Cuteness vs. Fierceness

 How cute is April's hatchling fringe-toed lizard?

 

As cute as Kevin's hatchling FTHL?

 

Three hatchlings were caught today. 

Note the color variation.

Kevin thinks his is the cutest.

 

What do you do when a fierce lizard-eating coachwhip swallows one of your radio-tagged FTHL? Catch it (or dig it from a burrow in this case), take it back to the field station, and wait for it to poop out the $100+ transmitter.

 

Oh yeah, and try not to let it bite you while you admire it.

 

  Random photo not depicting cuteness or fierceness: Sidewinder Scat

Now you can say you've seen it.

Algodones Dunes, 2012 Edition

 Please enjoy this photo journal of our trip to the Algodones Dunes:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unidentified shrine off the highway on the drive back

Note: In case any of you missed seeing Megan, she is indeed missing. 

She's spending the week at Young Women's camp.

Spring is in the Air

Radio-tracking horned lizards isn't quite as rewarding as radio-tracking black bears. However, finds like this one make the work a little more eventful. The female with the transmitter glued on her back was found hanging out with this handsome male. Oddly enough, the male ended up getting a transmitter glued on his back too. There are certain hazards associated with mixing with members of the opposite sex (at least when there are biologists around).

T007 must have suicidal thoughts rather frequently. She has been found basking at the edge of the road on multiple occasions. If she isn't careful, she might end up like...

...this poor lizard, who looks like he tried to have the last laugh, but failed.

This fringe-toed lizard was an unusual road find. 

Usually these lizards spend most of their time in sand dune areas.

Initially we thought this side-blotched lizard was a FTHL basking on the road.

When we stopped, she ran up into our tire. She is now Erin's pet and resides in a cage.