A Guide to the Amphibians
and Reptiles of California

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Reptiles and Amphibians of the California Deserts

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Distribution of California Deserts Covered Here

Snakes

Lizards

Turtles

Frogs & Toads

Salamanders

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.


Sonoran Desert riparian canyon	Mojave Desert Joshua tree flats	Great Basin Desert mountain spring

Mojave Desert lava field	Sonoran Desert sand dunes	Sonoran desert

Great Basin Desert sagebrush flat	Mojave Desert flats, Owens Valley	Sonoran Desert mountains

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 Chionactis annulata annulata Nocturnal Found in the Sonoran desert		Mohave Shovel-nosed Snake Chionactis occipitalis Nocturnal Found in the Mohave and northern Sonoran deserts

Long-nosed Snake Rhinocheilus lecontei Nocturnal Found in all of the California deserts		Variable Groundsnake Sonora semiannulata semiannulata Nocturnal Found in parts of all threeCalifornia deserts

California Kingsnake Lampropeltis californiae Nocturnal and Diurnal Found in all three deserts
Striped Snakes Snakes with stripes on the body from head to tail.

Rosy Boa Lichanura orcutti Nocturnal & Crepuscular Found in the Mohave and Sonoran deserts	Desert Striped Whipsnake Masticophis taeniatus taeniatus Diurnal Found in the Great Basin and northern Mohave deserts	Desert Patch-nosed Snake Salvadora hexalepis hexalepis Diurnal Found primarily in the Sonoran desert	Mohave Patch-nosed Snake Salvadora hexalepis mojavensis Diurnal Found in the Mohave and southern Great Basin deserts

Two-striped Gartersnake Thamnophis hammondii Diurnal Found at the edges of the Sonoran and Mohave deserts		Marcy's Checkered Gartersnake Thamnophis marcianus marcianus Nocturnal Found in the Sonoran desert	Variable Groundsnake Sonora semiannulata semiannulata Nocturnal Found in parts of all 3 California deserts
Patternless Snakes Snakes without any large markings on the backs and sides (though there may be markings on the head, neck, and undersides.)

Regal Ring-necked Snake Diadophis punctatus regalis Nocturnal Found in the Mohave desert	California Black-headed Snake Tantilla planiceps Nocturnal Found at the edge of the Sonoran desert		Southwestern Black-headed Snake Tantilla hobartsmithi Nocturnal Found in parts of the Mohave and Great Basin deserts

Desert Threadsnake Rena humilis cahuilae Nocturnal Found in the Sonoran desert	Southwestern Threadsnake Rena humilis humilis Nocturnal Found in parts of the Mohave and Great Basin deserts	Brahminy Blindsnake Indotyphlops braminus Nocturnal Non-native So far, introduced only in the Sonoran desert in the Coachella Valley, but expected to spread to more areas

Baja California Ratsnake Bogertophis rosaliae Nocturnal and Crepuscular Found in the Sonoran desert
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 Arizona elegans eburnata Nocturnal Found in the Mohave and Sonoran deserts	Mohave Glossy Snake Arizona elegans candida Nocturnal Found in the Mohave desert	Red Coachwhip (Red Racer) Masticophis flagellum piceus Diurnal Found in all 3 California deserts

Desert Nightsnake Hypsiglena chlorophaea deserticola Nocturnal Found in all 3 California deserts	Spotted Leaf-nosed Snake Phyllorhynchus decurtatus Nocturnal Found in the Mohave and Sonoran deserts	Sonoran Gophersnake Pituophis catenifer affinis Nocturnal and Diurnal Found in the desert and southern Mohave deserts	Great Basin Gophersnake Pituophis catenifer deserticola Nocturnal and Diurnal Found in the Great Basin and Mohave deserts

Sonoran Lyresnake Trimorphodon lambda Nocturnal Found in the eastern Sonoran and Mohave deserts	California Lyresnake Trimorphodon lyrophanes Nocturnal Found in the Sonoran and Mohave deserts		Southern Watersnake Nerodia fasciata Diurna Non-native - Introduced near the Colorado River in the Sonoran desert
Rattlesnakes - Snakes with medically-significant venom, a blotched pattern on the body, and a rattle on the tail.

Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake Crotalus atrox Nocturnal and Diurnal Found primarily in the Sonoran desert	Mohave Desert Sidewinder Crotalus cerastes cerastes Nocturnal and Diurnal Found primarily in the Mohave desert	Colorado Desert Sidewinder Crotalus cerastes laterorepens Nocturnal and Diurnal Found primarily in the Sonoran desert	Southern Pacific Rattlesnake Crotalus oreganus helleri Nocturnal and Diurnal Found at the edges of the Mohave and Sonoran deserts

Great Basin Rattlesnake Crotalus oreganus lutosus Nocturnal and Diurnal Found in the Great Basin desert	Red Diamond Rattlesnake Crotalus ruber Nocturnal and Diurnal Found at the edges of the Sonoran and Mohave deserts	Northern Mohave Rattlesnake Crotalus scutulatus scutulatus Nocturnal and Diurnal Found in the Mohave desert

Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake Crotalus pyrrhus Nocturnal and Diurnal Found in the Mohave and Sonoran deserts		Panamint Rattlesnake Crotalus stephensi Nocturnal and Diurnal Found in the Mohave desert

Lizards

Lizards are the most conspicuous reptiles in the desert. 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. Unless otherwise noted, the lizards below are all primarily diurnal.


Adult	Juvenile © Jay Keller
Southern Alligator Lizard Elgaria multicarinata Found at the edges of all 3 California deserts		Panamint Alligator Lizard Elgaria panamintina Found in the Great Basin desert	Long-nosed Leopard Lizard Gambelia wislizenii Found in all 3 California deserts

		© William Flaxington
San Diegan Legless Lizard Anniella stebbinsi Found at the edges of the Mohave and Sonoran deserts	Northern Legless Lizard Anniella pulchra Found in the Mohave desert	Big Spring Legless Lizard Anniella campi Found in the Mohave desert	Great Basin Collared Lizard Crotaphytus bicinctores Found in the Great Basin and Mohave deserts

	Adult	Hatchling © Jeff Nordland
Baja California Collared Lizard Crotaphytus vestigium Found in the Sonoran desert	Peninsular Banded Gecko Coleonyx switaki Nocturnal Found in the Sonoran desert		Peninsular Leaf-toed Gecko Phyllodactylus nocticolus Nocturnal Found in the Sonoran desert

		© Stuart Young	Juvenile
Desert Banded Gecko - Coleonyx variegatus variegatus Nocturnal Found in the Mohave and Sonoran deserts and in the extreme southern Great Basin desert

		Adult © Adam Clause	Juvenile © Jeremiah Easter
Banded Gila Monster Heloderma suspectum cinctum Nocturnal and Diurnal Found in the Mohave and Sonoran deserts	Northern Desert Iguana Dipsosaurus dorsalis dorsalis Found in the Mohave and Sonoran deserts and extreme southern Great Basin desert	Common Chuckwalla Sauromalus ater Found in the Mohave and Sonoran deserts and extreme southern Great Basin desert

Western Zebra-tailed Lizard Callisaurus draconoides rhodostictus Found in the Mohave and Sonoran deserts and extreme southern Great Basin desert	Mearns's Rock Lizard Petrosaurus mearnsi mearnsi Found in the Sonoran Desert	Southern Desert Horned Lizard Phrynosoma platyrhinos calidiarum Found in the Mohave and Sonoran deserts and extreme southern Great Basin desert	Northern Desert Horned Lizard Phrynosoma platyrhinos platyrhinos Foun in the Great Basin desert

Flat-tailed Horned Lizard Phrynosoma mcallii Found in the Sonoran desert	Northern Sagebrush Lizard Sceloporus graciosus graciosus Found in the Great Basin desert	Sonoran Desert Spiny Lizard Sceloporus magister magister Found in the Sonoran desert	Northern Desert Spiny Lizard Sceloporus magister uniformis Found in the Mohave and southern Great Basin deserts

Female	Male
Granite Spiny Lizard Sceloporus orcutti Found in the Sonoran desert		Great Basin Fence Lizard Sceloporus occidentalis longipes Found in parts of all 3 California deserts	Small-scaled Lizard Urosaurus microscutatus Found in the Sonoran desert

Coachella Fringe-toed Lizard Uma inornata Found in the Sonoran desert	Colorado Desert Fringe-toed Lizard Uma notata Found in the Sonoran desert	Mohave Fringe-toed Lizard Uma scoparia Found in the Mohave desert	Western Long-tailed Brush Lizard Urosaurus graciosus graciosus Found in the Mohave and Sonoran deserts

