Animals of Mojave National Park

In his classic turn-of-the-century book, The Desert, John C. Van Dyke wrote, “Nature does not bend the elements to favor the plants and animals; she makes the plants and the animals do the bending.” Life in the desert requires adaptation, not only for visitors, but for plants and wildlife as well.

Most people think of the desert as devoid of life except for a cactus or two. But most desert areas support diverse populations of animals. The varied landforms and range of altitudes in the Mojave, as well as the localized presence of water, create a number of specific ecological communities.

Joshua Tree—High Desert Woodland

Probably the most distinctive of the Mojave Desert communities, the Joshua tree woodland is found at altitudes from 2,500 to 4,500 feet, on well-drained desert slopes. In Mojave, the Joshua tree woodland can be found at Cima Dome, Ivanpah Valley and Lanfair Valley.

The Joshua tree provides shelter for a number of small desert animals, particularly rodents, such as the kangaroo rat, desert wood rat, and ground squirrel. Birds, including the pinyon jay, loggerhead shrike and Scott’s oriole, make their nests in the gnarled branches. Reptiles inhabiting the community include the chuckwalla, desert night lizard and desert tortoise. The yucca moth enjoys a symbiotic relationship with the Joshua tree. The moth fertilizes the trees’ flowers by transporting pollen from stamen to pistil; some of the germinated seeds then serve as food for the moth larvae.

Creosote Bush—Low Desert Scrub

This drought-tolerant community is the most common in Mojave, found primarily in the low, dry valleys at less than 2,000 or 3,000 feet in elevation. A particularly good example thrives in Wildhorse Canyon, near Hole-in-the-Wall. Most of the creosote bush community consists of widely spaced shrubs which grow three to six feet tall.

Some of the animals that inhabit this community are small, nocturnal rodents and are rarely seen by desert visitors. Instead, the presence of the animals—ground squirrel, jackrabbit, kangaroo rat, and pocket mouse—is indicated by their tracks.
More easily observed species include several birds: the roadrunner, Costa’s hummingbird, common raven, cactus wren, black-throated sparrow. Others that might be seen are the zebra-tailed lizard, iguana, and the desert tortoise.

Desert Dry Woodland

Dry, sandy wash communities are found throughout the preserve, wherever water carves its way after a thunderstorm or extended rainy period. Usually found in valleys beneath the mountains, these dry drainage areas quickly fill with an enormous volume of water following storms. These flash floods carry boulders, rocks, shrubs, and any other debris that cross their course.

Animals include many of the same dwellers found in other desert communities: jackrabbit, desert cottontail, ground squirrel, desert wood rat, cactus mouse, several birds, lizards, sidewinder and desert tortoise.

Pinyon-Juniper Woodland

This community is found in desert mountains between 3,500 and 6,000 feet in elevation. In Mojave National Preserve, pinyon-juniper woodlands can be explored in the New York, Providence and Ivanpah ranges, as well as Clark Mountain.

Coyote, jackrabbit, California ground squirrel, pocket gopher and pinon mouse inhabit the woodland community, as do a number of birds, including the woodpecker, pinon jay, rock wren, black-throated gray warbler and gray vireo.

Riparian Woodlands and Marshes

Found along streams such as Piute Creek and along the Mojave River in Afton Canyon and near Camp Cady, this community’s year-round water supply supports trees such as cottonwood, willow and mesquite.

Streamside communities frequently attract large bird populations, and the seasonal habitation of migratory species. Many other desert dwellers seek water in riparian communities, most spectacular of which is the bighorn sheep, which are known to frequent Afton Canyon in the dark and quiet hours.

Mojave Wildlife

Bighorn Sheep

While hundreds of animal species inhabit the desert, you’re likely to see only a few. You’re almost guaranteed to spot jackrabbits and range cattle, ravens and an assortment of lizards and birds; you may even spot a coyote near dusk. But you may travel in this arid land for years before spotting a bighorn sheep or desert tortoise. The animals are there, but they tend to be quite reclusive.

Tortoises

Warm spring weather brings hibernating tortoises out of their winter burrows, just in time to munch on wildflowers in bloom. These slow-moving, prehistoric-looking creatures have long been a favorite animal of children and their parents as well. Prime springtime viewing areas of desert tortoises includes Ivanpah and Fenner Valleys. Kelbaker Road, from Baker to Kelso, is another good place to see them; during the spring months, drive this road with special care for the safety of the tortoises.

If you spot one of these creatures, do not disturb it. Sit quietly and observe it, photograph it, record notes about it, but don’t touch it, pick it up or bother it in any way.

Burros

Although we might enjoy a warm, fuzzy image of the wild burro, the truth is that the animal causes considerable damage to the environment. Mojave National Preserve provides these feral animals with many tasty treats. They destroy ground cover that protects many animals from predators and intense sunlight, and they trample the ground—and any unfortunate little animals that may get in their way.

National Park Service policy mandates that land under its stewardship be returned to a naturally functioning ecosystem; this strict environmental guideline means all burros must eventually be removed from Mojave National Preserve. Until then, visitors will likely spot burro hoof prints and droppings along many park trails. Often visitors are surprised to spot burros in what seem to be the most inhospitable parts of the preserve. Along Kelbaker Road, for example, keen-eyed travelers may spot burros on the edge of the lava beds and high in the Granite Mountains—difficult terrain to be sure!

Reptiles

Lizards--Many species of lizards live in the preserve, including the zebratail, whiptail, leopard and collared lizard. Dune-dwelling fringe-toed lizards are a strange sight as they scoot over the sand on their hind legs, then dive into a dune and “swim” below the sand. The two-foot long, generally nocturnal, Gila monster is well known but infrequently observed in the preserve.

Second in size only to the Gila monster, the chuckwalla is found on many a rocky slope. Sauromalu obis (“fat bad lizard” by its Latin name) looks clumsy but it can scale a creosote bush and shake down the blossoms, which it eats.

Snakes--Mojave’s most commonly sighted snake is the red racer, as fast as its name suggests—or at least the fastest snake in this desert. The six-foot long snake can race along at seven miles per hour. While not poisonous, the snake is known for its nasty temper and can bite.

The desert rosy boa, identified by three broad stripes down its back, is found near springs, creeks and other (relatively) wetter parts of the preserve. The gopher snake, with coloration and patterning resembling that of a rattler, is found throughout the preserve. This resemblance to the rattler, and the fact that they’re among the most easily handled and captured of snakes, means unthinking desert travelers often harm or kill them. Gopher snakes are not poisonous and kill their prey (rodents, rabbits, lizards) by constriction.

The Mojave Desert sidewinder’s means of locomotion is unique to say the least. Unlike snakes that use their bottom scales to crawl along, the sidewinder tosses its head forward; then, using its head as an anchor, it pulls the rest of itself along. This style of travel is particularly effective in sandy areas of the preserve such as Kelso Dunes.

The poisonous Mojave rattlesnake is regarded as one of the most dangerous rattlers in the Mojave Desert. It generally inhabits the creosote bush community at an elevation of 2,000 to 4,000 feet. With coloring ranging from green-gray to yellowish hues, and with white-edged diamond shapes along its back, the Mojave rattlesnake resembles the diamondback rattlesnake.

^ Back to Top ^