Ecoregion

Sonoran Desert Reptiles and Amphibians by Month

Saguaro desert, washes and rocky hills make up the Sonoran Desert. It has more lizards than any other region on the site. Desert Spiny Lizards, Zebra-tailed Lizards and Desert Iguanas are common. June is the busiest month, and many snakes switch to night activity in the heat. Many rattlesnakes live here, plus the Sonoran Coralsnake.

69 species9 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 Sonoran Desert, by group and month

Group
Snakes		2	9	24	26	28	27	26	23	21	6	1
Lizards	3	8	22	30	30	27	26	24	23	19	6	2
Turtles	1	1	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	1	1
Frogs and Toads	1	2	7	8	8	7	6	7	8	7	4	1

Numbers = species active that month (at peak or just starting / winding down).

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56 species at peak or shoulder in September

peak

Frogs and ToadsAmerican BullfrogLithobates catesbeianus

introduced

peak

LizardsBanded Rock LizardPetrosaurus mearnsi

peak

SnakesBlack-necked Garter SnakeThamnophis cyrtopsis

peak

Frogs and ToadsCalifornia Tree FrogPseudacris cadaverina

peak

SnakesCheckered Garter SnakeThamnophis marcianus

peak

LizardsClark's Spiny LizardSceloporus clarkii

peak

SnakesCommon CoachwhipMasticophis flagellum

peak

LizardsCommon Side-blotched LizardUta stansburiana

peak

LizardsDesert Grassland WhiptailAspidoscelis uniparens

peak

SnakesDesert KingsnakeLampropeltis splendida

peak

SnakesDesert NightsnakeHypsiglena chlorophaea

peak

SnakesGopher SnakePituophis catenifer

peak

LizardsGranite Night LizardXantusia henshawi

peak

LizardsGranite Spiny LizardSceloporus orcutti

peak

Frogs and ToadsGreat Plains ToadAnaxyrus cognatus

peak

LizardsKeeled Rock GeckoCyrtopodion scabrum

introduced

peak

LizardsLong-nosed Leopard LizardGambelia wislizenii

peak

SnakesLong-nosed SnakeRhinocheilus lecontei

peak

LizardsMediterranean House GeckoHemidactylus turcicus

introduced

peak

SnakesMojave RattlesnakeCrotalus scutulatus

venomous

peak

LizardsOrnate Tree LizardUrosaurus ornatus

peak

LizardsPeninsular Leaf-toed GeckoPhyllodactylus nocticolus

peak

TurtlesPond SliderTrachemys scripta

introduced

peak

SnakesRed Diamond RattlesnakeCrotalus ruber

venomous

peak

Frogs and ToadsRed-spotted ToadAnaxyrus punctatus

peak

Frogs and ToadsRio Grande Leopard FrogLithobates berlandieri

introduced

peak

SnakesSidewinderCrotalus cerastes

venomous

peak

SnakesSonoran CoralsnakeMicruroides euryxanthus

venomous

peak

SnakesSonoran WhipsnakeMasticophis bilineatus

peak

SnakesSouthwestern Speckled RattlesnakeCrotalus pyrrhus

venomous

peak

TurtlesSpiny SoftshellApalone spinifera

introduced

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

LizardsWestern Fence LizardSceloporus occidentalis

peak

Frogs and ToadsWestern ToadAnaxyrus boreas

peak

LizardsWestern WhiptailAspidoscelis tigris

peak

Frogs and ToadsWoodhouse's ToadAnaxyrus woodhousii

peak

LizardsZebra-tailed LizardCallisaurus draconoides

shoulder

SnakesBanded Sand SnakeSonora cincta

shoulder

SnakesCalifornia King SnakeLampropeltis californiae

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsCanyon Tree FrogDryophytes arenicolor

shoulder

SnakesColorado Desert Shovelnose SnakeSonora annulata

shoulder

LizardsCommon ChuckwallaSauromalus ater

shoulder

LizardsDesert Horned LizardPhrynosoma platyrhinos

shoulder

LizardsDesert IguanaDipsosaurus dorsalis

shoulder

LizardsDesert Spiny LizardSceloporus magister

shoulder

LizardsGreater Earless LizardCophosaurus texanus

shoulder

SnakesGround SnakeSonora semiannulata

shoulder

LizardsLong-tailed Brush LizardUrosaurus graciosus

shoulder

LizardsRegal Horned LizardPhrynosoma solare

shoulder

LizardsSonoran Spotted WhiptailAspidoscelis sonorae

shoulder

SnakesWestern Glossy SnakeArizona occidentalis

shoulder

SnakesWestern Patch-nosed SnakeSalvadora hexalepis

shoulder

SnakesWestern ThreadsnakeRena humilis

About Sonoran Desert

When are reptiles and amphibians most active in the Sonoran Desert?

June is the busiest month in the Sonoran Desert, with 60 species at peak activity. At least half of the area's species are active from March through October.

What reptiles and amphibians live in the Sonoran Desert?

69 species have enough iNaturalist records to show here: 30 lizards, 28 snakes, 9 frogs and toads, and 2 turtles. The most-reported are the Common Side-blotched Lizard, Desert Spiny Lizard, and Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake.

Are there venomous snakes in the Sonoran Desert?

Yes. The Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake, Sidewinder, Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake, Red Diamond Rattlesnake, Mojave Rattlesnake, Tiger Rattlesnake, Western Black-tailed Rattlesnake, Sonoran Coralsnake, and Western Rattlesnake live here. Don't handle them.

Which reptiles and amphibians in the Sonoran Desert are introduced?

The Pond Slider, Mediterranean House Gecko, American Bullfrog, 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.