Here at JTTT, we not only focus on hunting and fishing, but of all things outdoors. Having a formal education in wildlife biology, I enjoy the vast array of animals that Arizona hosts, including herps.
Gila monster (Heloderma suspectum)
What is herpetology? The term herpetology comes from the Greek root “herpein”, literally meaning “to creep”, and is the study of both reptiles and amphibians. Why were these two groups of animals grouped together? When I first got into herpetology, this confused me, as amphibians don’t share that many characteristics with reptiles, and turtles are in an entire group of their own. Well, it’s just because many people find both of them creepy. With that said, herpetology deals with frogs, toads, salamanders, snakes, lizards, turtles, crocodilians, and much more.
Western diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox)
Arizona offers a large variety of “herps” (animals pertaining to the study of herpetology), and people come from all over the world to try to find an elusive Gila monster, a hidden Arizona black rattlesnake, or be lucky enough to find a ridge-nosed rattlesnake. With that, Arizona has also become a center location for illegal herping trade – a good-looking Gila monster could bring thousands of dollars on the black market. The Arizona Game and Fish Department does as good of a job as they can to bust these criminals, as removing high-dollar herps from the landscape can often be detrimental to the population.
Sonoran desert toad (Incilius alvarius)
There was recently an article released by a news channel (I won’t name numbers) stating that “people who illegally take herps from the landscape are called “herpers””. This is simply untrue, as anybody practicing their right to look for herps is a “herper”. I give props where props are due – the AZ herping community came together, and a single spokesman confronted the news channel regarding the false information. The news channel released a new, updated story making the corrections needed.
Mojave rattlsnake (Crotalus scutulatus)
So what is the point of herping, especially if the name infers that these animals are “creepy”? Well, I herp for many reasons. First, I enjoy being outdoors and I’ll take any excuse to be amongst the open skies. Second, these animals are beautiful, and I enjoy photographing the animals. Third, it’s like Christmas, but in herp form. A herper never knows what they may or may not find, and experiencing what each animal has to offer is a gift in itself.
So what’s my favorite herp? I thoroughly enjoy snakes, and rattlesnakes in particular. Not only are most snakes beautiful, but there is also a slight sense of danger that I personally enjoy. Remember people, a dead snake is not a good snake, as a live snake is what’s putting food on your table (we can talk about this another time); unless hunting them or if endangering your kids, leave ‘em alone!
Side note – I took all of these pictures during various herping trips.
Western diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox)