Description: Annual; flowers in the spring
Origin: Mediterranean
Reproduction: Seeds
Known locations at Lake Mead NRA: Primarily in the Overton Arm area of the park
Control: Mechanical (hand pull)

Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, established June 18, 1984, is located approximately 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas in the Amargosa Valley of southern Nye County, Nevada. To date, over 23,000 acres of spring-fed wetlands and alkaline desert uplands are managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The refuge provides habitat for at least 24 plants and animals found nowhere else in the world. Four fish and one plant are currently listed as endangered.

The Barn Owl is buff-brown above and white below. The white heart-shaped face is distinctive. Fluffy, densely packed plumage allows the barn owl to fly silently, which is useful when hunting rodents. Owls do not digest the fur and bones of their prey. Instead, they regurgitate them in the form of pellets. Owl pellets are sometimes analyzed to collect information about small mammals of an area. Diet: They feed on mostly rodents. Habitat: They prefer open and partly open grasslands and farmlands. They nest in cliff crevices and abandoned buildings.

The Black-tailed Jackrabbit's dorsal fur is agouti (dark buff peppered with black), and its undersides and the insides of its legs are creamy white. The ears are black-tipped on the outer surface, and unpigmented inside. The ventral surface of the tail is grey to white, and the black dorsal surface of the tail continues up the spine for a few inches to form a short, black stripe. The Black-tailed Jackrabbit is a natural denizen of desert, prairie and chaparral communities, though it also commonly feeds in cultivated pastures and lawns. It may be seen during the day, though it is predominantly crepuscular and nocturnal in its habits. Diet includes cactus, sagebrush, mesquite, juniper berries, grasses, and crop plants such as clover and alfalfa. The hares drink very little, deriving most of their water from their food. Like most hares, Black-tailed Jackrabbits do not use burrows, but rest during the day in a shallow scrape, called a "form," dug into the soil and usually under the cover of available vegetation. Black-tailed Jackrabbits rely on their acute hearing and speed and to evade predators. They can reach speeds of up to 40–45 miles per hour (64–72 km/h), and can leap 19 feet (5.8 m) in a single bound. Their natural predators include Red-tailed Hawks, Ferruginous Hawks, and eagles, as well as mammalian carnivores such as coyotes, foxes, and bobcats. Although they are generally solitary animals, Blacktails often forage and rest in groups, each individual relying on the eyes and ears of the others to detect predators. Like some other lagomorphs, such as the European Rabbit, jackrabbits will thump the ground with their hind legs as an alarm signal as they sprint away from perceived danger. Breeding can occur year-round in the southern regions of the species' range. In the wild, females (does) rarely breed before the age of one year, although they are fertile before that age. A healthy doe may produce four to five litters per year, with one to eight young per litter. Wild leverets usually weigh between 80–100 grams (2.8–3.5 oz) at birth, although healthy, well-fed captive individuals are known to have given birth to young as large as 155 grams (5.5 oz). A doe usually gives birth to her offspring in a form or close to thick brush, and if there are multiple leverets in a litter, she will usually not leave them in a single location. This may be an evolutionary adaptation that prevents a predator from devouring an entire litter. Gestation lasts 45 days, and although the young are precocial, (i.e., active and relatively independent from birth), the mother hare will nurse her babies for a full 12 weeks before weaning them. For attributions please see the wikipedia entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-tailed_Jackrabbit
Photo courtesy Sigrid Wright

If you’re looking for a way to escape the summer heat yet stay outdoors then head to the beach. Boulder Beach is a great place to enjoy the cool, clear waters of Lake Mead for a day of swimming, to go fishing, to enjoy a picnic, or camp with family and friends. These activities and more can be found on the Nevada Children’s Outdoor Bill of Rights.

This is the largest non-venomous lizard (only the venomous Gila monster is larger). It averages about thirteen to fourteen inches in length, with about ½ half of that length made up of its tail. The Chuckwalla is heavy bodied, somewhat flattened in appearance, and it has loose folds of skin on its neck and along its lower sides. Most are dark in color, tending toward black on the head and shoulders, with some tan to reddish color toward the tail. The tail itself, which has a blunt tip, is often a light gray or tan color. The newly hatched young have a tail that has conspicuous bands of orange or yellow alternating with black. Like most of our local lizards, the Chuckwalla is strictly diurnal. From five to sixteen eggs are laid in a single clutch each summer. Habitat: A rock-dweller, the Chuckwalla is found throughout the recreation area at all elevations where there are rock piles or outcrops. It is most often seen basking atop a rock perch.
Diet: It is primarily herbivorous and eats a wide variety of plants including creosote bush. Adaptations: In order to escape predators the Chuckwalla scurries into a rock crevice and gulps air in order to enlarge its body, wedging itself in place. A nasal salt secreting gland also helps this lizard conserve water. 

The color of the coyote's pelt varies from grayish brown to yellowish gray on the upper parts, while the throat and belly tend to have a buff or white color. The forelegs, sides of the head, muzzle and feet are reddish brown. The back has tawn-colored underfur and long, black-tipped guard hairs that form a black dorsal stripe and a dark cross on the shoulder area. The black-tipped tail has a scent gland located on its dorsal base. Coyotes shed once a year, beginning in May with light hair loss, ending in July after heavy shedding. The ears are proportionately large in relation to the head, while the feet are relatively small in relation to the rest of the body. Mountain dwelling coyotes tend to be dark furred while desert coyotes tend to be more yellowish in color. Coyotes typically grow up to 75–87 centimeters (30–34 inches) in length and on average, weigh from 7–21 kilograms (15–46 pounds). Northern coyotes are typically larger than southern subspecies, with the largest coyotes on record weighing 74¾ pounds (33.7 kg) and measuring over five feet in total length. During pursuit, a coyote may reach speeds up to 43 mph (69 km/h), and can jump a distance of over 4 meters (13⅛ feet). Though coyotes have been observed to travel in large groups, they primarily hunt in pairs. Typical packs consist of six closely related adults, yearlings and young. Coyote packs are generally smaller than wolf packs and associations between individuals are less stable, thus making their social behaviour more in line with that of the dingo. It has been theorized that this is due to an earlier expression of aggression, and the fact that coyotes reach their full growth in their first year, unlike wolves who reach it in their second. Common names of coyote groups are a band, a pack, or a rout. Coyotes are primarily nocturnal but can occasionally be seen during daylight hours. Coyotes were once essentially diurnal, but have adapted to more nocturnal behavior with pressure from humans (McClennen et al, 2001).

Desert Bighorn Sheep, there is no mistaking this magnificent animal. The large curved horns and white rump patch identify the ram (male), while the ewe (female) and young have smaller, slightly curved horns. Their gray-brown color allows them to blend in with their surroundings, making them difficult to be seen. Often they can not be seen until they begin to move. The desert bighorn is smaller and paler in color compared to its northern counterpart in the Rocky Mountains. Breeding takes place in the late fall and early winter, with one or two lambs being born in the spring. Habitat: The desert bighorn is an animal of the mountains and canyons. It is seldom seen anywhere else.Diet: Bighorn are herbivores that eat a variety of native desert plants, but they seem to prefer white bursage.Adaptations: Bighorn sheep can go up to several days without water, but they seldom range very far from an active spring or the waters of Lake Mead. Due to the special design of their hooves, they are extremely sure footed and can grip the rocky surface as they climb and run through their habitat. Veins in their underbellies and horns assist in dissipating heat away from their bodies.

