List of reptiles of Texas

This is a list of Texas reptiles, including all snakes, lizards, crocodilians, and turtles native to the state of Texas.

The state of Texas has a large variety of habitats, from swamps, coastal marshes and pine forests in the east, rocky hills and limestone karst in the center, desert in the south and west, mountains in the far west, and grassland prairie in the north. This vast contrast in biomes makes Texas home to an extremely wide variety of herpetofauna. Its central position in the United States means that species found primarily in either the western or eastern reaches of the country often have their ranges meeting in the state. Its proximity to Mexico is such that many species found there and into Central America range as far north as Texas. The abundance of reptiles makes the state a prime area for research, and most species found in Texas have been well studied.

Texas state law protects several reptile species; threatened species denoted as (T) and endangered species denoted as (E). The moderate climate of Texas has also led to some species being introduced to the state and establishing a permanent population, denoted as (I).

Crocodilians

Family Alligatoridae

Lizards

Alligator lizards

Family Anguidae (anguid lizards)

Anoles

Family Polychrotidae (anoles)

Collared lizards

Family Crotaphytidae (collared and leopard lizards)

Geckos

Family Gekkonidae (geckos)

Iguanas

Family Iguanidae (iguanas)

Legless lizards

Spiny and horned lizards

Family Phrynosomatidae (sand, horned, and spiny lizards)

Skinks

Family Scincidae (skinks)

Whiptails

Family Teiidae (Whiptails)

Snakes

Blind Snakes

Family Leptotyphlopidae

Colubrids

Western coachwhip

Family Colubridae

Elapids

Family Elapidae

Viperids

Family Viperidae (vipers)

Turtles

Marine turtles

Family Cheloniidae (marine turtles)

Family Dermochelidae (leatherback sea turtles)

Mud and musk turtles

Family Kinosternidae (mud and musk turtles)

Pond and box turtles

Family Emydidae (water and box turtles)

Snapping turtles

Family Chelydridae (snapping turtles)

Softshell turtles

Family Trionychidae (softshell turtles)

Tortoises

Family Testudinidae (gopher tortoises)

See also

References

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