Wildlife (347 images)

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Wildlife is what got me into photography and capturing images of animals in their natural habitat continues to motivate me to pick up a camera when nothing else does.
  • Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus). Anchorage, Alaska. Photo by James R. Evans

  • Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis). Anchorage Alaska. Photo by James R. Evans

  • Musk Oxen near Nome, Alaska. Photo by James R. Evans


  • Blunt-headed Tree Snake (imantodes cenchoa) - An arboreal, nocturnal species that preys on anole lizards and frogs. Monteverde, Costa Rica.

  • Red-Eyed Tree Frog (agalychnis callidryas) - Costa Rica's most iconic amphibian, this treefrog can be seen on nearly every tourism advertisement and knick-nack in the country. These frogs lay their eggs on vegetation overhanging small ponds. When the tadpoles hatch, they drop into the water to begin their development. Arenal, Costa Rica.

  • Green and Black Poison Dart Frog (dendrobates auratus) - Like other poison dart frogs, this species advertises its danger to predators with bright colors. Its toxins are derived from its diet of ants and are lost when reared in captivity on a diet of fruit flies. Cahuita, Costa Rica.

  • Eyelash Viper (Oropel) (Bothreichis Schlegeli) - This small, highly variable viper uses camouflage and sit-and-wait tactics to hunt lizards, rodents, and frogs. Individuals may be bright yellow, green, brown, grey, reddish, and even white or pink. Various colors may occur in the same litter of snakes. This area is known for its yellow specimens. Cahuita, Costa Rica.

  • Eyelash Viper (Oropel) (Bothreichis Schlegeli) - This small, highly variable viper uses camouflage and sit-and-wait tactics to hunt lizards, rodents, and frogs. Individuals may be bright yellow, green, brown, grey, reddish, and even white or pink. Various colors may occur in the same litter of snakes. This area is known for its yellow specimens. Cahuita, Costa Rica.

  • Common Opossum (Didelphis marsupialis), Cahuita, Costa Rica

  • Boa Constrictor (boa constrictor) -- A popular snake in the pet trade, this large boa is widespread throughout Central and South America. It feeds on rodents, birds, and whatever else it can catch, constrict, and swallow-- up to and including small deer and even ocelots. Cahuita, Costa Rica.

  • Strawberry Poison Dart Frog (dendrobates pumilio)-- Like other poison dart frogs, this species advertises its danger to predators with bright colors. Its toxins are derived from its diet of ants and are lost when reared in captivity on a diet of fruit flies The female of this species carries her tadpoles on her back to water-filled bromeliads to develop. Siquirres, Costa Rica. -- Like other poison dart frogs, this species advertises its danger to predators with bright colors. Its toxins are derived from its diet of ants and are lost when reared in captivity on a diet of fruit flies The female of this species carries her tadpoles on her back to water-filled bromeliads to develop. Siquerres, Costa Rica. -- Like other poison dart frogs, this species advertises its danger to predators with bright colors. Its toxins are derived from its diet of ants and are lost when reared in captivity on a diet of fruit flies The female of this species carries her tadpoles on her back to water-filled bromeliads to develop. Siquerres, Costa Rica.

  • Red-Eyed Tree Frog (agalychnis callidryas) - Costa Rica's most iconic amphibian, this treefrog can be seen on nearly every tourism advertisement and knick-nack in the country. These frogs lay their eggs on vegetation overhanging small ponds. When the tadpoles hatch, they drop into the water to begin their development. Siquerres, Costa Rica. - Costa Rica's most iconic amphibian, this treefrog can be seen on nearly every tourism advertisement and knick-nack in the country. These frogs lay their eggs on vegetation overhanging small ponds. When the tadpoles hatch, they drop into the water to begin their development. Siquerres, Costa Rica.

  • Smokey Jungle Frog (leptodactylus savagei) - A massive frog that emerges from its daytime lair in a burrow or crevice to prey on other frogs as well as snakes and insects. They emit an amusing squeal when captured. Siquerres, Costa Rica.

  • Lemur Treefrog (agalychnis lemur) - This critically endangered frog survives in only a few sites in Costa Rica. Its colors vary dramatically between day and night, with specimens exhibiting a ghostly light green dorsal coloration during the day. Siquerres, Costa Rica.

  • Spined Glass Frog (cochranella spinosa) - Like other glass frogs, this species is nearly transparent and favors vegetation alongside small, clear jungle streams. Siquirres, Costa Rica.

  • Bullet Ant (paraponera clavata) - This ant delivers what is widely acknowledged to be the most painful insect sting in the world. It causes severe pain and uncontrollable spasms for up to 24 hours. Siquerres, Costa Rica. paraponera clavata - This ant delivers what is widely acknowledged to be the most painful insect sting in the world. It causes severe pain and uncontrollable spasms for up to 24 hours and is so named because the pain is said to be similar to being shot. Siquirres, Costa Rica.

  • A katydid moulting on a leaf. Siquirres, Costa Rica.

  • Leafcutter ants (probably atta cephalotes)- Siquirres, Costa Rica.


  • Boreal Owl -- Aegolius funereus -- A small owl found across the taiga forest of Europe, Asia, and the United States. This one was in my front yard, much to the consternation of the resident chickadees, Steller's Jays, and nuthatches.

  • Rough Earth Snake - Virginia striatula - A tiny eater of invertebrates. Found under garbage by a lake near Houston TX.

  • Texas Rat Snake - Pantherophis obsoleta lindheimeri - Found prowling for lizards in a backyard outside Houston TX.

  • Texas Rat Snake - Pantherophis obsoleta lindheimeri - Found prowling for lizards in a backyard outside Houston TX.

  • Prairie Rattlesnake - Crotalus Viridis - Ever since I was a kid living in Montana, I've wanted to see one of these. It took four trips back as an adult, but I finally located three of these beautiful and iconic rattlesnakes in "Big Sky Country."

  • Pale Milksnake - Lampropeltis triangulum multistriata - A tough snake to find in Montana and I didn't think I had much of a chance of seeing it. Flipping a rock and finding this beautiful serpent coiled right next to a prairie rattlesnake was quite a pleasant surprise.

  • Pale Milksnake - Lampropeltis triangulum multistriata - A tough snake to find in Montana and I didn't think I had much of a chance of seeing it. Flipping a rock and finding this beautiful serpent coiled right next to a prairie rattlesnake was quite a pleasant surprise.

  • Pale Milksnake - Lampropeltis triangulum multistriata - A tough snake to find in Montana and I didn't think I had much of a chance of seeing it. Flipping a rock and finding this beautiful serpent coiled right next to a prairie rattlesnake was quite a pleasant surprise.

  • Prairie Rattlesnake - Crotalus Viridis - Ever since I was a kid living in Montana, I've wanted to see one of these. It took four trips back as an adult, but I finally located three of these beautiful and iconic rattlesnakes in "Big Sky Country."

  • Hadrurus anzaborrego - A species of Giant Hairy Desert Scorpion. A pet of my wife's.

  • Southern Black Racer - Coluber Constrictor Priapus - A young individual found under a cardboard box behind a parking lot in Crystal River, Florida.

  • Southern Black Racer - Coluber Constrictor Priapus - A young individual found under a cardboard box behind a parking lot in Crystal River, Florida.

  • Erek holds a Valley Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis fitchi) found while fishing.

  • Valley Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis fitchi)- Found hunting newts and trout and salmon smolt in a small stream in the mountains of Western Oregon.

  • Rough-skinned Newt - Taricha granulosa - My first newt, several were found crawling out of this mountain stream in Western Oregon. This species is highly toxic if eaten and its only predator, the Garter Snake, is more or less immune.

  • Coast Gartersnake - <br /> Thamnophis elegans terrestris - A red individual from near the ocean in the Bay Area of California. This area is known for its very blue Red-Sided Garter Snakes (Thamnophis Sirtalis Infernalis) which, unfortunately, eluded me.

  • Mexican Hognose Snake - Heterodon nasicus kennerlyi - These guys take playing possum to new levels. Try flipping them over, and they flip right back. Try closing their mouth and they open it right back up. This was my first hognose and getting it to look alive for at least one photo was the biggest challenge.

  • Mexican Hognose Snake - Heterodon nasicus kennerlyi - These guys take playing possum to new levels. Try flipping them over, and they flip right back. Try closing their mouth and they open it right back up. This was my first hognose and getting it to look alive for at least one photo was the biggest challenge.

  • Mexican Hognose Snake - Heterodon nasicus kennerlyi - These guys take playing possum to new levels. Try flipping them over, and they flip right back. Try closing their mouth and they open it right back up. This was my first hognose and getting it to look alive for at least one photo was the biggest challenge.

  • Long-Nosed Snake - Rhinocheilus lecontei - A praticularly beautiful specimen from Southeaster Arizona. When night falls in the desert this beautiful snake emerges from burrows to feed on sleeping whiptail lizards. Whiptail lizards are lightning fast by day, but like many diurnal lizards become completely dormant at night, making them easy prey even for the relatively slow-moving Long-Nosed Snake.

  • Long-Nosed Snake - Rhinocheilus lecontei - A praticularly beautiful specimen from Southeaster Arizona. When night falls in the desert this beautiful snake emerges from burrows to feed on sleeping whiptail lizards. Whiptail lizards are lightning fast by day, but like many diurnal lizards become completely dormant at night, making them easy prey even for the relatively slow-moving Long-Nosed Snake.

  • Chihuahuan Hook-Nosed Snake -<br /> Gyalopion canum - One of two species of hook-nosed snake whose range barely extends into the U.S. in Southern Arizona.

  • Chihuahuan Hook-Nosed Snake -<br /> Gyalopion canum - One of two species of hook-nosed snake whose range barely extends into the U.S. in Southern Arizona.

  • Mohave Rattlesnake - Crotalus scutulatus - In my experience these rattlers are faster and much more aggressive even than their cousin the Western Diamondback. Their venom is widely known to be more deadly, with neurotoxic properties, though recent studies suggest the Southern Pacific Rattlesnakes in some parts of Southern Califonia are even worse. I encountered two on this trip. The first was simply uncontrollable, and this one ony held for a few photos before becoming too agitated to work with.

  • Rock Rattlesnake - Crotalus lepidus - One of the three tiny, beautiful montane (mountain) rattlesnakes that live in high altitude rockslides of the "Sky Island" mountain ranges of Southern Arizona. Smaller than garternsnakes, their rattles counds more like an insect buzzing than a rattlesnake.

  • Rock Rattlesnake - Crotalus lepidus - One of the three tiny, beautiful montane (mountain) rattlesnakes that live in high altitude rockslides of the "Sky Island" mountain ranges of Southern Arizona. Smaller than garternsnakes, their rattles counds more like an insect buzzing than a rattlesnake.

  • Rock Rattlesnake - Crotalus lepidus - One of the three tiny, beautiful montane (mountain) rattlesnakes that live in high altitude rockslides of the "Sky Island" mountain ranges of Southern Arizona. Smaller than garternsnakes, their rattles counds more like an insect buzzing than a rattlesnake.

  • Rock Rattlesnake - Crotalus lepidus - One of the three tiny, beautiful montane (mountain) rattlesnakes that live in high altitude rockslides of the "Sky Island" mountain ranges of Southern Arizona. Smaller than garternsnakes, their rattles counds more like an insect buzzing than a rattlesnake.

  • Texas Horned Lizard - Phrynosoma cornutum - This thorny eater of harvester ants has a large range in Texas and New Mexico and just barely makes it into Southern Arizona, where this one was found.

  • Western Diamondback Rattlesnake - Crotalus Atrox - Extremely common throughout much of the Southwest, I see more of these snakes in Arizona than any other. Because they are also fairly agressive, they are responsible for many of the venomous snake bites in the U.S. each year. An icon of the Southwest, the desert just wouldn't be the same without them.

  • Sonoran Gopher Snake - Pituophis catenifer affinis - Gopher Snakes put on a great show. When confronted, they do their best to convince predators that they are rattlesnakes, coiling up, hissing really loudly. Sometimes they even make a sort of mooing sound, as this one did, hence their other name, Bullsnakes. This one was particularly bent on killing the camera.

  • Sonoran Gopher Snake - Pituophis catenifer affinis - Gopher Snakes put on a great show. When confronted, they do their best to convince predators that they are rattlesnakes, coiling up, hissing really loudly. Sometimes they even make a sort of mooing sound, as this one did, hence their other name, Bullsnakes. This one was particularly bent on killing the camera.

  • Sonoran Gopher Snake - Pituophis catenifer affinis - Gopher Snakes put on a great show. When confronted, they do their best to convince predators that they are rattlesnakes, coiling up, hissing really loudly. Sometimes they even make a sort of mooing sound, as this one did, hence their other name, Bullsnakes. This one was particularly bent on killing the camera.

  • Black-Necked Garter Snake - Thamnophis cyrtopsis - An especially pretty species of garter snake from Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. Like most garter snakes, they tend to live near water where they eat frogs, fish and earthworms.

  • Black-Necked Garter Snake - Thamnophis cyrtopsis - An especially pretty species of garter snake from Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. Like most garter snakes, they tend to live near water where they eat frogs, fish and earthworms.

  • Black-Necked Garter Snake - Thamnophis cyrtopsis - An especially pretty species of garter snake from Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. Like most garter snakes, they tend to live near water where they eat frogs, fish and earthworms.

  • Black-Necked Garter Snake - Thamnophis cyrtopsis - An especially pretty species of garter snake from Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. Like most garter snakes, they tend to live near water where they eat frogs, fish and earthworms.

  • Saddled Leaf-Nosed Snake - Phyllorhynchus browni - A cousin of the Spotted Leaf-Nosed Snakes which I see often in California, this species occurs only in Arizona and Northern Mexico. Like their relatives, they are believed to feed mostly on banded geckos and their eggs and are strictly nocturnal.

  • Western Diamondback Rattlesnake - Crotalus Atrox - Extremely common throughout much of the Southwest, I see more of these snakes in Arizona than any other. Because they are also fairly agressive, they are responsible for many of the venomous snake bites in the U.S. each year. An icon of the Southwest, the desert just wouldn't be the same without them.

