Rocky mountain slopes
Bighorn Sheep
Ovis canadensis
A white rump and curved horns stand out against the rock. Rams carry the largest, deeply curled horns.
Explore animalWildlife of the Coachella Valley
A photographic field guideMeet the wild side
Meet the wild side
of the desert.
From bighorn sheep on a rocky ridge to a dragonfly beside a pond, get to know the animals of the Coachella Valley and its surrounding mountains.
Help identify an animalFollow the bighorn sheep storyPhotography by Mark Miller · 10 animal profiles
A growing collection of encounters and discoveries.
Bighorn sheep · Desert mountainsExplore wildlife Look closer, from a distance.Use the photographs to notice the details: a white tail, a stripe, a pair of horns. Each profile opens a different window into desert life.
Desert floor to mountain forest.This is a curated introduction to regional wildlife, with photographs from trails, gardens and places such as The Living Desert. It is not a complete checklist or a live sightings map.
Look closer
Find an animal. Follow its story.
Search by name or identifying detail. Tap a photograph to enlarge it, or open the full animal profile.
Start with what you noticed
I saw an animal…
Choose only the clues you remember. Leave anything uncertain open.
Possible matches from 10 photographed animals, not a confirmed identification. Young animals, lighting and posture can change what you see. Many local species are not in this guide.
Habitats overlap, and wildlife moves. Use these filters as a starting point for learning, rather than a promise of a sighting. Looking for birds? Explore the bird guide.
Desert washes & neighborhood edges
Coyote
Canis latrans
Pointed ears, a narrow muzzle and a bushy tail mark this adaptable desert neighbor.
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Sandy flats & creosote scrub
Desert Iguana
Dipsosaurus dorsalis
A pale, sturdy lizard with a long tail and a fine pattern of darker markings across its back.
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Open desert & field edges
Black-tailed Jackrabbit
Lepus californicus
Extra-long ears with dark tips and powerful hind legs distinguish this hare from a cottontail.
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Desert scrub & rocky ground
White-tailed Antelope Squirrel
Ammospermophilus leucurus
Look for the single pale stripe along each side and the white underside of its upturned tail.
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Ponds, springs & water edges
Flame Skimmer
Libellula saturata
Adult males glow orange, including broad orange patches near the bases of their wings.
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Open scrub & sunlit rocks
Common Side-blotched Lizard
Uta stansburiana
Look for a dark patch just behind the front leg on this small, quick-moving lizard.
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Desert cover & garden edges
Desert Cottontail
Sylvilagus audubonii
A compact gray-brown rabbit with a bright white tail; its ears are shorter than a jackrabbit’s.
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Mountain woodland & chaparral
Mule Deer
Odocoileus hemionus
Large ears and a short, black-tipped tail help identify this deer of the surrounding mountains.
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Rugged canyons & mountain habitat
Mountain Lion
Puma concolor
A tawny coat and a very long tail distinguish this elusive cat. A photograph is a welcome way to look closer.
Explore animalNo animals match yet.
Try another name or clear the filters to see the whole collection.
Small details make the difference
Look at them side by side.
Photographs are not to scale. Compare more than one feature, and enlarge each image for a closer look.
Rabbit or hare?
Black-tailed Jackrabbit
Long ears, long legsA jackrabbit is a hare. Look for especially long ears, a leaner outline and a dark upper tail.
Explore animalDesert Cottontail
Compact body, white tailLook for a smaller, rounder outline, relatively shorter ears and a fluffy white tail.
Explore animalWhich of these two lizards?
Desert Iguana
Larger, pale and long-tailedA relatively sturdy body and long tail are useful starting clues. Compare the full pattern with the profile.
Explore animalCommon Side-blotched Lizard
Small, with a dark side patchLook just behind the front leg for the dark blotch. The mark may be difficult to see from above.
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The story behind the photograph
The valley’s bighorn sheep.
Follow their mountain home, the plants they depend on and the conservation story unfolding above the valley.
Read the complete bighorn guideExplore the photo profile
Explore their world
Start with the landscape.
Get familiar with the habitat and the route before you head outside.
Desert trails
La Quinta Cove
Explore the trail guide to the desert washes and mountain edges above the Cove.
Explore the trails Foothills & canyonsPalm Desert hikes
Compare routes, landscapes and practical details for a day in the foothills.
Find a route The habitat connectionMeet the plants, too.
Follow the flowers, shrubs and trees that shape the places these animals call home.
Explore the flora guide
Give wildlife room.
Watch quietly. Use binoculars or a longer lens instead of moving closer for a photograph.
Let the encounter stay wild.
Do not feed, touch, chase or lure animals. Leave their route and access to water clear.
Check the trail before you go.
Follow posted closures and pet rules, and plan your outing around the weather and conditions.
About this guide & sources
This collection brings together Mark Miller’s wildlife photography and existing animal profiles. It covers the Coachella Valley and surrounding mountains; not every species uses the low desert, and some photographs were made in managed settings such as The Living Desert. Photo locations do not establish current wildlife presence.
