Page 10 - Ft. Irwin High Desert Warrior 11-6-15

10 High Desert Warrior www.aerotechnews.com/ntcfortirwin
November 6, 2015

Your Environment

Mojave fringe-toed lizards ‘dig in’

Story and photos by Christopher Titus, Wildlife Biologist

Directorate of Public Works A Mojave fringe-toed lizard emerges from the desert. The lizards will “dive” into sand to avoid predators, which explains
why its tracks sometimes end – with no lizard in sight.
As the sun rises in the training area each morning, the soft
glow casts shadows on uneven ground and animal tracks across A Mojave fringe-toed lizard peeks from beneath sand at Fort Irwin.
the desert landscape, providing evidence of life that thrives at
Fort Irwin.

If you look down while walking on loose sand, you may see
indentations that look like marks from a miniature pogo stick
that terminate abruptly at a small dent or mound in the sand.
To an untrained eye, it’s hard to say what made these tracks.
However, to the biologists at Directorate of Public Works En-
vironmental, those tracks provide evidence of an astonishing
resident, the Mojave fringe-toed lizard (Uma scoparia, hereafter
referred to as MFTL). The MFTL will “dive” into the sand to
avoid predators, which explains why its tracks sometimes end
– with no lizard in sight.

Camouflaged by a light, tan-colored body with a contrast-
ing pattern of black, eye-like spots, you would be lucky to see
where a MFTL has buried itself in the sand or is hidden under
a shrub. Get too close, and the lizard will likely race away in a
sudden burst of speed, running on its hind legs which makes the
pogo stick tracks. These sand specialists’ characteristics include:
enlarged toe scales (fringes) that enhance efficient movement
while running on loose sand; special eyelid and earflap scales
that keep sand out; nostrils that can seal while under sand, and;
nasal passages configured like a kitchen-sink trap, preventing
respiration of fine particles. They are rarely found more than
150 feet from windblown sand habitat.

The MFTL diet is omnivorous, consisting mainly of inver-
tebrates such as ants, beetles, and grasshoppers, but also some
plants, and occasionally lizard hatchlings. They are active during
the day, primarily between 75-95 degrees Fahrenheit, taking
cover in small burrows to avoid extreme temperatures during
the summer, but hibernate during winter (November - Febru-
ary). The MFTLs are highly dependent on desert vegetation for
shade to regulate body temperature and as protective conceal-
ment from predators.

Some wildlife thrive amid the tracks left behind by human
disturbance. Unfortunately, the opposite is true for the MFTL.
The Mojave Desert is becoming one of the fastest developing
areas of the country. Unsustainable use of sand dune complexes
destroys habitat by trampling above-ground vegetation and de-
stroying shallow root systems. This destruction of vegetation is
followed by a decline in insects, reducing MFTL food sources.
Sand compaction, introduction of invasive species, danger
from being run over, and man-made alterations that interrupt
sand movement are also major conservation concerns for this
species. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has
categorized the MFTL as a “species of special concern” and the
Bureau of Land Management recognizes the species as sensitive.
Population declines have been noted across the MFTL range
and they are no longer found in some areas.

The presence of MFTLs was first documented on Fort
Irwin in 1993 and annual monitoring efforts began in 2007.
Annual surveys evaluate the distribution of the MFTL within
Fort Irwin boundaries, estimate population density, and make
recommendations for management actions in the training area.

While in the training area, stay on established trails when
travelling through regions with fine-grain sand to help Fort
Irwin conserve this beautiful lizard. If you have questions, call
DPW Environmental at 380-5044 for assistance (Monday-
Friday, 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m.). Report all sightings of this animal and
address information requests to DPW at 380-3740 or 380-2681.

For more information go to www.irwin.army.mil