Colored pencil on Bristol Board, 9 × 12 in. A Yellow-blotched Palm Pit Viper emerges from the darkness, emphasizing the vivid color, intricate detail, and elusive nature of this beautifully camouflaged snake.

Graphite pencil on paper. Ambush is a Copperhead drawing by Michael E. Dorcas emphasizing the snake’s cryptic patterning, intricate scales, camouflage, and quiet tension. Reference photograph courtesy of W. W. Lamar.

Colored pencil on paper. 9 x 12 in. Eye of the Beholder is a Green Anole drawing by Michael E. Dorcas that reveals the vivid colors, luminous eye, and intricate mosaic of scales often missed when seen at a distance. Reference photograph courtesy of W. W. Lamar.

Graphite pencil on paper. Salt and Sun is a Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) drawing by Michael E. Dorcas, inspired by his 2010 encounters with these remarkable ocean-foraging lizards in the Galápagos Islands.

Colored pencil on paper. Indigo Flame is an Eastern Indigo Snake drawing by Michael E. Dorcas, emphasizing the orange face, glossy blue-black scales, and quiet power of this remarkable predator.

Graphite pencil on paper. Aldabra is an Aldabra Giant Tortoise drawing by Michael E. Dorcas that emphasizes the animal’s immense foreleg, weathered skin, and quiet, thoughtful expression. The artwork was inspired in part by the artist’s experiences working with these tortoises as a teenage volunteer at the Fort Worth Zoo.

Graphite pencil on paper. 9 x 12 in. Hanging Out is a Central American Eyelash Pitviper drawing by Michael E. Dorcas that captures the snake’s loosely draped coils, strongly keeled scales, prominent eye, and characteristic arboreal ambush posture. Reference photograph courtesy of W. W. Lamar.

Graphite pencil on paper. 9 x 12 in. Sinuous Beauty is a Rough Green Snake drawing by Michael E. Dorcas (Tantilla Art) that highlights the large eye, graceful profile, and intricate scales of this beautifully camouflaged species. Reference photograph courtesy of W. W. Lamar.

Fair Warning is a Cottonmouth, or Water Moccasin, graphite drawing by Michael E. Dorcas that captures the snake’s boldly patterned coils and characteristic open-mouth defensive warning display. Reference photographs courtesy of W. W. Lamar.

Graphite pencil on paper, 8 × 10 in. A detailed portrait of a Green Iguana inspired by Michael E. Dorcas’s lifelong experiences with the species, from keeping them as a child to observing and capturing them during tropical fieldwork.

Graphite pencil on paper. A Galápagos giant tortoise steps through a weathered wooden frame in this wildlife drawing inspired by Michael E. Dorcas’s visit to the islands, his encounter with Lonesome George, and the tortoises’ long history of endurance and exploitation.

Graphite pencil on paper. King of Diamonds is an Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake drawing by Michael E. Dorcas, inspired by years of ecological and physiological research on this remarkable ambush predator. Reference photograph courtesy of W. W. Lamar.

Colored pencil on paper. Aru Emerald is an adult Green Tree Python drawing by Michael E. Dorcas, inspired by an Aru Island–lineage snake he kept in his office and his fascination with arboreal snake evolution.

Colored pencil on paper. Scarlet Secret is a Texas Coral Snake drawing by Michael E. Dorcas, emphasizing the vivid warning bands and hidden life of this rarely encountered species. Reference photograph courtesy of W. W. Lamar.

Graphite pencil on paper. “Our Chameleon” is a Green Anole drawing by Michael E. Dorcas, reflecting decades of experience with this familiar but often underappreciated southeastern lizard. Reference photograph courtesy of W. W. Lamar.

Nocturnal Reflections is a graphite drawing of a Spectacled Caiman by Michael E. Dorcas (Tantilla Art), inspired by nighttime encounters in Costa Rica and the eye shine that first reveals these feisty little crocodilians.

Whiplash is a colored pencil drawing of a Coachwhip snake by Michael E. Dorcas, emphasizing the vivid coloration, bright eye, speed, and intense alertness of this powerful active predator.

Graphite pencil on paper. Ocean Traveler is a Green Sea Turtle drawing by Michael E. Dorcas, inspired by encounters around the world and composed to capture the effortless appearance of flight through open water.

Graphite pencil on paper. Marsh Girl is a female Diamondback Terrapin drawing by Michael E. Dorcas, inspired by decades of long-term research at Kiawah Island, South Carolina. Reference photograph courtesy of John D. Willson.

Graphite pencil on paper. Komodo is a Komodo Dragon drawing by Michael E. Dorcas, inspired by his 2015 encounters with wild dragons on Komodo and Rinca and the tradition of historic natural-history illustration.

Colored pencil on paper, 9 × 12 in. Canopy Gold is a juvenile Green Tree Python drawing by Michael E. Dorcas, reflecting his fascination with arboreal snake evolution and a captive-bred python he kept in his office. Reference photograph courtesy of W. W. Lamar.

Graphite pencil on paper, 12 x 9 in. Aware is a King Cobra (Ophiophagus sp.) drawing by Michael E. Dorcas, inspired by a calm but unforgettable behind-the-scenes encounter at the Fort Worth Zoo.

Colored pencil on paper. Breaking Through is a Gila Monster (Heloderma suspectum) drawing by Michael E. Dorcas, inspired by encounters with both a tiny juvenile and an adult in Arizona’s Santa Rita Mountains. Reference photograph courtesy of W. W. Lamar.

Graphite pencil on paper, 9 × 12 in. Old Snap is a Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina) drawing by Michael E. Dorcas that captures the strength, age, and dinosaur-like appearance of this powerful freshwater turtle.

Graphite pencil on paper, 12 x 9 in. Texas Royalty is a Texas Horned Lizard drawing by Michael E. Dorcas, inspired by childhood encounters with a once-common reptile now threatened in Texas.