Amphibians

Salamanders

Family: Ambystomatidae - mole salamanders

Morphology:
Ambystomatids are robust salamanders that typically have a broad, short head, small eyes, large limbs and well developed costal grooves. The tail is laterally flattened. The larvae and non-metamorphosed adults also have broad heads, but exhibit long, external gills.

Life History:
All start off as aquatic larvae. Some species never metamorphose. Metamorphosed adults are fossorial and mostly live under cover or in burrows, returning to ponds or slow moving streams in the spring to breed. They can be found in sagebrush grassland up into mountain meadows and forested areas.

Species:
Ambystoma tigrinum - barred salamander
The only salamader species found in Arizona. (Elevation: From near sea level to around 12,000ft)

Frogs and Toads

Family: Bufonidae - true toads

Morphology:
Bufonids are short and stocky in appearance with horizontal pupils. Most have numerous wart-like glands that contain toxins. The toxin of some species, such as the Sonoran Desert toad, may be harmful to animals and humans and, if ingested, may cause death.

Life History:
Most are terrestrial, but return to ponds and streams to breed. Habitat baries by species

Species:
Bufo alvarius - Sonoran Desert toad/Colorado River toad - Largest toad in the west. (Elevation: sea level to 5,300ft).
Bufo woodhousii - woodhouse's toad (Elevation: up to 8,500ft)
Bufo punctatus - red-spotted toad (Elevation: below sea level to 6,500ft)
Bufo cognatus - great plain toad (Elevation: near sea level to around 8,000ft)
Bufo debilis - green toad (Elevation: most are found around 4,000ft, but some found up to 6,000ft)

Family: Hylidae - tree frogs

Morphology:
Most have well developed toe disks that work like suction cups.

Life History:
Most hylids are arboreal. However some return to the water to mate. Some species are burrowers. Habitat varies by species.

Species:
Hyla arenicolor – canyon tree frog (Elevation: Near sea level to 9800ft)
Despite its name the canyon tree frog lives mostly on the ground within reach of water.

Family: Ranidae - true frogs

Morphology:
Typically have long legs, smooth skin, and pronounced webbing between the toes.

Life History:
Ranids typically live in and around lakes and ponds. Most lay their eggs in water.

Species:
Rana chiricahuensis - Chiricahua leopard frog (Elevation: From around 3500-7500ft)
Rana blairi - plains leopard frog (Elevation: From around 350-8550ft)
Rana yavapaiensis - lowland leopard frog (Elevation: Near sea level to around 4800ft)
Rana catesbeiana - bullfrog (Introduced species) (Elevation: Near sea level to around 9000ft)

Reptiles

Turtles and Tortoises

Family: Kinosternidae - musk and mud turtles

Morphology:
Kinosternids have a shell covered by overlapping horny shields. They have paired musk glands in the cloaca which secrete foul odors when handled. They have nipple-like projections on the chin and neck, a short tail.

Life History:
These turtles are semi-aquatic and are found in and around the edges of lakes, streams, and ponds, preferring slow moving water with abundant vegetation. All are carnivores and feed on invertebrates, fish, and frogs.

Species:
Kinosternon sonoriense – Sonoran mud turtle (Elevation: Near sea level to around 6500ft)

Family: Trionychidae - soft-shelled turtles

Morphology:
Trionychids have nearly circular, flat, flexible shells that are covered in a leathery skin, which lacks keratinous scutes. They have long necks, fleshy lips instead of a beak, a fleshy proboscis on the snout, and fully webbed paddle – like limbs.

Life History:
Trionychids are completely aquatic and strong swimmers. They are carnivores and ambush or actively seek prey. Females lay eggs in a nest on land near water.

Species:
Apalone spiniferus - spiny softshell (Elevation: Sea level to 5200ft)

Family: Emydidae - box and water turtles

Life History:
Most emydids are semiaquatic, freshwater turtles, but some are terrestrial. Most are omnivorous, but some are carnivorous.

Species:
Terrapene ornata - western box turtle (Elevation: Near sea level to around 6600ft)

Family: Testudinidae - Land Tortoises

Morphology:
Testudinids have high domed shells, heavily scaled legs and flattened forelimbs with claws. The feet of the testudinids are unwebbed. They are able to fully retract their head and limbs into their shell.

Life History:
Most are herbivorous, but a few are omnivorous. All are terrestrial and occur in habitats ranging from extremely arid desert regions to tropical rainforests.

