Reptiles found in Maricopa County, AZ Maricopa County is located within the Sonoran Desert, an arid region covering 120,000 square miles in southwestern Arizona, southeastern and most of Baja California, as well as the western half of the state of Sonora, Mexico. Reptiles Frog/Toad Salamandar Bull Frog Tiger (Exotic) Canyon Tree Frog Snake Couches Spadefoot Toad Black-headed Lowland Leopard Frog (Exotic) Black-tailed Rattle Red Spotted Toad California King Rio Grande Leopard Frog (Exotic) Checkered Garter Sonoran Green Toad Coachwhip Sonoran/Colorado River Toad Gopher Western Spadefoot Toad Ground Woodhouse Toad Long-nosed Lizard Mojave Rattle Banded Gecko Night Checkered Whiptail Patch-nosed Chuckwalla Regal Ringneck Clark’s Spiny Sidewinder Collared Shovel-nosed Desert Iguana Sonoran Coral Desert Spiny Sonoran Gopher Earless Sonoran Whip Fringe-toed Speckled Rattle Gila Monster Striped Whip Leopard Tiger Rattle Night Western Blind Regale Horned Western Diamondback Rattle Collared Lizard Photo by William CoyoteLeanord Side-blotched Turtle Wildlife of Maricopa County Parks Tree Desert Tortoise Zebra-Tailed Red-eared Slider Notes: Snapping

National Poison Control Hotline 800.222.1222

Maricopa County Parks and Recreation Department 602.506.2930 www.maricopa.gov/parks Parks & Recreation Department 080408 Banded Gecko Coleonyx variegates Banded Snake, Gopher Pituophis melanoleucus lizard with alternating yellow and brown A tan colored body blotched with darker bands, this 4” lizard is sometimes saddles and its defensive tail rattling; mistaken for a Gila Monster because of mistaken for a rattlesnake. 5’ long. its banded coloring and thick tail.

Chuckwalla Sauramalus obesus 14” lizard Rattlesnake, Mojave Crotalus scutulatus of the rocks. Males display a red on black Similar to diamondback, but with white dorsal and straw-colored tails; or black tail bands about twice as long as the dull with white flecking. Females are banded black bands. Set of enlarged scales near earth tones. the snout. Venom very lethal.

Gila Monster Heloderma suspectum Protected species; proprietary black and Rattlesnake, Speckled Crotalus mitcheli orange pattern, having a girth that can Many colors. Exhibit pattern of faded measure more than 2” around. Blunt body saddles that change to bands about a third may reach more than 20”. Only of the way down the body; appears in venomous lizard in United States. variations of red/gray. Prefers rocky hills.

Lizard, Collared Cortaphytus bicinctores Rattlesnake, Tiger Crotalus tigris 12” double collar neck markings. Similar to speckled rattler, but marked Lizard, Desert Spiny Scoloporus magister with indistinct bands on the full length of Collared neck markings; scales are as its body. The colors are usually reddish rough as a wood rasp. Often makes a soda brown or gray. machine its summer home. Rattlesnake, Western Diamondback Lizard, Regale Horned Phynosoma solare Crotalus atrox Arizona’s largest, usually less Frisbee-shaped body; short tail and legs. than 5’ long, and the most defensively Thorn-like crown of head scales. aggressive rattlesnake; frequently seen on Lizard, Zebra-Tailed Callisaurus draconoides the trails. Step around it carefully to Dubbed scorpion lizard; tendency to raise continue hike. Diamondbacks avoid biting and wave vividly barred, black/white tail. unless closely pressed. Gray, with faded pattern of diamonds. The tail is ringed Coachwhip Masticophis flagellum Fast snake with contrasting white and black rings. called Red Racer. Various shades of tan, Frequent the flats but sometimes hillsides. red, pink and occasionally black. Scale pattern similar to a braided leather whip. Toad, Couch’s Spadefoot Scapliopus couchi Snake, Black-neck Garter Thamnophis Mottled with yellow, the vertical, cat-eye cyrtopsis Brown on the body, a yellow strip pupils distinguish it from other toads. down its back and dark brown marking behind the head. Lives near water. Toad, Sonoran Desert Bufo alvarius Wet skinned; 7” long. Largest in U.S. Snake, Common King Lampropeltis getula Alternating black and white bands. Reaches about 4’ long. Eats other snakes, Tortoise, Desert Gopherus agassizii and is immune to the venom. Rocky hillsides and wash banks are habitat for the dome-shaped tortoise. Snake, Coral Micruroides euryxanthus “Red on yellow, kill a fellow,” goes the rhyme. 20”, pencil-thin relative of the Turtle, Sonoran Mud Kinosternon sonoriense cobra, is marked with alternating pattern Small, brown-color; near perennial water. of rings, yellow-black-yellow-red.

All illustrations courtesy of Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum All illustrations courtesy of Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum