"White dune landscape, White Sands National Monument, 2016." by U.S. National Park Service , public domain
![]() | White SandsReptiles |
Brochure about Common Reptiles of White Sands National Park (NP) in New Mexico. Published by the National Park Service (NPS).
covered parks
White Sands
National Park Service
Department of the Interior
White Sands National Monument
Common Reptiles of White Sands
M
any people believe the desert is a barren, dry place with little life. Although
deserts usually have a scorching sun and little rain, many animals both live
and thrive within White Sands National Monument. The reptiles of White Sands
show us their strategies for survival in the most unique desert of all.
At about four inches long, the bleached
earless lizard isn’t really earless or
bleached. Its name comes from the
lighter variation of the Common Lesser
Earless Lizard. The term “earless”
comes from the fact that these lizards
do not have external ear openings.
Found throughout the dunefield,
these lizards like to bury themselves
just under the surface in loose, sandy
soil. They are identifiable by two
black spots on each side. They feast
on a variety of insects and spiders.
Have you ever seen or experienced
adaptation? The image to the left shows
how “survival of the fittest” really
works! There is some debate whether
the little white whiptail (bottom lizard)
is its own species or a subspecies of
the little striped whiptail lizard (top
lizard). Researchers love coming
to White Sands to learn about and
study the unique species that inhabit
the gypsum dunes. The little white
whiptail is prey to many birds and
mammals. This lizard will detach itself
from its tail as an escape strategy.
Found throughout White Sands, the
Southwestern fence lizard can be black
to light brown to white, depending
on where it’s found. Males are easy to
identify since they have bright blue belly
patches, as well as blue or green chin
patches. Although diurnal, this lizard
prefers to avoid the mid-day heat
of summer and is most active midmorning and late afternoon. Instead
of actively hunting, it sits and waits
for prey to wander by. Insects are its
favorite meal, but it will eat wasps,
spiders, snails, and other small lizards.
At about 5.5-inches and found
throughout the monument, this is
the only lizard at White Sands that is
apt to be active on warm days yearround. It is identifiable by a single
dark blotch just behind each foreleg.
The males roam throughout an area
of about 2,500-square yards and can
be very territorial, especially during
breeding season. This lizard is found
in a wide-range all throughout the
United States, but varies in coloration
and pattern depending on its
environment.
Bleached Earless Lizard
Holbrookia maculata ruthveni
Little White Whiptail
Aspidoscelis gypsi
©B. Burghart
Southwestern Fence Lizard
Sceleporus cowlesi
Common Side-Blotched Lizard
Uta stansburiana
To learn more about White Sands, visit http://www.nps.gov/whsa
Coachwhip
Harmless to humans, the coachwhip is
a long, slender tan or brown snake that
can reach up to seven feet in length. Most
of the coachwhips at White Sands have
a pink color on the belly that becomes
more pronounced under the tail. This
snake shows a nasty temper when capture
is attempted. In captivity, while holding
its own head still, the coachwhip will
whip its tail back and forth around the
edges of its cage to dislodge any lizards
hiding there. When the lizard moves, it
becomes a meal. It is believed the same
technique is used in the wild.
The desert massasauga is characterized
by two white stirpes on its face with
brown, dorsal patches outlined in
white. The desert massasauga is usually
paler than the eastern and western
subspecies. When compared to other
rattles, the massasauga’s is more high-
pitched. Although the massasauga can
use undulating waves like most snakes, it
prefers to move on loose sand by using
the “sidewinding” technique. Like most
other creatures at White Sands, the
massasauga prefers to come out during
the cooler times of day.
This large, heavy-bodied snake averages
about four feet in length but can grow up
to seven feet. The underbelly of those in
White Sands is often creamy as opposed
to yellow, beige, or tan as it is in other
areas. A constrictor, the Sonoran gopher
snake is harmless to humans and eats
small mammals, birds, bird eggs, and
even lizards. However, the preferred
prey of choice at White Sands is the
pocket gopher. A diurnal creature, this
snake is most active at dusk and dawn.
It prefers to avoid the mid-day heat by
hiding in rodent burrows.
Reaching lengths of up to four feet, the
prairie rattlesnake is found mostly in
desert scrub habitats. Hibernating in
winter, prairie rattlers often return to the
same den year after year. When awake
during warm months, they establish
hunting territories and eat mainly lizards
and small mammals. This snake can be
a variety of colors, such as tan, grey,
or olive green. The oval blotches that
run down the torso may be clear or
indistinct. Due to poor eyesight, prairie
rattlesnakes use their forked tongues
and heat-sensitive pits to find food.
The Western Diamond-backed rattlesnake
can range from two to six feet in length!
Characterized by the diamond-shaped
blotches that run along its torso, this
wide-spread rattlesnake can range in
color depending on its most common
surroundings. The Western Diamond-
backed rattlesnake preys on small
mammals such as the Apache pocket
mouse and prairie gopher. This swift
snake quickly responds defensively to any
threat by rattling and striking. This snake
is identifiable by even-sized black and
white bands around the end of the tail.
Feeding mainly on small insects and
sometimes plant matter, the box turtle,
inhabits mainly the central portion of
the United States in between the Rocky
Mountains and the Mississippi River.
Here at White Sands the subspecies
terrapene ornata luteola, or the desert
box turtle, lives along the edges of
the monument’s boundaries where
Chihuahuan Desert shrub is still
predominant. In contrast to the other
subspecies, the ornate box turtle, the
desert box turtle is more adequately
adapted to arid habitats.
Masticophis flagellum
Massasauga
Sistrurus catenatus
Sonoran Gopher Snake
Pituophis catenifer affinis
Prairie Rattlesnake
Crotalus viridis
Western Diamond-backed
Rattlesnake
Crotalus atrox
Desert Box Turtle
Terrapene ornata
Please Note: It is illegal to try to handle wildlife within monument boundaries. If you encounter any wildlife, please stay at a safe
distance as some creatures can be dangerous and/or venomous.
Revised 01/30/17