One of my June Hikes 06/18/2012

Delamar Ghost Town

Back in June I spent the week camping, four-wheeling, and hiking with my friend Harvey Smith. We camped at the Spring Valley State Park, 18 miles north of Pioche, Nevada. Over the course of the week we found and visited more than a half dozen different locations that provided hiking and photographic opportunities that were new to both of us. This visit to the ghost town of Delamar, Nevada was one of the most enjoyable stops of the entire trip. We spent more than four hours roaming the hundreds of ruins here and could have spent an entire day “exploring” and imagining what life living here was like more than 130 years ago. Check it out here … Delamar Ghost Town.

Chloride Arizona Cemetery

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This collage is a grouping of pictures I took of the cemetery on a recent trip to Chloride Arizona. Interestingly enough, it appeared that at one time people were buried aphetically by rows labeled A-Z. We were also told that because so many people were buried without head stones or any visible identification markings, that in recent years the staff actually ended up exposing old burials when digging new graves on what appeared to be unused open space. A few years ago the state actually deeded a portion of the adjoining property to the town for new burials.

[Return to Chloride Arizona Page]

Posts for July 2012

July Posts: 
Roadtrip - Roadtrip - Spring Valley State Park
Roadtrip - Spring Valley State Park, NV
Daytrip - Mary Jane Falls Hike at Mt. Charleston
Daytrip - Kyle Canyon Slots at Mt. Charleston
Roadtrip - Kyle Canyon Campground
Daytrip - Cathedral Rock Hike at Mt. Charleston
Various Animals & Reptiles - Great Basin Collared Lizard
Various Animals & Reptiles - Western Zebra Tailed Lizard
Daytrip - Delamar Ghost Town

Great Basin Collared Lizard (Crotaphytus bicinctores)

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This page last updated on 05/17/2017

(Fig. 01)

Picture Notes: Even though this lizard is relatively common, I have only spotted then on a couple of occasions. The first time, I found one (Figs. 01 & 05) posing for me on a hike to the ghost town of Delamar, Nevada on 06/18/2012.                               The next time I spotted one (Fig. 02) was on 10/04/2016 on a hike to the Desert National Wildlife Refuge north of Las Vegas. I concur with comments that I have read saying that they look like a small "dinosaur". The folds and roughness of their skin combined with their big head and huge hind feet certainly give off this feeling.                                     My last spotting was on 05/03/2017 while driving down Pauline Road in Goodsprings Valley I captured these great pictures (Fig. 03 & 04). At nearly six inches, excluding the tail, this was also the largest one I have seen so far                                         (Fig. 02)

(Fig. 03) (Fig. 04) (Fig. 05) Description: The Great Basin Collared Lizard (Crotaphytus bicinctores) is a large lizard with a broad-head with a narrow-neck that has a pair of black bands. It has large rear legs, and a long, relatively thick tail for its overall size; 2.5 - 4 3/8 inches long excluding tail. The tail is often twice the length of the body. Its backside color is brown to olive with many small white spots and dashes and brown or reddish-orange crossbands. These crossbands are more pronounced on males. Females are not as brightly-colored as males, except when breeding when they develop reddish-orange bars and spots on the neck and body. Its two black bands on the neck with a white band in between them create the "collar" for which this lizard is named, are its most distinguishing feature. Sometimes the black bands are edged with two more light bands. It continues onto the underside of the throat on males, covering the throat and much of the chin. The throats and chins of females lack this dark coloring. Males also have a broader head than females. The underside is mostly white. Males have two black patches on the underside near the groin. The tail is flattened slightly vertically, with brown spots on the sides. A light stripe on top of the tail is usually present on males, and absent on females. Because they are very tolerant of heat, they are active in daytime and are often seen basking conspicuously on top of small rocks. Foraging for food on the ground, usually near rock piles, they eat insects, spiders, small lizards, including horned lizards, small snakes, leaves and flowers. Beyond California the species ranges north through most of Nevada to extreme southeast Oregon and southern Idaho, and south through western Utah and northern and western Arizona. Isolated populations occur in eastern Idaho and Utah.

Western Zebra Tailed Lizard (Callisaurus draconoides rhodostictus)

I spotted this lizard on a hike through the Ash Meadow National Wildlife Refuge on 06/08/2012. Facilitated by long legs and a streamlined body, they are probably the fastest lizard in the desert; they can run up to 18 miles per hour standing on just their two back feet. Because I’m used to them running off at amazing speeds, making it nearly impossible to capture a good picture, I was amazed at how long this one stayed posed while my friend and I walked around him capturing pictures. Notice how long its tail is.

Description: The Western Zebra Tailed Lizard (Callisaurus draconoides rhodostictus) is a pale thin lizard with very long legs and a long flat tail with black crossbars. It is 2.5 - 4 inches from snout to vent and up to almost 9 inches including the tail. Scales are granular. Its backside is gray or light brown with light spots and paired dark blotches, which are more distinct on females. As with many lizards, the coloring is darker during lower temperatures, and lighter during very high temperatures. Dark crossbars or bands on the tail become very distinct black and white underneath. This black and white zebra-like pattern is its most distinguishing feature and is what gives this lizard its name. There is pale yellow and orange coloring on the sides and the center of the throat often has a pink or orange spot. Males have two dark bars and develop a patch of blue-green coloring on the sides of the mid belly during the breeding season, which is visible when viewed from the side. Dark belly markings are faint or absent on females. They are very tolerant of high temperatures and are often seen basking on rocks, even on extremely hot afternoons. Sometimes before running away, they may curl the tail up towards the back, exposing the black and white bars, and wag it nervously, then continue this behavior while running and after stopping. This tail display tactic concentrates a predator's attention on the tail, which, if attacked and broken off, can grow back. They diet on small invertebrates such as insects and spiders, small lizards, occasional plant material. It likes open sandy desert washes, desert pavement, and hard pan, with scant widely-spaced vegetation and open areas. It can sometimes be found in wind-blown sand dunes near hard-packed ground. Mostly found in California, it inhabits ranges outside California north into northern Nevada, east into extreme southwest Utah, south through Arizona and extreme southwest New Mexico, to Baja California and the west coast of Mexico.