Herping Expedition to Arizona, 2014
Western Diamondback Rattlesnake, Crotalus atrox, photographed in front of the Animas Mountains.
Catharine Wüster, Wolfgang Wüster and James Hicks sampling possibly the longest Mohave rattlesnake at 1236mm - Crotalus scutulatus ever measured - "El Mofo"
Anthony showing his hat used to cover up the C.atrox, with bite marks and venom on it - Photo courtesy of Chloe McLaughlin
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The opportunity to go herping in America finally arose. I was one of a group of over 20 students and staff to travel to Arizona in mid-September to undertake a field trip to research the biodiversity in the southwestern USA. This was however, for me, also an opportunity to photograph as many of the species out there as possible. We arrived in Phoenix and drove down to Eloy to stay in a motel. Before going to bed we wanted to go for a quick road cruise, which ended up being unsuccessful as the weather turned to the worse - we drove past a train which had just been derailed! The next morning a group herped the vicinity of the motel, and ended up finding a few Mohave Rattlesnakes (Crotalus scutulatus), including "El Mofo" - largest ever recorded Mohave Rattlesnake . From there we proceeded on to stay at the Southwestern Research Station, where due to a hurricane we ended up being cut off for a few days. We continued the program from there, visiting and herping at several more sites including:
It proved to be one of the most successful trips run to Arizona by the Bangor University, as over the 10 days we found 56 Reptile and Amphibian species. Total species count was 56 out of the reported 132 species present in Arizona. Photos of most of the encountered species can be found by scrolling down. 
Anthony photographing a Greater Short Horned Lizard, Phrynosoma hernandesi in a light tent - Photo courtesy of Chloe McLaughlin
Anthony and Wolfgang photographing a Leopard Lizard, Gambelia wislizenii - Photo courtesy of Chloe McLaughlin
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Snakes
Colubridae
Black Necked Garter Snake - Thamnophis cyrtopsis
Black-necked Garter Snake - Thamnophis cyrtopsis
Western Patch Nosed Snake - Salvadora hexalepis
Juvenile Gopher Snake, Pituophis catenifer
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Black Necked Garter Snake - Thamnophis cyrtopsis
Sonoran Mountain King Snake - Lampropeltis pyromelana
Chihuahuan Hook Nosed Snake - Gyalopion canum
Long Nosed Snake - Rhinocheilus lecontei
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Black Necked Garter Snake - Thamnophis cyrtopsis
Sonoran Mountain King Snake - Lampropeltis pyromelana
Chihuahuan Hook Nosed Snake - Gyalopion canum
Mexican Hognose Snake - Heterodon kennerlyi
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Black Necked Garter Snake - Thamnophis cyrtopsis
Coachwhip - Coluber (Masticophis) flagellum
Juvenile Gopher Snake, Pituophis catenifer
Desert King Snake, Lampropeltis getula splendida
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Crotalinae
Black Tailed Rattlesnake - Crotalus molossus
In-Situ Black Tailed Rattlesnake - Crotalus molossus
Tiger Rattlesnake - Crotalus tigris
Juvenile In-Situ Western Diamondback Rattlesnake - Crotalus atrox
Western Diamondback Rattlesnake - Crotalus atrox
Sidewinder - Crotalus cerastes
Ridge Nosed Rattlesnake - Crotalus willardi
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Black Tailed Rattlesnake - Crotalus molossus
Black Tailed Rattlesnake - Crotalus molossus
In-Situ Tiger Rattlesnake - Crotalus tigris
Juvenile Western Diamondback Rattlesnake - Crotalus atrox
Sidewinder - Crotalus cerastes
Sidewinder - Crotalus cerastes
Ridge Nosed Rattlesnake - Crotalus willardi
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Black Tailed Rattlesnake - Crotalus molossus
Black Tailed Rattlesnake - Crotalus molossus
Tiger Rattlesnake - Crotalus tigris
Western Diamondback Rattlesnake - Crotalus atrox
Sidewinder - Crotalus cerastes
Ridge Nosed Rattlesnake - Crotalus willardi
