U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Watchable Wildlife Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge Welcome Roundnose minnow Dionda episcopa Amphibians Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge is one Speckled chub Extrarius aestivalis Family Ambystomatidae – Mole Salamanders of New Mexico’s most important sanctuaries Plains minnow Hybognathus placitus Tiger salamander Ambystoma tigrinum Arkansas River shiner Notropis girardi and breeding grounds for migratory birds and Family Leptodactylidae – Tropical Frogs Rio Grande shiner Notropis jemezanus other wildlife. Established in 1937, the 24,500- Eastern barking frog Eleutherodactylus augusti Pecos bluntnose shiner Notropis simus pecosensis acre refuge is strategically located along the latrans Pecos River where the Chihuahuan Desert Fathead minnow Pimephales promelas Family Pelobatidae – Spadefoot Toads meets the Great Plains. The convergence of Family Catostomidae – Suckers Couch’s spadefoot toad Scaphiopus couchii these vastly different terrains has produced a River carpsucker Carpoides carpio diverse range of habitats, providing a home to New Mexico spadefoot toad Spea multiplicata a rich array of plant and animal life, including Family Ictaluridae – Catfishes Plains spadefoot toad Spea bombifrons Channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus a number of rare species. Family Bufonidae – Toads Bitter Lake NWR is best known for its Family Cyprinodontidae – Pupfish Woodhouse’s toad Bufo woodhousii spectacular variety of birds, particularly the Pecos pupfish Cyprinodon pecosensis Red-spotted toad Bufo punctatus Great Plains toad Bufo cognatus large migrations of ducks, geese, and cranes Family Fundulidae – Killifishes Texas toad Bufo speciosus during the fall and winter months. Many of Plains killifish Fundulus zebrinus Western green toad Bufo debilis insidior these creatures are drawn by the refuge’s Rainwater killifish Lucania parva wetlands, which offer an abundance of food as Family Hylidae – Treefrogs Family Poeciliidae – Livebearers well as ideal nesting habitat for some species. Northern cricket frog Acris crepitans blanchardi Other animals also thrive on the refuge, Mosquitofish Gambusia affinis including everything from least shrews to Pecos gambusia Gambusia nobilis Family Ranidae – True Frogs Plains leopard frog Rana blairi barking frogs to Pecos pupfish. Family Atherinidae – Silversides An obvious hardship for fish living in the Inland silversides Menidia beryllina Family Chelydridae – Snapping Turtles Common snapping turtle Chelydra serpentina desert is the scarcity of water. Yet Bitter Lake Family Centrarchidae – Sunfishes NWR provides important wetland habitat Green sunfish Lepomis cyanellus Family Kinosternidae – Mud Turtles to a number of native fish, including several White crappie Pomoxis annularis Yellow mud turtle Kinosternon flavescens that are quite rare. Most native fish found on the refuge are small and able to survive Family Percidae – Perches Family Emydidae – Box and Water Turtles extreme environmental conditions such as Walleye Stizostedion vitreum Western painted turtle Chrysemys picta bellii high temperatures, intense sunlight, high Greenthroat darter Etheostoma lepidum Red-eared slider Trachemys scripta elegans mineral content of water, and low dissolved Reptiles and Amphibians Western river cooter Pseudemys gorzugi oxygen. They also have the unique ability to The unique habitat created at the transition Ornate box turtle Terrapene ornata ornata adjust to sudden changes in these conditions. between the Chihuahuan Desert, the Family Trionychidae – Softshell Turtles Numerous isolated gypsum sinkholes on shortgrass prairie, and the Pecos River Spiny softshell turtle Trionyx spiniferus the refuge provide a natural and secure Valley, together with the area’s distinctive environment for native fish. In addition, geology, supports a diversity of amphibians Reptiles the native fish community in Bitter Creek and reptiles. Due to the warm, semi-arid Family Phrynosomatidae – Iguanid Lizards is more diverse than any other habitat area climate, many reptiles and amphibians on the Lesser earless lizard Holbrookia maculata on the refuge. Fish manage-ment at Bitter refuge have activity periods closely tied to the Side-blotched lizard Uta stansburiana Lake NWR is focused on the protection, summer rainy season. Eroding cliffs, gypsum Texas horned lizard Phrynosoma cornutum maintenance, and enhancement of native soils, and small mammal burrows provide Round-tailed horned lizard Phrynosoma species and their habitats. habitat for many of the refuge’s amphibians modestum Fish and reptiles, which have developed unique Family Crotaphytidae–Collared and Leopard Lizards The following species are listed by family and adaptations for survival in this desert Collared lizard Crotaphytus collaris environment. For example, barking frogs lay taxa from The Fishes of New Mexico, by J. E. Leopard lizard Gambelia wislizenii eggs that hatch directly into fully-formed Sublette, M. D. Hatch and M. Sublette. UNM froglets, eliminating the more typical Family Scincidae – Skinks Press. 