The Horned Lizard is one of the best known and most easily recognized lizards. Although the name is finally into disuse, it has been incorrectly called the “horned toad”. Our local species, the Desert Horned Lizard, is a medium sized lizard about 5 inches long, of which the tail is about 1/3 of its length. It is flattened in appearance and has a “crown” of spines or “horns” at the topmost rear edge of its head. The color of this diurnally active lizard is much more variable than any of the other local species, and usually matches the substrate on which the lizard is found. They are reddish on red soil, tan on light brown soil, and so on. This is not a chameleon-like ability to change color to match the background, but is a longer-term adaptation within a given local population that evolves over time. One or two clutches of from 2 to 16 eggs are laid each year. Habitat: This is a terrestrial lizard that may be found throughout our area. It is most common on alluvial fans and in washes, but is also found in mountainous terrain as well as in open desert. Diet: Ants are a favorite food. The Horned Lizard will also eat other insects and spiders along with occasional plant material, such as berries.
Adaptations: Unlike other lizard species in our area, the Horned Lizard does not rely on speed to escape from predators. Rather, it relies on the camouflage provided by its color and pattern. This, along with its very flattened body, which reduces any telltale shadow, allows it to avoid notice. Like the Zebra-tailed Lizard, the Horned Lizard buries itself in sandy soil, and its nostrils have evolved in such a way that they form a trap preventing soil particles from entering its nose.      

Desert National Wildlife Refuge The Desert National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), created on May 20, 1936, is the largest wildlife refuge in the lower 48 states, encompassing 1.615 million acres (6,537 km²) of the Mojave Desert in Southern Nevada. Desert NWR is part of the larger Desert National Wildlife Refuge Complex, which includes the Ash Meadows NWR, Moapa Valley NWR, Pahranagat NWR, and the Amargosa Pupfish Station.

It’s hard to miss this rodent’s telltale sign. Look for a pile of sticks, rocks, and cactus joints around large rocks or at the base of tall shrubs! It’s unique habit of collecting things for its nest or midden gives it its nickname of “packrat”. Some nests can be very old and can contain thousand year old plant remains. Scientists have used old woodrat middens to study climate and habitat change. The woodrat has gray to brown fur, a white belly, and large ears, and it is approximately 6 inches long. The female can have 5 litters a year, with up to 5 young per litter. Habitat: It can be found most often in rocky areas where cactus and yucca are abundant. Diet: It is a nocturnal omnivore that relies heavily on cactus and yucca, though it also eats flowers, seeds, fruits, insects, and carrion. Adaptations: The woodrat can tolerate a high intake of oxalic acid from the cactus that it eats. When oxalic acid combines with calcium in the woodrat’s digestive tract it forms calcium oxalate crystals. These crystals can cause calcium deficiency and even kidney damage and death in most mammals, but not for the woodrat!

Gambel’s Quail are easily recognized both visually and by their call. These desert-dwellers are gray on their back, with a large teardrop-shaped plume on the head. Their ringing three-note call can be heard at anytime of the day. Clutch size is large, typically 10 to 20, and young birds are often seen following in line behind their parents.

The Gila Monster is the only venomous lizard in Southern Nevada and is one of only two known venomous lizard species in the world. Incidences of Gila Monsters biting humans are extremely rare. However, a bite by a Gila Monster is serious. In small animals the venom causes death by respiratory paralysis. The Gila Monster does not have fangs, but instead channels venom through grooves in its razor sharp teeth. Fortunately, the Gila Monster is easily recognized and contact with them can be avoided. At 18 inches long, it is the largest lizard in the continental U.S. About 1/3 of its length is made up of the tail, which is usually swollen with fat deposits. In addition to having a fat tail, the lizard itself is quite heavy-bodied and has a large “blocky” head. Its color can only be described as spectacular, being made up of a network of jet-black and pink or yellow scales which have the appearance of beads. From one to eight young “monsters” are hatched from a single clutch of eggs each year. Habitat: The Gila Monster can be found throughout the recreation area, but it is most often found on lower mountain slopes, in washes, and in canyon bottoms. This is one of the most rarely seen local reptiles, in part because it spends much of its time underground. Diet: In spite of its powerful venom, the Gila Monster does not attempt to subdue large active prey. It preys primarily on the eggs and young of ground nesting birds, as well as on reptile eggs and the young of rodents. Adaptations: Its activity pattern is well adapted to the desert. It spends up to 98% of its time underground where conditions of lower temperature and higher humidity are more constant. The Gila Monster is active on the surface in the very early morning and late evening during the spring and fall. Occasionally, it will venture out during light, steady rainfall. Otherwise, it is nocturnal. By storing fat in its tail during times when prey is plentiful, it can more easily survive leaner times.
Note: The Gila Monster is rarely seen because of its secretive nature. It has dangerously toxic venom. It is non-aggressive, rarely biting anyone. It is protected by state law in all states where it occurs.

