Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum ASDM Species List January 2018

[ThylacineAlive]

In January 2018 I visited the famous Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and was asked to form a species list since the collection isn't well-covered on the forum.

Reptiles, Invertebrates, Amphibians
San Esteban Spiny-Tailed Iguana Ctenosaura conspicuosa
San Esteban Chuckwalla Sauromalus varius
Gila Monster Heloderma suspectum
Mexican Cantil Agkistrodon bilineatus
Western Diamondback Rattlesnake Crotalus atrox
Santa Catalina Island Rattlesnake Crotalus catalinensis
Sonoran Desert Sidewinder Crotalus cerastes cercobombus
Arizona Black Rattlesnake Crotalus cerberus
Northern Black-Tailed Rattlesnake Crotalus molossus molossus
Mexican Black-Tailed Rattlesnake Crotalus molossus nigrescens
Mojave Rattlesnake Crotalus scutulatus scutulatus
Tiger Rattlesnake Crotalus tigris
Arizona Ridge-Nosed Rattlesnake Crotalus willardi willardi
Rosy Boa Lichanura trivirgata
Arizona Mountain Kingsnake Lampropeltis pyromelana
Red Coachwhip Snake Masticophis flagellum piceus
Brown Vine Snake Oxybelis aeneus
Western Gopher Snake Pituophis catenifer
Western Long-Nosed Snake Rhinocheilus lecontei
Northern Green Snake Senticolis triaspis intermedia
Arizona Tiger Salamander Ambystoma mavortium nebulosum
Western Toad Anaxyrus boreas
Eastern Green Toad Anaxyrus debilis debilis
Red-Spotted Toad Anaxyrus punctatus
Sonoran Green Toad Anaxyrus retiformis
Colorado River Toad Incilius alvarius
Mexican Leaf Frog Pachymedusa dacnicolor
Arizona Blond Tarantula Aphonopelma chalcodes
Mexican Rust-Legged Tarantula Brachypelma boehmei
Sonoran Desert Spider Homalonychus selenopoides
Arizona Black Hole Spider Kukulcania arizonica
Western Black Widow Latrodectus hesperus
Texas Desert Harvestman Trachyrhinus marmoratus
American Giant Vinegarroon Mastigoproctus giganteus
Baja California Bark Scorpion Centruroides exilicauda
American Tadpole Shrimp Triops longicaudatus
Blue Death Feigning Beetle Cryptoglossa verrucosus
Southern Giant Water Bug Lethocerus medius
Large Milkweed Bug Oncopeltus fasciatus
Vagrant Grasshopper Schistocerca nitens
Western Short-Horn Walkingstick Parabacillus hesperus

Mountain Woodland
North American Cougar Puma concolor couguar
Mexican Wolf Canis lupus baileyi
Eastern Black Bear Ursus americanus americanus
Desert Mule Deer Odocoileus hemionus eremicus
Coue’s Deer Odocoileus virginianus couesi
Sonoran Screech-Owl Megascops kennicottii aikeni
Thick-Billed Parrot Rhynchopsitta pachyrhyncha
Mexican Jay Aphelocoma wollweberi

Desert Grassland
Black-Tailed Prairie Dog Cynomys ludovicianus
Northern Grasshopper Mouse Onychomys leucogaster
Northern Crested Caracara Caracara cheriway
Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura
North American Black Vulture Coragyps atratus atratus
Northern Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias fannini
Mojave Rattlesnake Crotalus scutulatus scutulatus
Prairie Rattlesnake Crotalus viridis
Desert Massasauga Rattlesnake Sistrurus tergeminus edwardsii
Western Hognose Snake Heterodon nasicus
Sonoran Gopher Snake Pituophis catenifer affinis
Desert Box Turtle Terrapene ornata luteola

Life on the Rocks
Arizona Striped Skunk Mephitis mephitis estor
Harris’s Antelope Squirrel Ammospermophilus harrisii
White-Throated Woodrat Neotoma albigula
Northern Elf Owl Micrathene whitneyi whitneyi
Greater Roadrunner Geococcyx californianus
Tuscon Banded Gecko Coleonyx variegatus bogerti
Western Diamondback Rattlesnake Crotalus atrox
Speckled Rattlesnake Crotalus mitchellii
Canyon Treefrog Hyla arenicolor
Lowland Leopard Frog Lithobates yavapaiensis
Mexican Desert Millipede Orthoporus ornatus
Tuscon Kissing Bug Triatoma rubida

Cat Canyon
Brazilian Ocelot Leopardus pardalis mitis
Western Bobcat Lynx rufus fasciatus
Southern Grey Fox Urocyon cinereoargenteus scottii
North American Porcupine Erethizon dorsatum

