CaliforniaHerps.com

A Guide to the Amphibians
and Reptiles of California


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Reptiles and Amphibians of the California Deserts

range map
Distribution of California Deserts Covered Here


























observation link

 

These are the native and well-established non-native reptiles and amphibians (herps) that inhabit the deserts of California.
There are three main deserts in the state, the Great Basin Desert, the Mojave Desert, and the Sonoran Desert. (A fourth desert is sometimes recognized - the San Joaquin Desert in the San Joaquin Valley, but not here as so much of it has been transformed by agriculture and other human development.) Because some herp species are found in all three deserts, the deserts are treated as one area here, but keep in mind that not every reptile and amphibian on this list will be found in the entire range of all of the deserts. Check the individual range maps to see where an animal you are trying to identify can be found. That helps a lot because reptiles and amphibians cannot stray far out of their documented range.

First, determine if the herp you are searching for is a snake, a lizard, a turtle, a frog, or a salamander, then click on the corresponding button found above.
(Snakes are subdivided into categories of body appearance - banded snakes, striped snakes, patternless snakes, patterned snakes, and rattlesnakes.)
Then take a look at the picture gallery for a general idea of what each species looks like. (Not every physical variation is illustrated here.)
If you think you see the herp you want to identify, click on the Latin Name link to see more pictures, a range map, and a species description.

Red Diamond Rattlesnake Habitat Desert Night Lizard Habitat Panamint Alligator Lizard Habitat
Sonoran Desert riparian canyon Mojave Desert Joshua tree flats Great Basin Desert mountain spring
Western Side-blotched Lizard Habitat Northern Desert Iguana Habitat Western Side-blotched Lizard Habitat
Mojave Desert lava field Sonoran Desert sand dunes Sonoran desert
lutosus habitat Mohave Glossy Snake Habitat Desert Banded Gecko Habitat
Great Basin Desert sagebrush flat Mojave Desert flats, Owens Valley Sonoran Desert mountains
Inyo Mountains Slender Salamander Habitat Desert Slender Salamander Habitat Tiger Salamander Habitat
Mojave Desert riparian Sonoran Desert riparian Great Basin Desert riparian
© Noah Morales

Snakes


To make them easier to identify, California's desert snakes have been divided into five categories based of their overall appearance - banded, striped, patternless, patterned, and rattlesnakes. The main activity period of each snake is also listed - nocturnal, diurnal, or crepuscular. Some species are nocturnal in the heat of summer and diurnal in the winter and many can also be crepuscular, but for the most part these designations can be helpful in identifying a snake.

Banded Snakes

Snakes with well-defined bands (or rings) around the back and sides of the body (not just the tail or the neck.)

Colorado Desert Shovel-nosed Snake snake
Colorado Desert Shovel-nosed Snake
Chionactis annulata annulata
(nocturnal)
Mohave Shovel-nosed Snake
Chionactis occipitalis
(nocturnal)
Long-nosed Snake snake snake Variable Groundsnake
Long-nosed Snake
Rhinocheilus lecontei
(nocturnal)
Variable Groundsnake
Sonora semiannulata semiannulata
(nocturnal)

snake      

California Kingsnake
Lampropeltis californiae
(diurnal & nocturnal)

   

Striped Snakes

Snakes with stripes on the body from head to tail.

snake Desert Striped Whipsnake snake snake
Rosy Boa
Lichanura orcutti
(nocturnal & crepuscular)
Desert Striped Whipsnake
Masticophis taeniatus taeniatus
(diurnal)
Desert Patch-nosed Snake
Salvadora hexalepis hexalepis
(diurnal)
Mohave Patch-nosed Snake
Salvadora hexalepis mojavensis
(diurnal)
snake Two-striped Gartersnake snake snake
Two-striped Gartersnake
Thamnophis hammondii
(diurnal)
Marcy's Checkered Gartersnake
Thamnophis marcianus marcianus
(nocturnal)
Variable Groundsnake
Sonora semiannulata semiannulata

(nocturnal)

Patternless Snakes

Snakes without any large markings on the backs and sides (though there may be markings on the head, neck, and undersides.)

snake snake Western Black-headed Snake snake
Regal Ring-necked Snake
Diadophis punctatus regalis
(nocturnal)
Western Black-headed Snake
Tantilla planiceps
(nocturnal)
Smith's Black-headed Snake
Tantilla hobartsmithi
(nocturnal)
Desert Threadsnake snake snake Brahminy Blindsnake
Desert Threadsnake
Rena humilis cahuilae
(nocturnal)
Southwestern Threadsnake
Rena humilis humilis
(nocturnal)
Brahminy Blindsnake
Indotyphlops braminus

(nocturnal)
Baja Rat Snake      
Baja California Ratsnake
Bogertophis rosaliae
(nocturnal & crepuscular)

     

Patterned Snakes

Snakes with a markings on the back and sides that are not bands or stripes.
Sometimes the markings might look like they circle the body like bands, but they are not as well-defined as the bands on banded snakes.

