A Grand Canyon Rattlesnake from northern Arizona. In time, the pattern on this snake may continue to degrade and fade, but not to the same degree as is common for females of the species.

This Ghost Anole was one of many anoles seen on a trip to the high forests of Guatemala.

A Sonoran Desert Tortoise resting in the shade in on a hot morning in the Big Horn Mountains of western Arizona. These tortoises become nocturnal during the hottest parts of summer, moving and eating after dark and returning to their deep caves by the time the sun hits the area again.

A Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake hiding from the sun near the entrance of a shallow cave in south Phoenix. During the springtime, this species can be found even relatively far from its rocky habitat, hunting birds and lizards at the base of creosote. This caliche cave, which is also the occasional home to a Sonoran Desert […]

This animal is not being aggressive, not seeking a fight, or coming after anyone. It’s a defensive Mojave Rattlesnake letting me know that coming closer would be a bad idea. Surprisingly, for a lot of people this seems to be an impossible task. They come after the snake with a shovel, the snake protests in […]

I found this young Blacktailed Rattlesnake resting under the dried-out husk of a small mammal (skunk?) in a cave near Phoenix on a survey of lands managed by Desert Foothills Land Trust. In wet years, this small cave fills with water from a few inches to around a foot deep. It becomes putrid slop, full […]

A Mojave Rattlesnake from the Phoenix area. These snakes are common in the flatter, creosote and grassland areas of the state. This one obeys the all the ID rules, with much wider white tail bands than black, yellow proximal rattle segment, and a post-ocular stripe that extends back to never intersect with the mouth.

An Arizona Ridgenosed Rattlesnake we saw after dark in southeastern Arizona. These small snakes are great at hiding, and the locals rarely even know they exist.

One of the many large treefrogs one can find in the understory of the Peruvian Amazon on a night hike.

Arizona Black Rattlesnakes are amazingly variable in appearance across their range. Most that are seen and photographed are in the relatively well-populated areas of the Mogollon Rim between Flagstaff, Prescott, and Payson. In other parts of their range, however, they look a bit less familiar. This one from the far eastern end of their range […]