Death Valley National Park

🇺🇸 United States

🐍 Watch Sidewinders Perform Their Breeding Rituals

🌍 #231 Global · 3.3 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ #43 in North America #18 in Desert & Scrub

United States, United States 671 spp. recorded

Death 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

Common Chuckwalla

Sauromalus ater

60–70% · Likely

Sidewinder

Crotalus cerastes

50–60% · Likely

Coyote

Canis latrans

50–60% · Likely

📊 Most Spotted

Common Side-blotched Lizard

Uta stansburiana

80–90% · Very likely

Common Raven

Corvus corax

80–90% · Very likely

Zebra-tailed Lizard

Callisaurus draconoides

60–70% · Likely

Desert Horned Lizard

Phrynosoma platyrhinos

60–70% · Likely

House Finch

Haemorhous mexicanus

50–60% · Likely

Desert Iguana

Dipsosaurus dorsalis

50–60% · Likely

White-crowned Sparrow

Zonotrichia leucophrys

50–60% · Likely

Mourning Dove

Zenaida macroura

50–60% · Likely

Desert Collared Lizard

Crotaphytus bicinctores

40–50% · Likely

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Setophaga coronata

40–50% · Likely

Western Whiptail

Aspidoscelis tigris

40–50% · Likely

Panamint Rattlesnake

Crotalus stephensi

40–50% · Likely

⭐ Iconic Species

Coyote

Canis latrans

50–60% · Likely

📊 Most Spotted

Bighorn Sheep

Ovis canadensis

40–50% · Likely

Black-tailed Jackrabbit

Lepus californicus

30–40% · Possible

Desert Cottontail

Sylvilagus audubonii

30–40% · Possible

White-tailed Antelope Squirrel

Ammospermophilus leucurus

20–30% · Possible

Kit Fox

Vulpes macrotis

20–30% · Possible

American Badger

Taxidea taxus

10–20% · With luck

Mule Deer

Odocoileus hemionus

10–20% · With luck

Pronghorn

Antilocapra americana

10–20% · With luck

Desert Kangaroo Rat

Dipodomys deserti

10–20% · With luck

Desert Woodrat

Neotoma lepida

10–20% · With luck

Gray Fox

Urocyon cinereoargenteus

10–20% · With luck

Bobcat

Lynx rufus

10–20% · With luck

📊 Most Spotted

Common Raven

Corvus corax

80–90% · Very likely

House Finch

Haemorhous mexicanus

50–60% · Likely

White-crowned Sparrow

Zonotrichia leucophrys

50–60% · Likely

Mourning Dove

Zenaida macroura

50–60% · Likely

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Setophaga coronata

40–50% · Likely

American Coot

Fulica americana

40–50% · Likely

Say's Phoebe

Sayornis saya

40–50% · Likely

Ruddy Duck

Oxyura jamaicensis

30–40% · Possible

Lesser Goldfinch

Spinus psaltria

30–40% · Possible

Rock Wren

Salpinctes obsoletus

30–40% · Possible

Verdin

Auriparus flaviceps

30–40% · Possible

Costa's Hummingbird

Calypte costae

20–30% · Possible

⭐ Iconic Species

Common Chuckwalla

Sauromalus ater

60–70% · Likely

Sidewinder

Crotalus cerastes

50–60% · Likely

📊 Most Spotted

Common Side-blotched Lizard

Uta stansburiana

80–90% · Very likely

Zebra-tailed Lizard

Callisaurus draconoides

60–70% · Likely

Desert Horned Lizard

Phrynosoma platyrhinos

60–70% · Likely

Desert Iguana

Dipsosaurus dorsalis

50–60% · Likely

Desert Collared Lizard

Crotaphytus bicinctores

40–50% · Likely

Western Whiptail

Aspidoscelis tigris

40–50% · Likely

Panamint Rattlesnake

Crotalus stephensi

40–50% · Likely

Yellow-backed Spiny Lizard

Sceloporus uniformis

40–50% · Likely

Long-nosed Leopard Lizard

Gambelia wislizenii

30–40% · Possible

Gopher Snake

Pituophis catenifer

30–40% · Possible

Coachwhip

Masticophis flagellum

30–40% · Possible

Agassiz’s Desert Tortoise

Gopherus agassizii

30–40% · Possible

📊 Most Spotted

Western Toad

Anaxyrus boreas

30–40% · Possible

Amargosa Toad

Anaxyrus nelsoni

20–30% · Possible

Pacific chorus frog

Pseudacris regilla

10–20% · With luck

Red-spotted Toad

Anaxyrus punctatus

10–20% · With luck

American Bullfrog

Lithobates catesbeianus

10–20% · With luck

Woodhouse's Toad

Anaxyrus woodhousii

10–20% · With luck

Inyo Mountains Salamander

Batrachoseps campi

Insufficient data

Great Basin Spadefoot

Spea intermontana

Insufficient data

Animal Events

🦎

Chuckwalla Basking Season

FebMarAprMayJunJul

Chuckwallas emerge to bask on sun-warmed rocks, often seen in pairs or small groups. They retreat to rock crevices during midday heat.

Common Chuckwalla

Sauromalus ater

60–70% · Likely

🦎

Sidewinder Breeding Rituals

AprMayJunJulSep

Male sidewinders engage in combat dances to establish dominance before mating. Females lay eggs in sandy burrows, which hatch in late summer.

