Finally getting around to posting photos from my April trip to AZ. Very cold, and not too many animals this year,
but of those we did find they all were beautiful.
This is a southwestern speckled rattlesnake (Crotalus mitchellii pyrrhus). He was at the foot of a mine under a rock.
Found this red spotted toad just inside the mine hopping around (Bufo punctatus). 
This was a great find, lifted a sheet of tin in the middle of the day and found a desert night snake (Hypsiglena torquata deserticola) eating
a male side blotched lizard (Uta stansburiana)in full bredding colors. Must have been a hell of a fight, the side blotched was huge!
We eyed eachother not moving for about 5 minutes, then he just started to eat. I guess he figured if I wasn't messing with him too much he wasn't going to lose this big meal. I took tons of photos, only putting 10 or so here, sorry if you have dialup like I do.
This was the first lyre snake I've caught. It's the third on these AZ trips, but my first. So damned hard to photograph day or night.
(I still prefer the old name "cat eyed snake" (Trimorphodon biscutatus lambda).
This was a first for me this year, and in place I look at every single year. Caught two of these guys, an adult and a juvenile.
Spotted leaf nose snake (Phyllorhynchus decurtatus), also really a pain in the but to photograph.
Not many lizards this year, usually they're everywhere. Must not have woken up yet? Last year I caught over 20 desert horned toads, only two this year.
Heres an Arizona glossy snake (Arizona elegans noctivaga)
OK, not herps, but I got my best bat photos thie year. If anyone knows any good bat identification websites let me know. I'd love to
know what these are. I just love the photo of the one where he threw his head up to look straight into the camera!
Here's another bat, definately another species, but I don't know from bats.
Here was a younger Western Diamondback (Crotalus atrox). He had just eaten a huge meal. Took two quick photos and I put
him down a hold so he wouldn't lose the meal.
Caught one Chuckwalla (Sauromalus ater)this year, such a cool lizard, this ones a young adult, his tail bands are very faded.
Here's a scorpion, I believe it's a bark scorpion, but I'm not too good with scorps. Loved him on the lichen though.
Here's a banded gecko (Coleonyx variegatus
). They're so common, but these are some of the most beautiful lizards I've seen.
Here's another first for me, a Mojave rattlesnake (Crotalus scutulatus). I wish all snakes posed like rattlers. I got lots of photo's of this guy.
Here's another night snake that curled up and posed for me perfectly, I loved this view.
Here are some sonoran desert sidewinders (Crotalus cerastes cercobombus) These are always the most common snake we find on this trip
. This year we were down quite a few and "only" caught 14.
Here was a cool birds nest, particularly so since the bird used a snake skin in making it!
Last but certainly not least was this massive Western Diamondback, he was over five feet long with a great rattle on him. I love getting the photos
with their tongue out, but this guy just wouldn't cooporate. He was stretched accross the road and we saw him from about a
1/4 mile away, beautiful snake!
As always a good trip with great animals this year, but down significantly in number due to the cool weather, can't wait for next year! Hope you enjoyed the photos- Curt
