New Mexico - Reptiles and Amphibians

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The following data is taken from the US Forest Service publication entitled “Fish, Amphibians, Reptiles and Mammals…A Species Checklist for the Gila National Forest” unless otherwise indicated.  An asterisk (*) prior to the common name of a species indicates that we have annotated the frequency and distribution description provided by the USFS.  Bolded text is a link to our photo or video gallery entries for the species.


Salamanders

  • Tiger Salamander, Ambystoma tigrinum:  Common in Open Marshes


Spadefoot Toads

  • *New Mexico Spadefoot, Spea multiplicatus: Common in Desert, Oak-Woodland, & Oak-Juniper (Genus changed from Scaphiopus [on the FS checklist] to the current Spea.) (Photo below)

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Toads

  • Woodhouse’s Toad, Bufo woodhousii: Fairly Common in Oak-Juniper and Deciduous Riparian zones
  • Southwest Toad, Bufo microscaphus: Fairly Common in Pinyon-Juniper and Ponderosa Pine
  • Red-spotted Toad, Bufo puncatus: Fairly Common in Oak Juniper, Pinyon-Juniper, and Ponderosa Pine


Hylid Frogs

  • Western Chorus Frog, Pseudacris triseriata: Fairly Common in Ponderosa Pine and Spruce-Fir
  • Mountain Treefrog, Hyla eximia: Fairly Common in Ponderosa Pine and Spruce-Fir
  • Canyon Treefrog, Hyla arenicolor: Fairly Common in OakWoodland, Oak-Juniper, Pinyon-Juniper, & Coniferous Riparian (photo below)

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Frogs

  • *American Bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana: Common in Open Marshes and Deciduous Riparian zones (We use the alternative genus on this site - Lithobates catesbianus)
  • Chiricahua Leopard Frog, Rana chiricahuensis:  Rare in Pinyon-Juniper, Ponderosa Pine, & Deciduous Riparian zones
  • Lowland Leopard Frog, Rana yavapaiensis: Rare in Open Marshes


Turtles

  • Sonora Mud Turtle, Kinostemon sonoriense: Fairly common in Open Marshes and Deciduous Riparian zones


Box Turtles

  • Ornate Box Turtle, Terrapene ornata: Fairly common in Deseret, Oak-Juniper, and Pinyon-Juniper. (Subspecies Terrapene ornata luteola shown in photo gallery.)


Softshell Turtles

  • Spiny Softshell, Trionyx spiniferus: Rare in Open Marshes and Deciduous Riparian zones


Beaded Lizards

  • Gila Monster, Heloderma suspectus: Rare in Desert and Oak Woodland


Geckos

  • Western Banded Gecko, Coleonyx variegatus: Unusual in Desert and Oak Woodland


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Iguanas

  • Collared Lizard, Crotaphytus collaris: Fairly common in Oak-Juniper and Pinyon-Juniper
  • *Long-nosed Leopard Lizard, Gambelia wislizeni:  (Not on the F.S. checklist for the Gila.  Recorded in the southern Cooke’s Range in Frying Pan Canyon and at Cooke’s Spring south of the Gila Forest.)
  • Lesser Earless Lizard, Holbrookia maculata: Fairly Common in the desert
  • Greater Earless Lizard, Cophosaurus texanus: Common in Oak Woodland and Oak-Juniper (photo above - subspecies C. t. scitulus, the Chihuahuan Greater Earless Lizard is shown in the photo gallery)
  • Crevice Spiny Lizard, Sceloporus poinsetti: Fairly Common in Oak-Juniper, Pinyon-Juniper, Pondrosa Pine, & Spruce-Fir
  • Eastern Fence Lizard, Sceloporus undulatus: Common in Desert, Oak Woodland, Oak-Juniper, and Pinyon-Juniper
  • *Southwestern Fence Lizard, Sceloporus cowlesi:  (Not on F. S. list.  Split from S. undulatus.)
  • Clark’s Spiny Lizard, Sceloporus clarkii: Fairly Common in Oak-Juniper, Pinyon-Juniper, and Deciduous Riparian (subspecies shown in photo gallery is nominate form, S. c. c.)
  • Plateau Lizard, Sceloporus virgatus: Fairly Common in Pinyon-Juniper and Ponderosa Pine
  • *Twin-spotted Spiny Lizard, Sceleoporus bimaculosusS. magister (The Tucson Herpetological Society has a good description of the taxonomy determinations made for this species, , and S. clarkii.  Speciation and distribution is subject to disagreement.)
  • Desert Spiny Lizard, Sceloporus magister: Fairly Common in Pinyon-Juniper
  • Tree Lizard, Urosaurus ornatus: Common in Oak Woodland, Oak-Juniper, Pinyon-Juniper, Ponderosa Pine, & Spruce-Fir (Sub-species shown here is Urosaurus ornatus schottii.)
  • Short-horned Lizard, Phrynosoma douglassii:  Common in Oak-Juniper, Pinyon-Juniper, Ponderosa Pine, & Mt. Grassland
  • Texas Horned Lizard, Phrynosoma cornutum: Uncommon in desert.
  • Round-tailed Lizard, Phrynosoma modestum: Uncommon in desert.
  • Greater Short-horned Lizard, Phrynosoma hernandesi.  Not listed on the F. S. checklist.


