In January 2018 I visited the famous Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and was asked to form a species list since the collection isn't well-covered on the forum. Reptiles, Invertebrates, Amphibians San Esteban Spiny-Tailed Iguana Ctenosaura conspicuosa San Esteban Chuckwalla Sauromalus varius Gila Monster Heloderma suspectum Mexican Cantil Agkistrodon bilineatus Western Diamondback Rattlesnake Crotalus atrox Santa Catalina Island Rattlesnake Crotalus catalinensis Sonoran Desert Sidewinder Crotalus cerastes cercobombus Arizona Black Rattlesnake Crotalus cerberus Northern Black-Tailed Rattlesnake Crotalus molossus molossus Mexican Black-Tailed Rattlesnake Crotalus molossus nigrescens Mojave Rattlesnake Crotalus scutulatus scutulatus Tiger Rattlesnake Crotalus tigris Arizona Ridge-Nosed Rattlesnake Crotalus willardi willardi Rosy Boa Lichanura trivirgata Arizona Mountain Kingsnake Lampropeltis pyromelana Red Coachwhip Snake Masticophis flagellum piceus Brown Vine Snake Oxybelis aeneus Western Gopher Snake Pituophis catenifer Western Long-Nosed Snake Rhinocheilus lecontei Northern Green Snake Senticolis triaspis intermedia Arizona Tiger Salamander Ambystoma mavortium nebulosum Western Toad Anaxyrus boreas Eastern Green Toad Anaxyrus debilis debilis Red-Spotted Toad Anaxyrus punctatus Sonoran Green Toad Anaxyrus retiformis Colorado River Toad Incilius alvarius Mexican Leaf Frog Pachymedusa dacnicolor Arizona Blond Tarantula Aphonopelma chalcodes Mexican Rust-Legged Tarantula Brachypelma boehmei Sonoran Desert Spider Homalonychus selenopoides Arizona Black Hole Spider Kukulcania arizonica Western Black Widow Latrodectus hesperus Texas Desert Harvestman Trachyrhinus marmoratus American Giant Vinegarroon Mastigoproctus giganteus Baja California Bark Scorpion Centruroides exilicauda American Tadpole Shrimp Triops longicaudatus Blue Death Feigning Beetle Cryptoglossa verrucosus Southern Giant Water Bug Lethocerus medius Large Milkweed Bug Oncopeltus fasciatus Vagrant Grasshopper Schistocerca nitens Western Short-Horn Walkingstick Parabacillus hesperus Mountain Woodland North American Cougar Puma concolor couguar Mexican Wolf Canis lupus baileyi Eastern Black Bear Ursus americanus americanus Desert Mule Deer Odocoileus hemionus eremicus Coue’s Deer Odocoileus virginianus couesi Sonoran Screech-Owl Megascops kennicottii aikeni Thick-Billed Parrot Rhynchopsitta pachyrhyncha Mexican Jay Aphelocoma wollweberi Desert Grassland Black-Tailed Prairie Dog Cynomys ludovicianus Northern Grasshopper Mouse Onychomys leucogaster Northern Crested Caracara Caracara cheriway Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura North American Black Vulture Coragyps atratus atratus Northern Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias fannini Mojave Rattlesnake Crotalus scutulatus scutulatus Prairie Rattlesnake Crotalus viridis Desert Massasauga Rattlesnake Sistrurus tergeminus edwardsii Western Hognose Snake Heterodon nasicus Sonoran Gopher Snake Pituophis catenifer affinis Desert Box Turtle Terrapene ornata luteola Life on the Rocks Arizona Striped Skunk Mephitis mephitis estor Harris’s Antelope Squirrel Ammospermophilus harrisii White-Throated Woodrat Neotoma albigula Northern Elf Owl Micrathene whitneyi whitneyi Greater Roadrunner Geococcyx californianus Tuscon Banded Gecko Coleonyx variegatus bogerti Western Diamondback Rattlesnake Crotalus atrox Speckled Rattlesnake Crotalus mitchellii Canyon Treefrog Hyla arenicolor Lowland Leopard Frog Lithobates yavapaiensis Mexican Desert Millipede