State herp calendar
Reptiles and Amphibians of New Mexico
New Mexico has desert, high plains and mountains. Southwestern Fence Lizards and Common Side-blotched Lizards are the most-reported herps. Lizards and snakes make up most of the list. July is the busiest month. Several rattlesnakes live here, including the Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake and Rock Rattlesnake.
72 species6 ecoregions7 venomous
Search entire stateSpecies out across New Mexico, by group and month
| Group | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snakes | 5 | 14 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 22 | 17 | 5 | |||
| Lizards | 1 | 4 | 13 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 24 | 18 | 7 | 1 |
| Turtles | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| Frogs and Toads | 1 | 1 | 4 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 6 | 1 | ||
| Salamanders | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
Numbers = species active that month (at peak or just starting / winding down).
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Hi, I'm Nick. I built Herp Calendar on my own and I keep it free, with no ads. If it has helped you find a herp this season, a small tip goes straight into the hosting and the data work. Only if you can spare it. Either way, I'm glad you're here.
Pick your ecoregion
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Tap a region to see what's out
Ecoregions of New Mexico
Seasons shift a lot between New Mexico's ecoregions. Pick the one nearest you for a 12-month calendar of what's out.
Chihuahuan Desert
61 speciesHot desert where earless lizards dart and rattlesnakes come out on warm nights.
View calendar →Southwestern Tablelands
36 speciesCanyons and breaks with prairie lizards, collared lizards and rattlesnakes.
View calendar →Arizona and New Mexico Mountains
61 speciesSky-island pine and oak canyons where spiny lizards and rattlesnakes share the rocks.
View calendar →Colorado Plateau
34 speciesRed-rock canyon country with fence lizards, collared lizards and gopher snakes.
View calendar →Southern Rockies
17 speciesHigh mountains where garter snakes and tiger salamanders make the most of summer.
View calendar →High Plains
24 speciesShortgrass prairie and playa lakes with plains toads and prairie rattlesnakes.
View calendar →Venomous here: Eastern Black-tailed Rattlesnake, Mojave Rattlesnake, Prairie Rattlesnake, Rock Rattlesnake, Western Black-tailed Rattlesnake, Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake, Western Massasauga. Don't handle any snake you can't identify.
About New Mexico
When are reptiles and amphibians most active in New Mexico?
July is the busiest month in New Mexico, with 68 species at peak activity. At least half of the area's species are active from April through October.
What reptiles and amphibians live in New Mexico?
72 species have enough iNaturalist records to show here: 26 lizards, 25 snakes, 13 frogs and toads, 6 turtles, and 2 salamanders. The most-reported are the Southwestern Fence Lizard, Common Side-blotched Lizard, and Gopher Snake.
Are there venomous snakes in New Mexico?
Yes. The Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake, Prairie Rattlesnake, Eastern Black-tailed Rattlesnake, Mojave Rattlesnake, Western Black-tailed Rattlesnake, Rock Rattlesnake, and Western Massasauga live here. Don't handle them.
Which reptiles and amphibians in New Mexico are introduced?
The American Bullfrog and Mediterranean House 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.