Tokay Gecko

I got a tokay gecko about a month ago and was pretty sure it was a female. Tokay gecko's are well known for being agressive and not hesitant to bite! I got an adult male tokay the other day from Scottsdale Community College. I had them in seperate tanks until I heard a rather loud squecking noise what is the male tokay mating call! I put them together and they snuggled up to eachother!

Lizard Vivarium

Well, for months now I've been thinking about purchasing or building a large terrarium to house several native lizard species Collard Lizards Long Nosed Leopard Lizards or Chuckwallas. Depending on on how well they get along I wanna get as many different species as I can. Anyway, so I was looking around for ideas to either build or purchase a rather large tank to keep them in and so I stopped by several different Goodwill stores and Pet stores. While I was at Petco on Power and Baseline I saw how they kept their ferrets in a hexagonal tank that was pretty much a 3 foot in all directions it sitting on a stand that had storage. I asked the employee if he knew where they bought their tanks from for the displays. He didn't know... but he told me that the empty tank that was pretty much the same model was for sale!

I checked it out it was a pretty large tank and I wasn't sure if it could fit in my room... it was $200 of which was going to some pet charity. I didn't have the money on me at the time so I waited until I had the extra cash, it took like a month before that happened so I'd stop by every couple weeks to make sure it was still there. I got a dj job and had worked some extra hours at the school and got enough money! First thing the next morning I went and purchased the tank.

And since I had so long to think about getting it I already had a plan on how I was going to design the thing. Since there was a support bar in the center of the terrarium I decided to make a rock pile in the middle to sort of cover it up and yet make the best use of the space in the middle leaving more space around it. I had seen some cool fake rock walls and things on the Internet made out of Styrofoam and grout mix. I really didn't want to carry a bunch of real rocks around in my car and have all that excess weight in the terrarium. So that's what I did, I went dumpster diving and found some Styrofoam pieces in the back of a furniture store. What I started carving down to a more rock-ish shape with a kitchen knife and razor blades. (Be careful kids!)

I realized it was going to be quite a mess so I put a tarp down to try and catch most of the shavings. But ended up just doing it on a table on my back porch. The more I carved the more it started looking like real rocks. I also realized it was going to gain some rock-like aesthetics from the sand treated grout mix I had purchased in a dirt color. What, now that I think about it, I should have bought a grey color to look more rock like, anyhow. After sculpting all my rocks some of which were hallowed out so they could have a cave like function once they were grouted. I hot glued the rocks in a pile with gaps and little bridges in a way to make a lizard happy (Ha!). Then I used this foam spray stuff to fill in the gaps and cracks and also serve as another sort of adhesive.

Now comes the fun part. Made up my sand treated gout mix and started smearing it with my hands all over the foam rocks. This was quite entertaining and very messy so of course I had it on a tarp. It was quite the process making sure every single rack and underside was covered. After like a half hour of this I realized how much easier and efficient it would be if I used a paint brush to evenly distribute the grout on the structure. So much faster. It kinda' looked like a giant pile of doggy doo after I was finished but I was going to add some acrylic paint to give it more rock-like texture.

I then got some acrylic paints and put them in a cheap spray bottle, red grey and black and sprayed splotched layers of the colors to give it a rocky look. After which I sprayed the sealant on the grout what... sealed it. When it dried it was rock hard.

Then I've been adding some plants a off shoot of kriasote bush and brittle bush and triangle bersage and a little pin cushion cacti that somebody had kicked up on a trail I was on. Hopefully they will take root!

iHike AZ!

Here I made out a list of all the hikes I've done in AZ that I can remember... in the last year or two. Also put a list of reptiles and amphibians I've seen at each location with links so you can see them for yourselves.

White Tank Mountains
Didn't get a chance to go too far on the trail I took Ford Canyon trail was wonderful weather lots of annual flowers blooming and plenty of lizards to see. Went there to see a Great Basin Collard lizard and that's what I got. No complaints.

Species County:
Side Blotched Lizard, Great Basin Collard Lizard

Fossil Springs
Gorgeous hike! The creek at the end makes it even better water fall lush green.. Perfect. Went there mid march and found some snow still on the ground.

Species count.
Madrean Alligator Lizard, A frog I couldn't identify...

