Death Valley National Park - Fish

amargosa pupfish Cyprinodon nevadensis amargosa
Found in the Amargosa River northwest of Saratoga Springs.

saratoga pupfish Cyprinodon nevadensis nevadensis
Found at Saratoga Springs at the south end of Death Valley.

devil"s hole pupfish Cyprinodon diabolis
(an endangered species)
Found in Devil"s Hole 37 miles east of Furnace Creek, in western Nevada.

salt creek pupfish Cyprinodon salinus salinus
Found in Salt Creek in the central part of Death Valley.

cottonball marsh pupfish Cyprinodon salinus milleri
(a threatened species)
Found in Cottonball Marsh on the west side of central Death Valley.

western mosquitofish Gambusia affinis
(an introduced species)
Introduced into Furnace Creek irrigation ditches and ponds.

Animals

Death Valley National Park covers over 3 million acres of western desert terrain. The habitat varies from saltpan below sea level to the sub-alpine conditions found on the summit of Telescope Peak, which rises to 11,049 feet. Vegetation zones include creosote bush, desert holly, and mesquite at the lower elevations and sage up through shadscale, blackbrush, Joshua tree, pinyon-juniper, to limber pine and bristlecone pine woodlands. Annual precipitation varies from 1.90 inches below sea level to over 15 inches in the higher mountains that surround the valley. The saltpan is devoid of vegetation, and the rest of the valley floor and lower slopes have sparse cover, yet where water is available, an abundance of vegetation is usually present.

These zones and the adjacent desert support a variety of wildlife species, including 51 species of native mammals, 307 species of birds, 36 species of reptiles, three species of amphibians, and five species and one subspecies of native fishes (Hansen 1972 and 1973; Landye 1973). Small mammals are more numerous than large mammals, such as desert bighorn, coyote, bobcat, mountain lion, and mule deer. Mule deer are present in the pinyon/juniper associations of the Grapevine, Cottonwood, and Panamint Mountains.

Reptiles

desert tortoise Gopherus agassizii
(A threatened species)
Found in the flats and surrounding foothills from 1500 to 3500 feet; lives in burrows.

desert banded gecko Coleonyx variegatus variegatus
Nocturnal; around springs and well watered places; valley floor to 3500 feet.

desert iguana Dipsosaurus dorsalis
In and around mesquite hummocks and other similar locations with fine sandy soil; in low canyons and washes up to 3000 feet.

chuckwalla Sauromalus obesus
Areas of large rocks and boulders on alluvial fans and in canyons; throughout Death Valley up to 5000 feet; Towne Pass, Dante"s View road, Titus Canyon.

zebra-tailed lizard Callisaurus draconoides
Sandy and gravelly areas near dunes and in washes; common on roads in morning in spring , summer, and fall.

mojave fringe-toed lizard Uma scoparia
Found in the Ibex Dunes in Death Valley, this lizard is restricted to sandy habitats with fine to very fine grained sand. The fringe-toed lizard has specially adapted fringes on its toes that allow it to run across sand at speeds up to 10 miles per hour. This lizard can also "swim" underneath soft sand to find cooler temperatures.

collared lizard Crotaphytus bicinctores
Among rocks in hilly areas and washes, on slopes; from 1000 to 5000 feet.

leopard lizard Gambelia wislizenii
Valley floor to 3600 feet on alluvial fans, in canyons and washes with scattered vegetation.

desert spiny lizard Sceloporus magister magister
Rocky slopes and canyons from 3500 to 7000 feet around vegetation.

great basin fence lizard Sceloporus occidentalis biseriatus
Rocky areas over wide elevation range; rock outcrops, canyons, near springs.

sagebrush lizard Sceloporus graciosus
From sagebrush through pinyon-juniper up to 10,500 feet.

desert side-blotched lizard Uta stansburiana
Throughout Death Valley below 5000 feet in gravelly and rocky areas. Active on warm days all year.

western brush lizard Urosaurus graciosus graciosus>
Low desert in and around creosote bush and mesquite.

southern desert horned lizard Phrynosoma platyrhinos calidiarum
Sandy, gravelly areas; low desert to over 5000 feet.

desert night lizard Xantusia vigilis vigilis
In and near Joshua trees; under debris; near Dantes View, over 9000 feet in Panamint Mountains.

western skink Eumeces skiltonianus skiltonianus
Moist areas with good cover in pinyon-juniper.