The Gopher Snake is also known as the bullsnake or sometimes the “blow snake” because of its ability to hiss loudly when it is agitated. It is large snake, 4 to 5 feet long, and is robust in build. There is a distinct size difference between its head and neck, but not as exaggerated as in the rattlesnakes. Yellow or tan with black to dark brown blotches, it is sometimes confused with the rattlesnakes. However, it has a slender tapering tail without rattles. It can put on a good “rattler” imitation by coiling, hissing, flattening its head, and rapidly vibrating its tail. This is not all bluff since, like most wild animals, it will bite to defend itself. It is not venomous, and its bite, while painful, is not dangerous. The females may lay 2 clutches of from 2 to 24 eggs. Hatchlings are 12 to 18 inches long. Habitat: The Gopher Snake is found in all recreation area habitats. Its activity pattern is typical of many desert animals that are diurnal when temperatures allow and become either crepuscular or nocturnal whenever temperatures exceed wheat the snake can tolerate. Diet: Rodents are its preferred food, but it will take birds and their eggs, lizards, and other snakes. They kill their prey by constricting or squeezing them. Adaptations: Flexibility in habitat choice when they are active and prey selection allow the Gopher Snake to be one of the most widely known snake species in America.

Grebes are aquatic birds with lobed rather than webbed feet. They are expert divers, but can also slide gradually under the surface of the water if they sense danger. Grebes swallow their own feather. The feathers line the stomach and prevent fish bones from passing into the intestines.

This is one of the best known and most readily identified non-venomous snakes. It is a large snake, 30 to 42 inches long, and has a stout body. It is boldly patterned in black or very dark brown with white to cream colored rings along its entire length. The head width is well defined from the neck, but it is not as pronounced as in the Gopher Snake. It vibrates its tail when annoyed. It is diurnal when temperatures permit and then crepuscular or nocturnal when temperatures climb too high. Young Kingsnakes are from 8 to 13 inches long and from 2 to 24 eggs are laid. Habitat: They are found in all habitats within the recreation area. Diet: The Kingsnake hunts the widest array of prey animals of any of our snake species. It is a constrictor and takes frogs, small turtles, birds and their eggs, lizards and their eggs, snakes (including rattlesnakes) and their eggs, and small mammals. Adaptations: Like the Gopher Snake, its lack of specialization has allowed it to adapt to a wide variety of areas.

Lake Mead National Recreation Area Lake Mead National Recreation Area (NRA) is a playground for all seasons. Water sports of all kind thrive from early spring to late fall. Early Spring is a great time for hiking with the wildflowers blooming from Lake Mohave in the south up to the Virgin mountains in the north. Winter is the perfect time for photography, scenic drives and horseback riding. Late autumn is a great time for rock climbing and exploring the slot canyons that dot the park.

Logandale trails is a system of recreational trails for both motorized and non-motorized vehicles in the spectacular landscape that exists between the township of Logandale and Valley of Fire State Park. The trail system was enabled by a partnership of many people and agencies, including Ron Loomis (Team Loomis), Bob Taylor and Bill Civish, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Clark County and UNLV. 

Description: Annual; flowers April to July; noxious weed in Nevada
Origin: Africa and Europe
Reproduction: Seeds
Known location at Lake Mead NRA: Overton Wildlife Management Area and Tassi Spring
Control: Mechanical (hand pull)

The Moapa Valley National Wildlife Refuge was established September 10, 1979, to secure habitat for the endangered Moapa dace, a small fish commonly found throughout the headwaters of the Muddy River system. In the last decade, dace populations have declined due to habitat destruction and modification.