Sidewinder

Crotalus cerastes

50–60% · Likely

🦌

Coyote Nocturnal Foraging

JanOctDec

Coyotes adapt to extreme heat by hunting nocturnally, often seen near water sources or scavenging carcasses. Their howls echo through canyons at night.

Coyote

Canis latrans

50–60% · Likely

Sighting Calendar

Chance of spotting each species, month by month

Species Total

40–50

50–60

50–60

60–70

50–60

50–60

50–60

40–50

50–60

50–60

40–50

30–40

Common Chuckwalla

40–50

70–80

70–80

70–80

70–80

60–70

70–80

50–60

50–60

30–40

20–30

10–20

10–20

30–40

30–40

50–60

60–70

50–60

70–80

40–50

50–60

40–50

20–30

10–20

70–80

60–70

50–60

40–50

40–50

40–50

60–70

60–70

60–70

70–80

60–70

70–80

Common Side-blotched Lizard

80–90

90–100

90–100

80–90

70–80

70–80

70–80

60–70

80–90

80–90

80–90

60–70

90–100

80–90

80–90

70–80

80–90

70–80

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

Zebra-tailed Lizard

20–30

60–70

70–80

70–80

70–80

60–70

70–80

70–80

70–80

50–60

30–40

5–10

Desert Horned Lizard

10–20

30–40

60–70

70–80

70–80

70–80

80–90

60–70

60–70

40–50

30–40

5–10

60–70

60–70

50–60

60–70

60–70

60–70

20–30

20–30

50–60

50–60

50–60

60–70

5–10

30–40

60–70

70–80

60–70

50–60

50–60

50–60

10–20

10–20

5–10

5–10

White-crowned Sparrow

70–80

70–80

60–70

50–60

5–10

5–10

5–10

5–10

30–40

70–80

70–80

80–90

40–50

40–50

30–40

50–60

80–90

80–90

30–40

40–50

50–60

40–50

30–40

30–40

Desert Collared Lizard

<5

10–20

30–40

50–60

60–70

40–50

40–50

50–60

40–50

10–20

10–20

<5

Yellow-rumped Warbler

40–50

50–60

50–60

50–60

10–20

<5

5–10

5–10

10–20

70–80

60–70

60–70

Western Whiptail

<5

10–20

40–50

50–60

50–60

50–60

20–30

40–50

20–30

10–20

20–30

<5

Panamint Rattlesnake

10–20

20–30

30–40

60–70

50–60

40–50

30–40

10–20

40–50

30–40

20–30

<5

Animal Events

🦎 Chuckwalla Basking Season

🦎 Sidewinder Breeding Rituals

🦌 Coyote Nocturnal Foraging

Sighting Zones

Warm areas are where all species together are recorded most, so they track where people go as much as where animals are. For one species, see the map on its own page.

0.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ Good

🐍 Watch Sidewinders Perform Their Breeding Rituals

🦜

Biodiversity

Very good

How rich is the wildlife?

4.3 Global avg

4.2 ★★★★★ ★★★★★

Species by taxon

🦅 Birds

479

🐒 Mammals

114

🦎 Reptiles

65

🐸 Amphibians

13

671 Total Species

850 Global average across 296 parks

28 Threatened 101 Endemic

🔭

Sighting

Good

How likely to see animals?

3.6 Global avg

3.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★

🎯

Top-12 Avg Probability

62% Global avg

62%

📊

Coverage (182 species at ≥5% of 671 in the inventory)

24% Global avg

27%

🔀

Taxon variety in top 12 (7 reptile, 4 bird, 1 mammal)

46% Global avg

72%

🔭

Species per 10 outings (distinct species a visitor would meet over 10 outings — effort held equal across parks)

134 Global avg

113

🌟

Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)

15 Global avg

5

⭐

High-prob species (>40%)

27 Global avg

19

Quick answers

What animals can you see in Death Valley National Park?

The most likely sightings are Common Side-blotched Lizard (seen by 80–90% of wildlife watchers), Common Raven (seen by 80–90% of wildlife watchers), Common Chuckwalla (seen by 60–70% of wildlife watchers), Zebra-tailed Lizard (seen by 60–70% of wildlife watchers), Desert Horned Lizard (seen by 60–70% 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 69% of wildlife watchers report a Common Chuckwalla sighting in Death Valley National Park, based on 427 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Can you see Sidewinder in Death Valley National Park?

Yes — about 51% of wildlife watchers report a Sidewinder sighting in Death Valley National Park, based on 209 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Can you see Coyote in Death Valley National Park?

Yes — about 59% of wildlife watchers report a Coyote sighting in Death Valley National Park, based on 282 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Explore Other Parks

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks

📍 117 km 🐿️ Yellow-bellied Marmot in Giant Sequoias

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks

🇺🇸 United States 🌍 #186 Global · 3.5 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ #23 in North America #21 in Temperate Forest

Yosemite National Park

📍 246 km 🐻 Black Bear and Mule Deer Valley

Yosemite National Park

🇺🇸 United States 🌍 #201 Global · 3.5 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ #30 in North America #29 in Temperate Forest

Joshua Tree National Park

📍 341 km 🐦 Common Raven Echoes Joshua Tree

Joshua Tree National Park

🇺🇸 United States 🌍 #258 Global · 3.1 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ #47 in North America #23 in Desert & Scrub

Channel Islands National Park

📍 373 km 🐋 Humpback Whale Watching Channel Islands

Channel Islands National Park

🇺🇸 United States 🌍 #89 Global · 4.2 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ #3 in North America #5 in Desert & Scrub