Franklin Mountains State Park

This is a very nice state park just outside of El Paso TX. Lots of walking trails, lots of desert plants, and critters. I spent the whole day here.

Some photos.

Visitors Center

Franklin Mountains

Looking out over El Paso

Some of the walking trails are very steep, others are more level

A variety of desert plants

There are a bazillion different varieties of cacti to be found

Barrel Cactus

Ocotillo. Owwww.

There are lots of burrows to be seen. Most critters have enough sense to stay out of the daytime sun.

Pollinators on a Yucca plant

Velvet Ant. Keep your toes away.

Some damn sparrow

Roadrunner

I think these are Scaled Quail. They were very far ahead of me on the trail and did not let me get any closer.

Checkered Whiptail Lizard. This species is parthenogenic—they are all females, and they lay eggs without mating.

Gambel’s Quail

I’m not up on my Western lizards, but I think this is an Earless Lizard, missing the end of its tail

Ground Squirrel. Antelope Ground Squirrel, I think.

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