Brazos Mountains to 55 million years ago during the Laramide orogeny. To the east and northeast lie the Sangre de Cristo Mountains which share a similar geological history. The Brazos Cliffs, which form a dramatic backdrop to Tierra Amarilla, are formed of Precambrian quartzite. Brazos Mountains The Brazos Mountains is a range in far northern Rio Arriba County, in northern New Mexico in the southwestern United States. A high crest runs from the border with Colorado for over in a south-southeasterly direction. The high point of the range at is on Grouse Mesa, at the Brazos Benchmark. Two miles (3 km) to
Brazos water snake Brazos water snake The Brazos water snake ("Nerodia harteri" ), also called commonly Harter's water snake, is a species of mostly aquatic, nonvenomous snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to Texas in the United States. "N. harteri" is found only in central Texas in the Brazos River system. The preferred habitat of "N. harteri" is rocky areas along the Brazos River. Due to its limited range, "N. harteri" is considered to be a threatened species in the State of Texas. The specific name or epithet, "harteri", is in honor of American amateur herpetologist Philip Harter, who collected