Photos of Reptiles and Amphibians from the North American Southwest
The links on this list lead to a collection of photos of reptiles and amphibians I have photographed in the North American Southwest - Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah, but excluding southern California. (Southern CA desert herps are included in the California section, but I have put links to some of those pages here if they include pictures of Southwest animals.) There are some pictures from other people, also.
This is not meant to be a list of all of the reptiles and amphibians in the Southwest, only a list of the species for which I have photographs.
Click on a name link to see the photos.
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See This List With Pictures of the Animals |
| Scientific Name | Common Name | Original Description |
| Anura | Frogs | Duméril, 1806 (as Anoures) |
| Anaxyrus (=Bufo) | North American Toads | Tschudi, 1845 |
| Anaxyrus Boreas | Western Toad | (Baird and Girard, 1852) |
| Anaxyrus boreas boreas (=Bufo boreas boreas) | Boreal Toad | (Baird and Girard, 1852) |
| Anaxyrus cognatus (=Bufo cognatus) | Great Plains Toad | (Say, 1823) |
| Anaxyrus debilis | Green Toad | (Girard, 1854) |
| Anaxyrus debilis insidior (=Bufo debilis insidior) | Western Chihuahuan Green Toad | (Girard, 1854) |
| Anaxyrus microscaphus (=Bufo microscaphus) | Arizona Toad | (Cope, 1866) |
| Anaxyrus nelsoni (=Bufo nelsoni) | Amargosa Toad | (Stejneger, 1893) |
| Anaxyrus punctatus (=Bufo punctatus) | Red-spotted Toad | (Baird and Girard, 1852) |
| Anaxyrus retiformis (=Bufo retiformis) | Sonoran Green Toad | (Sanders and Smith, 1951) |
| Anaxyrus williamsi (=Bufo williamsi) | Dixie Valley Toad | Gordon, Simandle & Tracy, 2017 |
| Anaxyrus woodhousii | Woodhouse's Toad | (Girard, 1854) |
| Anaxyrus woodhousii australis (=Bufo woodhousii australis) |
Southwestern Woodhouse's Toad | (Shannon and Lowe, 1955) |
| Gastrophryne | North American Narrow-mouthed Toads | Fitzinger, 1843 |
| Gastrophryne olivacea (Gastrophryne mazatlensis) |
Great Plains Narrow-mouthed Toad (Mazatlan Narrow-mouthed Toad) |
(Hallowell, 1857 “1856”) |
| Hyla | Holarctic Treefrogs | Laurenti, 1768 |
| Hyla arenicolor | Canyon Treefrog | Cope, 1866 |
| Hyla wrightorum | Arizona Treefrog | Taylor, 1939 “1938” |
| Incilius | Central American Toads | Cope, 1875 |
| Incilius alvarius (=Bufo alvarius) | Sonoran Desert Toad | (Girard, 1859) |
| Lithobates | American Water Frogs | Fitzinger, 1843 |
| Lithobates catesbeianus (= Rana catesbeiana) | American Bullfrog | (Shaw, 1802) |
| Lithobates chiricahuensis (=Rana chiricahuensis) | Chiricahua Leopard Frog | (Platz and Mecham, 1979) |
| Lithobates onca (=Rana onca) | Relict Leopard Frog | (Cope, 1875) |
| Lithobates pipiens (=Rana pipiens) | Northern Leopard Frog | (Schreber, 1782) |
| Lithobates tarahumarae | Tarahumara Frog | (Boulenger, 1917) |
| Lithobates yavapaiensis (=Rana yavapaiensis) | Lowland Leopard Frog | (Platz and Frost, 1984) |
| Pseudacris | Chorus Frogs | Fitzinger, 1843 |