Species:
Gopherus agassizii - desert tortoise (Federally protected in CA, NV, and UT and state protected in AZ.) (Elevation: Sea level to around 4000ft.)

Lizards

Family: Gekkonidae - geckos

Morphology:
Typically geckos have soft skin with fine granular scales. Their eyes are large with vertical pupils. Some do not have eyelids instead they have a spectacle (an immovable, transparent scale) over each eye like a snake.

Life History:
Most are nocturnal climbers, but some wander around on the ground. They live in arid and semiarid habitats.

Species:
Coleonyx variegatus - western banded gecko (Elevation: Below sea level in desert sinks to around 5000ft)

Family: Iguanidae - iguanids

Morphology:
Iguanids are typically large lizards with scales ranging from rough and smooth to spiny and keeled.

Species:
Holbrookia maculata - lesser earless lizard (Elevation: Sea level to around 7000ft)
Cophosaurus texanus - greater earless lizard (Elevation: 100-5600ft)
Callisaurus draconoides - zebra-tailed lizard (Elevation: Below sea level in desert sinks to around 5000ft)
Crotaphytus collaris - common collard lizard (Elevation: Near sea level to around 8000ft)
Gambelia wislizenii - long nosed leopard lLizard (Elevation: Near sea level to around 6000ft)
Sceloporus jarrovii - yarrow spiny lizard (Elevation: 4500-11,000ft)
Sceloporus magister - desert spiny lizard (Elevation: Near sea level to around 5000ft)
Sceloporus clarkii - Clark spiny lizard (Elevation: Sea level to around 6000ft)
Sceloporus undulatus - eastern fence lLizard (Elevation: Sea level to around 10,000ft)
Uta stansburiana - side-blotched lizard (Elevation: Below sea level to around 9000ft)
Urosaurus ornatus - tree lizard (Elevation: Sea level to around 9000ft)
Phrynosoma cornutum - Texas horned lizard (Elevation: Sea level to around 6000ft)
Phrynosoma douglassii - short-horned lizard (Elevation: 900-11,300ft)
Phrynosoma solare - regal horned lizard (Elevation: Sea level to around 4800ft)

Family: Scincidae - skinks

Morphology:
Skinks have shiny, smooth rounded (cycloid scales). Body size ranges from 5-32cm. Tail autotomy is well developed in this family.

Life History:
Most are diurnal. Most are terrestrial or fossorial. Often occur in habitats where there is some moisture nearby. Found under stones, boards, logs and other objects.

Species:
Eumeces obsoletus - great plains skink (Elevation: Near sea level to around 8700ft)

Family: Teiidae - whiptails and their allies

Morphology:
Arizona's teiids are generally greater than 10cm in length. They have granular dorsal scales, larger plates on the head and ventral side, and forked tongue.

Life History:
Teiids are diurnal. Habitat ranges from desert to mountaintop. All oviparous. There are several all-female parthenogenetic species.

Species:
Cnemidophorus inornatus - little striped whiptail (Elevation: around 1000 – 5500ft)
Cnemidophorus uniparens - desert grassland whiptail (Elevation: 3500 – 5000ft)
Cnemidophorus exsanguis - Chihuahuan spotted whiptail (Elevation: 2500 – 8000ft)
Cnemidophorus sonorae - Sonoran spotted whiptail (Elevation: 700-7000ft)
Cnemidophorus flagellicaudus - Gila spotted whiptail (Elevation: 4000-6500ft)
Cnemidophorus tigris - western whiptail (Elevation: below sea level to around 7000ft)

Family: Anguidae - alligator lizards and their allies

Morphology:
Anguids in Arizona typically reach lengths up to 10cm. These lizards tend to have elongate bodies and short (or absent ) limbs.

Life History:
Most are diurnal and found in relatively cool, humid areas. Most are oviparous, but some higher elevation anguids are viviparous. All are carnivorous.

Species:
Gerrhonotus kingii - Madrean alligator lizard (Elevation: from 2400-9000ft)

Family: Helodermatidae - venomous lizards: Gila monsters and beaded lizard

Morphology:
They have large heavy bodies, broad heads and short fat tails used for fat storage. Their scales are bead like and do not overlap. The Gila Monster and Beaded Lizard are the world's only venomous lizards. Venom flows along grooves in the teeth of the lower jaw.