  • Western Diamondback Rattlesnake - Crotalus Atrox - Extremely common throughout much of the Southwest, I see more of these snakes in Arizona than any other. Because they are also fairly agressive, they are responsible for many of the venomous snake bites in the U.S. each year. An icon of the Southwest, the desert just wouldn't be the same without them.

  • Long-Nosed Snake - Rhinocheilus lecontei - When night falls in the desert this beautiful snake emerges from burrows to feed on sleeping whiptail lizards. Whiptail lizards are lightning fast by day, but like many diurnal lizards become completely dormant at night, making them easy prey even for the relatively slow-moving Long-Nosed Snake.

  • Long-Nosed Snake - Rhinocheilus lecontei - When night falls in the desert this beautiful snake emerges from burrows to feed on sleeping whiptail lizards. Whiptail lizards are lightning fast by day, but like many diurnal lizards become completely dormant at night, making them easy prey even for the relatively slow-moving Long-Nosed Snake.

  • Couch's Spadefoot - Scaphiopus couchii - When the rains fall in Arizona, thousands of these toads emerge from the soil and go in search of mates and food. They lay eggs wherever water has pooled up. The eggs hatch in less than two days and tadpoles become toadlets in about a week. After a month or two of rainy nights, the toads bury themselves and sleep for 8-10 months.

  • Black-Tailed Rattlesnake - Crotalus molossus - A rattlesnake I've wanted to see for a long time, this beautiful species tends to live in rocky, mountainous areas.

  • Black-Tailed Rattlesnake - Crotalus molossus - A rattlesnake I've wanted to see for a long time, this beautiful species tends to live in rocky, mountainous areas.

  • Black-Tailed Rattlesnake - Crotalus molossus - A rattlesnake I've wanted to see for a long time, this beautiful species tends to live in rocky, mountainous areas.

  • Black-Tailed Rattlesnake - Crotalus molossus - A rattlesnake I've wanted to see for a long time, this beautiful species tends to live in rocky, mountainous areas.

  • Sonoran Desert Toad - Incilius alvarius - The largest toad native to the United States, these big guys have skin secretions that are used by some to induce intense hallucinations. They have been wiped out in California by the use of pesticides and conversion of desert habitat into farmland. They remain common through most of Southern Arizona, and this was the first of many I saw on my 2013 monsoon trip.

  • Red Coachwhip - Masticophis flagellum piceus - Coachwhips are America's fastest snakes. In lifestyle and behavior they are similar to the African Black Mamba. Unlike their African counterparts, however, they are completely harmless. But they do have a big attitude and will not hesitate to draw blood. This snake was at the top of my must-see list when I moved to San Diego and it was a thrill to finally see one alive. Because they are large and active during the day, they are often killed crossing roads and before finding this one alive, I had seen more than a dozen that had been killed by careless (or uncaring) motorists. Brake for snakes, people!

  • Red Coachwhip - Masticophis flagellum piceus - Coachwhips are America's fastest snakes. In lifestyle and behavior they are similar to the African Black Mamba. Unlike their African counterparts, however, they are completely harmless. But they do have a big attitude and will not hesitate to draw blood. This snake was at the top of my must-see list when I moved to San Diego and it was a thrill to finally see one alive. Because they are large and active during the day, they are often killed crossing roads and before finding this one alive, I had seen more than a dozen that had been killed by careless (or uncaring) motorists. Brake for snakes, people!

  • Red Coachwhip - Masticophis flagellum piceus - Coachwhips are America's fastest snakes. In lifestyle and behavior they are similar to the African Black Mamba. Unlike their African counterparts, however, they are completely harmless. But they do have a big attitude and will not hesitate to draw blood. This snake was at the top of my must-see list when I moved to San Diego and it was a thrill to finally see one alive. Because they are large and active during the day, they are often killed crossing roads and before finding this one alive, I had seen more than a dozen that had been killed by careless (or uncaring) motorists. Brake for snakes, people!

  • Red Coachwhip - Masticophis flagellum piceus - Coachwhips are America's fastest snakes. In lifestyle and behavior they are similar to the African Black Mamba. Unlike their African counterparts, however, they are completely harmless. But they do have a big attitude and will not hesitate to draw blood. This snake was at the top of my must-see list when I moved to San Diego and it was a thrill to finally see one alive. Because they are large and active during the day, they are often killed crossing roads and before finding this one alive, I had seen more than a dozen that had been killed by careless (or uncaring) motorists. Brake for snakes, people!

  • Red Coachwhip - Masticophis flagellum piceus - Coachwhips are America's fastest snakes. In lifestyle and behavior they are similar to the African Black Mamba. Unlike their African counterparts, however, they are completely harmless. But they do have a big attitude and will not hesitate to draw blood. This snake was at the top of my must-see list when I moved to San Diego and it was a thrill to finally see one alive. Because they are large and active during the day, they are often killed crossing roads and before finding this one alive, I had seen more than a dozen that had been killed by careless (or uncaring) motorists. Brake for snakes, people!

  • Red Coachwhip - Masticophis flagellum piceus - Coachwhips are America's fastest snakes. In lifestyle and behavior they are similar to the African Black Mamba. Unlike their African counterparts, however, they are completely harmless. But they do have a big attitude and will not hesitate to draw blood. This snake was at the top of my must-see list when I moved to San Diego and it was a thrill to finally see one alive. Because they are large and active during the day, they are often killed crossing roads and before finding this one alive, I had seen more than a dozen that had been killed by careless (or uncaring) motorists. Brake for snakes, people!

  • Baja California Lyresnake - Trimorphodon biscutatus lyrophanes - Nocturnal hunter of rock piles and escarpments.

  • Colorado Desert Shovel-nosed Snake - <br /> Chionactis occipitalis annulata - These beautiful little snakes swim across and under the sand, erupting periodically to terrorize and devour small insects like the sand worms in Beetlejuice.

  • Colorado Desert Shovel-nosed Snake - <br /> Chionactis occipitalis annulata - These beautiful little snakes swim across and under the sand, erupting periodically to terrorize and devour small insects like the sand worms in Beetlejuice.

  • Colorado Desert Shovel-nosed Snake - <br /> Chionactis occipitalis annulata - These beautiful little snakes swim across and under the sand, erupting periodically to terrorize and devour small insects like the sand worms in Beetlejuice.

  • Colorado Desert Shovel-nosed Snake - <br /> Chionactis occipitalis annulata - These beautiful little snakes swim across and under the sand, erupting periodically to terrorize and devour small insects like the sand worms in Beetlejuice.

  • Spotted Leaf-Nosed Snake Phyllorhynchus decurtatus.Feeds on banded geckos and their eggs.."Secretive - at one time thought to be very rare, until Laurence Klauber discovered that they were common after finding them on paved desert roads at night in 1922.".I find them that way too. Very common, but exclusively nocturnal.

  • Spotted Leaf-Nosed Snake Phyllorhynchus decurtatus.Feeds on banded geckos and their eggs.."Secretive - at one time thought to be very rare, until Laurence Klauber discovered that they were common after finding them on paved desert roads at night in 1922.".I find them that way too. Very common, but exclusively nocturnal.

