The Gila monster (Heloderma suspectum) is a heavy slow-moving venomous lizard. It is the largest extant lizard native to North America north of the Mexican border. The name "Gila" refers to the Gila River Basin in the U.S. states of New Mexico and...
The Painted turtle (Chrysemys picta) is the most widespread native turtle of North America. Fossils show that the painted turtle existed 15 million years ago. In the traditional tales of Algonquian tribes, the colorful turtle played the part of a...
The Brahminy blind snake (Indotyphlops braminus) is a nonvenomous blind snake species found mostly in Africa and Asia. It has also been introduced in many other parts of the world. They are completely fossorial (i.e., burrowing) animals, with habits...
The Desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii), is a species of tortoise native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. Desert tortoises grow slowly and live about 50 to 80 years. They can tolerate water, salt, and energy imbalances on...
The Mojave rattlesnake (Crotalus scutulatus) is a highly venomous pit viper species found in North America. It is perhaps best known for its potent neurotoxic-hemotoxic venom, which is considered one of the world's most potent rattlesnake venoms.
The Western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis) is a common lizard found in the western United States and northwestern Mexico. As the ventral abdomen of an adult is characteristically blue, it is also known as the blue-belly.
The Mexican black kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula nigrita ) is part of the larger colubrid family of snakes, and a subspecies of the common kingsnake, which is debated by herpetologists to contain as many as 10 unique varieties. This species occupy...
Western rattlesnake, commonly known as the (northern) Pacific rattlesnake, is a venomous pit viper species found in western North America from the Baja California Peninsula to the southern interior of British Columbia.
The spiny softshell turtle (Apalone spinifera ) is a species of softshell turtle, one of the largest freshwater turtle species in North America. Both the common name, spiny softshell, and the specific name, spinifera (spine-bearing), refer to the...
The Desert rosy boa (Lichanura trivirgata) is a species of nonvenomous snake native to the American Southwest and Baja California and Sonora in Mexico. It is one of four species in the boa family native to the continental United States, the other...
The Texas spiny lizard (Sceloporus olivaceus) is a species of phrynosomatid lizard native to the south-central United States. They are quite common throughout their range, where they are frequently spotted in trees or on fences.
The Desert iguana (Dipsosaurus dorsalis) is one of the most common lizards of the Sonoran and Mojave deserts of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. One part of its scientific name comes from Greek and can be roughly translated as...
Pond sliders (Trachemys scripta) are medium-sized, semiaquatic turtles found in North America. Their name 'slider' comes from the behavior of these turtles when startled. Groups of sliders often bask and sun on logs, branches, and vegetation at or...
The desert horned lizard (Phrynosoma platyrhinos ) is a species of phrynosomatid lizard native to western North America. They are often referred to as "horny toads", although they are not toads, but lizards.
The Great Basin Gophersnake (Pituophis catenifer deserticola) is a subspecies of nonvenomous Gopher snake. It is found in parts of western United States and adjacent southwestern Canada and is often mistaken for the Prairie rattlesnake.
The Arizona black rattlesnake (Crotalus cerberus) is a venomous pit viper species found in the southwestern United States. Like all other vipers, this species is distinguished by the presence of a heat-sensing pit organ located between the eye and...
The Great Basin rattlesnake (Crotalus lutosus) is a venomous pit viper species found in the United States. It was first formally named by Laurence Monroe Klauber in 1930 as a subspecies of Crotalus confluentus (now known as Crotalus viridis). The...
The Southwestern blackhead snake (Tantilla hobartsmithi) is a harmless small colubrid snake found only in the United States and Mexico. The part of its scientific name 'hobartsmithi', is in honor of American zoologist and herpetologist Hobart M....
The desert box turtle, also known as the Sonoran box turtle, (Terrapene ornata luteola ) is a subspecies of box turtle which is endemic to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. They are generally terrestrial but occasionally take to...
Pituophis catenifer affinis, commonly known as the Sonoran gopher snake, is a nonvenomous subspecies of colubrid that is endemic to the southwestern United States. It is one of six recognized subspecies of the gopher snake, Pituophis catenifer.
Crotalus oreganus abyssus is a venomous pit viper subspecies found only in the U.S. states of Arizona and Utah.
Crotalus viridis nuntius is a venomous pit viper subspecies native primarily to the desert plateau of the northeastern portion of the American state of Arizona, but also ranges into northwestern New Mexico. Named for the Native American Hopi tribe,...
Sistrurus catenatus edwardsii is a subspecies of venomous pit viper in the family Viperidae. The subspecies is endemic to the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico. In places, its range overlaps that of S. c. tergeminus, and intergrading of...
Crotalus lepidus klauberi is a venomous pitviper subspecies endemic to the southwestern United States and adjacent northern Mexico.
Crotalus cerastes cercobombus is a venomous pitviper subspecies found in an area that covers much of the eastern part of the Sonoran Desert in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. The subspecific epithet means buzzertail.
Crotalus pyrrhus is a venomous pitviper species found in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. A medium-sized snake, it is found mostly in rocky country, active at night and feeding on small mammals. The coloration is variable and...
Crotalus cerastes laterorepens, with the common name Colorado Desert sidewinder, is a venomous pitviper subspecies found in an area that centers on the Sonoran Colorado Desert in Southern California. It is also native to the Sonoran Desert in the...
Sceloporus uniformis, also known as the yellow-backed spiny lizard, is a reptile of the family Phrynosomatidae. It is native to the Mojave and Great Basin deserts. Until recently, it was considered to be a subspecies of Sceloporus magister.
Crotalus willardi obscurus is a venomous pitviper subspecies found in northwestern Mexico and the Southwestern United States.
The northern spiny softshell turtle (Apalone spinifera spinifera ) is a subspecies of soft-shelled turtle in the family Trionychidae. The subspecies is native to the United States and can be found from Montana at the western edge of its range to...
The Trans-Pecos striped whiptail (Aspidoscelis inornatus heptagrammus ) is a subspecies of the little striped whiptail (Aspidoscelis inornatus ) lizard. It is found in the semiarid, sandy habitats of the Chihuahuan Desert, in the United States from...
Arizona elegans arenicola, commonly known as the Texas glossy snake, is a subspecies of glossy snake, a nonvenomous colubrid snake endemic to North America.
Arizona elegans philipi, commonly known as the Painted Desert glossy snake, is a subspecies of glossy snakes, a nonvenomous colubrid endemic to North America.
The red-backed whiptail (Aspidoscelis xanthonotus ) is a species of teiid lizard found in Arizona in the United States and Sonora in Mexico.
