Sonoran Sidewinders are common snakes found in flat, sandy areas of southern Arizona. They used to inhabit nearly the entirety of the Phoenix metro valley, with records below Camelback Mountain and throughout Scottsdale. Of the rattlesnake species in the region, however, they are the first to die out as soon as an area is closed […]

A Western Diamondback Rattlesnake I found in ambush on a late-night hike in a desert canyon. When it’s hot, these snakes are mostly nocturnal, only seeing daylight shortly after sunup for much of the summer.

In my opinion, this is a very underrated reptile endemic to the United States. This American Alligator was lounging around, as they tend to do, in Florida several years ago and let me get some photos. Growing up in the Western US, I’ll rarely skip an opportunity to get some photos or see one any […]

An Arizona Black Rattlesnake from southern Arizona. Even though I’m only in this location once or twice each year, I have seen this one several times over the last decade. There’s a small rock pile next to a log that it spends much of the summer making small movements around, and it was good to […]

A Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake from the Phoenix area. This species of snake has a huge gamut of colors and patterns possible throughout its range. Even within relatively nearby locales, it can be extreme. Just about ten miles from where this snake lives, they are red or orange.

Cerralvo Island Rattlesnake from Baja California Sur, Mexico several years ago. There are a couple of species of rattlesnakes on this island, both of which can be found even down on the beach, in ambush alongside seashells and dolphin bones.

A young Desert Kingsnake (Lampropeltis spendida) from the southeastern corner of Arizona.

Arizona has some amazing, large lizards. This brightly colored one is an Eastern Collared Lizard. Based on a number of factors, they may be any variation of bright greens, blues, yellows, and oranges. This one was seen at a Prairie Rattlesnake den, carefully considering if we were something it needed to run away from.

A Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake from the Phoenix area. In some locations, they can be a pretty brick red like this one. These are the second most commonly encountered rattlesnake by hikers in the central Phoenix parks.

A Banded Rock Rattlesnake from southeastern Arizona. These snakes are typically quick to rattle and flee into cover. But due to their small size, it can sound more like an insect than a rattlesnake. Despite being common and locally abundant, there is little chance of an accidental bite to anyone not purposely trying to capture […]