Valley Of Fire Celebrates Desert Life In ‘Bio-Blitz’

By CRAIG HIGGINS

The Progress

Curious kids and adults alike enjoyed a close encounter with colorful reptiles this past Saturday at Valley of Fire State Park. Celebrating Earth Day, the park’s second annual Bio-Blitz event included presentations of animals and plants; geocaches; and wildlife surveys in which patrons were encouraged to take pictures of animal life scurrying amid copious washes, mysterious petroglyphs, and blocky sandstone reliefs.

Perhaps the most engaging event was the “Animal Meet and Greet”, an opportunity for park-goers to interact with examples of native fauna.

Prior to the encounter, animal expert Jess of the Nevada Dept. of Wildlife (NDOW) discussed the history of Bio-Blitz and NDOW’s goals in hosting it. With the survey, she hoped the general public could get and send in evidence “about what lives out here.”
“Getting more data in the system is crucial to the state’s efforts to preserve Valley of Fire’s desert ecosystem,” she said.

Beneath a crystal-blue sky, the Atlatl Rock Picnic Area provided a picturesque backdrop for an “Animal Meet-and-Greet” also conducted by Jess. Ably assisted by several members of NDOW and the Nevada State Parks rangers, the animal specialist conducted a brief seminar about two non-poisonous reptiles: the Sonoran mountain kingsnake and gopher snake.

Jess unpacked a treasure trove of information about each animal, including its mimicking abilities (the gopher snake is a dead ringer for a rattleless rattlesnake), eating habits (both beasts will eat almost anything that moves), and habitat.

When the event began, about twenty people gathered around to meet the creatures. Sporting red, black, and white banded patterns along its torso, Button the kingsnake provided a striking example of the species. Children and adults alike expressed wonder while petting Button as it slinked along the arms of its handler.

Larger and thicker, its muscles coiling underneath brown-and-white diamond scales, Slinky the gopher snake appeared placid and more outgoing. Jess mentioned that both were raised in captivity. She reminded the crowd not to attempt to pet a wild snake scurrying through the scraggly underbrush or sticking out of the nearby sandstones.

An hour later, the park’s Visitor Center hosted a presentation of plants and flowers indigenous to the region. DeVon, a specialist on the topic and member of the Nevada Native Plant Society, clicked through a summary of myriad flower-bearing examples, cacti. There were also some unusual flora such as the Devil’s spiny herb, a plant which when out of water resembles a dried octopus husk.

With an expert’s eye for detail, the presenter related each specimen to its unique habitat, mentioning that depending on the amount of annual rainfall, some species will flood the park’s washes in seas of pinks and yellows.

For more information on Valley of Fire State Park and its regular public events, visit http://parks.nv.gov/parks/valley-of-fire.