Terry Arthur Johnson

On November 20, 2024, we lost a great defender of wildlife and wild places in Terry A. Johnson, known as The Reptilist.

For over 40 years Terry enlightened and endeared people of all ages to the beauty and importance of reptiles and amphibians – especially through his job in mining and as an engineering supervisor in eastern Arizona. He co-founded Friends of the Frisco, and did professional consulting and reptile relocation through his Reptile Conservation Service as The Reptilist.

Terry was a champion for snakes, lizards, and all other critters. During his 30 years at Freeport McMoRan’s mine in Morenci, Arizona, he rescued snakes and educated co-workers about them. He did volunteer snake rescue for the Morenci-Clifton community and used his captive snakes and reptiles to allow folks to get to know their scaly neighbors.

Terry retired in early 2020 and moved to Tucson to live with his sweetheart Robin, where he resided with her for the remainder of his life.

“When I was young, I admired clever people. Now that I am old, I admire kind people.”

– Abraham Joshua Heschel (one of Terry’s favorite quotes)

In May 2024, The Reptilist received a Snake Hero Award from Advocates for Snake Preservation for his unwavering commitment to community engagement in rural southern Arizona. The Tucson Herpetological Society recognized Terry for his dedication to herpetological outreach in the State of Arizona. In an area overlooked by other educators, Terry inspired myriad folks to care about snakes.