Orthoporus ornatus Tuscon Kissing Bug Triatoma rubida Cat Canyon Brazilian Ocelot Leopardus pardalis mitis Western Bobcat Lynx rufus fasciatus Southern Grey Fox Urocyon cinereoargenteus scottii North American Porcupine Erethizon dorsatum Desert Loop Trail Mearns’s Coyote Canis latrans mearnsi Sonoran Collared Peccary Pecari angulatus sonoriensis Raptor Free Flight Grey Hawk Buteo plagiatus Northern Crested Caracara Caracara cheriway Prairie Falcon Falco mexicanus Prairie Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus anatum Desert Great Horned Owl Bubo virginianus pallescens Chihuahuan Raven Corvus cryptoleucus Riparian Corridor North American River Otter Lontra canadensis Mexican White-Nosed Coati Nasua narica molaris Desert Bighorn Sheep Ovis canadensis nelsoni Sonoran Beaver Castor canadensis frondator Razorback Sucker Xyrauchen texanus Desert Pupfish Cyprinodon macularius Gila Topminnow Poeciliopsis occidentalis Longfin Dace Agosia chrysogaster Bonytail Chub Gila elegans Colorado Pikeminnow Ptychocheilus lucius Walk-in Aviary Gambel’s Quail Callipepla gambelii Masked Bobwhite Quail Colinus virginianus ridgwayi Common Mallard Anas platyrhynchos platyrhynchos Inca Dove Columbina inca White-Winged Dove Zenaida asiatica Lark Bunting Calamospiza melanocorys Steller’s Jay Cyanocitta stelleri macrolopha Western Tanager Piranga ludoviciana Curve-Billed Thrasher Toxostoma curvirostre Cardinalis hybrid Pheucticus hybrid Outside Walk-In Aviary Morafka’s Desert Tortoise Gopherus morafkai Western Cownose Ray Rhinoptera bonasus Hummingbird Aviary Anna’s Hummingbird Calypte anna Costa’s Hummingbird Calypte costae Northern Broad-Billed Hummingbird Cynanthus latirostris magicus Calliope Hummingbird Selasphorus calliope Rufous Hummingbird Selasphorus rufus Warden Aquarium Snowflake Moray Echidna nebulosa Zebra Moray Gymnomuraena zebra Jewelled Moray Muraena lentiginosa Splendid Garden Eel Gorgasia preclara Black-Spotted Garden Eel Heteroconger hassi Convict Tang Acanthurus triostegus Tailspot Cardinalfish Apogon dovii Mexican Hogfish Bodianus diplotaenia Cortez Rainbow Wrasse Thalassoma lucasanum Three-Banded Butterflyfish Chaetodon robustus Limbaugh’s Chromis Chromis limbaughi Cortez Damselfish Stegastes rectifraenum King Angelfish Holacanthus passer Cortez Angelfish Pomacanthus zonipectus Blacknose Butterflyfish Johnrandallia nigrirostris Barred Flagtail Kuhlia mugil Pacific Creolefish Paranthias colonus Pacific Seahorse Hippocampus ingens Beautiful Shiner Cyprinella formosa Humpback Chub Gila cypha Sonoran Chub Gila ditaenia Yaqui Chub Gila purpurea Roundtail Chub Gila robusta Apache Trout Oncorhynchus apache California Horn Shark Heterodontus francisci Off-Exhibit Arizona Ring-Tailed Cacomistle Bassariscus astutus arizonensis Chihuahuan Ring-Tailed Cacomistle Bassariscus astutus flavus Ring-Tailed Cacomistle Bassariscus astutus Kit Fox Vulpes macrotis Mexican Military Macaw Ara militaris mexicana Rio Fuerte Beaded Lizard Heloderma exasperatum Mexican Beaded Lizard Heloderma horridum Banded Gila Monster Heloderma suspectum cinctum Reticulated Gila Monster Heloderma suspectum suspectum Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake Crotalus adamanteus Mexican West Coast Rattlesnake Crotalus basiliscus Colorado Desert Sidewinder Crotalus cerastes laterorepens Lower California Rattlesnake Crotalus enyo enyo Banded Rock Rattlesnake Crotalus lepidus klauberi El Muerto Island Rattlesnake Crotalus mitchellii muertensis Grand Canyon Rattlesnake Crotalus oreganus abyssus Midget Faded Rattlesnake