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
- Genus Alligator
- Alligator mississippiensis (American alligator)
Lizards
Alligator lizards
Family Anguidae (anguid lizards)
- Genus Gerrhonotus
- Gerrhonotus infernalis (Texas alligator lizard)
Anoles
Family Polychrotidae (anoles)
- Genus Anolis
- Anolis carolinensis (green anole)
- Anolis sagrei (brown anole) (I)
Collared lizards
Family Crotaphytidae (collared and leopard lizards)
- Genus Crotaphytus (collared lizards)
- Crotaphytus collaris (eastern collared lizard)
- Crotaphytus reticulatus (reticulated collared lizard) (T)
- Genus Gambelia (leopard lizards)
- Gambelia wislizenii (longnose leopard lizard)
Geckos
Family Gekkonidae (geckos)
- Genus Coleonyx
- Coleonyx brevis (Texas banded gecko)
- Coleonyx reticulatus (reticulated gecko) (T)
- Genus Cyrtodactylus
- Cyrtopodion scabrum (rough-tailed gecko) (I)
- Genus Hemidactylus
- Hemidactylus turcicus (Mediterranean gecko) (I)
- Hemidactylus frenatus (Asian house gecko)
Iguanas
Family Iguanidae (iguanas)
- Genus Iguana
- Iguana iguana (green iguana) (I)
- Genus Ctenosaura
- Ctenosaura pectinata (Mexican spinytail iguana) (I)
Legless lizards
- Genus Ophisaurus
- Ophisaurus attenuatus attenuatus (western slender glass lizard)
Spiny and horned lizards
Family Phrynosomatidae (sand, horned, and spiny lizards)
- Genus Cophosaurus
- Cophosaurus texanus (greater earless lizard)
- Genus Holbrookia
- Holbrookia lacerata lacerata (spot-tailed earless lizard)
- Holbrookia lacerata subcaudalis (southern earless lizard)
- Holbrookia maculata approximans (speckled earless lizard)
- Holbrookia maculata maculata (eastern earless lizard)
- Holbrookia maculata perspicua (prairie earless lizard)
- Holbrookia propinqua (keeled earless lizard)
- Genus Phrynosoma (horned lizards)
- Phrynosoma cornutum (Texas horned lizard) (T)
- Phrynosoma douglasii (short-horned lizard) (T)
- Phrynosoma modestum (roundtail horned lizard)
- Genus Sceloporus
- Sceloporus arenicolus (dunes sagebrush lizard) (T)
- Sceloporus graciosus (sagebrush lizard)
- Sceloporus grammicus (mesquite lizard)
- Sceloporus magister (twin-spotted spiny lizard)
- Sceloporus merriami annulatus (Big Bend Canyon lizard)
- Sceloporus merriami longipunctatus (Presidio Canyon lizard)
- Sceloporus merriami merriami (canyon lizard)
- Sceloporus olivaceus (Texas spiny lizard)
- Sceloporus poinsettii (crevice spiny lizard)
- Sceloporus serrifer (blue spiny lizard)
- Sceloporus undulatus consobrinus (southern prairie lizard)
- Sceloporus undulatus garmani (northern prairie lizard)
- Sceloporus undulatus hyacinthinus (northern fence lizard)
- Sceloporus variabilis (rosebelly lizard)
- Genus Urosaurus
- Urosaurus ornatus ornatus (Texas tree lizard)
- Urosaurus ornatus schmidti (Big Bend tree lizard)
- Genus Uta
- Uta stansburiana (desert side-blotched lizard)
Skinks
Family Scincidae (skinks)
- Genus Plestiodon
- Plestiodon anthracinus pluvialis (southern coal skink)
- Plestiodon fasciatus (five-lined skink)
- Plestiodon laticeps (broadhead skink)
- Plestiodon multivirgatus epipleurotus (variable skink)
- Plestiodon obsoletus (Great Plains Skink)
- Plestiodon septentrionalis obtusirostris (southern prairie skink)
- Plestiodon tetragrammus brevilineatus (short-lined skink)
- Plestiodon tetragrammus tetragrammus (four-lined skink)
- Genus Scincella