Desert Loop Trail
Mearns’s Coyote Canis latrans mearnsi
Sonoran Collared Peccary Pecari angulatus sonoriensis

Raptor Free Flight
Grey Hawk Buteo plagiatus
Northern Crested Caracara Caracara cheriway
Prairie Falcon Falco mexicanus
Prairie Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus anatum
Desert Great Horned Owl Bubo virginianus pallescens
Chihuahuan Raven Corvus cryptoleucus

Riparian Corridor
North American River Otter Lontra canadensis
Mexican White-Nosed Coati Nasua narica molaris
Desert Bighorn Sheep Ovis canadensis nelsoni
Sonoran Beaver Castor canadensis frondator
Razorback Sucker Xyrauchen texanus
Desert Pupfish Cyprinodon macularius
Gila Topminnow Poeciliopsis occidentalis
Longfin Dace Agosia chrysogaster
Bonytail Chub Gila elegans
Colorado Pikeminnow Ptychocheilus lucius

Walk-in Aviary
Gambel’s Quail Callipepla gambelii
Masked Bobwhite Quail Colinus virginianus ridgwayi
Common Mallard Anas platyrhynchos platyrhynchos
Inca Dove Columbina inca
White-Winged Dove Zenaida asiatica
Lark Bunting Calamospiza melanocorys
Steller’s Jay Cyanocitta stelleri macrolopha
Western Tanager Piranga ludoviciana
Curve-Billed Thrasher Toxostoma curvirostre
Cardinalis hybrid
Pheucticus hybrid

Outside Walk-In Aviary
Morafka’s Desert Tortoise Gopherus morafkai
Western Cownose Ray Rhinoptera bonasus

Hummingbird Aviary
Anna’s Hummingbird Calypte anna
Costa’s Hummingbird Calypte costae
Northern Broad-Billed Hummingbird Cynanthus latirostris magicus
Calliope Hummingbird Selasphorus calliope
Rufous Hummingbird Selasphorus rufus

Warden Aquarium
Snowflake Moray Echidna nebulosa
Zebra Moray Gymnomuraena zebra
Jewelled Moray Muraena lentiginosa
Splendid Garden Eel Gorgasia preclara
Black-Spotted Garden Eel Heteroconger hassi
Convict Tang Acanthurus triostegus
Tailspot Cardinalfish Apogon dovii
Mexican Hogfish Bodianus diplotaenia
Cortez Rainbow Wrasse Thalassoma lucasanum
Three-Banded Butterflyfish Chaetodon robustus
Limbaugh’s Chromis Chromis limbaughi
Cortez Damselfish Stegastes rectifraenum
King Angelfish Holacanthus passer
Cortez Angelfish Pomacanthus zonipectus
Blacknose Butterflyfish Johnrandallia nigrirostris
Barred Flagtail Kuhlia mugil
Pacific Creolefish Paranthias colonus
Pacific Seahorse Hippocampus ingens
Beautiful Shiner Cyprinella formosa
Humpback Chub Gila cypha
Sonoran Chub Gila ditaenia
Yaqui Chub Gila purpurea
Roundtail Chub Gila robusta
Apache Trout Oncorhynchus apache
California Horn Shark Heterodontus francisci

Off-Exhibit
Arizona Ring-Tailed Cacomistle Bassariscus astutus arizonensis
Chihuahuan Ring-Tailed Cacomistle Bassariscus astutus flavus
Ring-Tailed Cacomistle Bassariscus astutus
Kit Fox Vulpes macrotis
Mexican Military Macaw Ara militaris mexicana
Rio Fuerte Beaded Lizard Heloderma exasperatum
Mexican Beaded Lizard Heloderma horridum
Banded Gila Monster Heloderma suspectum cinctum
Reticulated Gila Monster Heloderma suspectum suspectum
Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake Crotalus adamanteus
Mexican West Coast Rattlesnake Crotalus basiliscus
Colorado Desert Sidewinder Crotalus cerastes laterorepens
Lower California Rattlesnake Crotalus enyo enyo
Banded Rock Rattlesnake Crotalus lepidus klauberi
El Muerto Island Rattlesnake Crotalus mitchellii muertensis
Grand Canyon Rattlesnake Crotalus oreganus abyssus
Midget Faded Rattlesnake Crotalus oreganus concolor
Southern Pacific Rattlesnake Crotalus oreganus helleri
Grand Basin Rattlesnake Crotalus oreganus lutosus
Twin-Spotted Rattlesnake Crotalus pricei
Red Diamondback Rattlesnake Crotalus ruber
Hopi Rattlesnake Crotalus viridis nuntius
Northern Prairie Rattlesnake Crotalus viridis viridis
New Mexico Ridge-Nosed Rattlesnale Crotalus willardi obscurus
Chihuahuan Ridge-Nosed Rattlesnake Crotalus willardi silus
Desert Kingsnake Lampropeltis getula splendida
Sonoran Mountain Kingsnake Lampropeltis pyromelana knoblochi
Sinaloan Milksnake Lampropeltis triangulum sinaloae
California Mountain Kingsnake Lampropeltis zonata agalma
San Diego Gopher Snake Pituophis catenifer annectens
Great Basin Gopher Snake Pituopis catenifer deserticola
Great Plains Toad Anaxyrus cognatus