Crotalus oreganus concolor Southern Pacific Rattlesnake Crotalus oreganus helleri Grand Basin Rattlesnake Crotalus oreganus lutosus Twin-Spotted Rattlesnake Crotalus pricei Red Diamondback Rattlesnake Crotalus ruber Hopi Rattlesnake Crotalus viridis nuntius Northern Prairie Rattlesnake Crotalus viridis viridis New Mexico Ridge-Nosed Rattlesnale Crotalus willardi obscurus Chihuahuan Ridge-Nosed Rattlesnake Crotalus willardi silus Desert Kingsnake Lampropeltis getula splendida Sonoran Mountain Kingsnake Lampropeltis pyromelana knoblochi Sinaloan Milksnake Lampropeltis triangulum sinaloae California Mountain Kingsnake Lampropeltis zonata agalma San Diego Gopher Snake Pituophis catenifer annectens Great Basin Gopher Snake Pituopis catenifer deserticola Great Plains Toad Anaxyrus cognatus The off-exhibit list is based off prior knowledge and a bit of ZIMS digging, but is surely not complete. ~Thylo
One taxa I missed that's off-exhibit is Merriam's Wild Turkey, M. g. merriami, that went bts after the Mule Deer arrived. ~Thylo
Impressive list! Just over one year later (Spring 2019) there are only a couple changes that I notice immediately, both in Mountain Woodlands. The thick-billed parrots are no longer there and their exhibit has been empty for many months. The Mexican jay has been gone and the aviary was recently redone with new (thinner) mesh. It was empty as of my last visit two weeks ago, but staff told me it will house a long-eared owl (which may in fact be there by now). Here is a photo: aviary renovation | ZooChat Also the Raptor Free Flight species lineup varies, but your list is a good sampling. A family group of Harris hawks are regulars as well and sometimes a ferruginous hawk (very impressive bird).
I thought it was odd that you list the black bear as eastern subspecies. I saw a docent at the bear exhibit today so I asked where the bear came from and he confirmed it was orphaned near Strawberry (White Mountains), Arizona. Also long-eared owl is now on exhibit. Thick billed parrots will not be returning and exhibit will likely be used for a local bird such as raven or great horned owl or similar (whatever becomes available from local rehabbers, according to a a senior staff person I spoke with today).
I was under the impression that U. a. americanus was the subspecies in Arizona (it's the one that ranges over the majority of the continent) but I suppose it's actually amblyceps. ~Thylo
I am not familiar with Latin names for bears. I was just going by your common name of "eastern" which I assumed meant eastern United States.
Common names can be tricky. "Eastern Black Bear" isn't my name for them, it's just what the nominate subspecies is always referred to (presumably because they were described in the east). The subspecies, however, ranges over the majority of North America. As with most North American mammals, however, the majority of the subspecies probably aren't even valid. ~Thylo
It depends on whether you're interested in the non-animal sections as well, but I'd say one could easily spend 5 hours here. I saw the iguanas easily, but they're a hybrid population between C. conspicuosa and C. macrolopha. ~Thylo
A visit takes 3-4 hours (though you could spend longer if you have lunch and revisit everything). The free roaming spiny-tailed iguanas are easy to see. In fact I see them almost every visit. They are most reliably seen in or near bighorn sheep exhibit and also often in the mountain woodlands. However on this week's visit I saw one sitting on top of the hummingbird aviary.