Diario de salmonadder

Observations from my trip to Lake Havasu City, Arizona. I got to see some lifers, as well as photograph my first mantis!

Welcome to Tricky Identifications, a series where I highlight a few similar species and explain the differences between them. These journal entries will be much shorter than my other identification guides, as they will usually only highlight a few features. In today's entry, I will go over how to separate the Longnose Dace (Rhinichthys cataractae) from the Western (R. obtusus) and Eastern (R. atratulus) Blacknose Dace.

While similar at first glance, the Longnose Dace is differentiated from both species of Blacknose Dace by its snout. While both species of Blacknose Dace have mouths that either align or almost align with their mouth, Longnose Dace have a long, fleshy snout that extends well over the mouth. Longnose Dace also grow larger, with a maximum length of six inches, while both species of Blacknose Dace can only grow up to 4 inches. However, how far the snout extends is usually the most reliable way to tell these species apart.

Longnose Dace: https://www.flickr.com/photos/10362071@N03/4844668531

Western Blacknose Dace (Breeding): https://www.flickr.com/photos/nysdec/29831143882

Eastern Blacknose Dace: https://www.flickr.com/photos/64436841@N04/51500641019

Observations from a trip to the Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve. It was a nice temperature out that day, and a bit warmer than the last time I visited.