Reptiles & Amphibians

Colorado Life Zones: Seasons, Plants, & Animals
Step 1: Choose One of the Life Zones or Choices Below

Semidesert Shrublands Life Zone: Seasons, Plants, & Animals
Step 2: Choose a Topic from the Semidesert Shrublands Life Zone & Scroll Down
General Information	Through the Seasons	Canyonlands and Shrublands	Awesome Adaptations
Plants and Trees	Mammals	Birds	Reptiles & Amphibians

Reptiles and Amphibians of the Semidesert Shrublands
You will find many reptiles such as snakes and lizards in the semidesert shrublands. Reptiles are cold blooded (don't produce their own body heat). For much of the year, the desert is hot enough for them to warm up and stay active. They can hide easily in the grass, sagebrush, rocky canyons, and hillsides. During the summer, snakes and lizards are most active in the late morning. In the hot afternoon, they need to find shade in order not to overheat. They have plenty of insects, bird's eggs, other reptiles and amphibians, and small rodents to eat. In winter, they find a place to hide underground and go into a cold sleep like trance waiting for spring. You may find other toads, frogs, and turtles by the riparian life zones in the semidesert shrublands. Click here or on the Riparian Life Zones link to find out more about them.
Collared Lizard CO Div of Wildlife CO Herp Society UT Div of Wildlife eNature		Western Whiptail CO Herp. Society CSU NDIS UT Div of Wildlife eNature
Longnose Leopard Lizard CO Herp Society CSU NDIS eNature UT Div of Wildlife		Plateau Striped Whiptail CO Herp Society CSU NDIS eNature UT Div of Wildlife
Sagebrush Lizard CO Herp Society CSU NDIS eNature UT Div of Wildlife		Ornate Tree Lizard CO Herp Society CSU NDIS UT Div of Wildlife
Short-horned Lizard CO Herp. Society CO Div of Wildlife UT Div of Wildlife eNature		Other Lizards: CO Herp. Society CO Herp Atlas CSU NDIS UT Div of Wildlife
Western or Midget Faded Rattlesnake CO Div of Wildlife Hogle Zoo UT Div of Wildlife		Bullsnake or Gopher Snake CO Herp. Society CSU NDIS UT Div of Wildlife eNature
Other Snakes: CO Herp. Society CO Herp Atlas CSU NDIS UT Div of Wildlife		Different Kinds of Toads: CO Herp. Society CO Herp Atlas CSU NDIS UT Div of Wildlife
Canyon Treefrog CO Herp. Society CSU NDIS UT Div of Wildlife eNature		(Arachnid Family) Scorpion CSU El Paso Zoo Toronto Zoo San Diego Zoo
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Awesome Adaptations: Canyon Treefrog

Amphibians like the Canyon Treefrog and some other toads perform an amazing task to stay alive in the dry semidesert shrublands. They hide underground most of the year in an underground burrow in a trance like state. When they sense the large summer thunderstorm's rain, they wake up, climb up, quickly mate, lay eggs in the newly formed pools of water, and eat the abundant insects. The eggs change quickly to tadpoles and then toads or frogs before the pools of water disappear. A canyon treefrog's best defense is to stay totally still. Its skin can blend so well into its environment that it could be a couple of feet away and you would never see it. Just a few weeks after they come up, they may dig themselves back into the ground waiting for the next big summer thunderstorm, which may be a day, week, month, or possibly a year or two later. Imagine not eating for a whole year or two, wow!! That is one advantage of being cold-blooded.

Sources of information and to find more information: CO Herp. Society, CSU NDIS, Utah Div of Wildlife,eNature

Awesome Adaptations: Eastern Collared Lizard
The collared lizard is one amazing lizard. The eastern collared lizard has beautiful spotted bright green and yellow skin. It has black collars around its neck and a yellowish head. When the lizard gets stressed its skin on its head turns orangish-red. When a predator or human tries to catch it, the lizard is not afraid to bite and the bite is strong for the lizard's size. Yet, most of the time it will choose to run away. The collared lizard can run using its back legs only making it look like it can run standing up. The lizard can jump large distances also. Like other lizards when grabbed by the tail, it may loses its tail and regrow a new one. If that is not enough, the collared lizard will eat most any animal that can fit in its mouth, like other lizards, insects, baby mice, and other small creatures. The bright green collared lizard may be easy to spot on the reddish sandstone rocks, but its athletic ability and attitude make it one fascinating lizard. Sources of information and to find more information: CO Herp Society, Utah Div of Wildlife, eNature

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