ladderback woodpecker, Picoides scalaris   Order Strigiformes   Family Strigidae Short-eared owl, Asio flammeus Burrowing owl, Speotyto (Athene) cunicularia   References Berry, K. H. (1973) Birds of the Desert Tortoise Preserve. Berry, K. H. (1973) Mammals of the Desert Tortoise Preserve. Berry, K. H. (1973) Reptiles of the Desert Tortoise Preserve. Collins, J. T. (1980) Standard common and current scientific names for North American amphibians and reptiles. Third Edition. Herpetological Circular 19. Society for the Study of Reptiles and Amphibians. Connor, M. J. and Hemingway, C. C. (2003) Observations and Activities of the Naturalist at the Desert Tortoise Research Natural Area, Kern County, California: March 21 through June 19, 2003. Connor, M. J. and Kaur, J. (2004) Observations and Activities of the Naturalist at the Desert Tortoise Research Natural Area, Kern County, California: March 12 through June 7, 2004. Connor, M. J. and Kaur, J. (2005) Observations and Activities of the Naturalist at the Desert Tortoise Research Natural Area, Kern County, California: March 16 through June 7, 2005.