Black-masked Racer from Louisiana a few years back.

Torre de Guatel Arborial Alligator Lizard (Abronia meledona) in Guatemala, spotted by Jake Scott a few years ago.

Banded Rock Rattlesnakes are common in the hills and mountains of southeastern Arizona. They come in a variety of colors, often a combination of grey, blue, green, and pink, like this one. They’re quick to flee, and it would be hard to see a situation where a hiker or the relatively few people who live […]

One of several Western Striped Forest Pitvipers (Bothrops bilineatus smaragdinus) we found in Peru earlier in the year. This was the largest of the group, found coiled in vines just overhead.

An Arizona Black Rattlesnake (Crotalus cerberus) from the southern extent of their range.

A Baja California Rattlesnake we found a few years ago in Mexico. These interesting rattlesnakes can be found all over the peninsula, from sandy beaches to slides along nearly vertical cliffs, and everywhere in between. Just from impressions, they seem like someone mushed a sidewinder and tiger rattlesnake together to make a versatile desert rattlesnake.

A Mojave Rattlesnake from one of the higher-elevation populations in central Arizona. These snakes are common in grasslands, where they live in relatively flat, sandy areas. This one is from a canyon bottom it shares with several other species of rattlesnakes, including Western Diamondback Rattlesnakes, Arizona Black Rattlesnakes, Blacktailed Rattlesnakes, and Speckled Rattlesnakes.

A brilliantly colored Eastern Collared Lizard from the eastern edge of Arizona. This one watched us carefully from atop low boulders along an otherwise flat field, and allowed a single photograph before it disappeared.

A Tiger Rattlesnake in ambush late on a hot summer night several years ago. Despite being relatively seldom seen, this species is common in most of the mountains that overshadow the Phoenix metro valley.

A Sonoran Desert Tortoise making its way around to munch on green grasses and spring blossoms in central Arizona. These animals can live a long time, and can be found year after year using the same locations and burrows. They don’t do well with development, though. When those important sites disappear, they die out. In […]