Hieroglyphic springs
has got to be one of my favorite hikes because I have done it at least 20 times. A great hike that is easy enough for not so experienced hikers and yet it has a exciting finish to it what helps it not get old. there are some large rocks with awesome petroglyphs, rock art, that native people left. The creek is running at some times if the year and I have even gone for a dip! It has a sort of pool that has a make shift wate slide. Pretty flat all the way although one does have to watch their step because of the fair amount of loose bolders and rocks.

species count:

Side Blotched Lizard, Tiger Whip Tail, Black-necked Garter Snake, Male/Female Eastern Collard Lizard, Canyon Tree Frog, Chuckwalla

Flat Iron
a very difficult long hike that can take all morning to finish. An excellent view of the whole valley from atop the superstition flat iron. One has to be careful hiking in the warmer months to bring PLENTY of WATER. I have had a couple close calls hiking this trail where heat exaustion began to set in before I made it to my car. The hike begins at the parking lot where you get on the siphon draw trailhead and fowllow the upland desert area to the edge of the superstitions. The boulders get bigger a d bigger until you get to a carved out river bed in sheer rock.
Side Blotched Lizard, Zebra Tail, Ornate Tree Lizard, Desert Spiney, Male/Female Eastern Collard Lizard and hatchling

South Mountain
A very flat dry rocky hike. Alot of rolling hills, hills more than a mountain but it's still worth hiking. I would avoid weekends it's quite the popular hiking spot whereas it's right close to both phoenix and Chandler. Quite surprising is the fact you can still see quite a bit of wildlife while you're there. the orange/red tailed chuckwalla is a unique find that you can find nowhere else, that I know of. Though it's not far from the city you can still stumble upon rattlesnakes, I did! A Tiger Rattle snake.
Red Tail Chuckwalla, Tiger Rattle Snake

Camel Back Mountain
So as you can see I don't have ANY herps for Camel Back Mountain! How can that be!? I don't know, but the 2-3 times I have been there I didn't see anything that I can remember. Weird. A pretty good hike I'd say, on the weekends, like South Mt., Camel Back gets quite the crowd of fitness enthusiasts and wanna be hikers and rock climbers. I've seen a good number of news reports during the summer about hikers getting stuck or hurt and having to get helicoptered out (I know not a word) on hiking trips are on Camel back. This is not a "walk in the park" it's actually a fairly difficult hike and has steep inclines large boulders to traverse through.
(No list of reptiles for I have not seen them yet)


San Tan Mountain
A nice find on my part... I live out in south gilbert and always wondered what the heck the "San Tan" Freeway was named after and what the mountainous range just south of me was. Did a bit of googling and turns out it's a mountain and it has hiking. It's a Maricopa county park that used to be a GM car proving ground it has a $6 park fee. Reminds me a lot of South Mt. but way less people. Looks like people like to ride bikes there too. Had a friend who bikes I told about it to and he liked it.
Chuckwalla,Eastern Collard Lizard, Sonoran Whip Snake

Picket Post
I love this hike, I hiked it at the begging of fall and it was a difficult hike and took several hours but I loved it. I really can't wait to try it out during the spring time. Best part about it is the fact I didn't see one person! I posted a blog about it.
Side blotched Lizard

Picacho Peak
Enjoyed this hike interesting how the trail curved around the mountain and you get to cross several rickety looking bridges that are bolted to solid rock! Great view once you get to the top. Again, I think this hike would rock in spring and summer.
Ornate Tree Lizard, Juvinial Chuckwalla

Peralta Trail
Great hike not too hard not too easy great view popular but not over populated. I've see a good number of lizards here too. I've done it half a dozen times.
Side Blotched Lizard, Chuckwalla, Desert Spiney, Greater Earless Lizard, Zebra Tail Lizard, Tiger Whip Tail, Gila Spotted Whiptail

Piestewa Peak
Fun little rock climb, not many critters but it was fun.
Chuckwalla

Chiricahuas Mountains
I went down with three biology teachers from MCC Red Mt. to collect herps for the schools live collection. Way cool mountains we hiked up to some rock slides where we found the protected Rock Rattlesnake. We actually camped there on the mountain side. The stars were AMAZING I've never seen them so bright and vivid. With no city lights to mess with there sheer awesomeness the altitude of the mountains was a perfect star gazers spot.
Aligator Lizard, Yarrows Spiney, Striped Plateau Lizard, Black Tailed Rattle Snake, Rock Rattle Snake, Twin Spotted Rattle Snake, Western Lyresnake, Great Plains Toad, Sonoran Desert Toad, Woodhouse's Toad, Couch's Spadefoot, Mexican Spadefoot

