Death Valley National Park
🇺🇸 United States
🐍 Watch Sidewinders Perform Their Breeding RitualsDeath Valley National Park is a vast desert reserve in the western United States, defined by salt flats, gravel fans, and eroded mountain ranges. Across these arid basins and sparse scrublands, resilient wildlife adapts to extreme heat by restricting activity to cooler hours and shaded rocky crevices.
36.648° N 117.233° W
Wildlife
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
Common Side-blotched Lizard
Uta stansburiana
Common Raven
Corvus corax
Zebra-tailed Lizard
Callisaurus draconoides
Desert Horned Lizard
Phrynosoma platyrhinos
Desert Iguana
Dipsosaurus dorsalis
House Finch
Haemorhous mexicanus
White-crowned Sparrow
Zonotrichia leucophrys
Mourning Dove
Zenaida macroura
Desert Collared Lizard
Crotaphytus bicinctores
Western Whiptail
Aspidoscelis tigris
Panamint Rattlesnake
Crotalus stephensi
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Setophaga coronata
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
Bighorn Sheep
Ovis canadensis
Black-tailed Jackrabbit
Lepus californicus
Desert Cottontail
Sylvilagus audubonii
White-tailed Antelope Squirrel
Ammospermophilus leucurus
Kit Fox
Vulpes macrotis
American Badger
Taxidea taxus
Mule Deer
Odocoileus hemionus
Pronghorn
Antilocapra americana
Desert Kangaroo Rat
Dipodomys deserti
Desert Woodrat
Neotoma lepida
Gray Fox
Urocyon cinereoargenteus
Bobcat
Lynx rufus
📊 Most Spotted
Common Raven
Corvus corax
House Finch
Haemorhous mexicanus
White-crowned Sparrow
Zonotrichia leucophrys
Mourning Dove
Zenaida macroura
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Setophaga coronata
American Coot
Fulica americana
Say's Phoebe
Sayornis saya
Ruddy Duck
Oxyura jamaicensis
Lesser Goldfinch
Spinus psaltria
Rock Wren
Salpinctes obsoletus
Verdin
Auriparus flaviceps
Costa's Hummingbird
Calypte costae
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
Common Side-blotched Lizard
Uta stansburiana
Zebra-tailed Lizard
Callisaurus draconoides
Desert Horned Lizard
Phrynosoma platyrhinos
Desert Iguana
Dipsosaurus dorsalis
Desert Collared Lizard
Crotaphytus bicinctores
Western Whiptail
Aspidoscelis tigris
Panamint Rattlesnake
Crotalus stephensi
Yellow-backed Spiny Lizard
Sceloporus uniformis
Long-nosed Leopard Lizard
Gambelia wislizenii
Gopher Snake
Pituophis catenifer
Coachwhip
Masticophis flagellum
Agassiz’s Desert Tortoise
Gopherus agassizii
📊 Most Spotted
Western Toad
Anaxyrus boreas
Amargosa Toad
Anaxyrus nelsoni
Pacific chorus frog
Pseudacris regilla
Red-spotted Toad
Anaxyrus punctatus
American Bullfrog
Lithobates catesbeianus
Woodhouse's Toad
Anaxyrus woodhousii
Inyo Mountains Salamander
Batrachoseps campi
Great Basin Spadefoot
Spea intermontana
Recent sightings in Death Valley National Park
LIVEiNaturalistAnimal Events
1Chuckwalla Basking Season
Chuckwallas emerge to bask on sun-warmed rocks, often seen in pairs or small groups. They retreat to rock crevices during midday heat.
2Sidewinder Breeding Rituals
Male sidewinders engage in combat dances to establish dominance before mating. Females lay eggs in sandy burrows, which hatch in late summer.
3Coyote Nocturnal Foraging
Coyotes adapt to extreme heat by hunting nocturnally, often seen near water sources or scavenging carcasses. Their howls echo through canyons at night.
Sighting Calendar
Average chance of spotting the park's most-spotted species, month by month
- 1Chuckwalla Basking Season
- 2Sidewinder Breeding Rituals
- 3Coyote Nocturnal Foraging
Sighting Zones
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
Essentials
Climate
What visitors saw
Expand image Verdin Across one of the two main ponds, we spotted what looked like a small squat Say's Phoebe from afar, but we scrutinized the fella--more precisely, gal--to pieces because we already knew that a Vermilion Flycatcher had been reported.
I finally really realized how much I had missed not being there for a full decade on Day 3 of my visit, when I got to Keane Wonder Mine and saw a pair of chuckwallas getting ready to do the "muskrat love." I'd seen chuckwallas, or a lone male, once before, 20 years ago — at Keane Wonder Mine.
Quick answers
What animals can you see in Death Valley National Park?
The most likely sightings are Common Side-blotched Lizard (seen by about 90% of wildlife watchers), Common Raven (seen by about 80% of wildlife watchers), Common Chuckwalla (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers), Zebra-tailed Lizard (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers), Desert Horned Lizard (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers) — among 671 recorded vertebrate species, based on citizen-science data from GBIF.
When is the best time to visit Death Valley National Park for wildlife?
April has the highest combined sighting rate for the park's top species in our month-by-month GBIF data. The full sighting calendar on this page shows each species' best months.
Can you see Common Chuckwalla in Death Valley National Park?
Yes — about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Common Chuckwalla sighting in Death Valley National Park, based on 543 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Sidewinder in Death Valley National Park?
Yes — about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Sidewinder sighting in Death Valley National Park, based on 251 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Coyote in Death Valley National Park?
Yes — about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Coyote sighting in Death Valley National Park, based on 299 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Where Wildlife Score
How good is this park for seeing wildlife?Biodiversity
ExcellentHow rich is the wildlife?
Sighting
GoodHow likely to see animals?
Experience
GoodHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
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