San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
Tough-looking but harmless lizard adds to annual desert hike
For a moment, I thought I was looking into a mirror.
An old and weathered face was staring at me.
Snapping back to reality, I realized I was face to face with one of nature’s unique desert creatures, a chuckwalla lizard.
Like the lizard, I was sitting on a boulder enjoying the warmth of the winter sun during my annual New Year’s Day desert hike, only slightly delayed this year by winter storms and a pesky holiday flu.
This has been my annual ritual for several years now.
There’s something spiritual about an early-morning desert hike just about any time, but it’s also a great way to renew your love of nature and connect with the outdoors as a kind of New Year’s resolution.
The hike can be almost anywhere, but mild winter weather and my fascination with the plants and animals of Anza-borrego have always been a draw for me.
Over the years my hikes have become less destination oriented, and more about seeing.
Some have even turned into short jaunts punctuated by an enjoyable sit-andsee adventure where you become a stationary part of the landscape for an hour or so, allowing nature to forget you are there.
It’s quite amazing what begins to happen when you are not disturbing the rhythm of nature.
Birds will resume feeding, sometimes landing extremely close to you, and the local critter population will return to their routines.
Today’s hike was a pleasant blend of both wandering and sitting. It was a glorious winter day in the desert, enhanced by fields of winter wildflowers, thanks to the generous storms that have rippled through since late summer.
For the moment, Mr. Chuckwalla had my full attention.
I was fascinated by this large, wrinkly reptile that seemed like a modern-day version of some prehistoric resident of Jurassic Park.
He was in his element, and if I sat still, he wasn’t threatened. Had that been the case, he would have quickly vanished into the many crags available in the boulder pile.
This large lizard, up to 20 inches in length, is found only in rocky places, lava flows and boulder fields in Southwestern deserts where they primarily feed on the yellow flowers, fruit and waxy leaves of creosote but also desert annuals and occasionally insects.
Their weathered skin and muted earth tone coloration help them blend well with their environment, but the keen eye can pick them out when they emerge for a little sunbathing.
Other than adding to their weather-beaten look, the chuckwalla’s loose skin is part of its survival strategy.
If a predator approaches, the chuckwalla will scamper into a narrow crevice and begin gulping air, inflating its wrinkled body like a balloon until firmly wedged in the rocks.
While this is an imposing-looking creature, it is harmless to humans and not aggressive. It prefers to flee at the first sign of danger and take advantage of the many safe places in the rocks.
Unlike many desert animals that prefer being active at night in warmer times, chuckwallas like the heat and are most active during the day, thanks to the fact their body temperature depends on external sources. Their ideal body temperature is between 100 and 105 degrees, no doubt a handy adaptation when you live in the desert.
Just like you on a cold morning, they enjoy absorbing the warmth of sunshine, and those are the best times to be out looking for them.
I have often seen chuckwallas out on the rocks enjoying the morning sun while driving down Montezuma Grade into Borrego Springs, but keep an eye out for them anywhere there are boulders.
You can also impress your hiking companions by confidently pointing out that the large, scaley lizard on the rock is a male or female chuckwalla. That’s because mature males tend to have more black coloration, sometimes with tan midbody and small, brown spots. Females are brownish overall with dark spots, while juveniles have several broad color bands of light yellow, brown or black.
It was time to leave, and my hike had served its purpose. I was energized and pleased at having made a new friend.
During my quiet time of sit-and-see, I also renewed friendships with a curious roadrunner, a chattering antelope ground squirrel, and flocks of white-crowned sparrows enjoying the mild weather while visiting here for the winter.
There was one more dimension.
Typically, January is still a dormant time in the desert. The meager rains of winter have yet to arrive and soak into thirsty ground.
But this year is different and while there is always hope for a wildflower “super bloom,” the reality is that this spring will likely be spectacular in Anza-borrego Desert State Park.
Rains began in late summer with typical monsoons sweeping north from Mexico, but a wet cycle developed and has continued nonstop with lots of storms perfectly timed to keep plants growing.
Right now, there are vast fields of purple sand verbena, clusters of yellow desert sunflowers, and the large, white flowers of the dune primrose all over the desert.
If normal rainfall patterns continue, look for spring to be a wildflower display to remember.
Go ahead, set aside a few days on your calendar for your own desert hike and a sit-and-see adventure.