There are plenty of lizards, snakes, and at least one amphibian here. Many are commonly seen in the summer, and disappear to hibernate in the winter.
Despite the arid environment and abundance of rodents, rattlesnakes are essentially absent. Prairie rattlesnakes (Crotalus viridis) and western diamondbacks (Crotalus atrox) are found to the south and west, but it has been many years since a rattlesnake has been sighted locally.
Genus and species names are provided for species that are easy to identify unambiguously (e.g., red coachwhip). There are other animals (e.g., whiptailed lizards) for which there are multiple similar species in the area, and only the genus name is given (e.g., Aspidoscelis spp.).
The page will evolve as more photographs are available to show subtle differences between species. The arbitrary scale of relative abundance is as follows: Individuals of Abundant species can be seen almost every day; Common mammals are seen every week or so; Uncommon show up a few times per season; Rare species may only be seen once a year.
Lizards
Spiny Lizards (Sceloporus spp.)
Abundant
Most common is southwestern fence lizard (S. cowlesi).
Northern Whiptails (Aspidoscelis spp.)
Abundant
Well known for asexual reproduction by females. There are at least six species in the Santa Fe area.
Snakes
Coachwhip (Masticophis flagellum)
Common
Often active during the day. Eats rodents and birds. Rattles tail when threatened.
Glossy Snake (Arizona elegans)
Rare
Adapted for burrowing. Feeds on lizards and small mammals.
Gopher Snake (Pituophis catenifer)
Uncommon
Relatively large and seen from time to time on roads and grasslands.
Amphibians
Woodhouse’s Toad (Anaxyrus woodhousii)
Uncommon
Occasionally observed at night. Often found in sheltered locations.
More information can be found in this post about Jeeves the toad.