Reptiles of Joshua Tree National Park
The 3 reptiles you can find at Joshua Tree National Park, like the Common chuckwalla — sizes, diets, and whether you should worry.
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Reptile Common chuckwalla
Sauromalus ater
Joshua Tree's largest lizard, a slow plant-eater that wedges into a rock crack and inflates its lungs so nothing can pull it back out.
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Reptile Desert iguana
Dipsosaurus dorsalis
A pale, plant-eating lizard that stays out on the open sand at Joshua Tree in midday heat that sends every other lizard into the shade.
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Reptile Mojave desert tortoise
Gopherus agassizii
A slow, dome-shelled land turtle that digs long burrows to escape the desert heat, living in the Mojave country of Joshua Tree, Saguaro, and Death Valley.