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In-Situ Black Tailed Rattlesnake - Crotalus molossus
Black Tailed Rattlesnake - Crotalus molossus
Western Diamondback Rattlesnake - Crotalus atrox
Western Diamondback Rattlesnake - Crotalus atrox
Sidewinder - Crotalus cerastes
Ridge Nosed Rattlesnake - Crotalus willardi
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Lizards
Phrynosomatidae
Yarrow's Spiny Lizard - Sceloporus jarrovii
Desert Spiny Lizard - Sceloporus magister
Striped Plateau Lizard - Sceloporus virgatus
Texas Horned Lizard - Phrynosoma cornutum
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Yarrow's Spiny Lizard - Sceloporus jarrovii
Desert Spiny Lizard - Sceloporus magister
Striped Plateau Lizard - Sceloporus virgatus
Greater Short Horned Lizard - Phrynosoma hernandesi
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Yarrow's Spiny Lizard - Sceloporus jarrovii
Clark's Spiny Lizard - Sceloporus clarkii
In-Situ Juvenile Ornate Tree Lizard - Urosaurus ornatus
Greater Short Horned Lizard - Phrynosoma hernandesi
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Yarrow's Spiny Lizard - Sceloporus jarrovii
Elegant Earless Lizard - Holbrookia elegans
Ornate Tree Lizard - Urosaurus ornatus
Juvenile Ornate Tree Lizard - Urosaurus ornatus
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Other Lizards
Long Nosed Leopard Lizard - Gambelia wislizenii
Great Plains Skink - Eumeces obsoletus
Desert grassland whiptail - Aspidoscelis uniparens
Western Banded Gecko - Coleonyx variegatus
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Long Nosed Leopard Lizard - Gambelia wislizenii, with a fly on the eye!
Desert grassland whiptail - Aspidoscelis uniparens
Juvenile Spiny Tailed Iguana - Ctenosaura sp. introduced to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.
Western Banded Gecko - Coleonyx variegatus
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Madrean Alligator Lizard - Elgaria kingii
Desert grassland whiptail - Aspidoscelis uniparens
Juvenile Spiny Tailed Iguana - Ctenosaura sp. introduced to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.
Western Banded Gecko - Coleonyx variegatus
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Madrean Alligator Lizard - Elgaria kingii
Canyon Spotted Whiptail - Aspidoscelis burti
Western Banded Gecko - Coleonyx variegatus
Gila Monster - Heloderma suspectum
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Amphibians
Sonoran Desert Toad - Incilius alvarius
Mexican Spadefoot - Spea multiplicata
Juvenile Red Spotted Toad - Anaxyrus punctatus
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Green Toad - Anaxyrus debilis
American Bullfgrog - Lithobates catesbeianus
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Great Plains Toad - Anaxyrus cognatus
Sonoran Desert Toad - Incilius alvarius
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Couch's Spadefoot - Scaphiopus couchi
Anthony with a Sonoran Desert Toad - Incilius alvarius
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Invertebrates and Other
Arizona Stripedtail Scorpion - Vaejovis sp.
Arizona Giant Centipede - Scolopendra heros arizonensis
White Tailed Deer - Odocoileus virginianus
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Arizona Stripedtail Scorpion - Vaejovis sp.
Blue Throated Hummingbird - Lampornis clemenciae, at Southwestern Research Station
White Tailed Deer - Odocoileus virginianus
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Giant Whip Scorpion (Vinegaroon) - Mastigoproctus giganteus
Kangaroo Rat - Dipodomys sp.
Mexican Free Tailed Bats - Tadarida brasiliensis, under a bridge in Tuscon.
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Arizona Giant Centipede - Scolopendra heros arizonensis
Blue Throated Hummingbird - Lampornis clemenciae, at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.
Anthony, recording the GPS coordinates of a Checkered Garter Snake - Thamnophis marcianus
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