Target Species: Reticulated Gila monster, Heloderma suspectum suspectum & Rio Fuerte beaded lizard, Heloderma horridum exasperatum
Location: Alamos, Sonora, Mexico (and Tucson, Arizona)
Director: Roger Finnigan
Location: The Gila monster occurs from Utah to n.Sinaloa, the Beaded lizard occurs from Guatemala to s.Sonora. The two species overlap in southern Sonora.
There are only two species of venomous lizard in the world, the Gila monster and the Beaded lizard. The former exists as two subspecies in southwestern USA and northwestern Mexico south to northern Sinaloa State, the latter occurs as four subspecies from Guatemala, north through western Mexico to southern Sonora State. There is a small overlap zone in southern Sonora where both species occur and Mark plans to try to find both species as close together as possible. This task is made more difficult by the fact that Gila monsters are basically desert fringe lizards while beaded lizards inhabit deciduous woodlands, different habitats in other words. They also spend a large proportion of their lives underground so the chances of finding them out and about are slim. Brent Martin has considerable experience with Sonoran reptiles so his assistance will be essential if Mark is to succeed. In Sonora Mark discovers one of the richest herpetofaunas of his life.
[Mark’s first visits the famous Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum to acquaint himself with his quarry, goes into the Arizona desert to find rattlesnakes and tortoises and also spends some time with the police and other authorities trying to protect Arizona Gila monsters from being poached and stolen, or killed in gardens. None of the Arizona section made the final film.]
A close view of a Rio Fuerte beaded lizard (Heloderma horridum exasperatum), note longer head and more subdued patterning.
| BUFONIDAE |
TRUE TOADS |
| Bufo alvarius |
Colorado River toad |
| Bufo mazatlanensis |
Sonoran toad |
| Bufo punctatus |
Red spotted toad |
| HYLIDAE |
TREEFROGS |
| Smilisca baudini |
Common Mexican treefrog |
| LEPTODACTYLIDAE |
SOUTHERN FROGS |
| Eleutherodactylus augusti cactorum |
Western barking frog |
| RANIDAE |
TRUE FROGS |
| Rana magnaocularis |
Northwest Mexico leopard frog |
| EMYDIDAE |
POND TERRAPINS & BOX TURTLES |
| Terrapene nelsoni klauberi |
Sonoran box turtle |
| KINOSTERNIDAE |
MUD & MUSK TURTLES |
| Kinosternon integrum |
Mexican mud turtle |
| Kinosternon alamosae |
Alamos mud turtle |
| TESTUDINIDAE |
TORTOISES |
| Gopherus agassizii |
Desert tortoise |
| GEKKONIDAE |
GECKOES |
| Hemidactylus turcicus |
Turkish house gecko |
| HELODERMIDAE |
VENOMOUS LIZARDS |
| Heloderma horridum exasperatum |
Rio Fuerte beaded lizard |
| Heloderma suspectum suspectum |
Reticulated Gila monster |
| IGUANIDAE |
IGUANAS |
| Ctenosaura hemilopha macrolopha |
Mainland spiny iguana |
| PHRYNOSOMATIDAE |
SWIFTS & SPINY LIZARDS |
| Callisaurus draconoides draconoides |
Common zebra-tailed lizard |
| Callisaurus draconoides brevipes |
Short-footed zebra-tailed lizard |
| Cophosaurus texanum scitulus |
Southwestern earless lizard |
| Holbrookia maculata |
Lesser earless lizard |
| Phrynosoma solare |
Regal horned lizard |
| Sceloporus clarki |
Clark’s spiny lizard |
| Sceloporus magister magister |
Sonoran spiny lizard |
| Sceloporus nelsoni |
Nelson’s spiny lizard |
| Uta stansburiana |
Side-blotched lizard |
| Urosaurus ornatus |
Tree lizard |
| POLYCROTIDAE |
ANOLES |
| Anolis nebulosus |
Clouded anole |
| TEIIDAE |
MACROTEIIDS |
| Cnemidophorus costatus griseocephalus |
Grey-headed whiptail lizard |
| Cnemidophorus sonorae |
Sonoran spotted whiptail lizard |
| Cnemidophorus tigris gracilis |
Arizona desert whiptail |
| BOIDAE |
BOAS |
| Boa constrictor imperator |
Imperial boa |
| COLUBRIDAE |
TYPICAL SNAKES |
| Drymarchon corais rubidus |
Red tailed cribo |
| Drymobius margaritiferus fistulosus |
Western speckled racer |
| Hypsiglena torquata ochrorhyncha |
Sonoran night snake |
| Gyalopion quadangulare |
Desert hooknose snake |
| Leptophis diplotropis diplotropis |
Pacific coast parrot snake |
| Masticophis bilineatus bilineatus |
Sonoran whipsnake |
| Masticophis flagellum cingulum |
Sonoran coachwhip |
| Phyllorhynchus browni fortitus |
Sonoran leaf-nosed snake |
| Pituophis melanoleucus affinis |
Sonoran gopher snake |
| Rhinocheilus lecontei antonii |
Mexican long-nosed snake |
| Sympholis lippens rectilimbus |
Mexican short-tailed snake |
| Trimorphodon tau tau |
Mexican lyre snake |
| VIPERIDAE |
VIPERS & PITVIPERS |
| Crotalus atrox |
Western diamondback rattlesnake |
| Crotalus basiliscus |
Mexican west coast rattlesnake |
