Sabino Canyon is a place of colorful cliffs, colossal cacti, lush streamside scenery and, you might have noticed, lizards - lots and lots of lizards.
To highlight that reptilian resource, managers of the canyon northeast of Tucson will offer monthly guided lizard walks beginning Saturday.
The free walks depart from the canyon visitor center at 8 a.m. on the first Saturday of each month. The final walk of the season will be on Oct. 1.
"Sabino is among the best spots in the nation for lizard watching," said Larry Jones, a biologist with the Coronado National Forest.
"We've counted 16 species of lizards in the canyon," Jones said. "That's among the highest diversity (of lizard species) in the country. But it's not just the diversity. Lizards are also just extremely abundant in the canyon."
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LIZARD WALK OPTIONS
The walks will be guided by members of the Sabino Canyon Volunteer Naturalists, who received training from Jones.
Participants may choose to make brief guided observations near the visitor center or venture farther into the canyon on longer guided excursions.
"We'll split groups to accommodate anything from those who want a short hike on flat terrain to people who want to see more," Jones said. "The longer walks will be two hours or more, looking for as many lizard species as possible."
Materials - including a checklist and route information - will be available at the visitor center for people who want to take self-guided lizard walks.
SOME SPECIES TO SEE
• Eastern collared lizard
Males of this large species can be vibrantly colored in hues of bright green, turquoise or blue.
• Giant spotted whiptail
It's the largest whiptail in the United States, sometimes reaching more than 18 inches in length.
• Desert spiny lizard
This gray to tan or brownish lizard is often seen in the Tucson urban area.
• Gila monster
It's a venomous species, but generally, in Jones' words, "they don't mess with people unless people mess with them."
GET A FREE POSTER
Participants in guided and self-guided lizard walks will receive a free 2-by-3-foot color poster showing all the lizards of Sabino Canyon and the Catalina Mountains.
Contact reporter Doug Kreutz at dkreutz@azstarnet.com or at 573-4192.
