Amphibians, Reptiles, Birds and Mammals in, on, or above the Lewis Center For Educational Research's,Mojave River Campus

( 10/31/04)

This list represents all of the native or introduced amphibian, reptile,  bird and mammal species  known to exist in the Western Mojave Desert of California.  Introduced species are marked after the scientific name with "I", if it is a harvest species with "HA" and vagrant species or species with an extremely limited distribution with an *.  The term "introduced", as used here, represents both accidental and intentional introductions.  Subspecies are only included if they have special management status, as subspecies.  Common names with an * in front (ie.* Coyote), represent organisms that have been positively identified on the campus.

(For Information on each species, copy the scientific name into the NatureServe search page)

The Mojave River "Wildlands" (MRW) portions of the Lewis center for Educational Research's Mojave River Campus includes several diverse plant communities/habitats within one ecosystem (desert-riparian). Habitats can be described in different ways. To tell them apart ecologists use plant aggregations and the existence of water. There are many different plant communities in the MRW. These plant communities can be "lumped" into three main habitat groupings (based on available water) and 11 specific habitats (based on the plants supported). Where and when possible, plants in the following list that have been identified on the MRC have been "tagged" with one or more of the following abbreviations identifying what habitat they are found in:

Field Guides

CLASS:  AMPHIBIA (Amphibians)

CAUDATA (Salamanders)

         AMBYSTOMATIDAE (Mole Salamanders and relatives)

         DICAMPTODONTIDAE (Giant and Olympic Salamanders)

         RHYACOTRITONIDAE

        SALAMANDRIDAE (Newts)

        PLETHODONTIDAE (Lungless Salamanders)

ANURA SALIENTIA (Frogs and Toads)

       ASCAPHIDAE (Tailed Frogs)

PELOBATIDAE (Spadefoot Toads)

       BUFONIDAE (True Toads)

HYLIDAE (Treefrogs and relatives)     

     RANIDAE (True Frogs)

CLASS:  REPTILIA (Reptiles)

TESTUDINES (Turtles)

          KINOSTERNIDAE (Musk and Mud Turtles)

         EMYDIDAE (Box and Water Turtles)

ACTINMYS (Pacific Pond Turtles ) 


        TESTUDINIDAE (True Land Tortoises)

SQUAMATA (Lizards and Snakes)

          EUBLEPHARIDAE (Eyelid Geckos)

          IGUANIDAE (Iguanids)

          PHRYNOSOMATIDAE (3)

          CROTOPHYTIDAE (2)

          XANTUSIIDAE (Night Lizards)

          SCINCIDAE (Skinks)         

          TEIIDAE (Whiptails and relatives)

          ANGUIDAE (Alligator Lizards and relatives)

          LEPTOTYPHLOPIDAE (Slender Blind Snakes)

COLUBRIDAE (Colubrids)  

    VIPERIDAE (Vipers)        

(2) Some herpetologists still use Iguanidae for Phyrnosomatidae and Crotophytidae.

CLASS:  AVES (Birds)

 

GAVIIFORMES (Loons)

           GAVIIDAE (Loons)
         

PODICIPEDIFORMES (Grebes)

           PODICIPEDIDAE (Grebes)

 PROCELLARIIFORMES (Albatrosses, Shearwaters, Petrels, and relatives)

DIOMEDEIDAE (Albatrosses)

        PROCELLARIIDAE (Shearwaters, Fulmars)

        HYDROBATIDAE (Storm Petrels)
        

 PELECANIFORMES (Tropicbirds, Pelicans, and relatives)

           PHAETHONTIDAE (Tropicbirds)

           SULIDAE (Boobies and Gannets)

           PELECANIDAE (Pelicans)
         

PHALACROCORACIDAE (Cormorants)

       ANHINGIDAE (Darters)

FREGATIDAE (Frigatebirds)

 CICONIIFORMES (Herons, Storks, Ibises, and relatives)

      ARDEIDAE (Herons and Bitterns)

THRESKIORNITHIDAE (Ibises and Spoonbills)

      CICONIIDAE (Storks and Wood Ibises)

      CATHARTIDAE (New World Vultures)     

 ANSERIFORMES (Screamers, Ducks, and relatives)

ANATIDAE (Swans, Geese, and Ducks)     

 FALCONIFORMES (Vultures, Hawks, and Falcons)