Skinks

  • Many-linked Skink, Eumeces multivirgatus: Uncommon in Ponderosa Pine and Spruce-Fir
  • Great Plains Skink, Eumecus obsoletus: Fairly common in Oak Woodland, Oak-Juniper, & Pinyon-Juniper


Whiptails

  • Chihuahuan Spotted Whiptail, Cnemidorphorus exsanguis: Fairly Common in Pinyon-Juniper and Ponderosa Pine (listed in photo gallery as Aspidoscelis exsanguis)
  • *Desert-grassland Whiptail, Cnemidophorus uniparens: Common in Desert, Oak Woodland, Oak-Juniper, and Pinyon-Juniper (Listed in photo gallery under the synonym of Aspidoscelis uniparens.)
  • Western Whiptail, Cnemidophorus tigris: Common in Desert and Oak Woodland
  • Gila Spotted Whiptail, Cnemidophorus flagellicaudus: Fairly Common in Oak-Juniper, Pinyon-Juniper, & Ponderosa Pine
  • *Little (Plains) Striped Whiptail, Aspidoscelis inornata llanuras.  Photographs from east of Hillsboro, not listed on the F.S. checklist.
  • *New Mexico Whiptail, Aspidoscelis neomexicana.  Photographs from the Gila Wilderness, not listed on the F.S. checklist
  • *Common Checkered Whiptail, Aspidoscelis tesselatus. Photograph from Black Peak, east of Hillsboro, NM. Not listed on F.S. checklist.


Anguids


Slender Blind Snakes

  • Texas Blind Snake, Leptotyphlops dulcis: Rare in Oak-Juniper and Pinyon Juniper
  • Western Blind Snake, Leptotyphlops humilis: Uncommon in Oak Woodland, Oak-Juniper, and Pinyon Juniper


Colubrids

  • *Black-necked Garter Snake, Thamnophis c. cyrtopsis: Common in Deciduous Riparian (Subspecies added here, does not appear on FS checklist.)
  • Narrowhead Garter Snake, Thamnophis rufipunctatus: Uncommon in Open Marshes and Deciduous Riparian
  • Checkered Garter Snake, Thamnophis rufipunctatus: Fairly Common in Deciduous Riparian
  • Western Terrestrial Garter Snake, Thamnophis elegans: Common in Deciduous Riparian and Coniferous Riparian
  • *Desert Striped Whipsnake, Masticophis t. taeniatus: Common in Oak-Juniper and Pinyon-Juniper (Subspecies information added by this website).
  • Ring-necked Coachwhip Snake, Masticophis flagellum: Common in Oak Woodland and Oak-Juniper
  • *Bull Snake, Pituphis melanoleucus: Common in Desert, Oak Woodland, Oak-Juniper, and Pinyon-Juniper (This is most likely an erroneous entry resulting from the use of the common name of Bull Snake for Gopher snake - see below.)
  • *Sonoran Gopher Snake, Pituphis catenifer affinis.  (Not listed on F.S. checklist, Bull Snake entry above probably refers to this species.)
  • Big Bend Patchnose Snake, Salvadora deserticola: Fairly Common in Oak Woodland and Oak-Juniper
  • Mountain Patchnose Snake, Salvadora grahamiae: Uncommon in Pinyon-Juniper
  • Plains Blackhead Snake, Tantilla nigriceps: Uncommon in Desert, Oak Woodland, Oak-Juniper, & Pinyon-Juniper
  • Southwestern Blackhead Snake, Tantilla hobartsmithi: Rare in Desert, Oak Woodland, & Oak-Juniper
  • Common Kingsnake, Lampropeltis getulus: Uncommon in Oak Woodland, Oak-Juniper, & Pinyon-Juniper
  • Sonora Mountain Kingsnake, Lampropeltis pyromelana: Uncommon in Pinyon-Juniper, Ponderosa Pine, & Spruce-Fir


Coral Snakes

  • Arizona Coral Snake, Micruroides euryxanthus: Rare in Oak-Juniper and Pinyon-Juniper


Pit Vipers

  • Black-tailed Rattlesnake, Crotalus molossus: Common in Oak-Juniper, Pinyon-Juniper, Ponderosa Pine, & Spruce-Fir
  • Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake, Crotalus atrox: Common in Desert, Oak Woodland, & Oak Juniper (photo below) Video
  • Western Rattlesnake, Crotalus viridis: Common in Desert, Oak Woodland, Oak-Juniper, Pinyon-Juniper, & Ponderosa Pine
  • Rock Rattlesnake, Crotalus lepidus: Uncommon in Oak-Juniper, Pinyon-Juniper, and Ponderosa Pine

Rattlesnake 1



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