Identification details are short starting points. Open a profile to explore further. Bird profiles have their own dedicated collection. New profiles can be added as the guide grows.
From the nature journal
Wildlife & bird stories
Browse our animal stories, from desert mammals and reptiles to birds and insects.
Browse all nature articles
Mammals & reptiles
Mountain Lions of the Coachella Valley and Surrounding Mountains
Explore the hidden lives of mountain lions across the Coachella Valley and surrounding mountains, with original photography and a sourced map of habitat context and dated sightings.
Read the story
Mammals & reptiles
Bighorn Sheep of the Coachella Valley
Discover Coachella Valley’s bighorn sheep through original photography, interactive maps, and stories of their desert diet, mountain habitat, and conservation.
Read the story
Mammals & reptiles
Jackrabbit or Cottontail? Meet the Rabbits of the Coachella Valley
Compare Black-tailed Jackrabbits and Desert Cottontails through original photographs, tappable field marks and a short identification challenge.
Read the story
Mammals & reptiles
How Does a Desert Iguana Stay Active in That Heat?
A desert iguana’s heat tolerance is only part of the story. Explore how sun, shade, burrows, and timing help a desert lizard manage body temperature.
Read the story
Insects
Before It Had Wings: The Underwater Life of a Desert Dragonfly
Before its first flight, a desert dragonfly is an underwater hunter. Follow its life from aquatic nymph to winged adult through an original Flame Skimmer photograph and an...
Read the story
Birds
Why Is That Roadrunner Standing with Its Back to the Sun?
Why roadrunners turn their backs to the morning sun: explore dark skin, energy savings and midday shade with Mark Miller’s photos and an interactive.
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Birds
The Owl at Ground Level: How Burrowing Owls Make a Home Underground
Explore how Burrowing Owls use underground homes, hunt in open country and raise young—with Mark Miller’s photographs and an interactive burrow cutaway.
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Insects
The Tiny Moth Behind the Joshua Tree’s Next Generation
Follow the Joshua tree’s partnership with its tiny yucca moth pollinator, from pollen and eggs to seeds and larvae, with an interactive illustrated sequence.
Read the story
Birds
The Black Bird with Red Eyes—and Its Connection to Desert Mistletoe
Meet the red-eyed Phainopepla and explore the relationship among desert mistletoe, host trees, and the birds that eat the berries and disperse their seeds.
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Birds
The Desert’s “Butcher Bird”: Why Loggerhead Shrikes Impale Their Prey
Why does the Loggerhead Shrike impale prey? Explore the lookout perch, hooked bill and thorn in an interactive guide illustrated with Mark Miller’s photographs.
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Birds
Great Egret or Snowy Egret? Look at the Bill—and the Feet
Great Egret or Snowy Egret? Compare Mark Miller’s photographs, check bill and foot colors, and use a three-clue identification tool—even when the feet are hidden.
Read the story
Birds
What Is That Bright Red Bird? Meet the Vermilion Flycatcher
Meet the desert’s bright red flycatcher, compare male and female photographs, and follow an interactive perch-to-catch hunting sequence.
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Birds
Those Little Black “Ducks” Are American Coots—Here’s How to Tell
Meet the American Coot: the dark pond bird with a white bill, red eye and surprising toes. Compare coot and duck feet in an interactive visual guide.
Read the story
Birds
Anna’s or Costa’s? Which Hummingbird Is Visiting Your Desert Garden?
Anna’s or Costa’s Hummingbird? Compare original photographs, explore identifying clues and learn why color alone can be misleading.
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Birds
Why I Love Winter Around the Salton Sea
Quiet farm roads, green fields, and the birds that keep me coming back to the southeastern Salton Sea.
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Insects
Insects of the Coachella Valley: A Guide to the Desert’s Smallest Wildlife
Meet the Coachella Valley’s smaller wildlife, from dragonflies and flower visitors to specialized dune crickets. Learn where to look, how seasons shape activity, and why insects matter.
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Birds
Layers of a Desert Lake: Birds of Lake Cahuilla in Winter
A winter morning at Lake Cahuilla reveals gulls, a shrike, pelicans and grebes hunting across four layers of one desert ecosystem.
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Birds
The Pacific Flyway: Coachella Valley’s Living Migration Path
Follow the Pacific Flyway through the Coachella Valley with a seasonal migration explorer, local birding habitats, Salton Sea context and practical viewing tips.
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Birds
European Starlings Over Thermal: The First Fall Show
A firsthand October field note from Thermal, California, where European Starlings move like smoke over farmland while hawks watch the fields.
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Birds
Salton Sea Bird Watching: Where to Go & What to See
Plan a Salton Sea bird-watching trip with the best locations, winter timing, refuge access, photography advice and a practical east-side route.
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Birds
Egrets and Cranes: A Day at the Salton Sea Refuge
Walk through Mark Miller’s October field visit to the Sonny Bono Salton Sea refuge, with Snowy Egrets, Sandhill Cranes and desert photography.
Read the storyNo articles match these filters. Try another search or clear the filters.