Mountain Lion, referred to also as the cougar, puma, and panther, the mountain lion is solitary and prefers isolated or undisturbed, game-rich wilderness. Though not commonly seen within the recreation area, evidence of the mountain lion can be found within some canyon areas. They are a uniform tawny color with white underneath, and it is of slender build with long legs, and a long tail with a dark brown tip. The mountain lion of the southwest is paler and smaller than those living in the high mountains of the north. Its den is usually any well concealed, sheltered place. Young are born usually no more than two at a time, during any month of the year. Habitat: Mountain lions prefer isolated canyon areas. Diet: As a large carnivore, it requires large quantities of food. In other regions its primary food source is deer, but in this region desert bighorn is its primary prey. It also eats smaller prey such as rabbits and some rodents. It caches whatever portion it does not eat of its kill, covering the meat with leaves and debris. Adaptations: The mountain lion, unlike most cats, is very well camouflaged and may be active during the day. It has a very keen sense of hearing.

Description: Perennial, evergreen; all parts of plant are poisonous, including smoke if burned; flowers in spring and summer
Origin: Eurasia, Mediterranean region
Reproduction: Seeds and vegetative
Known locations at Lake Mead NRA: Developed areas, all campgrounds, and is naturalizing on Lake Mead and Mohave shoreline
Control: Herbicide, do not hand pull

Experts recognize 17–19 subspecies, which vary in appearance and range; there is disagreement over whether the distinctive Barbary Falcon is a subspecies or a distinct species. The Peregrine's breeding range includes land regions from the Arctic tundra to the Tropics. It can be found nearly everywhere on Earth, except extreme polar regions, very high mountains, and most tropical rainforests; the only major ice-free landmass from which it is entirely absent is New Zealand. This makes it the world's most widespread bird of prey. Both the English and scientific names of this species mean "wandering falcon", referring to the migratory habits of many northern populations. While its diet consists almost exclusively of medium-sized birds, the Peregrine will occasionally hunt small mammals, small reptiles or even insects. It reaches sexual maturity at one year, and mates for life. It nests in a scrape, normally on cliff edges or, in recent times, on tall human-made structures. The Peregrine Falcon became an endangered species in many areas due to the use of pesticides, especially DDT. Since the ban on DDT from the beginning of the 1970s onwards, the populations recovered, supported by large scale protection of nesting places and releases to the wild. (For attributions and a habitat map please see the wikipedia entry.)

Description: Annual; mat-forming; burs can puncture bicycle tires; flowers May to October; noxious weed in Nevada and Arizona
Origin: Europe
Reproduction: Seeds
Known locations at Lake Mead NRA: Disturbed areas and developed areas
Control: Mechanical (hand pull)

Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area explodes from the desert floor in a sweeping panorama of red sandstone palisades called the Keystone Thrust. Some of the peaks reach 3,000 ft. in elevation making them popular sites for hiking and rock climbing. There is a 13-mile scenic loop road that allows you to explore Red Rock Canyon from the comfort of your car. The scenic loop is also popular with bicyclists. The route begins with a moderate climb from the visitor's center then becomes mostly downhill or flat.

Description: Annual; flowers in December to April; noxious weed in Nevada; can form dense stands displacing native vegetation; leaves have bumps and irritating hairs
Origin: Mediterranean area
Reproduction: Seeds
Known locations at Lake Mead NRA: Disturbed and sandy areas
Control: Mechanical (hand pull, bag any seed pods)

Designated as a National Conservation Area in 2002, Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area's 48,438 acres provide peace and solitude for those who visit the unique scenic and geologic features and extraordinary cultural resources. Surroundings can vary from lowland dry lake beds to volcanic rock peaks reaching more than 5,000 feet. Sloan Canyon is one of the premier rock art sites in Southern Nevada.