Colorado River Tree Lizard Urosaurus ornatus symmetricus Found in the Sonoran desert	Western Side-blotched Lizard Uta stansburiana elegans Found in all 3 California deserts	Nevada Side-blotched Lizard Uta stansburiana nevadensis Found in the Great Basin desert	Great Basin Whiptail Aspidoscelis tigris tigris Found in all 3 California deserts

Adult	Juvenile	Blue-tailed Juvenile - Desert Mountains © Jeremiah Easter	© William Flaxington
Western Red-tailed Skink Plestiodon gilberti rubricaudatus Found in the Mohave desert			Great Basin Skink Plestiodon skiltonianus utahensis Found in the Great Basin desert

Dark phase	Light phase
Granite Night Lizard Xantusia henshawi Nocturnal Found in the Sonoran Desert		Sandstone Night Lizard Xantusia gracilis Nocturnal Found in the Sonoran Desert	Desert Night Lizard Xantusia vigilis Found in parts of all 3 California deserts

Wiggins' Night Lizard Xantusia wigginsi Found in the Sonoran desert

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

Female	Male	Male Displaying Orange Dewlap	© Elliot Jaramillo
Brown Anole Anolis sagrei Found in the Sonoran desert			Rough-tailed Gecko Cyrtopodion scabrum Nocturnal Found in the Mohave desert

Mediterranean Gecko Hemidactylus turcicus Nocturnal and Diurnal Found in the Sonoran and Mohave deserts

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. All of these turtles are mostly active in daylight.


Southwestern Pond Turtle Actinemys pallida Found in parts of the Mohave desert	Mohave Desert Tortoise Gopherus agassizii Found in the Mohave and Sonoran deserts	Desert Mud Turtle Kinosternon sonoriense sonoriense Formerly found in the Mohave and Sonoran deserts
Non-Native Turtles Established in Some Places in the California Deserts

	Texas Spiny Softshell Apalone spinifera emoryi Found in parts of the Mohave and Sonoran deserts

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. Most of these amphibians are nocturnal in the deserts, and occasionally diurnal when termperatures are cooler. Often juveniles are diurnal.


California Toad Anaxyrus boreas halophilus Found in parts of all 3 California deserts	Great Plains Toad Anaxyrus cognatus Found in parts of the Mohave and Sonoran deserts	Black Toad Anaxyrus exsul Found in the Great Basin desert	Arizona Toad Anaxyrus microscaphus (Probably not extant in California) Formerly found in the Mohave desert

Red-spotted Toad Anaxyrus punctatus Found in the Mohave and Sonoran deserts	Rocky Mountain Toad Anaxyrus woodhousii woodhousii Found in parts of the Mohave and Sonoran deserts	Sonoran Desert Toad Incilius alvarius (No longer found in California) Formerly found in parts of the Mohave and Sonoran deserts	Lowland Leopard Frog Lithobates yavapaiensis (No longer found in California) Formerly found in the Sonoran desert

Northern Leopard Frog - Lithobates pipiens (There are native and introduced populations of this species.) Found in the Great Basin desert		Baja California Treefrog (Pacific Chorus Frog) Pseudacris hypochondriaca hypochondriaca Found in isolated locations in the Sonoran and Mohave deserts

	male	female
California Treefrog (or Chorus Frog) Pseudacris cadaverina Found in the Sonoran desert	Couch's Spadefoot Scaphiopus couchii Found in the Sonoran desert		Great Basin Spadefoot Spea intermontana Found in the Great Basin desert
Non-native Frogs Established in Some Places in the California Deserts

Rio Grande Leopard Frog LIthobates berlandieri Found in the Sonoran desert	American Bullfrog Lithobates catesbeianus Found in all 3 California deserts

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. Desert salamanders tend to be primarily nocturnal.

© Mario Garcia-Paris

Desert Slender Salamander Batrachoseps aridus Found in the Mohave desert	Inyo Mountains Slender Salamander Batrachoseps campi Found in the Great Basin desert	Mount Lyell Salamander Hydromantes platycephalus Found at the edge of the Mohave and Great Basin deserts

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

Western Tiger Salamander Ambystoma mavortium Found in the Great Basin desert

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