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Several species of fringe-toed lizards of the genus Uma are found in desert areas with fine sand in southwestern North America. All have fairly small ranges, and this species (U. inornata) is restricted to a few areas in the increasingly urbanized Coachella Valley of southern Californa. It can be found on warm days in several reserves near the cities of Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage, etc. Fringe-toed lizards have ear flaps, countersunk jaws, and 'fringed' scales on the toes that help them live in and 'swim' through loose sand. They are often seen sitting on dunes, usually near vegetation, basking in the sun. If approached they swiftly run away, sometimes diving into the sand and disappearing, sometimes hiding in the shade of a creosote bush. Until I took these pictures I had not noticed the orange eye markings. The photos were made in a patch of low dunes next to the train station at the northwest end of the Valley. |
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