Fort Bowie National Historic Site - Reptiles (U.S. National Park Service)

NPS Photo - R. Olsen

Black-tailed rattlesnake

Thirty species of reptiles occur at Fort Bowie, including numerous lizards and snakes, as well as the ornate box turtle. Lizard types include four whiptails, two horned lizards, greater earless lizard, spiny lizards, western banded gecko, great plains skink and others, as well as the gila monster - North America's only venomous lizard! Two types of rattlesnakes - the black-tailed and the western diamondback - occur at Fort Bowie, as well as the sonoran whipsnake, western coral snake, patchnosed snakes, and others. Snakes and lizards can often be seen along the trails, since most species favor the open grassland areas and the canyon bottoms, as well as the moist riparian area around Apache Spring. The open grasslands are favored habitats for many mice and insects, which are the primary food items of most snakes and lizards.