Huachuca Mountain
Drove down to Sierra Vista to do some herping down at Gray Hawk nature preserve I also took a drive up to the Huachuca Mt. Like the mountain a lot very windy roads. Almost sat on a sun bathing black tail rattler. Also went for a little walk in some grass meadow I don't recall the name of. Good place to hike a drive down there though.
Yarrow's Spiney, Black Tail Rattle Snake, Black-necked Garter Snake, Canyon Tree Frog

Pinnacle Peak
Very short hike... of course I didn't do the entire trail, but still was able to see a chuckwalla what I snagged an awesome picture of.
Chuckwalla

Boyce Thomson Arboretum
Out past Picket Post Mt. just before Superior AZ there it is! A neat little nature preserve that has a plant store with a nice selection of native and non-native desert plants. Also a little gift shop. Trails are all pretty much paved very easy hiking and also has a picnic area. I have a ton of memories as a kid taking field trips here and eating string cheese.

Ornate Tree Lizard, Tiger Whip Tail, Gila Spotted Whiptail

A Nap On Top of "Woolf Mountain"

Tuesday morning I went hiking like planned to Picket post mountain! When I was a kid my Dad used to drive back and forth from Mesa to Globe to work the dental office before we moved down there and he used to wonder what the name of the mountain right next to Superior AZ was. He didn't know it so he just called it "Woolf Mountain" we called it that for years and even named the different lumps on top of it after each of us kids ha ha!
The hike was pretty intense indeed! It didn't help that I took a 2-3 miles wrong turn and ended up on the back side of the mountain. Ended up coming back and seriously considered not hiking to the top. But I did anyway! Reminded me a lot of the Superstition Flat Iron hike but more gravely and consistently steep. I got to the top and was pretty much exhausted. I realize when I'm hiking I don't like to slow down and sometimes push myself a little much and overdue myself in the process. So I was pretty excited to be at the top but more excited to sit down and take a breather. Ended up taking a half hour nap under a huge rocky shaded area. The area looked like prime lizard habitat but it of course it's the wrong season to see anything interesting anymore. Only a billion side blotched lizards aka "Uta stansburiana" I'm sure you don't care about the scientific name but hey, it's my blog, get over it.
Took my nap ate my left over pancake I brought with and some cookie crisp so good. I brought plenty of water with me this time so I had enough to get me by unlike a recent solo trip to Flat Iron where I thought I was going to pass out. I took pictures up top which I will post on here at some point soon. It was a fun hike. Although I think I am now even sicker than I was because I hiked the 8 or so miles my little caught has turned into a full blown cold. So today, which is veterans day, I didn't go hiking like I had planned, just sat around being lazy. The End.
P.s. Funny story, went to get some substrate for the bottom of my snakes cage at Petsmart with my nephew. Was looking at their reptiles and noticed they were selling two female eastern collard lizards "Crotaphytus collaris". They looked rather weak and sickly and not the typical strong proud lizard I'm used to. $49 bucks pahaha! I Thought that was silly. I was tempted to buy them for our male collard lizard in the Terrarium but decided they were too weak for him and wouldn't have the same survival instincts as a wild caught one would.

It's a blog a BLOG!! What the heck is a blog?

Well, I got one, you know a blog. Everybody is doing it now. Funny thing is I've had one of these online journal things before. But back then it wasn't called a "blog" it was just an online journal. I'm curious, at what point did it start being called that. It was somewhere between 2004-2006 while I was serving a full time mission for my church. I'm a facebooker that's for sure but I notice most of what it's becoming is a party invite place. That's what I use it for! Anyway, I had the thought if I made a blog I'd put effort into documenting my life is a more coherent way. Who knows. I'll be able to put my pictures up and whatnot. That'll be cool.
I'm planning on hiking two times this week, once on Friday morning with a couple friends and the other I'm hiking tomorrow, looks like it'll be by myself again. I just realized I need to hike PicketPost mountain again by Boyce Thompson Arboretum and Superior. Heh! It's a pretty intense hike from what I remember, to be honest I'm REALLY hoping there are some herps out still! (Herps meaning reptiles or amphibians) I really wouldn't mind seeing one last chuckwalla or collard lizard. Okay, I think I've typed quite enough for my first blogger experience.

Peace out and hope it's not the last!