Erik Enderson Photography

Red-spotted toad
(Bufo punctatus )

Several North American biomes meet head-on at the latitude of Arizona. The result of this figurative collision is a spectacular explosion of biodiversity. All four major North American deserts can be observed here as can the deep, colorful canyons and high forests of the Colorado Plateau. Emerging from the south, the Sierra Madre Occidental reaches its northern terminus near southern Arizona where its tropical roots influence much of the region.

Further south and into the vastness of Sonora, Mexico one finds an expansive desert where massive columnar cacti rule. Here, standing at 40ft tall, the great Cardon cactus guards the state's western coastline before yielding to the blue waters of Golfo de California. East of the deserts, an emerald sea of lush tropical forest dominates the foothills of the Sierra Madre. Military Macaw, Jaguar, and Boa constrictors are all at home here.

It is within these realms that exists the inspiration for my photography. I have attempted to capture each plant, each animal, and each environment in the most natural and uninvasive manner possible. These pages represent my vision of some the more obscure and fascinating members of the flora and fauna of Arizona and Sonora, Mexico.

Southern Arizona is home to many
species of tropical origin. The passionflower ranges north from the rain forests of South America to the arid desert near Tucson.

Mexican passionflower

Mexican passionflower
(Passiflora mexicana)

The images on this site are low-resolution reproductions of 35mm sildes and/or digital negatives taken with a D-SLR camera. High-res scans at 4000 DPI are avaialbe as are 16-bit TIFF or PSD files. Whenever possible the plants and animals found on this site were photographed in-situ.