  • Peninsular Leaf-toed Gecko - Phyllodactylus nocticolus - An acrobatic, boulder-dwelling gecko whose range barely extends into the United States from Baja. They squeak when disturbed.

  • Peninsular Leaf-toed Gecko - Phyllodactylus nocticolus - An acrobatic, boulder-dwelling gecko whose range barely extends into the United States from Baja. They squeak when disturbed.

  • Peninsular Leaf-toed Gecko - Phyllodactylus nocticolus - An acrobatic, boulder-dwelling gecko whose range barely extends into the United States from Baja. They squeak when disturbed.

  • Peninsular Leaf-toed Gecko - Phyllodactylus nocticolus - An acrobatic, boulder-dwelling gecko whose range barely extends into the United States from Baja. They squeak when disturbed.

  • Red Diamond Rattlesnake - Crotalus Ruber - Warming itself at dusk. Much less agressive than the Western Diamondback I encountered in Arizona a few days earlier, "rubers" have are known to be pretty laid back rattlesnakes.

  • Red Diamond Rattlesnake - Crotalus Ruber - Warming itself at dusk. Much less agressive than the Western Diamondback I encountered in Arizona a few days earlier, "rubers" have are known to be pretty laid back rattlesnakes.

  • Western Diamondback Rattlesnake - Crotalus Atrox - Moving at sunset, high temperatures made this snake very fast and agressive.

  • Western Diamondback Rattlesnake - Crotalus Atrox - Moving at sunset, high temperatures made this snake very fast and agressive.

  • Regal Horned Lizard - Phrynosoma Solare - Basking at sunset in the Southern Arizona desert.

  • Regal Horned Lizard - Phrynosoma Solare - Basking at sunset in the Southern Arizona desert.

  • Regal Horned Lizard - Phrynosoma Solare - Basking at sunset in the Southern Arizona desert.

  • Regal Horned Lizard - Phrynosoma Solare - Basking at sunset in the Southern Arizona desert.

  • Colorado Desert Fringe-toed Lizard<br /> Uma Notada<br /> <br /> In the sand dunes of Imperial County, California.

  • Rosy Boa - Lichanura trivirgata - Female found crawling in a rocky wash.

  • San Diego Gopher Snake - Pituophis catenifer annectens - The most commonly encountered snake on the coastal side of the mountains.

  • Rosy Boa - Lichanura trivirgata - Phantoms of the rocky hillsides. This is another young male from another locale on the desert side of the coast range.

  • Rosy Boa - Lichanura trivirgata - Phantoms of the rocky hillsides. This is another young male from another locale on the desert side of the coast range.

  • Rosy Boa - Lichanura trivirgata - Phantoms of the rocky hillsides. This is a yearling male from the desert side of the coast range.

  • Sidewinder -Crotalus cerastes - Sidewinding. From the low desert where it is sandy and hot. These snakes are very common and very photogenic.

  • Sidewinder -Crotalus cerastes - From the low desert where it is sandy and hot. These small rattlesnakes are very common and very photogenic.

  • Rosy Boa - Lichanura trivirgata - Phantoms of the rocky hillsides. This is an old female from the desert side of the coast range. She has very light coloration and many scars, probably from a lifetime of encounters with rodent mothers trying to stop her from eating their babies.

  • California Mountain Kingsnake - Lampropeltis Zonata - Probably my last as the year grows warmer. I have been lucky enough to see quite a few in the short time I've been looking for them. A very special snake.

  • Southern Pacific Rattlesnake- Crotalus Helleri - The most dangerous snake in Southern California. They are numerous, agressive, and pack a particularly nasty venom cocktail. I still like them, but they scare me a little.

  • Southern Pacific Rattlesnake- Crotalus Helleri - The most dangerous snake in Southern California. They are numerous, agressive, and pack a particularly nasty venom cocktail. I still like them, but they scare me a little.

  • Desert Patch-nosed Snake - Salvadora hexalepis hexalepis - A speedy, diurnal lizard eater from the desert. These and their coastal cousins are supposed to be some of the more difficult snakes to find around these parts but I see both subspecies with some regularity while in search of supposedly more common snakes (some of which still elude me).

  • Desert Patch-nosed Snake - Salvadora hexalepis hexalepis - A speedy, diurnal lizard eater from the desert. These and their coastal cousins are supposed to be some of the more difficult snakes to find around these parts but I see both subspecies with some regularity while in search of supposedly more common snakes (some of which still elude me).

  • Blainville's Horned Lizard (Coast Horned Lizard) - Phrynosoma blainvillii - These beautiful lizards are becoming very rare because of the introduction of the Argentine Ant to Southern California. The Argentine Ants wipe out the native harvester ants which the horned lizard depends on for food. The lizard cannot eat the Argentine Ants and so as they spread, the lizards' range diminishes.

  • Red Diamond Rattlesnake - Crotalus Ruber - Found emerging from their usual home, a rock pile, to get some morning sun.

  • Red Diamond Rattlesnake - Crotalus Ruber - Found emerging from their usual home, a rock pile, to get some morning sun.

  • Red Diamond Rattlesnake - Crotalus Ruber - Trying to look scary. They're rather placid for rattlesnakes, shy and usually reluctant to strike. Just don't step on them.

  • California Treefrog - Pseudacris cadaverina - Very well camouflaged little treefrogs that live in rock crevices along canyon streams here in Southern California..

  • Rosy Boa - Lichanura trivirgata - A specimen from a locality deep in the desert where the boas are known for their stunning colors and for being very difficult to find. Found within stones throw of an abandoned rock shack.

  • Rosy Boa - Lichanura trivirgata - A specimen from a locality deep in the desert where the boas are known for their stunning colors and for being very difficult to find. Found within stones throw of an abandoned rock shack.

  • Rosy Boa - Lichanura trivirgata - A specimen from a locality deep in the desert where the boas are known for their stunning colors and for being very difficult to find. Found within stones throw of an abandoned rock shack.

  • Rosy Boa - Lichanura trivirgata - A specimen from a locality deep in the desert where the boas are known for their stunning colors and for being very difficult to find. Found within stones throw of an abandoned rock shack.

  • Large-Blotched Ensatina - Ensatina eschscholtzii klauberi - Another of the Ensatina Salamanders, this species lives only in the mountain forests of Southern California.

  • Southern Pacific Rattlesnake- Crotalus Helleri - The most dangerous snake in Southern California. They are numerous, agressive, and pack a particularly nasty venom cocktail. Babies like this one make no sound when they rattle and like to hang out in places I frequent. This one was under a rock I almost flipped. Glad I looked first.

  • California Striped Whipsnake - masticophis lateralis lateralis - A speedy lizard eater with binocular vision. Hard to catch and even harder to photograph, they are nonetheless one of my favorite snakes to see because of their active lifestyle and facial expression of intense badassedness. I am still searching for their bigger, badder cousin, the coachwhip.

  • California Striped Whipsnake - masticophis lateralis lateralis - A speedy lizard eater with binocular vision. Hard to catch and even harder to photograph, they are nonetheless one of my favorite snakes to see because of their active lifestyle and facial expression of intense badassedness. I am still searching for their bigger, badder cousin, the coachwhip.

