Arizona 2024
In September 2024 I began working as a wildlife biologist for the Gila River Indian Community. Not long after I got myself settled in at my new apartment, I took to exploring my new surroundings. Having only been to Arizona one other time, I was very excited to try to find many species I missed on the first trip.
Tiger rattlesnake (Crotalus tigris)
Arizona ridge-nosed rattlesnake (Crotalus willardi)
Speckled rattlesnake (Crotalus pyrrhus)
Arizona black rattlesnake (Crotalus cerberus)
Twin spotted rattlesnake (Crotalus pricei)
I was incredibly fortunate to encounter a juvenile twin spotted rattlesnake while hiking down from a spectacular vista in southern Arizona. This young snake had decided to thermoregulate on an exposed rock just as cloud cover began to form. While I captured some photos I managed to not disturb the snake from its original activity.
Greater short-horned lizard (Phrynosoma hernandesi)
Green rat snake (Senticolis triaspis)
Arizona mountain kingsnake (Lampropeltis pyromelana)
Sonoran green toad (Anaxyrus debilis)
This series of photos captures a weekend of highs and lows from September. On Friday, I managed to turn up an Arizona mountain kingsnake (Lampropeltis pyromelana) and also saw my first narrow-headed garter snake (Thamnophis rufipunctatus). The following day I went to look for Mexican hognose snakes with Nick and Fran. The only hognose found that day was a two-dimensional juvenile and I ended the day with a nail in the tire. It’s about the friends you make along the way…
Speckled rattlesnake (Crotalus pyrrhus)
Sonoran mountain kingsnake (Lampropeltis knoblochi)
Thornscrub vine snake (Oxybelis micropthhalmus)
Western patch-nosed snake (Salvadora grahamiae)
Sonoran lyre snake (Trimorphodon lambda)
Western black-tailed rattlesnake (Crotalus molossus)
Desert nightsnake (Hypsiglena chlorophaea)
Arizona black-tailed rattlesnake (Crotalus molossus)
Sonoran mountain kingsnake (Lampropeltis knoblochi)
Sonoran whip snake (Masticophis bilineatus)
Desert bighorn sheep (Ovo canadensis)
Desert collared lizard (Crotaphytus bicintores)
Bezy’s night lizard (Xantusia bezyi)
Desert night lizard (Xantusia vigilis)
Chuckwalla (Sauromalus ater)
