Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1917-08-09
Some Queer Desert Lizards.

Most of the lizards and snakes OF the
California desert live without water. 80
at least. declares Mr.. Charles Lewis camp
of the University of California in paper
on the amphibians and reptiles OF south-
eastern California.
To study the reptiles OF Inc oeSel'' MI
Camn went out into the rugged hillS
Known as Turtle Mountains. This desert
region is moi subject 10 low winter
temneralures. lis summer temperatures
are very high by night and by day. ano
IFS rainfall is very scanty. because OIL
this heat and dryness. lizards are very
numerous.
In spite of the scanty water supply
tadpoles Of the spotted toad were founo
al the end oil May in a water hole I'VE
miles from any other spring and 'nifY
miles from the nearest permanent stream
This tadpole's leething must be an I'M
da,,ak;oo for she has three rows OF low
or Iabial teeth. containing more than two
hundred and sevehty-fve teeth, some
sixty more in the upper lip. and elehN
or ninety more in the lower lip!
The desert tortoise digs burrows from
two 10 eight feet long. This tortoise $
usual gait is about twenty feei a minute
When one meets another, II mods lis
head rapidly up and down. as lin salula-
ton. and sometimes the two touch noses.
The older tortoises are favorite delicacY
among the Indians and the Mexican
section hands.
The ocellated sand lizard lives in the
belts OF wind-bowr sand. There are
places IN the Turtle Mountains were ihe
fine sand has been driven up clear over
the mountains, and blown IN white cas-
cades down their eastward slope inns
lizard scurries over the fine sand, leaving
a cloud of dust in IFS wake. II can bury
itself quickly by using its shovel-Nk'
suout TO swim" lis way into the sano
It's eyelidS are fringed and meet nghtIY
and the uostrlls are colapsioe.
The gridiron- tailed lizard often walk
with its tail curved over lis back. Mf
Camp saw one OF these lizards run ninet,
feet in four seconds. which is al the rat'
OF about fifteen miles an hour. They
sometimes spring loot or more to Selze
d tempting insect.
The Bailey colared lizard can cIea
obstacles two teet high with great leaps
The chuckwalla is a vegetarian. Hav
ing rather feeble powers oil locomouon
il depends for safety upon hiding itself i
the rocks. Ii you rub il gently on III
belly il assumes rigid, hypnotic posture
and so remains for half an hour wilhou
moving. When il takes refuge in cram
in the rocks, il initiates Itself, so that
becomes too large 10 be pulled ON
through the hole by which ii entered
The desert Indians solve the problem by
puncturing the chuckwalla's sides viii
a sharpened wire in order to debate 1t
I Then they pull il out and make SAVIOR
repast.
The long-tailed swiits climb up int
the creosote bushes, among the Squav
tea, and on the ORANGES OF the smok
trees in the washes. They like 10 SUI
? themselves on the topmost twigs o
bushes. and hang motioneSs, head down
ward. A nearly white male, held in Mr.
Camps hand, changed rapidly in two o
{ three minutes TO yellowish, with blacl
crossbands on the back, the original,
: light greenlSh ventral patches becam'
blue, and a yellow spot appeared unde
= the throat