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Apache County, Arizona August 29-30 2008

Apache County, Arizona August 29-30 2008.

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Apache County, Arizona August 29-30 2008

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  1. Apache County, Arizona August 29-30 2008 During late August, REVSYS volunteer Zach Valois (undergraduate, Salt Lake Community College) and friend Kelsey Neeley conducted a short trip to the Chuska Mountains. Located among this mountain range is a member of the Vaejovis vorhesi complex. This is an important location to further analyze this species group. Following records provided by Joe Bigelow’s work years ago, we set out to find this cryptic species after obtaining the proper permits. The trip was short but successful none-the-less, collecting what will be used as the type series for this species.

  2. We found the target hidden among these roadcuts, but in small numbers. The conditions were almost ideal—new moon, cool temps, and recent rains—however very few individuals were found. It was also interesting that they were only found on a single stretch of these road cuts. Other spots that seemed like ideal habitat yielded nothing.

  3. Pictured here are two adult female specimens. These were crawling about the rocks as rain lightly fell and lightning crashed in the distance.

  4. The photo on the left points out the location of a burrow mouth of a very large theraphosid, Aphonopelma behlei. Found at nearly 10,000 ft., this locality represents one of the highest records for this species. Although time could not be spent looking for more of these, acceptable habitat continued for another thousand feet or more.

  5. Among these rocky slopes we found no scorpions at all, but we did find several beautiful specimens of the western chorus frog (Pseudacris triseriata). A beautiful setting to sort material and take notes, we camped next to this old Navajo livestock corral and cabin.

  6. Special thanks to Lorenzo Prendini, Jeremy Huff, Joe Bigelow, David Sissom, Tom Gloria of the Navajo Nation Department of Fish and Wildlife, the people of the Navajo Nation, Kelsey Neeley, and Kari McWest.

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