The off-exhibit list is based off prior knowledge and a bit of ZIMS digging, but is surely not complete.

~Thylo

 

[geomorph]

Thank you for this list, it makes me want to visit next winter!

 

[ThylacineAlive]

One taxa I missed that's off-exhibit is Merriam's Wild Turkey, M. g. merriami, that went bts after the Mule Deer arrived.

~Thylo

 

[Arizona Docent]

Impressive list! Just over one year later (Spring 2019) there are only a couple changes that I notice immediately, both in Mountain Woodlands. The thick-billed parrots are no longer there and their exhibit has been empty for many months. The Mexican jay has been gone and the aviary was recently redone with new (thinner) mesh. It was empty as of my last visit two weeks ago, but staff told me it will house a long-eared owl (which may in fact be there by now). Here is a photo: aviary renovation | ZooChat

Also the Raptor Free Flight species lineup varies, but your list is a good sampling. A family group of Harris hawks are regulars as well and sometimes a ferruginous hawk (very impressive bird).

 

[Arizona Docent]

I thought it was odd that you list the black bear as eastern subspecies. I saw a docent at the bear exhibit today so I asked where the bear came from and he confirmed it was orphaned near Strawberry (White Mountains), Arizona.

Also long-eared owl is now on exhibit. Thick billed parrots will not be returning and exhibit will likely be used for a local bird such as raven or great horned owl or similar (whatever becomes available from local rehabbers, according to a a senior staff person I spoke with today).

 

[ThylacineAlive]

I thought it was odd that you list the black bear as eastern subspecies. I saw a docent at the bear exhibit today so I asked where the bear came from and he confirmed it was orphaned near Strawberry (White Mountains), Arizona.

I was under the impression that U. a. americanus was the subspecies in Arizona (it's the one that ranges over the majority of the continent) but I suppose it's actually amblyceps.

~Thylo

 

[Arizona Docent]

I was under the impression that U. a. americanus was the subspecies in Arizona (it's the one that ranges over the majority of the continent) but I suppose it's actually amblyceps.

~Thylo

I am not familiar with Latin names for bears. I was just going by your common name of "eastern" which I assumed meant eastern United States.

 

[ThylacineAlive]

I am not familiar with Latin names for bears. I was just going by your common name of "eastern" which I assumed meant eastern United States.

Common names can be tricky. "Eastern Black Bear" isn't my name for them, it's just what the nominate subspecies is always referred to (presumably because they were described in the east). The subspecies, however, ranges over the majority of North America. As with most North American mammals, however, the majority of the subspecies probably aren't even valid.

~Thylo

 

[birdsandbats]

How would you say a visit takes? Also, are the introduced Sonoran Spiny-Tailed Iguanas easy to see?

 

[Ituri]

I was under the impression that U. a. americanus was the subspecies in Arizona (it's the one that ranges over the majority of the continent) but I suppose it's actually amblyceps.

~Thylo

They have had an americanus in the past, but I think it's been a while.

 

[ThylacineAlive]

How would you say a visit takes? Also, are the introduced Sonoran Spiny-Tailed Iguanas easy to see?

It depends on whether you're interested in the non-animal sections as well, but I'd say one could easily spend 5 hours here. I saw the iguanas easily, but they're a hybrid population between C. conspicuosa and C. macrolopha.

~Thylo

 

[Arizona Docent]

How would you say a visit takes? Also, are the introduced Sonoran Spiny-Tailed Iguanas easy to see?

A visit takes 3-4 hours (though you could spend longer if you have lunch and revisit everything). The free roaming spiny-tailed iguanas are easy to see. In fact I see them almost every visit. They are most reliably seen in or near bighorn sheep exhibit and also often in the mountain woodlands. However on this week's visit I saw one sitting on top of the hummingbird aviary.