           ACCIPITRIDAE (Hawks, Old World Vultures, and Harriers)

           FALCONIDAE (Caracaras and Falcons)

GALLIFORMES (Megapodes, Curassows, Pheasants, and relatives)

           PHASIANIDAE (Quails, Pheasants, and relatives)

           ODONTOPHORIDAE  (New World Quail)

 GRUIFORMES (Cranes, Rails, and relatives)

           RALLIDAE (Rails, Gallinules, and Coots)

           GRUIDAE (Cranes)
          

 CHARADRIIFORMES (Shorebirds, Gulls, and relatives)

           CHARADRIIDAE (Plovers and relatives)

           HAEMATOPODIDAE (Oystercatchers)

           RECURVIROSTRIDAE (Avocets and Stilts)

           SCOLOPACIDAE (Sandpipers and relatives)

           LARIDAE (Skuas, Gulls, Terns and Skimmers)

 COLUMBIFORMES (Pigeons and Doves)

          COLUMBIDAE (Pigeons and Doves)

PSITTACIFORMES (Parrots and relatives)

           PSITTACIDAE (Lories, Parakeets, Macaws, and Parrots)

CUCULIFORMES (Cuckoos and relatives)

           CUCULIDAE (Typical Cuckoos)

STRIGIFORMES (Owls)

           TYTONIDAE (Barn Owls)        

           STRIGIDAE (Typical Owls)

CAPRIMULGIFORMES (Goatsuckers and relatives)

           CAPRIMULGIDAE (Goatsuckers)         

APODIFORMES (Swifts and Hummingbirds)

          APODIDAE (Swifts)

           TROCHILIDAE (Hummingbirds)

CORACIIFORMES (Kingfishers and relatives)

           ALCEDINIDAE (Kingfishers)

PICIFORMES (Woodpeckers and relatives)

           PICIDAE (Woodpeckers and Wrynecks)

PASSERIFORMES (Perching Birds)

           TYRANNIDAE (Tyrant Flycatchers)

     LANIIDAE (Shrikes)    

   VIREONIDAE (Typical Vireos)

           CORVIDAE (Jays, Magpies, and Crows)

           ALAUDIDAE (Larks)    

           HIRUNDINIDAE (Swallows)

       SITTIDAE (Nuthatches)

           CERTHIIDAE (Creepers)

           TROGLODYTIDAE (Wrens)   

           REGULIDAE

SYLVIIDAE

TURDIDAE

TIMALIIDAE (Babblers)

           MIMIDAE (Mockingbirds and Thrashers)    

           STURNIDAE (Starlings & Allies)        

           MOTACILLIDAE (Wagtails and Pipits)

           BOMBYCILLIDAE (Waxwings)

          PTILOGONATIDAE (Silky Flycatchers)   

           EMBERIZIDAE (Wood Warblers, Sparrows, Blackbirds, and relatives)

THRAUPIDAE (Tanagers)

      EMBERIZADAE (Emberizines)

  CARDINALIDAE (Cardinals, Grosbeaks & Allies)

ICTERIDAE (Blackbirds, Orioles & Allies)
          

FRINGILLIDAE (Finches)

PASSERIDAE (Old World Sparrows)      

           PLOCEIDAE (Weavers & Allies)

           ESTRILDIDAE (Waxbills & Allies)
       

(3)  Listed as Gilded Northern Flicker in CC&R Section 670.5


CLASS:  MAMMALIA (Mammals)

DIDELPHIMORPHIA (Marsupials)

            DIDELPHIDAE ( Opossums)

INSECTIVORA (Insectivores)

SORICIDAE (Shrews)

       TALPIDAE (Moles)

CHIROPTERA (Bats)

            PHYLLOSTOMATIDAE (Leaf-nosed Bats)          

            VESPERTILIONIDAE (Evening Bats)            

           MOLOSSIDAE (Free-tailed Bats)         

LAGOMORPHA (Rabbits, Hares, and Pikas)

           LEPORIDAE (Rabbits and Hares)

RODENTIA (Squirrels, Rats, Mice, and relatives)

     SCIURIDAE (Squirrels, Chipmunks, and Marmots)

    GEOMYIDAE (Pocket Gophers)

   HETEROMYIDAE (Pocket Mice and Kangaroo Rats)         

           CASTORIDAE (Beavers)       

           MURIDAE