Here are some links to information I have written on several topics (just click the link to open the pdf document).

1. Identifying Venomous Snakes – Texas has several kinds of venomous snakes, and I’ve put together a free pdf guide to the ones found in north central Texas.

2. North Texas’ Venomous Snakes – How to prevent unwanted encounters as well as how to safely observe and photograph these snakes. Their venoms and first aid for snake bite are also covered. (This was initially published as a two-part article in The Post Oak, newsletter of Arlington Conservation Council).

2. Reptiles – An introduction to what reptiles are and how they work, with some Texas examples.

3. Amphibians – Introducing amphibians, how they are different from reptiles and some examples from Texas.

4. Rattlesnake Roundups – This is a link to an article I wrote for Green Source Texas in April 2025 about the Sweetwater roundup. I attended the roundup in order to write this, and it was the first time I was there since 2001 … and the problems persist.

Some reptiles and amphibians you should know:

Western ratsnake (Texas ratsnake) – the large, harmless snake that sometimes shows up in parks, creeks, and even in people’s yards in north Texas.

Great Plains ratsnake – a medium-sized snake of prairies and open woodlands, but not so often found in the city.

Long-nosed snake – a beautiful, often overlooked snake of the western parts of Texas.

Texas Garter Snake – a garter snake of North and Central Texas that is considered “critically imperiled”.

Checkered garter snake – a harmless striped and checkered snake mostly found in west and south Texas.

Rough earthsnake – a small, plain-looking snake that people often see in their garden or yard.

Texas Horned Lizard – The iconic “horny toad” that has disappeared from many places in Texas.

Alligator Snapping Turtle – The largest freshwater turtle in North America.

Ornate Box Turtle – a charming species that, like other box turtles in the U.S., is declining.

Woodhouse’s toad – a toad that used to be common in the metroplex and can still be found in surrounding areas.