- Scincella lateralis (ground skink)
Whiptails
Family Teiidae (Whiptails)
- Genus Cnemidophorus
- Cnemidophorus dixoni (gray checkered whiptail)
- Cnemidophorus exsanguis (Chihuahuan spotted whiptail)
- Cnemidophorus gularis (Texas spotted whiptail)
- Cnemidophorus inornatus heptagrammus (Trans-Pecos striped whiptail)
- Cnemidophorus laredoensis (Laredo striped whiptail)
- Cnemidophorus marmoratus (marbled whiptail)
- Cnemidophorus neomexicanus (New Mexico whiptail)
- Cnemidophorus septemvittatus (Plateau spotted whiptail)
- Cnemidophorus sexlineatus sexlineatus (eastern six-lined racerunner)
- Cnemidophorus sexlineatus viridis (prairie racerunner)
- Cnemidophorus tesselatus (checkered whiptail)
- Cnemidophorus uniparens (desert grassland whiptail)
Snakes
Blind Snakes
Family Leptotyphlopidae
- Genus Leptotyphlops (blind snakes)
- Leptotyphlops dulcis dissectus (New Mexico blind snake)
- Leptotyphlops dulcis dulcis (Plains blind snake)
- Leptotyphlops humilis segregus (Trans-Pecos blind snake)
Colubrids
Family Colubridae
- Genus Arizona (glossy snakes)
- Arizona elegans arenicola (Texas glossy snake)
- Arizona elegans elegans (Kansas glossy snake)
- Arizona elegans philipi (Painted Desert glossy snake)
- Genus Bogertophis
- Bogertophis subocularis (Trans-Pecos rat snake)
- Genus Carphophis (worm snakes)
- Carphophis vermis (western worm snake)
- Genus Cemophora (scarlet snakes)
- Cemophora coccinea copei (northern scarlet snake)
- Cemophora coccinea lineri (Texas scarlet snake) (T)
- Genus Coluber (racers)
- Coluber constrictor anthicus (buttermilk racer)
- Coluber constrictor etheridgei (tan racer)
- Coluber constrictor flaviventris (eastern yellowbelly racer)
- Coluber constrictor oaxaca (Mexican racer)
- Coluber constrictor priapus (southern black racer)
- Genus Coniophanes
- Coniophanes imperialis (black-striped snake) (T)
- Genus Diadophis (ringneck snakes)
- Diadophis punctatus arnyi (prairie ringneck snake)
- Diadophis punctatus regalis (regal ringneck snake)
- Diadophis punctatus stictogenys (Mississippi ringneck snake)
- Genus Drymarchon (indigo snakes)
- Drymarchon corais erebennus (Texas indigo snake) (T)
- Genus Drymobius
- Drymobius margaritiferus (speckled racer) (T)
- Genus Elaphe (rat snakes)
- Elaphe bairdi (Baird's rat snake)
- Elaphe guttata emoryi (Great Plains rat snake)
- Elaphe guttata guttata (corn snake)
- Elaphe obsoleta lindheimeri (Texas rat snake)
- Elaphe obsoleta obsoleta (black rat snake)
- Elaphe slowinskii (Slowinski's corn snake)
- Genus Farancia (mud snakes)
- Farancia abacura (mud snake)
- Genus Ficimia
- Ficimia streckeri (Mexican hooknose snake)
- Genus Gyalopion
- Gyalopion canum (western hooknose snake)
- Genus Heterodon (hognose snakes)
- Heterodon kennerlyi (Mexican hognose snake)
- Heterodon nasicus gloydi (dusty hognose snake)
- Heterodon nasicus nasicus (western hognose snake)
- Heterodon platirhinos (eastern hognose snake)
- Genus Hypsiglena (night snakes)
- Hypsiglena torquata jani (Texas night snake)
- Genus Lampropeltis (kingsnakes and milk snakes)
- Lampropeltis alterna (grey-banded kingsnake)
- Lampropeltis calligaster (prairie kingsnake)
- Lampropeltis getula holbrooki (speckled kingsnake)
- Lampropeltis getula splendida (desert kingsnake)
- Lampropeltis triangulum amaura (Louisiana milk snake)
- Lampropeltis triangulum annulata (Mexican milk snake)