western red-tailed skink Eumeces gilberti rubricaudatus
Found in isolated populations in Hanaupah and Johnson Canyons in the Panamints.

great basin whiptail Cnemidophorus tigris tigris
Dry sandy area with sparse vegetation; rocky areas of upper washes; meaquite thickets and vegetated areas of Greenwater Valley and Harrisburg Flats.

panamint alligator lizard Elgaria panamintina
Panamint and Grapevine Mountains above 3500 feet.

western blind snake Lepotyphlops humilis
Nocturnal; under rocks, among roots on brush covered slopes; from below sea level to 4000 feet.

rosy boa Lichanura trivigata
Low foothills and canyons below 4500 feet; in sandy and gravelly habitats.

western leaf-nosed snakePhyllorhyncus decurtatus perkinsi
Nocturnal; sandy and gravelly soil; rocky foothills.

coachwhip (red racer) Masticophis flagellum piceus
Sandy mesquite hummocks; gravelly desert; rocky foothills.

striped whipsnake Masticophis taeniatus
Willow Creek in Black Mountains; Hunter Spring in Cottonwood Mountains.

desert patch-nosed snake Salvadora hexalepis hexalepis
Rocky and sandy areas from lower slopes and washes up to Towne Pass

desert glossy snake Arizona elegans eburnata
Nocturnal; in sandy or gravelly areas.

great basin gopher snake Pituophis melanoleucus deserticola
From rock-strewn desert foothills into mountains.

california king snake Lampropeltis getuls californiae
Panamint Mountains from Emigrant Canyon to Wildrose; Daylight Pass.

western long-nosed snake Rhinocheilus lecontei lecontei
Nocturnal; Aguereberry Point, Towne Pass, Daylight Pass.

western ground snake Sonora semiannulata
Sandy or fine gravel to over 4000 feet; Wildrose Canyon, Greenwater, Daylight Pass.

mojave shovel-nosed snake Chionactus occipitalis occipitalis
Sandy areas in the southern half of Death Valley; frequents dunes, washes, sandy flats, and rocky hillsides where there are sandy gullies.

nevada shovel-nosed snake Chionactus occipitalis talpina
Sandy areas in the northern half of Death Valley; frequents dunes, washes, sandy flats, and rocky hillsides where there are sandy gullies.

utah black-headed snake Tantilla planiceps utahensis
Nocturnal; Panamint Mountains.

california lyre snake Trimorphodont biscutatus vandenburghi
Rocky areas; sea level to over 4000 feet.

desert night snake Hypsiglene torquata
Many habitats from below sealevel to over 5000 feet.

panamint rattlesnake Crotalus mitchelli stephensi
Below sealevel to over 7000 feet, usually in foothills and mountains.

mojave desert sidewinder Crotalus cerastes cerastes
Nocturnal; mesquite hummocks; from below sea level to 4500 feet.

mojave rattlesnake Crotalus scutulatus
Chiefly inhabits upland desert and mountain slopes but ranges from sea level to 8,000 feet. Considered rare in Death Valley and restricted to the southern half of the park.

Mammals

desert shrew Notiosorex crawfordi
Found in sagebrush; sometimes in masses of vegetation at the base of desert plants.

fringed myotis Myotis thysanodes
Roosts in caves, mines, and buildings;juniper forests and desert shrub.

california myotis Myotis californicus
Roosts in caves, mine tunnels and buildings.

small-footed myotis Myotis subulatus
Roosts in caves, mine tunnels and rock crevices.

silver-haired bat Lasionycteris noctivagans
Found around water in forested areas.

western pipistrelle Pipistrellus hesperus
Roosts in rock crevices and caves near watercourses.

western big-eared bat Plecotus townsendii
Found in abandoned mine tunnels and shafts from 3000 to 6000 feet.

hoary bat Lasiurus cinereus
Roosts in trees; found around well watered areas.

pallid bat Antrozous pallidus
Roosts in crevices and caves.

brazilian free-tailed bat Tadarida brasiliensis
Roosts in caves, crevices, and buildings.

mountain cottontail Sylvilagus nuttalli
Surrounding mountains.

desert cottontail Sylvilagus audobonii
Mesquite thickets on valley floor.

black-tailed jackrabbit Lepus californicus Near valley floor and in mountains.

panamint chipmunk Eutamius panamintinus
Pinyon-juniper belt of Panamint and Grapevine Mountains.

