Wild chuckwalla

[desertanimal]

Here is a series of photos from a chuckwalla stalking on Sunday. Kristi and I had to go on a hike with her mother on Sunday, and this was the most exciting thing that happened. I've not seen a chuckwalla in the wild before, so the photo stalk was fun. No chance of catching him, unfortunately! I did touch his tail once he was in his rock crevice, which sent him scurrying deeper, out of reach. He wasn't very big--I'd say between 12 and 18 inches from snout to tail tip.

 

[Jay@PJCReptiles]

Great pictures. What exactly is a Chuckwalla? I mean what are thet most closely related to? I can't beleive some of the fauna you guys have practically in your back yards. I wish we had animals like that here in Maine. That lizard is awesome looking. Great find.
Jay

 

[tricksterpup]

Great pictures. What exactly is a Chuckwalla? I mean what are thet most closely related to? I can't beleive some of the fauna you guys have practically in your back yards. I wish we had animals like that here in Maine. That lizard is awesome looking. Great find.
Jay

They are part of the Iguanidae family.

Actually that is a looker.. lol damn i would have tried to get that one.

 

[desertanimal]

Great pictures. What exactly is a Chuckwalla? I mean what are thet most closely related to? I can't beleive some of the fauna you guys have practically in your back yards. I wish we had animals like that here in Maine. That lizard is awesome looking. Great find.
Jay

Truth be told, I have no idea what a chuckwalla is, exactly. From the looks of it, I would guess they are related to the iguanas, but that's just a guess. I'll go a-googling.

We do have lots of cool snakes and lizards, but pretty few amphibs, and almost no chelonians. So I guess it's a trade-off. I surely do miss the diversity of salamanders in the southeast, and finding box turtles!

 

[desertanimal]

They are part of the Iguanidae family.

Actually that is a looker.. lol damn i would have tried to get that one.

Tricksterpup beat me to it! They, like their iguanid family members, are herbivores.

Tricksterpup, I did TRY to catch it, but you don't stand much of a chance when it's sitting a foot away from a nice, deep crevice! Not unless you have the right tools (fishing lasso), which I didn't!

 

[ArpeggioAngel]

Awesome find and great shots! I can totally picture you stalking him for photos and potential capture as well - I have seen you in action firsthand! LOL!

 

[desertanimal]

Awesome find and great shots!

Oh you flatterer! They aren't great shots, not if YOU'RE judging, LOL, but they're ok. I wish I'd focused on his head in the 2nd to last one, instead of his tail, ha ha, but I am not the master photographer that some are.

 

[ForkedTung]

those are nice shots, especially the composition of the first one. Which issue of National Geo. did you hack it from? heh heh

 

[clipclopclip]

I really like those pictures! Cool looking critter too!

 

[diamondlil]

What a totally cool find! I've caught the little lizards we get here with a grass-stalk lasso, then taught my boys how to do it when they were little

 

[Toshiro]

Cool lizards. I jealous of you guys.
You get to see so many animals (reptiles) in the wild.
Around here, there's nothing to be seen.
Apart from birds, ducks and (common) bugs.

 

[Nanci]

Lucky!!! I saw some chuckwallas at the last show and I _really_ wanted one. That one is a beauty! Janine- when I was a kid, we used to try to catch frogs by dangling a dandelion with a long stalk over their heads. They'd always bite!

 

[Roy Munson]

Those are cool lizards. Congrats on the find!

 

[kimbyra]

Ooooo! His colors looks so vibrant. Great find!

 

[tom e]

Very cool! And yes those are great pictures, I REALLY dig those first two..