  • California Striped Whipsnake - masticophis lateralis lateralis - A speedy lizard eater with binocular vision. Hard to catch and even harder to photograph, they are nonetheless one of my favorite snakes to see because of their active lifestyle and facial expression of intense badassedness. I am still searching for their bigger, badder cousin, the coachwhip.

  • California Mountain Kingsnake - Lampropeltis zonata - The epic and elusive Mountain King.

  • California Mountain Kingsnake - Lampropeltis zonata - The epic and elusive Mountain King.

  • California Mountain Kingsnake - Lampropeltis zonata - The epic and elusive Mountain King. This is an abberant specimen, meaning it has an atypical pattern. It's white and black bands do not encircle the entire body, leaving it with an almost completely red underside. A very interesting find on a day that had already been extremely productive.

  • California Mountain Kingsnake - Lampropeltis zonata - The epic and elusive Mountain King. This is an abberant specimen, meaning it has an atypical pattern. It's white and black bands do not encircle the entire body, leaving it with an almost completely red underside. A very interesting find on a day that had already been extremely productive.

  • California Mountain Kingsnake - Lampropeltis zonata - The epic and elusive Mountain King. This is an abberant specimen, meaning it has an atypical pattern. It's white and black bands do not encircle the entire body, leaving it with an almost completely red underside. A very interesting find on a day that had already been extremely productive.

  • California Mountain Kingsnake - Lampropeltis zonata - The epic and elusive Mountain King. This is an abberant specimen, meaning it has an atypical pattern. It's white and black bands do not encircle the entire body, leaving it with an almost completely red underside. A very interesting find on a day that had already been extremely productive.

  • A fellow participant in a herpetological survey wrangles a speckled rattlesnake for photos.

  • .Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake - Crotalus mitchellii pyrrhus - Found by a friend on a herpetological survey..

  • Fellow participants in a herpetological survey document a red diamond rattlesnake.

  • California Mountain Kingsnake - Lampropeltis zonata - The epic and elusive Mountain King. This is the first I have found on my own. My wife found another only a few feet away - her first solo find of any snake.

  • California Mountain Kingsnake - Lampropeltis zonata - The epic and elusive Mountain King. This is the first I have found on my own. My wife found another only a few feet away - her first solo find of any snake.

  • California Mountain Kingsnake - Lampropeltis zonata - The epic and elusive Mountain King. This is the first I have found on my own. My wife found another only a few feet away - her first solo find of any snake.

  • California Mountain Kingsnake - Lampropeltis zonata - The epic and elusive Mountain King. This is the first I have found on my own. My wife found another only a few feet away - her first solo find of any snake.

  • California Mountain Kingsnake - Lampropeltis zonata - The epic and elusive Mountain King. This is the first I have found on my own. My wife found another only a few feet away - her first solo find of any snake.

  • Granite Night Lizard - Xantusia Henshawi - These flattened lizards live almost exclusively in the crevices on granitic boulders. To quote the movie Tremors II, "If you want to hunt graboids (or lizards, snakes, etc...) you better know geology." This is the first time I've been able to photograph the species with its daytime coloration. The Granite Night Lizard photos I posted last year were shot at night, when the lizard turns a much lighter shade and its spots become much more separated and pronounced.

  • Granite Night Lizard - Xantusia Henshawi - These flattened lizards live almost exclusively in the crevices on granitic boulders. To quote the movie Tremors II, "If you want to hunt graboids (or lizards, snakes, etc...) you better know geology." This is the first time I've been able to photograph the species with its daytime coloration. The Granite Night Lizard photos I posted last year were shot at night, when the lizard turns a much lighter shade and its spots become much more separated and pronounced.

  • Granite Night Lizard - Xantusia Henshawi - These flattened lizards live almost exclusively in the crevices on granitic boulders. To quote the movie Tremors II, "If you want to hunt graboids (or lizards, snakes, etc...) you better know geology." This is the first time I've been able to photograph the species with its daytime coloration. The Granite Night Lizard photos I posted last year were shot at night, when the lizard turns a much lighter shade and its spots become much more separated and pronounced.

  • California Treefrog - Pseudacris cadaverina - Very well camouflaged little treefrogs that live in rock crevices along canyon streams here in Southern California..

  • California Mountain Kingsnake - Lampropeltis zonata - The epic and elusive Mountain King. Ultimate Southern California find in my opinion, though a few more common species still elude me. Found by a fellow reptile enthusiast who also had never seen one in person. It was good to join forces in pursuit of a common goal.

  • California Mountain Kingsnake - Lampropeltis zonata - The epic and elusive Mountain King. Ultimate Southern California find in my opinion, though a few more common species still elude me. Found by a fellow reptile enthusiast who also had never seen one in person. It was good to join forces in pursuit of a common goal.

  • California Legless Lizard - Anniella pulchra - Much different from the legless lizards I've encountered on the east coast. Much more subterranean and difficult to find. Had help on this one, or else I doubt I'd have encountered it before I leave.

  • California Legless Lizard - Anniella pulchra - Much different from the legless lizards I've encountered on the east coast. Much more subterranean and difficult to find. Had help on this one, or else I doubt I'd have encountered it before I leave.

  • Two-Striped Garter Snake - Thamnophis Hammondii - Headed back up a hillside after hunting tadpoles in a creek. Or chasing a potential mate... Who knows, this snake was a-crawling on his way to somewhere late in the afternoon as I strolled through the countryside.

  • Rosy Boa - Lichanura trivirgata - Only the second I've found despite much searching. This one is from the coastal side of the mountains, with a much muddier coloration than its desert counterparts.

  • Rosy Boa - Lichanura trivirgata - Only the second I've found despite much searching. This one is from the coastal side of the mountains, with a much muddier coloration than its desert counterparts.

  • Coronado Skink - Plestiodon skiltonianus interparietalis - This is a juvenile, like many other North American skinks, the tail loses its bright color with age and adults are mostly brown.

  • Western Black-headed Snake - Tantilla Planiceps - A tiny eater of centipedes, whose venom it is apparently immune to. I have no love for centipedes, and so I like this snake very much. About the size of a worm, they are very difficult to photograph and easy to lose when they wriggle into the grass and dirt.

  • Western Spadefoot - Spea hammondii - Emerging to breed during heavy rains.

  • Western Spadefoot - Spea hammondii - Emerging to breed during heavy rains.

  • Western Spadefoot - Spea hammondii - Emerging to breed during heavy rains.

  • Western Spadefoot - Spea hammondii - Emerging to breed during heavy rains.

  • Western Spadefoot - Spea hammondii - Emerging to breed during heavy rains.

  • Red Diamond Rattlesnake - Crotalus Ruber - First snake of the year! Found seeking warmth under a flat stone on a chilly Saturday in January. A great start to the Chinese Year of the Snake.

  • Garden Slender Salamander - Batrachoseps major major - Found in my yard, this is the first Slender Salamander I've found in San Diego County and the first I've seen of this particular species. Seems they prefer the urban environment of my housing complex to all the relatively pristine areas I've searched for them.

