These spiders are are very shy and usually stay hidden until they sense a vibration in the web made by a prey item …
Canyon Life
Flame Skimmer Dragonfly
The Flame Skimmer is a large robust bright orange dragonfly with extensive amber color in the wings. Dragonflies and …
Black Widow Spider
The Black widow has the worst reputation of any spider, but is not aggressive unless defending her cocoon. The male does …
American Snout Butterfly
When perched with its wings closed, the butterfly can look much like a dead leaf, the snout appearing to be the stem of …
Zebra-Tailed Lizard
Zebra-tailed Lizards are very fast and can often be observed waving their banded tails. The photograph above shows a …
Tiger Rattlesnake
They often fail to rattle and seldom strike; however if they do their venom is highly toxic. The Tiger rattlesnake is …
Sonoran Desert Toad
Sonoran Desert Toads exude toxic secretions that, if ingested, can cause hallucinations, paralysis or even death in …
Regal Horned Lizard
This lizard sometimes squirts foul tasting blood from its eyes when threatened or captured. Regal Horned Lizards are …
Madrean Alligator Lizard
The Madrean Alligator lizard is active during the day and evening. The Madrean Alligator Lizard is a large (to 5.5 …
Gopher Snake
Gopher snakes are Arizona’s longest snakes. They have been reported up to 92 inches (7.66 feet) long but 4 feet is more …
Gila Monster
The hide has a beaded appearance because it is made of tightly woven scales that each enclose a rounded particle of …
Eastern Collared Lizard
This lizard becomes bipedal in pursuit of prey or when fleeing predators such as large snakes, hawks and …
Desert Tortoise
A full-grown desert tortoise is approximately one foot long, weighs about 15 pounds and has a life expectancy of 80 …
Black-Tailed Rattlesnake
Like other pit vipers they use heat-sensing pits to detect warm-blooded predators and prey. Black-tailed Rattlesnakes …
Black-Necked Garter Snake
They are often encountered mid-morning or late afternoons foraging for tadpoles in shallow water. They also eat frogs, …
Zone-Tailed Hawk
Zone-tailed Hawks are solitary raptors and usually are seen individually. Zone-tailed Hawks are large (20 inches long …
Western Tanager
During breeding season the male sports a vivid orange-red head due to the presence of rhodoxanthin, a pigment acquired …
Western Screech-Owl
They do not migrate. They live on the edges of wooded areas, in the desert and within urban areas. These small grey …
Western Bluebird
They often compete with other birds such as Phainopepla for desert fruit such as mistletoe berries. The Western …
Violet-Crowned Hummingbird
When it appeared in Sabino Canyon above the dam, it instantly become a magnet for birders all over Tucson I first …
Vermilion Flycatcher
During the breeding seasons, male Vermillion Flycatchers perform a dramatic flight display above the tree canopy, …