| Pseudacris maculata | Boreal Chorus Frog | (Wied-Neuwied, 1838) |
| Smilisca | Mexican Treefrogs | Cope, 1865 |
| Smilisca fodiens (=Pternohyla fodiens) | Lowland Burrowing Treefrog | (Boulenger, 1882) |
| Scaphiopus | North American Spadefoots | Holbrook, 1836 |
| Scaphiopus couchii | Couch's Spadefoot | Baird, 1854 |
| Spea | Western Spadefoots | Cope, 1866 |
| Spea bombifrons | Plains Spadefoot | (Cope, 1863) |
| Spea multiplicata | Mexican Spadefoot | (Cope, 1863) |
| Spea multiplicata stagnalis | Chihuahuan Desert Spadefoot (New Mexico Spadefoot) |
(Cope, 1875) |
| Caudata | Salamanders | Scopoli, 1777 |
| Aneides | Climbing Salamanders | Baird, 1851 |
| Aneides hardii | Sacramento Mountains Salamander | (Taylor, 1941) |
| Ambystoma | Mole Salamanders | Tschudi, 1838 |
| Ambystoma mavortium | Barred Tiger Salamander | Baird, 1850 “1849” |
| Ambystoma mavortium mavortium | Barred Tiger Salamander | Baird, 1850 “1849” |
| Ambystoma mavortium nebulosum | Arizona Tiger Salamander | Hallowell, 1852 |
| Plethodon | Woodland Salamanders | Tschudi, 1838 |
| Plethodon neomexicanus | Jemez Mountains Salamander | Stebbins and Riemer, 1950 |
| Squamata | Lizards | Oppel, 1811 |
| Aspidoscelis | Whiptails | Fitzinger, 1843 |
| Aspidoscelis arizonae | Arizona Striped Whiptail | (Van Denburgh, 1896) |
| Aspidoscelis exsanguis | Chihuahuan Spotted Whiptail | (Lowe, 1956) |
| Aspidoscelis gypsi | Little White Whiptail | (Wright and Lowe, 1993) |
| Aspidoscelis neomexicana | New Mexico Whiptail | (Lowe and Zweifel, 1952) |
| Aspidoscelis pai | Pai Striped Whiptail | (Wright and Lowe, 1993) |
| Aspidoscelis sonorae | Sonoran Spotted Whiptail | (Lowe and Wright, 1964) |
| Aspidoscelis stictogramma | Giant Spotted Whiptail | (Burger, 1950) |
| Aspidoscelis tigris | Tiger Whiptail | (Baird and Girard, 1852) |
| Aspidoscelis tigris punctilinealis | Sonoran Tiger Whiptail | (Dickerson,1919) |
| Aspidoscelis tigris septentrionalis | Plateau Tiger Whiptail | (Burger, 1950) |
| Aspidoscelis uniparens | Desert Grassland Whiptail | (Wright and Lowe, 1965) |
| Aspidoscelis velox | Plateau Striped Whiptail | (Springer, 1928) |
| Callisaurus | Zebra-tailed Lizards | Blainville, 1835 |
| Callisaurus draconiodes | Zebra-tailed Lizard | Blainville, 1835 |
| Callisaurus draconoides myurus | Nevada Zebra-tailed Lizard | Richardson, 1915 |
| Callisaurus draconoides rhodostictus | Western Zebra-tailed Lizard | Cope, 1896 |
| Callisaurus draconoides ventralis | Eastern Zebra-tailed Lizard | (Hallowell, 1852) |
| Coleonyx | Banded Geckos | Gray, 1845 |
| Coleonyx variegatus | Western Banded Gecko | (Baird, 1859 “1858”) |
| Coleonyx variegatus bogerti | Tucson Banded Gecko | Klauber, 1945 |
| Coleonyx variegatus utahensis | Utah Banded Gecko | Klauber, 1945 |
| Cophosaurus | Greater Earless Lizards | Troschel, 1852 “1850” |
| Cophosaurus texanus | Greater Earless Lizard | Troschel, 1852 “1850” |
| Cophosaurus texanus scitulus | Chihuahuan Greater Earless Lizard | (Peters, 1951) |
| Crotaphytus | Collared Lizards | Holbrook, 1842 |
| Crotaphytus bicinctores | Great Basin Collared Lizard | Smith and Tanner, 1972 |