  • Garden Slender Salamander - Batrachoseps major major - Found in my yard, this is the first Slender Salamander I've found in San Diego County and the first I've seen of this particular species. Seems they prefer the urban environment of my housing complex to all the relatively pristine areas I've searched for them.

  • Young male Elephant Seal at a colony in Big Sur.

  • Elephant Seals at a colony in Big Sur.

  • Elephant Seals at a Colony in Big Sur.

  • A male Elephant Seal tries to forcefully mate witha female at a colony in Big Sur.

  • Male Elephant Seal at a colony in Big Sur.

  • Male Elephant Seal at a colony in Big Sur.

  • Female and young Elephant Seal at a colony in Big Sur.

  • Young Elephant Seals at a colony in Big Sur.

  • Arboreal Salamander - Aneides lugubris - A really neat Salamander. These guys have sticky toe pads like a tree frog and a prehensile tail like an opossum which they use to climb trees. They also have big sharp teeth that can draw blood. I could not tempt this fellow to bite me but supposedly they can draw blood. Quite formidable for a "snot lizard."

  • Santa Lucia Mountains Slender Salamander -Batrachoseps luciae - Depending on what references you read, there are somewhere around 20 species of Slender Salamander in California, some of which can only be differentiated by molecular analysis. They are generally very common and I found two species (that I could positively identify) on my trip up the coast, yet oddly enough I have yet to see the one that occurs in San Diego where I reside.

  • Santa Lucia Mountains Slender Salamander -.Batrachoseps luciae - Depending on what references you read, there are somewhere around 20 species of Slender Salamander in California, some of which can only be differentiated by molecular analysis. They are generally very common and I found two species (that I could positively identify) on my trip up the coast, yet oddly enough I have yet to see the one that occurs in San Diego where I reside.

  • Arboreal Salamander - Aneides lugubris - A really neat Salamander. These guys have sticky toe pads like a tree frog and a prehensile tail like an opossum which they use to climb trees. They also have big sharp teeth that can draw blood. I could not tempt this fellow to bite me but supposedly they can draw blood. Quite formidable for a "snot lizard."

  • Arboreal Salamander - Aneides lugubris - A really neat Salamander. These guys have sticky toe pads like a tree frog and a prehensile tail like an opossum which they use to climb trees. They also have big sharp teeth that can draw blood. I could not tempt this fellow to bite me but supposedly they can draw blood. Quite formidable for a "snot lizard."

  • Arboreal Salamander - Aneides lugubris - A really neat Salamander. These guys have sticky toe pads like a tree frog and a prehensile tail like an opossum which they use to climb trees. They also have big sharp teeth that can draw blood. I could not tempt this fellow to bite me but supposedly they can draw blood. Quite formidable for a "snot lizard."

  • Painted Ensatina - Ensatina eschscholtzii picta - Continuing my photographic study of Ensatina variation. The Painted occurs in a small strip of coastal redwoods in Northern California and Southern Oregon. I am very lucky to have found a couple of these guys while exploring the rainforests with my wife.

  • Painted Ensatina - Ensatina eschscholtzii picta - Continuing my photographic study of Ensatina variation. The Painted occurs in a small strip of coastal redwoods in Northern California and Southern Oregon. I am very lucky to have found a couple of these guys while exploring the rainforests with my wife.

  • Painted Ensatina - Ensatina eschscholtzii picta - Continuing my photographic study of Ensatina variation. The Painted occurs in a small strip of coastal redwoods in Northern California and Southern Oregon. I am very lucky to have found a couple of these guys while exploring the rainforests with my wife.

  • California Slender Salamander - Batrachoseps attenuatus - My first Slender Salamander, it was found in Northern California where they are ridiculously common. When it's wet, there seems to be at least one under every log and some logs have half a dozen or more. Depending on what references you read, there are somewhere around 20 species of Slender Salamander in California, some of which can only be differentiated by molecular analysis. I found two species (that I could positively identify) on my trip up the coast, yet oddly enough I have yet to see the one that occurs in San Diego where I reside.

  • Oregon Ensatina - .Ensatina eschscholtzii oregonensis- The most drably colored of the Ensatina's I've photographed. This one was found in an inland redwood forest in Northern California.

  • Oregon Ensatina - .Ensatina eschscholtzii oregonensis- The most drably colored of the Ensatina's I've photographed. This one was found in an inland redwood forest in Northern California.

  • Large-Blotched Ensatina - Ensatina eschscholtzii klauberi - Another of the Ensatina Salamanders, this species lives only in the mountain forests of Southern California. Found on Christmas Eve.

  • Large-Blotched Ensatina - Ensatina eschscholtzii klauberi - Another of the Ensatina Salamanders, this species lives only in the mountain forests of Southern California. Found on Christmas Eve.

  • Large-Blotched Ensatina - Ensatina eschscholtzii klauberi - Another of the Ensatina Salamanders, this species lives only in the mountain forests of Southern California. Found on Christmas Eve.

  • Large-Blotched Ensatina - Ensatina eschscholtzii klauberi - Another of the Ensatina Salamanders, this species lives only in the mountain forests of Southern California. Found on Christmas Eve.

  • Pacific Chorus Frog - Pseudacris regilla - Plentiful after rains, these are the frogs whose "Ribbit Ribbit Ribbit" call is often used in movies that are set far from where they actually occur.

  • Pacific Chorus Frog - Pseudacris regilla - Plentiful after rains, these are the frogs whose "Ribbit Ribbit Ribbit" call is often used in movies that are set far from where they actually occur.

  • Monterey Ensatina - Ensatina eschscholtzii eschscholtzii - Only the second I have found, and the day after I found the first. Must be the weather and the fact that I've never been ashore this time of year.

  • Monterey Ensatina - Ensatina eschscholtzii eschscholtzii.Brought out by the cool rains we finally received.

  • Monterey Ensatina - Ensatina eschscholtzii eschscholtzii.Brought out by the cool rains we finally received.

  • Everglades Rat Snake, Pantherophis Obsoleta.<br /> One of my captive snakes. Playing with new softboxes for my speedlights.

  • Rosy Boa, Lichanura Trivirgata<br /> One of my captive snakes. Playing with new softboxes for my speedlights.

  • Lawrence the cat. Playing with new softboxes for my speedlights.

  • A tarantula found in its burrow outside my tent in the Mule Mountains of California. Returned after a short photo session.

  • A tarantula found in its burrow outside my tent in the Mule Mountains of California. Returned after a short photo session.

  • A tarantula found in its burrow outside my tent in the Mule Mountains of California. Returned after a short photo session.

  • A tarantula found in its burrow outside my tent in the Mule Mountains of California. Returned after a short photo session.

  • A tarantula found in its burrow outside my tent in the Mule Mountains of California. Returned after a short photo session.

  • A tarantula found in its burrow outside my tent in the Mule Mountains of California. Returned after a short photo session.

  • A tarantula found in its burrow outside my tent in the Mule Mountains of California. Returned after a short photo session.

  • A tarantula found in its burrow outside my tent in the Mule Mountains of California. Returned after a short photo session.