1990. amphibian-tadpole stage. Spadefoot toads Many-lined skink Eumeces multivirgatus have a horn-like “spade” on their hind feet to epipleurotus Family Lepisosteidae – Gars Great Plains skink Eumeces obsoletus Longnose gar Lepisosteus osseus aid in digging deeply into the soil, where they stay for most of the year waiting for more Family Teiidae – Whiptail Lizards Family Clupeidae – Shads favorable rainy conditions. Little striped whiptail lizard Cnemidophorus Gizzard shad Dorosoma cepedianum The species are listed in accordance with The inornatus Family Characidae – Characins Amphibians and Reptiles of New Mexico, Chihuahuan spotted whiptail Cnemidophorus Mexican tetra Astyanax mexicanus by W.G.Degenhardt, C.W. Painter, and A.H. exsanguis Price. UNM Press. 1996. Western whiptail lizard Cnemidophorus tigris Family Cyprinidae – Carps and Minnows Checkered whiptail lizard Cnemidophorus Red shiner Cyprinella lutrensis grahamii (tesselatus) Common carp Cyprinus carpio Family Leptotyphlopidae – Blind Snakes •Fringed myotis Myotis thysanodes Family Procyonidae – Raccoon and Ringtail Texas blind snake Leptotyphlops dulcis •Long-legged myotis Myotis volans Ringtail Bassariscus astutus •California myotis Myotis californicus Raccoon Procyon lotor Family Colubridae – Colubrid Snakes •Small-footed myotis Myotis ciliolabrum Ringneck snake Diadophis punctatus Family Mustelidae–Weasel, Badger, Skunks, & Otter Silver-haired bat Lasionycteris noctivagans Western hognose snake Heterodon nasicus Long-tailed weasel Mustela frenata •Western pipistrelle Pipistrellus hesperus Yellowbelly racer Coluber constrictor Black-footed ferret Mustela nigripes •Big brown bat Eptesicus fuscus Coachwhip Masticophis flagellum Badger Taxidea taxus •Red bat Lasiurus borealis Great Plains rat snake Elaphe guttata •Western spotted skunk Spilogale gracilis Hoary bat Lasiurus cinereus Glossy snake Arizona elegans Striped skunk Mephitis mephitis •Spotted bat Euderma maculatum Bullsnake Pituophis melanoleucus •Hog-nosed skunk Conepatus mesoleucus Townsend’s big-eared bat Plecotus townsendii Desert kingsnake Lampropeltis getula splendida River otter Lutra canadensis Pallid bat Antrozous pallidus New Mexico milk snake Lampropeltis Family Felidae – Cats triangulum celaenops Family Molossidae – Free-tailed Bats Bobcat Lynx rufus Long-nosed snake Rhinocheilus lecontei Brazilian free-tailed bat Tadarida brasiliensis Checkered garter snake Thamnophis marcianus •Big free-tailed bat Nyctinomops macrotis Family Suidae – Swine Arid land ribbon snake Thamnophis proximus Feral domestic swine Sus scrofa Family Leporidae – Rabbits and Hares diabolicus Desert cottontail Sylvilagus auduboni Family Cervidae – Deer Western hooknose snake Gyalopion canum Black-tailed jackrabbit Lepus californicus Mule deer Odocoileus hemionus Plains black-headed snake Tantilla nigriceps White-tailed deer Odocoileus virginianus Night snake Hypsiglena torquata Family Sciuridae – Squirrels Thirteen-lined ground squirrel Spermophilus Family Antilocapridae – Pronghorn Family Viperidae – Rattlesnakes tridecemlineatus Pronghorn Antilocapra americana Desert massasauga Sistrurus catenatus •Mexican ground squirrel Spermophilus Western diamondback rattlesnake Crotalus atrox mexicanus Birds Prairie rattlesnake Crotalus viridis Spotted ground squirrel Spermophilus spilosoma Bitter Lake NWR contains a mix of natural wetlands, riparian corridors, cropland, Mammals Black-tailed prairie dog Cynomys ludovicianus Fox squirrel Sciurus niger impoundments, and desert uplands, providing Most of the mammals found at the refuge a variety of habitats for a large diversity of are nocturnal (active at night) or crepuscular Family Geomyidae – Pocket Gophers birds, including both eastern and western (active at dusk and dawn) and are rarely seen. Plains pocket gopher Geomys bursarius species. Bird activity continues year- They occur in a variety of habitats on the Yellow-faced pocket gopher Cratogeomys round on the refuge, offering outstanding refuge including wooded riparian areas, rocky castanops opportunitites for bird watchers. Shelter belts bluffs, grasslands, and wetlands. With the Family Heteromyidae – Pocket Mice and Kangaroo Rats and trees at refuge headquarters serve as exception of bats, all mammals on the refuge Plains pocket mouse Perognathus flavescens hot spots for migrating songbirds, primarily are year-round residents, and are either active Silky pocket mouse Perognathus flavus in early May. Spring and late summer throughout