u/Crotalus

This tiny whipsnake (Chironius sp.) we saw in Peru is basically a long life support system for eyes. It's likely less cute to the many lizards and frogs in the region.

I found a Rosy Boa that had apparently lost its tail somewhere along the way. This is one of two species of boa native to Arizona, found in rocky areas in the west-southwestern third or so of the state.

I met this Gila Monster out and about on a spring day in 2023. At the time, there were a lot of quail eggs and baby cottontails to find out there, which gets these animals active and observable.

These animals are the only venomous lizard in the United States, and one of five species of the Heloderma genus found across Central America.

A Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake I found in Cave Creek, Arizona. These snakes are common in the mountains of the area, where they often appear in this pink color.

An Arizona Black Rattlesnake (Crotalus cerberus) from relatively open desert in Maricopa County, Arizona. This species is diverse in appearance and habitat preferences, with this particular population inhabiting generally lower, hotter, and exposed areas. In this location, they tend to be smaller, and lack some of the characteristic white/light scales on the back. They are typically grey-on-grey like this one or lose their pattern to be a solid grey color.

I scrambled to the high rocky ridge of a mountain in western Arizona, looking for rattlesnakes. The steep terrain and loose rocky ground made it difficult to get there. I was surprised to run into this big Sonoran Desert Tortoise (Gophersus morafkai) up there. These animals are great climbers, often picking hiding spots far up hillsides in places I wouldn't even want to climb. We passed each other, and he headed down slope in what looked to be a dangerously steep area ... but as I was the one slipping and sliding all over the place, I figured he knew what he was doing.