  • Colorado Desert Fringe-toed Lizard<br /> Uma Notada<br /> <br /> Partially exposed after diving into the sand to elude capture. Continuing a study of this unique lizard that lives only in the sand dunes of Imperial County, California. It has many interesting behaviors and adaptations that allow it to survive in the dunes.

  • Colorado Desert Fringe-toed Lizard<br /> Uma Notada<br /> <br /> Partially exposed after diving into the sand to elude capture. Continuing a study of this unique lizard that lives only in the sand dunes of Imperial County, California. It has many interesting behaviors and adaptations that allow it to survive in the dunes.

  • Colorado Desert Fringe-toed Lizard<br /> Uma Notada<br /> <br /> Partially exposed after diving into the sand to elude capture. Continuing a study of this unique lizard that lives only in the sand dunes of Imperial County, California. It has many interesting behaviors and adaptations that allow it to survive in the dunes.

  • Colorado Desert Fringe-toed Lizard<br /> Uma Notada<br /> <br /> Partially exposed after diving into the sand to elude capture. Continuing a study of this unique lizard that lives only in the sand dunes of Imperial County, California. It has many interesting behaviors and adaptations that allow it to survive in the dunes.

  • Colorado Desert Fringe-toed Lizard<br /> Uma Notada<br /> <br /> A study of this unique lizard that lives only in the sand dunes of Imperial County, California. It has many interesting behaviors and adaptations that allow it to survive in the dunes.

  • Anna's Hummingbird.Calypte anna..For the last few weeks I've been working to get decent photos of the Anna'a Hummingbirds that visit the feeder in my front yard. My neighborhood isn't very scenic and I don't have any flowers nearby that I can set up around, so I chose to use a black backdrop and focus on getting shots of them away from the ugly artificial feeder. I'm interested in getting more dynamic shots than just a side profile of them feeding and have spent several afternoons a week reading a book in a chair next to the feeder with my camera at the ready and learning a lot about their behavior. They are extremely territorial and once one has laid claim to productive food source, it will loudly drive off all of the other hummers who try to visit it. A juvenile male frequents mine and spends as much time chasing others away as he does feeding and standing watch. I hope his plumage develops soon, because the adult males have a dazzling red head that he is just beginning to show. In the meantime I'll keep working to improve these. With my simple set-up it has taken a lot of patience and trial and error to get anything close to the quality I was gunning for.

  • Anna's Hummingbird.Calypte anna..For the last few weeks I've been working to get decent photos of the Anna'a Hummingbirds that visit the feeder in my front yard. My neighborhood isn't very scenic and I don't have any flowers nearby that I can set up around, so I chose to use a black backdrop and focus on getting shots of them away from the ugly artificial feeder. I'm interested in getting more dynamic shots than just a side profile of them feeding and have spent several afternoons a week reading a book in a chair next to the feeder with my camera at the ready and learning a lot about their behavior. They are extremely territorial and once one has laid claim to productive food source, it will loudly drive off all of the other hummers who try to visit it. A juvenile male frequents mine and spends as much time chasing others away as he does feeding and standing watch. I hope his plumage develops soon, because the adult males have a dazzling red head that he is just beginning to show. In the meantime I'll keep working to improve these. With my simple set-up it has taken a lot of patience and trial and error to get anything close to the quality I was gunning for.

  • Yucca Night Lizard.Xantusia vigilis..These tiny lizards (one of the smallest in North America) live in the fallen fronds and trunks of Joshua Trees in the Mojave Desert. They are extremely common but rarely seen and despite looking for them repeatedly, this is the first one I've managed to turn up.

  • Mojave Rattlesnake.Crotalus scutulatus..The infamous Mojave Rattler. This was the first rattlesnake found to have neurotoxic (nerve destroying) properties to its venom-- like cobras and coral snakes. Other rattlers (and vipers in general) possess hemotoxic venom which destroys tissue and blood cells, although recent research has shown that more of them have neurotoxins than previously thought. Some, like the Southern Pacific Rattlesnake here in SoCal, have a cocktail of both, making them arguably even more dangerous due to the unpredictable nature of their bites...Mojaves have one the deadliest bites of any North American snake and a feisty attitude to boot. The first one I ever found came off the pavement trying to get at me when I went to move it off the road. Needless to say I didn't take many photos of it. This one was quite cooperative and I was able to take some nice portraits, but my shooting tends not to be as creative when I have to be so cautious around an animal. Better safe than sorry...Mojaves are easily confused with Western Diamondbacks and their range overlaps in Arizona. Besides subtle differences in the overall coloration, the most concrete way to tell the difference is that the white bands on the tail are broader than the black bands and there are only two large scales between the "eyebrow" scales instead of a bunch of small ones in the Western Diamondback. You'll want to note that if you get bit...

  • Couch's Spadefoot Toad.Scaphiopus couchii..Like other spadefoots I've seen, this toad only emerges from its desert burrow when it rains. Thousands emerge and then gather at seasonal rain puddles to breed. Their tadpoles develop very quickly and with luck transform into toadlets before the puddle dries up...My field guides state that this amphibian secretes skin toxins that "smell of peanuts and may cause skin and nose irritation." Actually the smell is more like skunk and the sensation is one of intense stinging bolts of pain shooting up your arm (handling a poisonous toad is a great way to discover you have tiny cuts on your fingers). And my nose was runny for two days.

  • Night Snake<br /> Hypsiglena torquata<br /> <br /> These tiny snakes prowl about the desert in search of small lizards to eat. They are about the thickness of a pencil and perhaps a foot long. They are rear-fanged and mildly venomous, but like most snakes with that disclaimer, I haven't had any reaction to their bites. They are generally too small to break the skin anyway.

  • Night Snake<br /> Hypsiglena torquata<br /> <br /> These tiny snakes prowl about the desert in search of small lizards to eat. They are about the thickness of a pencil and perhaps a foot long. They are rear-fanged and mildly venomous, but like most snakes with that disclaimer, I haven't had any reaction to their bites. They are generally too small to break the skin anyway.

  • Night Snake.Hypsiglena torquata..These tiny snakes prowl about the desert in search of small lizards to eat. They are about the thickness of a pencil and perhaps a foot long. They are rear-fanged and mildly venomous, but like most snakes with that disclaimer, I haven't had any reaction to their bites. They are generally too small to break the skin anyway.

  • Granite Night Lizard.Xantusia Henshawi.As its name suggests, this species is nocturnal. I've been looking for them for awhile and haven't had any luck but managed to turn up two while hiking out to some petroglyphs just after nightfall recently. They are protected because they are dependent on "exfoliated" and cracked boulders where they hide during the day. Collectors pursing them by prying rocks apart have destroyed a lot of habitat for them as well as the other creatures that utilize the same areas. I found it easier to view them as they scampered about on the rock faces after dark. No habitat destruction necessary.

  • Granite Night Lizard.Xantusia Henshawi.As its name suggests, this species is nocturnal. I've been looking for them for awhile and haven't had any luck but managed to turn up two while hiking out to some petroglyphs just after nightfall recently. They are protected because they are dependent on "exfoliated" and cracked boulders where they hide during the day. Collectors pursing them by prying rocks apart have destroyed a lot of habitat for them as well as the other creatures that utilize the same areas. I found it easier to view them as they scampered about on the rock faces after dark. No habitat destruction necessary.

