Providence Mountains State Recreation Area, "Home of Mitchell Caverns"

Last weekend, park staff bumped into a unique wildlife partnership that is often spoken of but seldom seen.

This past weekend, as the heat broke, we were lucky enough to encounter a seldom seen Mojave Desert resident: an American Badger (Taxidea taxus)!

Do you see what we see?

Another summer, another family of Gray Foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) is sharing space with us at the park. Because of the heat, they tend to be most active at night. As you can see, one of the parents is quite the woodrat hunter. Species such as foxes help control rodent populations.

It is very hot right now, but join us in remembering that winter is coming.

Gambel's Quail (Callipepla gambelii) are a gregarious ground bird that lives in large groups called "coveys". They can hide very well in desert brush, but they often have a lookout posted and alert for predators, like this male.

As the days grow shorter, we see different avian residents in our corner of the Mojave Desert. Can you ID these snow birds?

Our park trail camera accidentally caught something rather unusual: a Red Racer (Coluber flagellum) apparently drinking water from our small "bird bath" in the historic core of Providence Mountains SRA. Although they can reach over 5' in length, the snake would not have set off the motion sensor alone. The lucky passage of vehicle triggered the camera and caught this thirsty serpent.

July in the Mojave Desert has been, and generally is, quite hot - and our Desert Horned Lizards (Phrynosoma platyrhinos) have been loving it. If you are out in the desert these days, be careful and look for these well-camouflaged reptiles on roads, rocks, and berms.

Are you eagle-eyed enough to know your desert raptors? Swoop on down and be a contestant on "Name That Bird!"

Chuckwallas (Sauromalus ater) are large and very charismatic lizards - not to mention a Vaudeville-esque hit with the public.

A pair of resident birds has finished raising their second brood of chicks this year. We applaud their work. Can you identify this species from its silhouette below?