| Crotaphytus collaris | Eastern Collared Lizard | (Say, 1823) |
| Crotaphytus nebrius | Sonoran Collared Lizard | Axtell and Montanucci, 1977 |
| Elgaria | Western Alligator Lizards | Gray, 1838 |
| Elgaria kingii | Madrean Alligator Liard | Gray, 1838) |
| Elgaria kingii nobilis | Arizona Alligator Lizard | Baird and Girard, 1852) |
| Gambelia | Leopard Lizards | Baird 1859 “1858” |
| Gambelia wislizenii | Long-nosed Leopard Lizard | (Baird and Girard, 1852) |
| Heloderma | Gila Monsters & Beaded Lizards | Wiegmann, 1829 |
| Heloderma suspectum | Gila Monster | Cope, 1869 |
| Heloderma suspectum cinctum | Banded Gila Monster | Bogert and Martin del Campo, 1956 |
| Heloderma suspectum suspectum | Reticulate Gila Monster | Cope, 1869 |
| Hemidactylus | House Geckos | Gray, 1825 |
| Hemidactylus turcicus | Mediterranean Gecko | (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| Holbrookia | Lesser Earless Lizards | Girard, 1851 |
| Holbrookia elegans | Elegant Earless Lizard | Bocourt, 1874 in Duméril, Mocquard & Bocourt, 1870-1909 |
| Holbrookia elegans thermophila | Sonoran Earless Lizard | Barbour, 1921 |
| Holbrookia maculata | Common Lesser Earless Lizard | Girard, 1851 |
| Holbrookia maculata campi | Plateau Earless Lizard | Schmidt, 1921 |
| Holbrookia maculata flavilenta | Chihuahuan Leser Earless Lizard | Cope, 1883 |
| Holbrookia maculata ruthveni | Bleached Earless Lizard | Smith, 1943 |
| Phrynosoma | Horned Lizards | Wiegmann, 1828 |
| Phrynosoma cornutum | Texas Horned Lizard | (Harlan, 1825) |
| Phrynosoma (Doliosaurus) goodei | Goode's Desert Horned Lizard | Stejnejer, 1893 |
| Phrynosoma hernandesi | Greater Short-horned Lizard | Girard, 1858 |
| Phrynosoma hernandesi hernandesi | Hernandez's Short-horned Lizard | Girard, 1858 |
| Phrynosoma hernandesi ornatum | Salt Lake Valley Short-horned Lizard | Girard 1858b, comb. nov. |
| Phrynosoma (Doliosaurus) modestum | Round-tailed Horned Lizard | Girard, 1852 |
| Phrynosoma platyrhinos | Desert Horned Lizard | Girard, 1852 |
| Phrynosoma (Doliosaurus) platyrhinos platyrhinos | Northern Desert Horned Lizard | Girard, 1852 |
| Phrynosoma (Anota) solare | Regal Horned Lizard | Gray, 1845 |
| Plestiodon | Toothy Skinks | Duméril and Bibron, 1839 |
| Plestiodon callicephalus (= Eumeces callicephalus) | Mountain Skink | (Bocourt, 1879 in Duméril, Mocquard & Bocourt, 1870-1909) |
| Plestiodon multivirgatus | Many-lined Skink | Hallowell, 1857 |
| Plestiodon multivirgatus epipleurotus | Variable Skink | (Cope, 1880) |
| Sauromalus | Chuckwallas | Duméril, 1856 |
| Sauromalus ater | Common Chuckwalla | Duméril, 1856 |
| Sceloporus | Spiny Lizards | Wiegmann, 1828 |
| Sceloporus clarkii | Clark's Spiny Lizard | Baird and Girard, 1852 |
| Sceloporus clarkii clarkii | Sonoran Spiny Lizard | Baird and Girard, 1852 |
| Sceloporus clarki vallaris | Plateau Spiny Lizard | Shannon and Urbano, 1954 |
| Sceloporus cowlesi | Southwestern Fence Lizard | Lowe and Norris, 1956 |
| Sceloporus graciosus | Common Sagebrush Lizard | Baird and Girard, 1852 |
