Ecoregion

Arizona and New Mexico Mountains Reptiles and Amphibians by Month

Pine and oak mountains rise out of the desert here, and lizards run the show. Ornate Tree Lizards and Yarrow's Spiny Lizards sun on nearly every trunk and boulder. Summer rains bring out Couch's Spadefoots and Canyon Tree Frogs, and July is the busiest month. Several rattlesnakes live here, including the Arizona Black Rattlesnake, plus the Sonoran Coralsnake, so watch where you put your hands.

61 species8 venomous

Peak and shoulder ratings are rough guidance, not a schedule. Weather, elevation and the year can shift any species by weeks.

Rare and protected species are left off on purpose. Look, don't take, and never handle a venomous snake.

Species out in Arizona and New Mexico Mountains, by group and month

Group
Snakes		1	11	18	20	23	23	23	22	21	5	1
Lizards	2	2	15	20	23	24	25	25	23	18	9	2
Turtles		1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1
Frogs and Toads		2	2	3	4	10	10	10	10	6	2
Salamanders						1	1	1	1

Numbers = species active that month (at peak or just starting / winding down).

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57 species at peak or shoulder in September

peak

Frogs and ToadsAmerican BullfrogLithobates catesbeianus

introduced

peak

SnakesArizona Black RattlesnakeCrotalus cerberus

venomous

peak

Frogs and ToadsArizona Tree FrogDryophytes wrightorum

peak

SnakesBig Bend Patch-nosed SnakeSalvadora deserticola

peak

SnakesBlack-necked Garter SnakeThamnophis cyrtopsis

peak

Frogs and ToadsCanyon Tree FrogDryophytes arenicolor

peak

SnakesCheckered Garter SnakeThamnophis marcianus

peak

Frogs and ToadsChihuahuan Green ToadAnaxyrus debilis

peak

LizardsClark's Spiny LizardSceloporus clarkii

peak

SnakesCommon CoachwhipMasticophis flagellum

peak

LizardsCommon Side-blotched LizardUta stansburiana

peak

LizardsCrevice Spiny LizardSceloporus poinsettii

peak

LizardsDesert Grassland WhiptailAspidoscelis uniparens

peak

SnakesDesert KingsnakeLampropeltis splendida

peak

SnakesEastern Black-tailed RattlesnakeCrotalus ornatus

venomous

peak

LizardsElegant Earless LizardHolbrookia elegans

peak

SnakesGopher SnakePituophis catenifer

peak

Frogs and ToadsGreat Plains ToadAnaxyrus cognatus

peak

LizardsGreater Earless LizardCophosaurus texanus

peak

LizardsGreater Short-horned LizardPhrynosoma hernandesi

peak

SnakesLong-nosed SnakeRhinocheilus lecontei

peak

LizardsMadrean Alligator LizardElgaria kingii

peak

Frogs and ToadsMazatlan Narrow-mouthed ToadGastrophryne mazatlanensis

peak

LizardsMediterranean House GeckoHemidactylus turcicus

introduced

peak

SnakesMexican Hognose SnakeHeterodon kennerlyi

peak

Frogs and ToadsMexican SpadefootSpea multiplicata

peak

SnakesMojave RattlesnakeCrotalus scutulatus

venomous

peak

SnakesMountain Patch-nosed SnakeSalvadora grahamiae

peak

SnakesPrairie RattlesnakeCrotalus viridis

venomous

peak

Frogs and ToadsRed-spotted ToadAnaxyrus punctatus

peak

SnakesRing-necked SnakeDiadophis punctatus

peak

LizardsRoundtail Horned LizardPhrynosoma modestum

peak

SnakesSonoran CoralsnakeMicruroides euryxanthus

venomous

peak

SnakesSonoran WhipsnakeMasticophis bilineatus

peak

LizardsSouthwestern Fence LizardSceloporus cowlesi

peak

SnakesStriped WhipsnakeMasticophis taeniatus

peak

LizardsTexas Horned LizardPhrynosoma cornutum

peak

SnakesTiger RattlesnakeCrotalus tigris

venomous

peak

LizardsWestern Banded GeckoColeonyx variegatus

peak

SnakesWestern Black-tailed RattlesnakeCrotalus molossus

venomous

peak

SnakesWestern Diamond-backed RattlesnakeCrotalus atrox

venomous

peak

LizardsWestern Earless LizardHolbrookia maculata

peak

SnakesWestern Patch-nosed SnakeSalvadora hexalepis

peak

SnakesWestern Terrestrial Garter SnakeThamnophis elegans

peak

Frogs and ToadsWoodhouse's ToadAnaxyrus woodhousii

peak

LizardsYarrow's Spiny LizardSceloporus jarrovii

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsCouch's SpadefootScaphiopus couchii

shoulder

LizardsDesert Spiny LizardSceloporus magister

shoulder

LizardsEastern Collared LizardCrotaphytus collaris

shoulder

LizardsGreat Plains SkinkPlestiodon obsoletus

shoulder

LizardsOrnate Tree LizardUrosaurus ornatus

shoulder

LizardsPlateau Fence LizardSceloporus tristichus

shoulder

LizardsPlateau Striped WhiptailAspidoscelis velox

shoulder

TurtlesPond SliderTrachemys scripta

introduced

shoulder

SalamandersSacramento Mountain SalamanderAneides hardii

shoulder

LizardsSonoran Spotted WhiptailAspidoscelis sonorae

shoulder

LizardsStriped Plateau LizardSceloporus virgatus

About Arizona and New Mexico Mountains

When are reptiles and amphibians most active in the Arizona and New Mexico Mountains?

July is the busiest month in the Arizona and New Mexico Mountains, with 55 species at peak activity. At least half of the area's species are active from April through October.

What reptiles and amphibians live in the Arizona and New Mexico Mountains?

61 species have enough iNaturalist records to show here: 25 lizards, 24 snakes, 10 frogs and toads, 1 turtle, and 1 salamander. The most-reported are the Ornate Tree Lizard, Yarrow's Spiny Lizard, and Greater Short-horned Lizard.

Are there venomous snakes in the Arizona and New Mexico Mountains?

Yes. The Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake, Western Black-tailed Rattlesnake, Mojave Rattlesnake, Arizona Black Rattlesnake, Tiger Rattlesnake, Sonoran Coralsnake, Eastern Black-tailed Rattlesnake, and Prairie Rattlesnake live here. Don't handle them.

Which reptiles and amphibians in the Arizona and New Mexico Mountains are introduced?

The American Bullfrog, Pond Slider, and Mediterranean House Gecko are not native here.

Where does this data come from?

Activity calendars are built from iNaturalist research-grade observations (downloaded through GBIF, September 2026), corrected for how many people are out observing each month. Rare and protected species are left off on purpose.