- Lampropeltis triangulum celaenops (New Mexico milk snake)
- Lampropeltis triangulum gentilis (Central Plains milk snake)
- Genus Leptodeira (cat-eyed snakes)
- Leptodeira septentrionalis (northern cat-eyed snake) (T)
- Genus Masticophis (coachwhip snakes and whipsnakes)
- Masticophis flagellum flagellum (eastern coachwhip)
- Masticophis flagellum testaceus (western coachwhip)
- Masticophis schotti schotti (Schott's whipsnake)
- Masticophis schotti ruthveni (Ruthven's whipsnake)
- Masticophis taeniatus girardi (Central Texas whipsnake)
- Masticophis taeniatus taeniatus (desert striped whipsnake)
- Genus Nerodia (water snakes)
- Nerodia clarkii (salt marsh snake)
- Nerodia clarkii clarkii (Gulf salt marsh snake)
- Nerodia cyclopion (Mississippi green water snake)
- Nerodia erythrogaster erythrogaster (red-bellied water snake)
- Nerodia erythrogaster transversa (blotched water snake)
- Nerodia fasciata confluens (broad-banded water snake)
- Nerodia fasciata pictiventris (Florida water snake)
- Nerodia harteri (Brazos Water Snake) (T)
- Nerodia paucimaculata (Concho water snake) (T)
- Nerodia rhombifer (Diamondback water snake)
- Genus Opheodrys (green snakes)
- Opheodrys aestivus (rough green snake)
- Opheodrys vernalis (smooth green snake) (T)
- Genus Pituophis (gopher snakes)
- Pituophis catenifer affinis (Sonoran gopher snake)
- Pituophis catenifer sayi (bull snake)
- Pituophis ruthveni (Louisiana pine snake) (T)
- Genus Regina (crayfish snakes)
- Regina grahamii (Graham's crayfish snake)
- Regina rigida (Gulf crayfish snake)
- Genus Rhinocheilus (longnose snakes)
- Rhinocheilus lecontei tessellatus (Texas longnose snake)
- Genus Salvadora (patchnose snakes)
- Salvadora deserticola (Big Bend patchnose snake)
- Salvadora grahamiae grahamiae (mountain patchnose snake)
- Salvadora grahamiae lineata (Texas patchnose snake)
- Genus Sonora (ground snakes)
- Sonora semiannulata (ground snake)
- Genus Storeria
- Storeria dekayi limnetes (marsh brown snake)
- Storeria dekayi texana (Texas brown snake)
- Storeria occipitomaculata (redbelly snake)
- Genus Tantilla
- Tantilla atriceps (Mexican blackhead snake)
- Tantilla cucullata (Big Bend blackhead snake) (T)
- Tantilla gracilis (flathead snake)
- Tantilla hobartsmithi (southwestern blackhead snake)
- Tantilla nigriceps (Plains blackhead snake)
- Genus Thamnophis (garter and ribbon snakes)
- Thamnophis cyrtopsis cyrtopsis (blackneck garter snake)
- Thamnophis marcianus (checkered garter snake)
- Thamnophis proximus diabolicus (arid land ribbon snake)
- Thamnophis proximus orarius (Gulf Coast ribbon snake)
- Thamnophis proximus proximus (western ribbon snake)
- Thamnophis proximus rubrilineatus (redstripe ribbon snake)
- Thamnophis radix (Plains garter snake)
- Thamnophis sirtalis annectens (Texas garter snake)
- Thamnophis sirtalis dorsalis (New Mexico garter snake)
- Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis (common garter snake)
- Genus Trimorphodon (lyre snakes)
- Trimorphodon biscutatus vilkinsonii (Texas lyre snake) (T)
- Genus Tropidoclonion
- Tropidoclonion lineatum texanum (Texas lined snake)
- Genus Virginia (earth snakes)
- Virginia striatula (rough earth snake)
- Virginia valeriae (western earth snake)
Elapids
Family Elapidae
- Genus Micrurus (coral snakes)
- Micrurus tener (Texas coral snake)
Viperids
Family Viperidae (vipers)
- Genus Agkistrodon