Desert Glossy Snake
Desert Glossy Snake
Arizona elegans eburnata
(nocturnal)
Mohave Glossy Snake
Arizona elegans candida

(nocturnal)
Red Coachwhip (Red Racer)
Masticophis flagellum piceus
(diurnal)
snake Spotted Leaf-nosed Snake snake Great Basin Gopher Snake
Desert Nightsnake
Hypsiglena chlorophaea deserticola
(nocturnal)
Spotted Leaf-nosed Snake
Phyllorhynchus decurtatus
(nocturnal)
Sonoran Gophersnake
Pituophis catenifer affinis
(nocturnal & diurnal)
Great Basin Gophersnake
Pituophis catenifer deserticola
(nocturnal & diurnal)
Sonoran Lyresnake snake California Lyresnake snake
Sonoran Lyresnake
Trimorphodon lambda
(nocturnal)

California Lyresnake
Trimorphodon lyrophanes
(nocturnal)
Southern Watersnake
Nerodia fasciata
(diurnal) (non-native)

Rattlesnakes - Snakes with medically-significant venom, a blotched pattern on the body, and a rattle on the tail.

snake snake snake southern pacific rattlesnaked
Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake Crotalus atrox
(nocturnal & diurnal)
Mohave Desert Sidewinder
Crotalus cerastes cerastes
(nocturnal & diurnal)
Colorado Desert Sidewinder
Crotalus cerastes laterorepens
(nocturnal & diurnal)
Southern Pacific Rattlesnake
Crotalus oreganus helleri
(nocturnal & diurnal)
snake snake snake
Northern Mohave Rattlesnake
Great Basin Rattlesnake
Crotalus oreganus lutosus
(nocturnal & diurnal)
Red Diamond Rattlesnake
Crotalus ruber
(nocturnal & diurnal)
Northern Mohave Rattlesnake
Crotalus scutulatus scutulatus
(nocturnal & diurnal)
snake Speckled Rattlesnake snake Panamint Rattlesnake
Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake
Crotalus pyrrhus
(nocturnal & diurnal)

Panamint Rattlesnake
Crotalus stephensi

(nocturnal & diurnal)


Lizards


Most lizards in the California deserts are active during warm and sunny weather, typically from late February through October, and remain underground at other times.They become active later at higher elevations, and go underground sooner. They are most often seen during daylight sunning themselves on rocks, branches, fences, or walls, or running on the ground.

San Diego Alligator Lizard Long-nosed Leopard Lizard
Southern Alligator Lizard
Elgaria multicarinata
Panamint Alligator Lizard
Elgaria panamintina
Long-nosed Leopard Lizard
Gambelia wislizenii
California Legless Lizard California Legless Lizard
    © William Flaxington  
San Diegan Legless Lizard
Anniella stebbinsi
Northern Legless Lizard
Anniella pulchra
Big Spring Legless Lizard
Anniella campi
Great Basin Collared Lizard
Crotaphytus bicinctores
Baja California Collared Lizard Peninsular Banded Gecko Peninsular Leaf-toed Gecko
   
Baja California Collared Lizard
Crotaphytus vestigium
Peninsula Banded Gecko
Coleonyx switaki
Peninsula Leaf-toed Gecko
Phyllodactylus nocticolus
Desert Banded Gecko Desert Banded Gecko Desert Banded Gecko Desert Banded Gecko
Desert Banded Gecko - Coleonyx variegatus variegatus
Banded Gila Monster Common Chuckwalla Common Chuckwalla
    Adult © Adam Clause Juvenile © Jeremiah Easter
Banded Gila Monster
Heloderma suspectum cinctum
Northern Desert Iguana
Dipsosaurus dorsalis dorsalis
Common Chuckwalla
Sauromalus ater
Western Zebra-tailed Lizard
Callisaurus draconoides rhodostictus
Mearns's Rock Lizard
Petrosaurus mearnsi mearnsi
Southern Desert Horned Lizard
Phrynosoma platyrhinos calidiarum
Northern Desert Horned Lizard
Phrynosoma platyrhinos platyrhinos
Flat-tailed Horned Lizard
Phrynosoma mcallii
Northern Sagebrush Lizard
Sceloporus graciosus graciosus
Desert Spiny Lizard
Sceloporus magister
Yellow-backed Spiny Lizard
Sceloporus uniformis
Granite Spiny Lizard Male Granite Spiny Lizard Baja California Brush Lizard

