State herp calendar
Reptiles and Amphibians of Arizona
Arizona has deserts, sky-island mountains and red-rock plateaus, and the lizard list is huge. Ornate Tree Lizards, Desert Spiny Lizards and Zebra-tailed Lizards are the ones people see most. July is the busiest month, when summer rains bring out toads and spadefoots. Arizona also has more rattlesnakes than any other state on the site, plus the Sonoran Coralsnake.
81 species5 ecoregions10 venomous
Search entire stateSpecies out across Arizona, by group and month
| Group | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snakes | 1 | 6 | 15 | 29 | 32 | 34 | 35 | 35 | 34 | 31 | 11 | 2 |
| Lizards | 5 | 10 | 24 | 31 | 32 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 30 | 24 | 12 | 5 |
| Turtles | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Frogs and Toads | 1 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 5 | 1 |
Numbers = species active that month (at peak or just starting / winding down).
Keep Herp Calendar free
Hi, I'm Nick. I built Herp Calendar on my own and I keep it free, with no ads. If it has helped you find a herp this season, a small tip goes straight into the hosting and the data work. Only if you can spare it. Either way, I'm glad you're here.
Pick your ecoregion
Loading map…
Tap a region to see what's out
Ecoregions of Arizona
Seasons shift a lot between Arizona's ecoregions. Pick the one nearest you for a 12-month calendar of what's out.
Sonoran Desert
69 speciesSaguaro desert with the longest lizard list and the most rattlesnakes.
View calendar →Arizona and New Mexico Mountains
61 speciesSky-island pine and oak canyons where spiny lizards and rattlesnakes share the rocks.
View calendar →Colorado Plateau
34 speciesRed-rock canyon country with fence lizards, collared lizards and gopher snakes.
View calendar →Mojave Desert
39 speciesCreosote desert where chuckwallas, horned lizards and several rattlesnakes live.
View calendar →Chihuahuan Desert
61 speciesHot desert where earless lizards dart and rattlesnakes come out on warm nights.
View calendar →Venomous here: Arizona Black Rattlesnake, Mojave Rattlesnake, Prairie Rattlesnake, Sidewinder, Sonoran Coralsnake, Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake, Tiger Rattlesnake, Western Black-tailed Rattlesnake, Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake, Western Rattlesnake. Don't handle any snake you can't identify.
About Arizona
When are reptiles and amphibians most active in Arizona?
July is the busiest month in Arizona, with 74 species at peak activity. At least half of the area's species are active from March through October.
What reptiles and amphibians live in Arizona?
81 species have enough iNaturalist records to show here: 35 snakes, 32 lizards, 12 frogs and toads, and 2 turtles. The most-reported are the Ornate Tree Lizard, Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake, and Common Side-blotched Lizard.
Are there venomous snakes in Arizona?
Yes. The Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake, Western Black-tailed Rattlesnake, Mojave Rattlesnake, Sidewinder, Tiger Rattlesnake, Arizona Black Rattlesnake, Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake, Sonoran Coralsnake, Western Rattlesnake, and Prairie Rattlesnake live here. Don't handle them.
Which reptiles and amphibians in Arizona are introduced?
The Pond Slider, American Bullfrog, Mediterranean House Gecko, and Keeled Rock 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.