| Sceloporus graciosus graciosus | Northern Sagebrush Lizard | Baird and Girard, 1852 |
| Sceloporus jarrovii | Yarrow's Spiny Lizard | Cope, 1875 |
| Sceloporus magister | Desert Spiny Lizard | Hallowell, 1854 |
| Sceloporus poinsetti | Crevice Spiny Lizard | Baird and Girard, 1852 |
| Sceloporus poinsettii poinsettii | New Mexico Crevice Spiny Lizard | Baird and Girard, 1852 |
| Sceloporus slevini | Slevin's Bunch Grass Lizard | Smith, 1937 |
| Sceloporus tristichus | Plateau Fence Lizard (Northern Plateau Lizard) | Cope in Yarrow 1875 |
| Sceloporus uniformis | Yellow-backed Spiny Lizard | Phelan and Brattstrom, 1955 |
| Sceloporus virgatus | Striped Plateau Lizard | Smith, 1938 |
| Uma | Fringe-toed Lizards | 1859 “1858” |
| Uma rufopunctata | Yuman Desert Fringe-toed Lizard | Cope, 1895 |
| Urosaurus | Tree and Brush Lizards | Hallowell, 1854 |
| Urosaurus ornatus | Tree Lizard | (Baird and Girard, 1852) |
| Urosaurus ornatus schottii | Schott's Tree Lizard | (Mittleman, 1940) |
| Urosaurus ornatus wrighti | Northern Tree Lizard | (Schmidt, 1921) |
| Uta | Side-blotched Lizards | Baird and Girard in Stansbury 1852 |
| Uta stansburiana | Side-blotched Lizards | Baird and Girard, 1852 |
| Uta stansburiana elegans | Western Side-blotched Lizard | Yarrow, 1882 |
| Uta stansburiana stansburiana | Northern Side-blotched Lizard | Baird and Girard, 1852 |
| Uta stansburiana stejnegeri | Eastern Side-blotched Lizard | Schmidt, 1921 |
| Uta stansburiana uniformis | Plateau Side-blotched Lizard | Baird and Girard, 1852 |
| Xantusia | NIght Lizards | Baird, 1859 “1858” |
| Xantusia arizonae | Arizona Night Lizard | Klauber, 1931 |
| Xantusia bezyi | Bezy's Night Lizard | Papenfuss, Macey, and Schulte, 2001 |
| Xantusia vigilis (utahensis) | Desert Night Lizard (Utah Night Lizard) | Baird, 1859 “1858” |
| Squamata | Snakes | Oppel, 1811 |
| Arizona | Glossy Snakes | Kennicott, in Baird, 1859 |
| Arizona elegans | Glossy Snake | Kennicott, in Baird, 1859 |
| Arizona elegans philipi | Painted Desert Glossy Snake | Klauber, 1946 |
| Chionactis | Shovel-nosed Snakes | Cope, 1860 |
| Chionactis annulata | Resplendent Desert Shovel-nosed Snake | (Baird, 1859 “1858”) |
| Chionactis annulata klauberi (Sonora annulata) | Tucson Shovel-nosed Snake | (Stickel, 1941) |
| Coluber | North American Racers, Coachwhips and Whipsnakes |
Linnaeus, 1758 |
| Coluber bilineatis (=Masticophis bilineatis) | Sonoran Whipsnake | (Jan, 1863) |
| Crotalus | Rattlesnakes | Linnaeus, 1758 |
| Crotalus atrox | Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake | Baird and Girard, 1853 |
| Crotalus cerastes | Sidewinder | Hallowell, 1854 |
| Crotalus cerastes cercobombus | Sonoran Sidewinder | Savage and Cliff, 1953 |
| Crotalus cerberus | Arizona Black Rattlesnake | (Coues, 1875) |
| Crotalus lepidus | Rock Rattlesnake | (Kennicott, 1861) |
| Crotalus lepidus klauberi | Banded Rock Rattlesnake | Gloyd, 1936 |
| Crotalus mitchellii | Speckled Rattlesnake | (Cope, 1861) |
| Crotalus mitchellii pyrrhus | Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake | (Cope, 1867 “1866”) |
