Statewide

Arizona Reptiles and Amphibians by Month

Every reptile and amphibian with enough records anywhere in Arizona, counted from observations inside the state line. Seasons can differ a lot across the state, so for a closer match, pick your ecoregion on the Arizona page.

81 species10 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, 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).

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78 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

SnakesCalifornia King SnakeLampropeltis californiae

peak

Frogs and ToadsCanyon Tree FrogDryophytes arenicolor

peak

SnakesCheckered Garter SnakeThamnophis marcianus

peak

Frogs and ToadsChihuahuan Green ToadAnaxyrus debilis

peak

SnakesChihuahuan Mountain KingsnakeLampropeltis knoblochi

peak

LizardsClark's Spiny LizardSceloporus clarkii

peak

SnakesCommon CoachwhipMasticophis flagellum

peak

LizardsCommon Side-blotched LizardUta stansburiana

peak

Frogs and ToadsCouch's SpadefootScaphiopus couchii

peak

LizardsDesert Collared LizardCrotaphytus bicinctores

peak

LizardsDesert Grassland WhiptailAspidoscelis uniparens

peak

LizardsDesert IguanaDipsosaurus dorsalis

peak

SnakesDesert KingsnakeLampropeltis splendida

peak

SnakesDesert NightsnakeHypsiglena chlorophaea

peak

LizardsElegant Earless LizardHolbrookia elegans

peak

SnakesGlossy SnakeArizona elegans

peak

SnakesGopher SnakePituophis catenifer

peak

Frogs and ToadsGreat Plains ToadAnaxyrus cognatus

peak

LizardsGreater Short-horned LizardPhrynosoma hernandesi

peak

SnakesGreen Rat SnakeSenticolis triaspis

peak

LizardsKeeled Rock GeckoCyrtopodion scabrum

introduced

peak

LizardsLong-nosed Leopard LizardGambelia wislizenii

peak

SnakesLong-nosed SnakeRhinocheilus lecontei

peak

Frogs and ToadsLowland Leopard FrogLithobates yavapaiensis

peak

LizardsMadrean Alligator LizardElgaria kingii

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

LizardsOrnate Tree LizardUrosaurus ornatus

peak

SnakesPrairie RattlesnakeCrotalus viridis

venomous

peak

Frogs and ToadsRed-spotted ToadAnaxyrus punctatus

peak

LizardsRegal Horned LizardPhrynosoma solare

peak

SnakesRing-necked SnakeDiadophis punctatus

peak

SnakesSidewinderCrotalus cerastes

venomous

peak

SnakesSonoran CoralsnakeMicruroides euryxanthus

venomous

peak

Frogs and ToadsSonoran Desert ToadIncilius alvarius

peak

SnakesSonoran WhipsnakeMasticophis bilineatus

peak

SnakesSouthwestern Blackhead SnakeTantilla hobartsmithi

peak

SnakesSouthwestern Speckled RattlesnakeCrotalus pyrrhus

venomous

peak

TurtlesSpiny SoftshellApalone spinifera

introduced

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

SnakesWestern Glossy SnakeArizona occidentalis

peak

SnakesWestern RattlesnakeCrotalus oreganus

venomous

peak

SnakesWestern Terrestrial Garter SnakeThamnophis elegans

peak

Frogs and ToadsWoodhouse's ToadAnaxyrus woodhousii

peak

LizardsYarrow's Spiny LizardSceloporus jarrovii

peak

LizardsZebra-tailed LizardCallisaurus draconoides

shoulder

SnakesBanded Sand SnakeSonora cincta

shoulder

LizardsCommon ChuckwallaSauromalus ater

shoulder

LizardsCommon Sagebrush LizardSceloporus graciosus

shoulder

LizardsDesert Horned LizardPhrynosoma platyrhinos

shoulder

LizardsDesert Spiny LizardSceloporus magister

shoulder

LizardsEastern Collared LizardCrotaphytus collaris

shoulder

LizardsGreater Earless LizardCophosaurus texanus

shoulder

SnakesGround SnakeSonora semiannulata

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsMazatlan Narrow-mouthed ToadGastrophryne mazatlanensis

shoulder

LizardsPlateau Fence LizardSceloporus tristichus

shoulder

LizardsPlateau Striped WhiptailAspidoscelis velox

shoulder

TurtlesPond SliderTrachemys scripta

introduced

shoulder

LizardsSonoran Spotted WhiptailAspidoscelis sonorae

shoulder

LizardsSouthwestern Fence LizardSceloporus cowlesi

shoulder

LizardsStriped Plateau LizardSceloporus virgatus

shoulder

LizardsWestern Earless LizardHolbrookia maculata

shoulder

SnakesWestern Patch-nosed SnakeSalvadora hexalepis

shoulder

SnakesWestern ThreadsnakeRena humilis

shoulder

LizardsWestern WhiptailAspidoscelis tigris

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.