whitetail antelope squirrel Ammospermophilus leucurus
Mesquite hummocks of valley floor to over 6000 feet in mountains; common along roadsides.

california ground squirrel Citellus beecheyi
Hunter Mountain area of Cottonwood Mountains.

roundtail ground squirrel Citellus tereticaudus
Low desert; mesquite thickets near Furnace Creek; common along roadsides.

mojave ground squirrel Citellus mohavensis
Inhabits gentle slopes in Wingate Wash area.

panamint pocket gopher Thomymus umbrinus scapterus
Panamint and Grapevine Mountains.

pygmy pocket gopher Thomymus umbrinus oreocus
Higher elevations in surrounding mountains;up to 10,000 feet on Telescope Peak.

great basin pocket mouse Perognathus parvus
Grapevine Mountains.

little pocket mouse Perognathus longimembris
Sage habitat at Harrisburg Flat.

long-tailed pocket mouse Perognathus formosus mohavensis
Grapevine Mountains.

desert pocket mouse Perognathus penicillatus
Mesquite Flat.

chisel-toothed kangaroo rat Dipodomys microps
Harrisburg Flat in dry, sandy soil with sparse vegetation.

panamint kangaroo rat Dipodomys panamintinus
Northern Panamint Mountains between 6000 and 7000 feet.

merriam kangaroo rat Dipodomys merriami
Dry, sandy soil on the valley floor.

desert kangaroo rat Dipodomys deserti
Dry locations on valley, especially around mesquite.

western harvest mouse Reithrodontomys megalotis
Well watered areas; Salt Creek, Furnace Creek, Hanaupah Canyon, Wildrose.

cactus mouse Peromyscus eremicus
Higher elevations in Grapevine and Cottonwood Mountains.

deer mouse Peromyscus maniculatis
Valley floor and mountains.

canyon mouse Peromyscus crinitus
Mountains and rocky canyons.

brush mouse Peromyscus boylii
Northern Panamint Mountains.

pinon mouse Peromyscus truei
Rocky areas in pinyon-juniper belt.

southern grasshopper mouse Onychomys torridus
Throughout Death Vally below 5500 feet.

desert woodrat Neotoma lepida
From salt marshes into surrounding mountains.

bushy-tailed woodrat Neotoma cinerea
Pinyon-juniper area of northern Panamint Mountains.

house mouse Mus musculus
In and around human dwellings.

porcupine Erethizon dorsatum
Grapevine, Panamint, and Cottonwood Mountains.

coyote Canis latrans
From salt flats into mountains; common around mesquite thickets.

kit fox Vulpes velox
Nocturnal; common throughout most of Death Valley; Sand Dunes and Furnace Creek.

gray fox Urocyon cinereoargenteus
East side of Grapevine Mountains.

ringtail Bassariscus astutus
Nocturnal; rocky terrain in arid brush and tree areas.

badger Taxidea taxus
Low desert into mountains; Daylight Pass.

spotted skunk Spilogale putorius
Mountains surrounding Death Valley.

mountain lion Felis concolor
Surrounding mountains.

bobcat Lynx rufus
From sea level into mountains.

burro Equus assinus
(An introduced species)
Introduced in the 1880"s; Panamint, Cottonwood, and Grapevine Mountains.

horse Equus caballus
(An introduced species)
Introduced; Hunter Mountain, Cottonwood Basin, Pinto Peak, Grapevine Mountains.

mule deer Odocoileus hemionus
Along eastern and western boundaries of the park in Panamint, Cottonwood, and Grapevine Mountains.

desert bighorn sheep Ovis canadensis nelsoni
Throughout Death Valley at all elevations; inaccessible ridges and canyons, usually near water.

Amphibians

inyo mountains slender salamander Batrachoseps campi
Rare; found in riparian areas in the Inyo Mountains

red spotted toad Bufo punctatus
Common at Furnace Creek; also found in water areas in Johnson, Hanaupah, and Emigrant Canyons

western toad Bufo boreas
(an introduced species)
Introduced in the middle portion of this century to the Furnace Creek area, where it is locally abundant.

pacific treefrog Hyla regilla
Water areas throughout Death Valley: Scotty"s Castle, Furnace Creek, Saratoga Springs,and at springs in Johnson and Hanaupah Canyons.

bullfrog Rana catesbeiana
(An introduced species)
Introduced around 1920 at Furnace Creek.