  • Gray Kangaroo in Yanchep National Park, Australia.

  • 120403-N-DR144-403 INDIAN OCEAN (April 3, 2012) A flying fish erupts from the water ahead of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) as the ship is underway in the Indian Ocean. Carl Vinson and Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 17 are deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class James R. Evans/Released)

  • Banded Gecko.Coleonyx variegatus.Nocturnal gecko from the desert. Small, fragile, beautiful. Good pets too, like a miniature leopard gecko. They have a close relative called the Barefoot Gecko that is insanely rare and hard to find. Still looking.

  • Banded Gecko.Coleonyx variegatus.Nocturnal gecko from the desert. Small, fragile, beautiful. Good pets too, like a miniature leopard gecko. They have a close relative called the Barefoot Gecko that is insanely rare and hard to find. Still looking.

  • Rosy Boa.Lichanura trivirgata.A notoriously difficult to find (for us normal mortals) snake. I've hunted far and wide in search of one of these beauties and I finally found one. Wrong time of year, wrong weather, and in the place I've been searching unsuccessfully every week that I've been here. Here's to tenacity...With this discovery, I have now seen both species of Boa native to the U.S.

  • Horses roaming free. Navajo Nation, Northern AZ.

  • Navajo horses, Monument Valley, Utah.

  • A triops (tadpole shrimp) in a drying mud puddle in the Utah Desert. It will drop eggs and die as the puddle dries. The eggs will hatch the next time the pool is filled, whether it's in a few weeks or a few decades...I raised some of these from a mail order when I was in high school. Cool to see them in the wild. Collected some mud with (hopefully) some eggs in it to raise some more and see how many generations I can keep going in a jar on my desk.

  • Mule Deer, Utah.

  • Mule Deer, Utah.

  • Desert Iguana.Dipsosaurus dorsalis..One of the most heat tolerant lizards, active at temperatures of 115 degrees when everything else is smartly hiding in rodent burrows. They actually go dormant below 85 degrees because they cannot digest food properly.

  • Tiger Rattlesnake.Crotalus tigris..An Arizona specialty that I came across. Cited to have the most potent venom of any rattlesnake, but due to its smaller size and calmer demeanor is generally considered less dangerous than its nearly-as-toxic cousin the Mojave Rattlesnake.

  • Western Diamondback Rattlesnake.Crotalus Atrox..Icon of the American West. Found on dirt road in AZ.

  • San Diego Gopher Snake<br /> Pituophis catenifer annectens<br /> <br /> Big snake from the mountains near San Diego. Pretty common around here but still one of my favorites. Their midwest cousin the Bullsnake is bigger and puts on a better show when confronted. These guys hiss a bit but they don't go nuts like a Bullsnake.

  • San Diego Gopher Snake.Pituophis catenifer annectens..Big snake from the mountains near San Diego. Pretty common around here but still one of my favorites. Their midwest cousin the Bullsnake is bigger and puts on a better show when confronted. These guys hiss a bit but they don't go nuts like a Bullsnake.

  • Soutwestern Thread Snake.Rena humilis humilis..Subterranean, worm-like snake that feeds on ants, termites, and their eggs. Very primitive snake.

  • Large Blotched Ensatina.Ensatina eschscholtzii klauberi..Small, rare salamander.

  • Lampropeltis getula californiae.California Kingsnake..A quick drive near home results in one of my favorites. A ravenous eater of rodents and other snakes.

  • Soutwestern Speckled Rattlesnake.Crotalus mitchellii pyrrhus..Very well camouflaged rattler, they have an unnerving habit of lying hidden in grass or on boulders and letting you nearly step on them.

  • Soutwestern Speckled Rattlesnake<br /> Crotalus mitchellii pyrrhus<br /> <br /> Still looking for food after devouring some roadkill. Oblivious to my presence until I moved him away from the road.

  • Long Nosed Snake.Rhinocheilus lecontei..A lizard eater from the desert. I once found one swallowing a whiptail lizard in the middle of the road. I picked it up to move it off the road and it just kept right on eating the lizard.

  • Common dolphins off San Diego.

  • Common dolphins off San Diego.

  • Common dolphins off San Diego.

  • Red Diamond Rattlesnake.Crotalus ruber.Similar to Western Diamondback, but prettier and less ought-tempered. It took me forever to find one, now they seem to be everywhere.

  • Red Diamond Rattlesnake<br /> Crotalus ruber<br /> Similar to Western Diamondback, but prettier and less ought-tempered. It took me forever to find one, now they seem to be everywhere.

  • Western Shovelnosed Snake.Chionactis occipitalis..Swims through desert sand like the sandworms from Dune and Beetlejuice.

  • Young Spruce Grouse, Eagle River, Alaska.

  • Hikers encounter a young bull moose in Eagle River, Alaska.

  • Willow Ptarmigan, Alaska's State Bird.

  • Pink Salmon, Alaska.

  • Lyre Snake<br /> Trimorphodon biscutatus<br /> First one, a baby. A supposedly common snake that took me forever to find. They are nocturnal, as evidenced by their eliptical pupils, and prefer rocky habitats. They are mildly venomous but I have had no reaction to their bites. Only harmful to their lizard prey.

  • Lyre Snake.Trimorphodon biscutatus.First one, a baby. A supposedly common snake that took me forever to find. They are nocturnal, as evidenced by their eliptical pupils, and prefer rocky habitats. They are mildly venomous but I have had no reaction to their bites. Only harmful to their lizard prey.

  • Lyre Snake<br /> Trimorphodon biscutatus<br /> First one, a baby. A supposedly common snake that took me forever to find. They are nocturnal, as evidenced by their eliptical pupils, and prefer rocky habitats. They are mildly venomous but I have had no reaction to their bites. Only harmful to their lizard prey.

  • Lyre Snake<br /> Trimorphodon biscutatus<br /> First one, a baby. A supposedly common snake that took me forever to find. They are nocturnal, as evidenced by their eliptical pupils, and prefer rocky habitats. They are mildly venomous but I have had no reaction to their bites. Only harmful to their lizard prey.

  • Glossy Snake.Arizona elegans.A very common snake here in Southern California. Most nights in the desert, I see more of them than anything else. Mostly babies, but occasionally a four footer like this. They are almost totally nocturnal, but do not have elliptical pupils like most nocturnal desert snakes.

  • Glossy Snake<br /> Arizona elegans<br /> A very common snake here in Southern California. Most nights in the desert, I see more of them than anything else. Mostly babies, but occasionally a four footer like this. They are almost totally nocturnal, but do not have elliptical pupils like most nocturnal desert snakes.

  • Spotted Leaf-Nosed Snake Phyllorhynchus decurtatus.Feeds on banded geckos and their eggs.."Secretive - at one time thought to be very rare, until Laurence Klauber discovered that they were common after finding them on paved desert roads at night in 1922.".I find them that way too. Very common, but exclusively nocturnal.

  • Sidewinder.Crotalus cerastes.Another snake I see a lot of. Unless of course I promise someone we'll see one, then they are nowhere to be found. This one made a last-minute appearance on a recent trip.

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