Description: Perennial, evergreen; all parts of this plant are toxic; flowers March to November
Origin: Southern Bolivia and Northern Argentina
Reproduction: Seeds and vegetative
Known locations at Lake Mead NRA: Lake Mead shoreline
Control: Herbicide; do not hand pull

The recreation area’s only truly nocturnal lizard, the Banded Gecko is rarely seen even though it is abundant. It is a small lizard, averaging about five inches long. Half of its length is made up of the tail. The tail is often swollen with fat and has a distinct constriction at its base. The gecko is a light shade of yellow to pink, with highly variable brownish spots and band-like markings. Its skin appears to be almost translucent which, together with its small size and very slender legs, gives the lizard a delicate appearance. Vertical pupils are characteristic of reptiles that are nocturnal. Geckos and their eggs are a main source of food for several species of snakes. Female geckos usually lay two eggs at a time and may produce up to three clutches per year.    
Habitat: The gecko is found in all major habitat types within the recreation area, but it seems to prefer rocky areas. It is primarily a ground dweller and takes shelter under rocks and vegetation, or in rock crevices and underground burrows. Diet: Insects and spiders. Adaptations: Strictly nocturnal habits allow it to avoid the desert heat. Geckos have been observed using their tongues to lick droplets of moisture from objects, including their own skin after a rain.  The gecko readily sheds its tail as a defense against potential predators. When threatened, it curls and twitches its tail, presumably to divert a predator’s attention away from the head. The tail is then shed from the body and left behind on the ground as the lizard rushes away. This is called Caudal Autonomy. The gecko grows a new, shorter tail. Few adult geckos have their original tail. The gecko stores fat in its tail, whether in the original tail or a regenerated one, and can use this fat to survive when food is scarce.

There are several species of ground squirrels found within Lake Mead National Recreation Area, but the White-tailed Antelope ground squirrel is the most commonly seen. In fact, it is the most frequently observed of all the desert animals of this area. It is also the easiest to recognize. It is about the size of a chipmunk, 5-6 inches in length. It is a grizzly gray color, with a prominent white stripe running down each side of the back. The underbelly is white. Its ears are very small. The tail is short, flat, fairly bushy and its underside is white. It breeds in the spring, with up to 10 babies born in May or June. Habitat: Ground squirrels live in a variety of places, although it seems to prefer rocky slopes where shrubs and other seed bearing plants are found. It usually digs its burrow under the protective roots of a large shrub or group of bushes or along the edge of a boulder. Diet: It is a diurnal omnivore, feeding on seeds, plant material, insects, carrion, and even an occasional nestling bird or egg. Adaptations: This desert dweller has numerous adaptations. It can survive with a much higher body temperature. It keeps cool in the scorching summer heat by washing it head with its own saliva. As the moisture evaporates, it cools the body. When running, the squirrel flashes its tail up over its back, exposing the white underside. The light coloration helps to reflect the sunlight.

The Mojave yucca is a small evergreen tree growing to 5 m tall, with a dense crown of spirally arranged bayonet-like leaves on top of a conspicuous basal trunk. The bark is gray-brown, being covered with brown dead leaves near the top, becoming irregularly rough and scaly-to-ridged closer to the ground. The leaves are 30-150 cm long and 4-11 cm broad at the base, concavo-convex, thick, very rigid, and yellow-green to blue-green in color. The flowers are white, sometimes having a purple tinge, bell-shaped, 3-5 cm long (rarely to 7.5 cm), produced in a compact, bulbous cluster 60-120 cm tall at the top of the stem. The fruit is fleshy and green, maturing into a leathery, dark brown six-celled capsule 5-11.5 cm long and 3-4 cm broad in late summer. This yucca typically grows on rocky desert slopes and Creosote desert flats between 300-1200 m altitude, rarely up to 2500 m. They thrive in full sun and in soil with excellent drainage. It also needs no summer water. It is related to the Banana yucca (Y. baccata), which occurs in the same general area; hybrids between the two are sometimes found. The fibers of the leaves were used by Native Americans to make rope, sandals, and cloth. The flowers and fruit could be eaten and the black seeds were ground into a flour. The roots were used to make soap. Currently extracts from this plant are in animal feed and various herbal medications. Also used as a natural deodorizer. Used in pet deodorizers.