For both the casual observer and the experienced naturalist, this indispensable field guide and natural history reference covers all the salamanders, frogs, spadefoots, toads, lizards, snakes, tortoises, and turtles in Arizona. Over 250 stunning photographs, accompanied by range maps, show key details of identification. Fascinating life history and behavior accounts will leave the reader amazed at the biodiversity of Arizona, where the convergence of the ponderosa forests and subalpine meadows of the Colorado Plateau with the Chihuahuan, Sonoran, and Mojave deserts has resulted in a unique herpetofauna. Days are dominated by an astonishing variety of lizards; at night, by Gila monsters, geckos, and snakes. And when the summer monsoon sets in, the desert night comes alive with millions of toads and spadefoots.

John C. Murphy is a retired science educator with a lifelong interest in herpetology. His other books include: Tales of Giant Snakes; Amphibians and Reptiles of Trinidad and Tobago; Homalopsid Snakes: Evolution in the Mud; Secrets of the Snake Charmer: Snakes in the 21st Century; Dogs and Snakes: avoiding the bite; and A Field Guide to the Amphibians & Reptiles of Trinidad & Tobago.