| Crotalus molossus | Western Black-tailed Rattlesnake | Baird and Girard, 1853 |
| Crotalus oreganus | Western Rattlesnake | Holbrook, 1840 |
| Crotalus oreganus abyssus (=Crotalus abyssus) | Grand Canyon Rattlesnake | Klauber, 1930 |
| Crotalus oreganus concolor (=Crotalus concolor) | Midget Faded Rattlesnake | Woodbury, 1929 |
| Crotalus oreganus lutosus (=Crotalus lutosus) | Great Basin Rattlesnake | Klauber, 1930 |
| Crotalus pricei | Twin-spotted Rattlesnake | Van Denburgh, 1895 |
| Crotalus pricei pricei | Western Twin-spotted Rattlesnake | Van Denburgh, 1895 |
| Crotalus tigris | Tiger Rattlesnake | Kennicott, in Baird, 1859 |
| Crotalus viridis | Prairie Rattlesnake | (Rafinesque, 1818) |
| Crotalus willardi | Ridge-nosed Rattlesnake | Meek, 1905 |
| Crotalus willardi obscurus | New Mexico Ridge-nosed Rattlesnake | Harris and Simmons, 1976 |
| Crotalus willardi willardi | Arizona Ridge-nosed Rattlesnake | Meek, 1905 |
| Diadophis | Ring-necked Snakes | Baird and Girard, 1853 |
| Diadophis punctatus | Ring-necked Snake | (Linnaeus, 1766) |
| Diadophis punctatus regalis | Regal Ring-necked Snake | Baird and Girard, 1853 |
| Gyalopian | Western Hook-nosed Snakes | Cope, 1861 |
| Gyalopion quadrangulare | Thornscrub Hook-nosed Snake | (Günther, 1893 in Salvin and Godman, 1885-1902) |
| Heterodon | North American Hog-nosed Snakes | Latreille, 1801 |
| Heterodon kennerlyi (= Heterodon nasicus kennerlyi) |
Mexican Hog-nosed Snake | Kennicott, 1860 |
| Hypsiglena | North American Nightsnakes | Cope, 1860 |
| Hypsiglena chlorophaea | Desert Nightsnake | Cope, 1860 |
| Hypsiglena chlorophaea chlorophaea (=Hypsiglena torquata chlorophaea) |
Sonoran Nightsnake | Cope, 1860 |
| Hypsiglena chlorophaea loreala (=Hypsiglena torquata loreala) |
Mesa Verde Night Snake | (Tanner, 1944) |
| Lampropeltis | Kingsnakes | Fitzinger, 1843 |
| Lampropeltis californiae |
California Kingsnake (Western Black Kingsnake) |
(Blainville, 1835) |
| Lampropeltis gentilis | Western Milksnake | Baird and Girard, 1853 |
| Lampropeltis knoblochi (=Lampropeltis pyromelana) |
Madrean Mountain Kingsnake (= Arizona Mountain Kingsnake/ Knobloch's Mountain Kingsnake) |
Taylor, 1940 |
| Lampropeltis splendida | Desert Kingsnake | (Baird and Girard, 1853) |
| Lampropeltis pyromelana | Sonoran Mountain Kingsnake | (Cope, 1867) |
| Lampropeltis pyromelana | Arizona Mountain Kingsnake | (Cope, 1867) |
| Lichanura | Rosy Boas | Cope, 1861 |
| Lichanura orcutti | Rosy Boa (Desert Rosy Boa) | (Stejneger 1889) |
| Lichanura trivirgata | Three-lined Boa (Mexican Rosy Boa) | (Cope, 1861) |
| Micruroides | Sonoran Coral Snakes | Schmidt, 1928 |
| Micruroides euryxanthus | Sonoran Coral Snake | (Kennicott, 1860) |
| Micruroides euryxanthus euryxanthus | Arizona Coralsnake | (Kennicott, 1860) |
| Oxybelis | American Vinesnakes | Wagler, 1830 |
| Oxybelis aeneus | Brown Vinesnake | (Wagler, 1824) |
| Phyllorynchus | Leaf-nosed Snakes | Stejneger, 1890 |
| Phyllorynchus browni | Saddled Leaf-nosed Snake | Stejneger, 1890 |