Life History:
They eat mostly vertebrates, especially mammals and bird nestlings. They spend most of their lives underground in burrows, but are very good climbers. They are oviparous with eggs taken up to a year to hatch. They are more active in cooler, wetter conditions than many other lizards. This species is protected in Arizona.

Species:
Heloderma suspectum - Gila Monster (Elevation: Sea level to around 5000ft)

Snakes

Family: Leptotyphlopidae - slender blind snakes

Morphology:
Some of the smallest snakes are found in this family. Eyes are very small or absent.

Life History:
They are fossorial living in damp loose soil and emerge onto the surface at night. They primarily feed on ants and termite eggs.

Species:
Leptotyphlops humilis - Western blind snake (Elevation: below sea level in desert sinks to around 5000ft)
Leptotyphlops dulcis - Texas blind snake (Elevation: Sea level –5800ft)

Family: Colubridae - colubrids

This family includes most of the snakes found in all continents except Antarctica and Australia. This family varies quite a bit because of the highly diverse habitats in which they are found. This makes the family very difficult to characterize. No hollow fangs. Some species in this family are venomous.

Species:
Arizona elegans - Arizona glossy snake (Elevation: Below sea level – 6000ft)
Diadophis punctatus - Ringneck snake (Elevation: Sea level – 7000ft)
Gyalopion canum - Chihuahuan hook-nosed snake (Elevation: 1000-6500ft)
Heterodon nasicus - western hognose snake (Elevation: Near sea level-8000ft)
Hysiglena torquata - night snake (Elevation: Sea level-8700ft)
Lampropeltis getulus - common kingsnake (Elevation: Sea level – 7000ft)
Lampropeltis pyromelana - Sonoran mountain kingsnake (Elevation: 2800-9100ft)
Masticophis bilineatus - Sonoran mountain whipsnake (Elevation: Near Sea Level –6100ft)
Masticophis flagellum - coachwhip (Elevation: Below Sea Level – 7700ft)
Masticophis taeniatus - striped whipsnake (Elevation: Sea Level – 9400ft)
Masticophis bilineatus - Sonoran mountain whipsnake (Elevation: Near Sea Level – 6100ft)
Pituophis melanoleucus - gopher snake (Elevation: Below Sea Level – 9000ft)
Rhinocheilus lecontei - long-nosed snake (Elevation: Below Sea Level – 5400ft)
Salvadora hexalepis - western patch - nosed snake (Elevation: Sea Level – 7000ft)
Salvadora grahamiae - Graham patch - nosed snake (Elevation: Sea Level – 6500ft)
Sonora semiannulata - ground snake (Elevation: Sea Level – 6000ft)
Tantilla hobartsmithi - southwestern black - headed snake (Elevation: Sea Level to 5000ft)
Thamnophis elegans - western terrestrial garter snake (Elevation: Sea Level – 13100ft)
Thamnophis cyrtopsis - black-necked garter snake (Elevation: Sea Level – 8700ft)
Trimoprhodon biscutatus lambda - Sonoran lyre snake (Elevation: Sea Level – 7400ft)

Family: Elapidae - coral snakes

Morphology:
All are venomous. Short front deeply grooved fangs to administer venom. The fangs are fixed fangs.

Life History:
Feeds mainly on other snakes.

Species:
Micruroides euryxanthus - western coral snake (Elevation: Sea Level – 5800ft)

Family: Viperidae - vipers

Morphology:
All are venomous. The fangs are long, hollow and moveable. They administer primarily a hemotoxin venom. Pit viper has two highly developed facial pits to detect infrared radiation.

Life History:
: Most are viviparous. They rely mainly on cryptic coloration to avoid detection. Most are sit and wait predators. Out of the 15 species found in United States, 11 are found in Arizona more than any other state in the United States.

Species:
Crotalus atrox - western diamond back rattlesnake (Elevation: Sea Level – 7000ft)
Crotalus molossus - black-tailed rattlesnake (Elevation: Sea Level – 9600ft)
Crotalus viridis Cerberus - Arizona black rattlesnake (Elevation: Sea Level – 11000ft)
Crotalus scutulatus - Mojave rattlesnake (Elevation: Sea Level – 8300ft)
Crotalus pricei - twin-spotted rattlesnake (Elevation: 4000- 10500ft) *Protected in Arizona
Crotalus lepidus- rock rattlesnake (Elevation: 1000-9600ft) *Protected in Arizona
Crotalus tigris - tiger rattlesnake (Elevation: Sea Level – 4800ft)