The Wildlife and Habitats Behind the Art: Meet the Mojave Species. Win the Merch.
Make Room for the Mojave
“When you actually put your feet on the ground in the Mojave, it’s not quite what you’d expect,” said Becca Cozad, ARC’s Southwestern Program Coordinator.
“A land cover map might show much of it as desert scrubland, but once you’re out there, you see that the geology creates wildly different habitats, from sandstone formations to granite boulders to sand dunes.”
That variety is reflected in the wildlife that lives here. Finding food, shelter, or a place to reproduce comes with different demands in a stretch of loose sand than in a rocky canyon or around a desert spring. Across the Mojave, species have adapted to these specific places in equally specific ways.
We’re inspired by the species and places we work to protect, and that inspiration is behind a new collection of artwork. You’ll have a chance to take some of it home.
Meet the Mojave Species
Each Mojave species has its own way of making a living in the desert. Some move across loose sand with ease. Others spend much of their lives underground. Some depend on tiny pockets of moisture.
The Mojave Desert sidewinder doesn’t slither like most snakes. It moves sideways, lifting much of its body from the ground as it travels in a series of looping motions. This helps it move across shifting sand while minimizing contact with the hot surface.
The Mojave Desert tortoise spends much of its life underground, taking shelter in burrows that help protect it from the extreme temperatures. It may spend up to nine months of the year in a burrow, emerging during the cooler months to forage on herbs, grasses, wildflowers, and cacti.
The Gila monster may be one of the Mojave’s most distinctive inhabitants, but it lives an economical, hidden life. These large lizards spend a large part of the year underground, like the tortoises, and emerge mostly in spring to find food and mates. Their slow metabolism and ability to store fat mean they don’t need to search for food often.
An isolated mountain range surrounded by California’s desert landscape might seem like an unlikely place to find a salamander. But water reaches the surface in the Inyo Mountains through springs and seeps, and the vegetation growing around them creates small areas of suitable habitat. The Inyo Mountains salamander lives under logs and rocks in these pockets of moisture, where it uses its sticky, projectile tongue to grab small invertebrates.
The relict leopard frog, by contrast, depends directly on freshwater habitats. Once thought to be extinct, the species now survives in a small number of isolated populations in Arizona and Nevada, where it inhabits springs, creeks, and wetlands along rivers. These frogs need shallow water and vegetation for foraging and basking, along with deeper water, root masses, and other cover for shelter.
Discover the Mojave. Discover the PARCAs.
Getting to know the Mojave’s amphibians and reptiles is just one part of understanding the landscape. Our work in the region has included monitoring across places like Gold Butte PARCA (Priority Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Area) in Nevada and other remote parts of the Mojave. This information helps us understand what these species need and where to focus conservation efforts.
The amphibians and reptiles here are well adapted to extreme conditions, but they still face a changing landscape. “They may be even further challenged with more extreme weather and prolonged drought,” explained Becca. “It’s important for us to help protect them and their habitats where they are still holding on so they can thrive, not just survive.”
That’s the thinking behind PARCAs, strategically identified places that are especially important for amphibians and reptiles. The Mojave Desert PARCAs cluster is made up of 10 PARCAs, chosen alongside our partners using scientific data and local knowledge.
Each of these PARCAs requires a different conservation approach. In eastern California, the Northern Deserts PARCA stretches from low valleys to peaks more than 11,000 feet high, where changing hydrology and drying water sources are among the priorities. In northwestern Arizona, the Arizona Strip PARCA sits at the intersection of the Mojave Desert, Great Basin, and Colorado Plateau, with needs that include restoring sagebrush communities and removing invasive species.
Meet the Mojave Species. Win the Merch.
The species and landscapes of the Mojave inspired a new collection of artwork by Kara Mohr.
Throughout October, subscribers to The ARC’ives will have a chance to win prizes featuring the new designs. Plus, subscribers can win exclusive Gila monster apparel that will be only available as campaign prizes.
