Species of the Week: Sagebrush Lizard

Species of the Week: Sagebrush Lizard

Sagebrush lizards live year-round in the sagebrush steppe, and eat insects and spiders. The lizards love to bask in the sun on rocky outcrops and logs, and hang out with other lizards. Easily frightened, the lizards will seek refuge in rocks, bushes, and burrows when...
Species of the Week: Grandmother Sagebrush

Species of the Week: Grandmother Sagebrush

Sagebrush steppe is a diverse habitat, supporting more than 350 recorded vertebrate species. It is key habitat for threatened species such as the greater sage-grouse and the pygmy rabbit. Sagebrush steppe is a threatened ecosystem in the American West, due to...
Species of the Week: Burrowing Owl

Species of the Week: Burrowing Owl

By artist Travis London, @deepgreenarts Burrowing Owls have been declining in numbers for many years. Habitat loss and prairie dog and ground squirrel eradication have forced them to be considered endangered or threatened in many areas. They favor flat open ground,...
Species of the Week: Greater Sage-grouse

Species of the Week: Greater Sage-grouse

Thacker Pass is sagebrush steppe habitat, which is where sage-grouse nest. They prefer dense cover from big sagebrush, although they also use areas with rabbitbrush, and locate their leks on broad ridgetops, grassy swales and dry lakebeds. This perfectly describes the...
Species of the week: Crosby’s Buckwheat

Species of the week: Crosby’s Buckwheat

Crosby’s Buckwheat Eriogonum crosbyae is native to southcentral Oregon and northwestern Nevada. Crosby’s Buckwheat is named after botanist Virginia Crosby. The species is slow to spread, and grows only in tuff, soil composed of volcanic ash at elevations of...