 
Granite Spiny Lizard
Sceloporus orcutti
Great Basin Fence Lizard
Sceloporus occidentalis longipes
Small-scaled Lizard
Urosaurus microscutatus
Coachella Valley Fringe-toed Lizard Long-tailed Brush Lizard
Coachella Fringe-toed Lizard
Uma inornata
Colorado Desert Fringe-toed Lizard
Uma notata
Mohave Fringe-toed Lizard
Uma scoparia
Western Long-tailed Brush Lizard
Urosaurus graciosus graciosus
Western Side-blotched Lizard
Colorado River Tree Lizard
Urosaurus ornatus symmetricus
Western Side-blotched Lizard
Uta stansburiana elegans
Nevada Side-blotched Lizard
Uta stansburiana nevadensis
Great Basin Whiptail
Aspidoscelis tigris tigris
Gilbert's Skink Gilbert's Skink Skilton's Skink
Western Red-tailed Skink
Plestiodon gilberti rubricaudatus
Skilton's Skink
Plestiodon skiltonianus skiltonianus
Granite Night Lizard
   
Granite Night Lizard
Xantusia henshawi
Sandstone Night Lizard
Xantusia gracilis
Desert Night Lizard
Xantusia vigilis
     
Wiggins' Night Lizard
Xantusia wigginsi
     
       


Non-Native Lizards Established in Some Places in the California Deserts


lizard
Female Male Male Displaying Orange Dewlap © Elliot Jaramillo
Brown Anole
Anolis sagrei
Rough-tailed Gecko
Cyrtopodion scabrum
     
Mediterranean Gecko
Hemidactylus turcicus
     

Turtles


Due to the scarcity of standing water, few species of turtles are found in the California deserts. The Mohave Desert Tortoise is a true desert inhabitant, living in underground burrows far from any water. The other species do require water, and are typically found in rivers, streams, small ponds, and irrigation ponds found in desert areas. the Desert Mud Turtle was formerly found along the Colorado River, but is no longer found in that area.


Sonoran Mud Turtle
Southwestern Pond Turtle
Actinemys pallida

Mohave Desert Tortoise
Gopherus agassizii
Desert Mud Turtle
Kinosternon sonoriense sonoriense

Non-Native Turtles Established in Some Places in the California
Deserts

   
  Texas Spiny Softshell
Apalone spinifera emoryi

 

Frogs and Toads


Frogs and toads in the California Deserts can be active most of the year, except during very hot and very cold weather. However, even during hot and dry weather, some species can be seen in water.

frog picture frog picture frog picture frog picture
California Toad
Anaxyrus boreas halophilus
Great Plains Toad
Anaxyrus cognatus
Black Toad
Anaxyrus exsul
Arizona Toad
Anaxyrus microscaphus
(Probably not extant in California)
frog picture frog picture frog picture
frog picture
Red-spotted Toad
Anaxyrus punctatus
Rocky Mountain Toad
Anaxyrus woodhousii woodhousii
Sonoran Desert Toad
Incilius alvarius
(No longer found in California)
Lowland Leopard Frog
Lithobates yavapaiensis
(No longer found in California)
frog picture frog picture
Northern Leopard Frog - Lithobates pipiens
(There are native and introduced populations of this species.)
Baja California Treefrog (Pacific Chorus Frog)
Pseudacris hypochondriaca hypochondriaca
California Treefrog frog picture Scaphiopus couchii Couch's Spadefoot frog picture
  male female  
California Treefrog
(or Chorus Frog)
Pseudacris cadaverina

Couch's Spadefoot
Scaphiopus couchii
Great Basin Spadefoot
Spea intermontana

Non-native Frogs Established in Some Places in the California Deserts

frog picture frog picture American Bullfrog American Bullfrog
Rio Grande Leopard Frog
LIthobates berlandieri

American Bullfrog
Lithobates catesbeianus

Salamanders


There are few species of native salamanders found in or adjacent to the Southern California deserts, and all of them are all found near riparian areas including streams, springs, and ponds.They are most often seen in moist areas underneath objects on the ground, or active at night in wet areas, or in the case of the tiger salamanders, in or near ponds where the larvae swim like tadpoles until they move out of the water to live on the land. The Mount Lyell Salamander is found in some riparian canyons in desert areas on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

© Mario Garcia-Paris    
Mount Lyell Salamander Mount Lyell Salamander
Desert
Slender Salamander

Batrachoseps aridus
Inyo Mountains
Slender Salamander

Batrachoseps campi
Mount Lyell Salamander
Hydromantes platycephalus
       

This Non-native Salamander is Established in Some Isolated Locations in the California Deserts


salamander Barred Tiger Salamander salamander Barred Tiger Salamander
Western Tiger Salamander
Ambystoma mavortium

























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