A Gila Monster out and about on a spring day a couple of years ago. On mild days, these animals start to move away from often communal dens to springtime staging areas. They may take daily patrols, searching for nesting mammals and quail eggs. It’s common for hikers to report them on social media frequently within a few days’ time, usually in late February or early March, which is a reliable signal that the process has begun each year.
A pair of Gila Monsters getting some of their first sun in the early spring, a couple of years ago. They had only recently made a short walk from an overwintering den, where they had buried themselves in dirt at the base of a boulder, to this staging area. Here, at least five individuals spend time doing, basically, this, for about a month before heading out to do their mysterious Gila Monster things.
A Gila Monster takes a morning stroll through springtime ground cover in 2024. The dry conditions this year have resulted in less green on the ground, increasing surface temperatures and making the desert with even less surface moisture than before. This will be a challenging year for many animals. Fingers crossed for a decent monsoon.
Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake resting under a bush on a cool Spring day. With temperatures still in the low 50s at night, this snake sat out overnight waiting for prey to wander by, nearly a quarter mile from its den further up the bajada.
