Snakes of Southeast Arizona: This fact-filled identification guide is an excellent resource for all outdoor and nature enthusiasts. It describes 38 species of snakes found in southeastern Arizona (south of the Gila River and east of the Baboquivari Mountains to the Mexican and New Mexico borders) including all 10 species of venomous snakes that inhabit the area. The guide also features color photos that make it ideal for field use. Common and scientific names, average adult size, habitat, diet, and behavior are described. Tips on field identification and safety instructions are also presented. The 12 panels of this laminated and waterproof guide fold up into a handy pocket-size, making it sturdy enough to withstand repeated use in the field.

A guide to help people, both experienced and novices, identify reptiles and amphibians in Arizona

Even in paradise, one needs to be mindful of whatÕs underfoot. The Sabino Canyon Recreation Area is a desert oasis in the Santa Catalina Mountains north of Tucson, a rich repository of wildlife and a favorite destination for Tucsonans and visitors for more than a century. This book presents annotated and illustrated descriptions of the amphibians and reptiles found at Sabino Canyon and an overview of their natural environment. Representing a study spanning nearly twenty-five years, it documents their present and past distribution and examines environmental and herpetofaunal change due to physical, biological, and human impact on species and habitats. In this first publication to describe Sabino CanyonÕs biota in scientific detail, three expert authors pool their knowledge to provide a detailed discussion of ecological changeÑespecially as a consequence of drought, flooding, the introduction of exotic species, and direct human impact. Suburbia has arrived on the canyonÕs doorstep, and human visitation has soared, inalterably affecting the area. Of particular concern, breeding habitats for amphibians were profoundly altered by flash flooding in SabinoÕs streams following the 2003 Aspen Fire, which ravaged large parts of the Santa Catalina Mountains. The book contains richly detailed accounts of the 57 species found at SabinoÑ25 snakes, 17 lizards, 8 toads and frogs, 6 turtles, and 1 salamanderÑemphasizing their local ecology and the behavior likely to be witnessed by visitors. Physical descriptions and numerous photographsÑmany in colorÑfacilitate identification. Up-to-date distribution maps provide an essential baseline against which future researchers can measure change. Amphibians, Reptiles, and Their Habitats at Sabino Canyon is essential for anyone who seeks to understand this desert oasis, how it has changed, and how it may change in the future. Written with minimal technical jargon to make it as useful to students and visitors as it will be to scientists and resource managers, it makes a vital contribution to our understanding of creatures underfoot whose habitat we seek to share.

For both the casual observer and the experienced naturalist, this indispensable field guide and natural history reference covers all the salamanders, frogs, spadefoots, toads, lizards, snakes, tortoises, and turtles in Arizona. Over 250 stunning photographs, accompanied by range maps, show key details of identification. Fascinating life history and behavior accounts will leave the reader amazed at the biodiversity of Arizona, where the convergence of the ponderosa forests and subalpine meadows of the Colorado Plateau with the Chihuahuan, Sonoran, and Mojave deserts has resulted in a unique herpetofauna. Days are dominated by an astonishing variety of lizards; at night, by Gila monsters, geckos, and snakes. And when the summer monsoon sets in, the desert night comes alive with millions of toads and spadefoots.