| Pituophis | Bullsnakes, Pinesnakes, and Gophersnakes |
Holbrook, 1842 |
| Pituophis catenifer | Gophersnake | (Blainville, 1835) |
| Pituophis catenifer affinis | Sonoran Gophersnake | (Hallowell, 1852) |
| Pituophis catenifer deserticola | Great Basin Gophersnake | Stejneger, 1893 |
| Rena | Threadsnakes | Baird and Girard, 1853 |
| Rena dissectus (=Leptotyphlops dissectus) | New Mexico Threadsnake | (Cope, 1896) |
| Rhinocheilus | Long-nosed Snakes | Baird and Girard, 1853 |
| Rhinocheilus lecontei | Long-nosed Snake | Baird and Girard, 1853 |
| Salvadora | Patch-nosed Snakes | Baird and Girard, 1853 |
| Salvadora grahamiae | Eastern Patch-nosed Snake | Baird and Girard, 1853 |
| Salvadora grahamiae grahamiae | Mountain Patch-nosed Snake | Baird and Girard, 1853 |
| Salvadora hexalepis | Western Patch-nosed Snake | (Cope, 1866) |
| Salvadora hexalepis hexalepis | Desert Patch-nosed Snake | (Cope, 1866) |
| Senticolis | Green Ratsnakes | Dowling and Fries, 1987 |
| Senticolis triaspis | Green Ratsnake | (Cope, 1866) |
| Senticolis triaspis intermedia | Northern Green Ratsnake | (Boettger, 1883) |
| Sistrurus | Massasauga & Pygmy Rattlesnakes | Garman, 1883 |
| Sistrurus catenatus | Massasauga | (Rafinesque, 1818) |
| Sistrurus tergeminus edwardsii | Desert Massasauga | (Baird and Girard, 1853) |
| Sonora | North American Groundsnakes | Baird and Girard, 1853 |
| Sonora semiannulata | Western Groundsnake | Baird and Girard, 1853 |
| Sonora semiannulata semiannulata | Variable Groundsnake | Baird and Girard, 1853 |
| Tantilla | Black-headed, Crowned, and Flat-headed Snakes |
Baird and Girard, 1853 |
| Tantilla hobartsmithi | Smith's Black-headed Snake | Taylor, 1937 |
| Tantilla nigriceps | Plains Black-headed Snake | Kennicott, 1860 |
| Tantilla wilcoxi | Chihuahuan Black-headed Snake | Stejneger, 1903 |
| Thamnophis | North American Gartersnakes | Fitzinger, 1843 |
| Thamnophis cyrtopsis | Black-necked Gartersnake | (Kennicott, 1860) |
| Thamnophis cyrtopsis cyrtopsis | Western Black-necked Gartersnake | (Kennicott, 1860) |
| Thamnophis elegans | Terrestrial Gartersnake | (Baird and Girard, 1853) |
| Thamnophis elegans vagrans | Wandering Gartersnake | (Baird and Girard, 1853) |
| Thamnophis marcianus | Checkered Gartersnake | (Baird and Girard, 1853) |
| Thamnophis marcianus marcianus | Marcy's Checkered Gartersnake | (Baird and Girard, 1853) |
| Thamnophis rufipunctatus | Narrow-headed Gartersnake | (Cope, 1875) |
| Trimorphodon | Lyresnakes | Cope, 1861 |
| Trimorphodon lambda | Sonoran Lyresnake | Cope, 1886 |
| Testudines | Turtles | Linnaeus, 1758 |
| Kinosternon | American Mud Turtles | Spix, 1824 |
| Kinosternon flavescens (AZ) | Yellow Mud Turtle | (Agassiz, 1857) |
| Kinosternon sonoriense | Sonora Mud Turtle | LeConte, 1854 |
| Kinosternon sonoriense sonoriense | Desert Mud Turtle Sonoran Mud Turtle Sonora Mud Turtle |
LeConte, 1854 |
| Terrapene | American Box Turtles | Merrem, 1820 |
| Terapene ornata | Ornate Box Turtle | (Agassiz, 1857) |
| Terrapene ornata luteola (SW) | Desert Box Turtle | Smith and Ramsey, 1952 |