Range of Heloderma
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In the southwest of the North American continent there are many different types of deserts. Heloderma suspectum – the Gila – is a dessert dweller which inhabits mainly all counties of western Arizona. We find small populations that inhabit the southern areas of Utah, Nevada, California and New Mexico. The most southern population lives in the Sonoran desert of Mexico near the towns of Alamos Guayamas and Ortiz. They also inhabit the drainages that lead into the Rio Forte river (Ref. 1, 2, 23), which ends into the Gulf of California. There H. suspectum shares slightly its territory with Heloderma horridum exasperatum. There are no records of the genus Heloderma in Baja California (Ref. 18).
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| Range of Heloderma suspectum | Counties of ARIZONA | Dimensions of American deserts |
The following photographs and video imaging intend to present examples of these profound changes of habitats of the Mojave Desert in ARIZONA, Nevada and Utah. This "journey" starts 60 miles north of Phoenix, AZ in Black Canyon City at Highway 17, following Highway 74 and 60 to Wickenburg, further on along Highway 93 to Wikieup and then on Highway 97 to Kingman, ARIZONA. Next we are following Highway 95 in Nevada to pass Searchlight and Boulder City to Las Vegas. Highway 15 takes us to Snow Canyon near St. George in Utah.
Habitat examples in the ARIZONA upland, ca. 60 miles north of Phoenix at the border between Maricopa and Yavapai County, ARIZONA:
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Habitat plant examples near Black Canyon City on Highway 17, Yavapai County, ARIZONA:
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| Saguaro (Camegiea gigantea) |
Fishhook Barrel (Ferocactus wislizenii) |
Fishhook with fruit | Prickly Pear (Opuntia engelmannii) |
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| Jumping Cholla (Opuntia bigelovii) |
Chainfruit Cholla (Opuntia fulgida) |
Ocotillo (Fonquieria splendens) |
Creosote (Larrea tridentata) |
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| Blue Palo Verde (Cercidium floridum) |
Bark of Palo Verde | Catclaw Acacia (Acacia greggii) |
Whitethorn Acacia (Acacia constricta) |
Habitat examples northwest of Phoenix on Highway 74 at the turn off to Lake Pleasent, Maricopa County, ARIZONA:
Habitat plant examples at Lake Pleasent are: Saguaro, Artemisia spec. and Tumble Weeds.
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Habitat examples 10 miles north of Wickenburg, at the begining of Yavapai County, ARIZONA.
Predominant plants are the Creosote Bush and scarce individuals of the small Mojave Yucca (Yucca schidigera). At this time of the year we have an intense smell of a yellow daisy flower covering the ground.
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| video sequence: part1 / part 2 | |||
Habitat examples 30-40 miles south of Wikieup on Highway 93, Mohave County, ARIZONA.
Habitat plant examples are the Joshua Tree (Yucca brevifolia) and Creosote Bush.
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Habitat examples 24 miles south of Wikieup on Highway 93, Mohave County, ARIZONA; This is a very rocky area:
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Habitat examples 10 miles west of Kingman, old Highway 66, Mohave County, ARIZONA:
Predominant are Creosote Bush; isolate Barrel Cacti, Thorn-Apple (Datura spec.) and Gourd-plants.
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Habitat examples south of Kingman on Highway 40 near Yucca, Alamo Road, Borinna Mine Road, Mojave County, ARIZONA:
Predominant are Ocotillo,Jumping Cholla Cactus, Barrel Cactus, Silver Cholla and Joshua Tree.
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Habitat examples near Bullhead City on Highway 95, Mojave County, ARIZONA:
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Habitat examples near Searchlight on Highway 95, Clark County, NEVADA:
Predominant plants are the Creosote Bush and weeds.
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Habitat examples near Glendale on Highway 15, Clark County, NEVADA:
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Habitat examples in Snow Canyon on Highway 18 northwest of St. George, Washington County, UTAH:
Predominant are lava fields and sand dunes covered with Sage weed (Artemisia spec.).
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