A Western Diamondback Rattlesnake caught after breaking coil in a hurry. Sometimes, a situation like this is the result of a strike at passing prey. Afterward, if they succeeded in connecting, they’ll wait a few moments and then go off in search of the prey as it succumbs to the venom elsewhere. Or, if it […]

A Sonoran Lyresnake from just south of the Utah border in northern Arizona. I like their appearance in this area along the Colorado River. They’ll often have this high-contrast pattern, sometimes flecked with golds and maroon scales. This one is relatively young, and may take on some of these other colors as it matures.

This is an old photo of how most of the Southern Pacific Rattlesnakes I’ve seen are found. They were under trash in a heavily populated area. These are what I most wanted to see while visiting friends in the area, though are considered “trash snakes” by some of the locals because of how common they […]

This was a really cool snake to see! A Yellow-Green Cat Snake we found near the end of our time in India a few years ago. The Boiga genus has a relatively mild toxin, which is not likely an emergency but still something to be avoided.

We found this baby Madrean Mountain Kingsnake (Lampropeltis knoblochi) several years ago out on the move in moderate rain. These colorful snakes are common in mid- to upper-elevation mountain woodlands and riparian zones.

A Cabrara’s Slender-legged Treefrog (Osteocephalu cabrerai) from Peru a couple of years ago. These are large treefrogs that often have these rough areas that can make them about invisible in the chaotic backdrop of the Amazon.

A Gila Monster (Heloderma suspectum) basking on a cool Spring day. Usually, it may seem that the bright yellow and black pattern of these animals makes them hard to see … but this shows where it works. The high-contrast, chaotic pattern makes the shape of a lizard disappear in dappled light. It’s common for even […]

A Tiger Rattlesnake from the Phoenix area. The blue-grey base color fading to pink with dark grey bands is a standard look in the area. These snakes are common in popular hiking areas, yet most people who frequent them for a lifetime will never see one because of their cryptic nature.

A Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake found in ambush at sunup on a hot day in Arizona. Nearby, a cave with several more has been used as an aestivation site to avoid death in the summer months. This photograph was taken in 2014. In recent years, the site has been abandoned, most likely due to increased human […]

A Grand Canyon Rattlesnake in the last light of the day in northern Arizona.