To enter the sweepstakes, subscribe to The ARC’ives by October 31, 2026. Already a subscriber? You’re automatically entered. No purchase is required.
Click here to sign up and enter.
You can also earn bonus entries throughout the month. Keep an eye on ARC’s Instagram and Facebook accounts for chances to play every week in October 2026.
And there’s another perk for subscribers. You’ll get early access to shop the new Mojave collection before it’s available to everyone else. We’ll email subscribers with links to the new designs in early November, before they’re publicly featured in the shop.
Subscribe by October 31, 2026, or be a current subscriber, and you’ll be entered to win one of 52 Mojave Desert PARCAs merch prizes:
Campaign-Exclusive Gila Monster Apparel
- Hoodie, classic fleece, featuring the campaign-only Gila monster design (retail value $47.95), 1 available
- Sweatshirt, classic fleece, featuring the campaign-only Gila monster design (retail value $44.95), 1 available
- T-shirt, Comfort Colors, featuring the campaign-only Gila monster design (retail value $34.95), 3 available
Additional Mojave Prizes
- Framed art print, 12″×12″, featuring the Gila monster, Inyo Mountains salamander, Mojave Desert tortoise, or relict leopard frog (retail value $69.95), 4 available
- Greeting cards, 10-pack, featuring the Mojave Desert PARCAs poster (retail value $18.95), 1 available
- Hoodie, classic fleece, featuring the Mojave Desert PARCAs poster (retail value $47.95), 1 available
- Magnet, 4″, featuring the Gila monster, Inyo Mountains salamander, Mojave Desert sidewinder, or Mojave Desert tortoise (retail value $8.95), 5 available
- Mug, ceramic, 11 oz., white, featuring the Mojave Desert PARCAs poster or Mojave Desert sidewinder (retail value $14.95), 2 available
- Notebook featuring the Inyo Mountains salamander, Mojave Desert sidewinder, or relict leopard frog (retail value $24.95), 3 available
- Pint glass featuring the Gila monster or Mojave Desert sidewinder (retail value $19.95), 2 available
- Puzzle, 16″×20″, 500-piece, featuring the Mojave Desert PARCAs poster (retail value $40.95), 2 available
- Skateboard deck (deck only), featuring the Gila monster or Mojave Desert tortoise (retail value $64.45), 2 available
- Sticker, 4″, featuring the Gila monster, Inyo Mountains salamander, Mojave Desert sidewinder, Mojave Desert tortoise, or relict leopard frog (retail value $6.95 each), 15 available
- Sweatshirt, classic fleece, featuring the Mojave Desert PARCAs poster (retail value $44.95), 1 available
- T-shirt, Comfort Colors, featuring the Mojave Desert PARCAs poster (retail value $34.95), 2 available
- Tote bag, 16″×16″, featuring the Mojave Desert PARCAs poster (retail value $29.95), 5 available
- Zip pouch, small, featuring the Inyo Mountains salamander or relict leopard frog (retail value $15.95), 2 available
Additional Information and Rules
- To enter, be a subscriber of The ARC’ives e-newsletter by October 31, 2026.
- No purchase required to enter or win.
- Winners will be selected randomly in early November 2026.
- Winners will be notified by email at which time their mailing addresses will be requested for prize fulfillment.
- Prizes will be mailed at the conclusion of the campaign and will likely arrive in December 2026.
- No international shipping. Offer valid for US addresses only.
- Sweepstakes open to participants 18 years of age and older.
- ARC employees and contractors are not eligible.
- Prize product brands are not affiliated with ARC.
- Products will be provided to winners as is with no warranty from ARC.
- The odds of winning are based on the number of entries received.
- This sweepstakes campaign is in compliance with state and federal law.
- Void where prohibited.
- Emails collected will only be used for this prize giveaway sweepstakes and to receive The ARC’ives e-newsletter.
- ARC reserves the right to cancel, modify, or suspend the sweepstakes if needed.
- This sweepstakes campaign is being sponsored by ARC. Contact information: info@ARCProtects.org or (502) 208-9858.