Coachella Valley fringe-toed lizard facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Coachella Valley fringe-toed lizard |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Uma
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| Species: |
inornata
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The Coachella Valley fringe-toed lizard (Uma inornata) is a special type of lizard. It lives only in the Coachella Valley in California. This lizard is known for its unique adaptations that help it survive in sandy desert environments.
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About the Coachella Valley Fringe-toed Lizard
What Makes This Lizard Special?
The Coachella Valley fringe-toed lizard is closely related to the Colorado Desert fringe-toed lizard. However, it lives in its own separate area. This means its population is quite isolated from other similar lizards.
How It's Built for the Desert
This lizard has amazing features that help it live in the desert:
- It has a special wedge-shaped nose. This helps it burrow quickly through loose, fine sand.
- Its ears are covered with long scales. These scales act like earplugs, keeping out blowing sand.
- It has unique nostrils. These allow the lizard to breathe even when it's buried under the sand, without inhaling sand particles.
Life in the Desert: Food and Habits
What Do These Lizards Eat?
The Coachella Valley fringe-toed lizard is an omnivore. This means it eats both plants and animals. Its diet includes:
- Ants
- Beetles
- Flowers
- Leaves
- Spiders
- Sometimes, they even eat their own shed skin!
Their diet changes with the seasons. In spring, they eat more flowers and insects found on plants. In summer, they switch to insects found on the ground and leaves.
How They Find Food
These lizards are very clever. They can sense when an insect is underground. Then, they dig it out of the sand to eat it. They are also very agile. Sometimes, they even jump to catch flowers that are too tall for them to reach! They likely get most of their water from the food they eat.
Breeding Season Habits
During breeding season, male lizards spend less time looking for food. They focus more on finding a mate. They prefer to eat flowers that are easy to find. This saves them time compared to searching for other foods. Female lizards, however, keep looking for the best food sources all year long.
Where They Live and Why It's Changing
Home Sweet Home: The Coachella Valley
This lizard lives only in the Coachella Valley in Riverside County, California. It needs a specific type of habitat. This habitat must have fine, windblown sand deposits. These areas are sometimes called "blowsand" habitats.
Why Their Home Is Shrinking
Since the 1970s, about 75% of this lizard's habitat has disappeared. This is mainly due to human activities.
- More people are moving to the area, leading to new buildings and cities.
- Off-roading vehicles can damage their sandy habitat.
- Non-native plants are growing in the area. These plants can take over the lizard's natural habitat.
Because of these changes, the Coachella Valley fringe-toed lizard was declared a federally threatened and endangered species in 1980.
The Impact of Droughts
California and the Coachella Valley have faced severe droughts. For example, in 2002, there was very little rain. Less rain means fewer plants can grow. This reduces the food sources for the lizards. A lack of food makes it harder for them to survive. It can also lead to fewer baby lizards hatching and a drop in their overall numbers.
Protecting the Coachella Valley Fringe-toed Lizard
Its Conservation Status
This lizard is listed as an endangered species in California. The United States government considers it a threatened species. The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) also classifies it as endangered worldwide.
Special Places for Protection
To help protect these lizards, special areas have been set aside. The Coachella Valley National Wildlife Refuge is one such place. It is part of the Coachella Valley Preserve and the Indio Hills Palms State Reserve. These areas are located near Palm Springs and Palm Desert, California, in the Colorado Desert region. These refuges help protect the lizard's habitat and ensure its survival.