- Agkistrodon contortrix contortrix (southern copperhead)
- Agkistrodon contortrix laticinctus (broad-banded copperhead)
- Agkistrodon contortrix pictigaster (Trans-Pecos copperhead)
- Agkistrodon piscivorus leucostoma (western cottonmouth)
- Genus Crotalus
- Crotalus atrox (western diamondback rattlesnake)
- Crotalus horridus (timber rattlesnake) (T)
- Crotalus lepidus klauberi (banded rock rattlesnake)
- Crotalus lepidus lepidus (Mottled rock rattlesnake)
- Crotalus molossus molossus (northern blacktail rattlesnake)
- Crotalus scutulatus (Mojave rattlesnake)
- Crotalus viridis viridis (prairie rattlesnake)
- Genus Sistrurus
- Sistrurus catenatus edwardsii (desert massasauga)
- Sistrurus catenatus tergeminus (western massasauga)
- Sistrurus miliarius streckeri (western pigmy rattlesnake)
Turtles
Marine turtles
Family Cheloniidae (marine turtles)
- Genus Caretta
- Caretta caretta (loggerhead sea turtle) (T)
- Genus Chelonia
- Chelonia mydas (green turtle) (T)
- Genus Eretmochelys
- Eretmochelys imbricata (hawksbill sea turtle) (E)
- Genus Lepidochelys
- Lepidochelys kempii (Atlantic Ridley) (E)
Family Dermochelidae (leatherback sea turtles)
- Genus Dermochelys
- Dermochelys coriacea (leatherback sea turtle) (E)
Mud and musk turtles
Family Kinosternidae (mud and musk turtles)
- Genus Kinosternon (mud turtles)
- Kinosternon flavescens (yellow mud turtle)
- Kinosternon hirtipes (Mexican mud turtle)
- Kinosternon subrubrum hippocrepis (Mississippi mud turtle)
- Genus Sternotherus (musk turtles)
- Sternotherus carinatus (razorback musk turtle)
- Sternotherus odoratus (common musk turtle)
Pond and box turtles
Family Emydidae (water and box turtles)
- Genus Chrysemys (painted turtles)
- Chrysemys picta bellii (western painted turtle)
- Chrysemys picta dorsalis (southern painted turtle)
- Genus Deirochelys (chicken turtles)
- Deirochelys reticularia (chicken turtle)
- Genus Graptemys (map turtles)
- Graptemys caglei (Cagle's map turtle)
- Graptemys ouachitensis (Oachita map turtle)
- Graptemys pseudogeographica (false map turtle)
- Graptemys versa (Texas map turtle)
- Genus Malaclemys (diamondback terrapins)
- Malaclemys terrapin (diamondback terrapin)
- Genus Pseudemys (river cooters)
- Pseudemys concinna concinna (Eastern river cooter)
- Pseudemys gorzugi (Rio Grande cooter)
- Pseudemys texana (Texas river cooter)
- Genus Terrapene (box turtles)
- Terrapene carolina carolina (eastern box turtle)
- Terrapene ornata luteola (desert box turtle)
- Terrapene ornata ornata (ornate box turtle)
- Genus Trachemys (sliders)
- Trachemys gaigeae (Big Bend slider)
- Trachemys scripta elegans (red-eared slider)
Snapping turtles
Family Chelydridae (snapping turtles)
- Genus Chelydra
- Chelydra serpentina (common snapping turtle)
- Genus Macrochelys
- Macrochelys temminckii (alligator snapping turtle)
Softshell turtles
Family Trionychidae (softshell turtles)
- Genus Apalone
- Apalone mutica (smooth softshell turtle)
- Apalone spinifera emoryi (Texas spiny softshell turtle)
- Apalone spinifera guadalupensis (Guadalupe spiny softshell turtle)
- Apalone spinifera hartwegi (western spiny softshell turtle)
- Apalone spinifera pallida (pallid spiny softshell turtle)
Tortoises
Family Testudinidae (gopher tortoises)
- Genus Gopherus
- Gopherus berlandieri (Texas tortoise) (T)
See also
References
- Texas Memorial Museum: Herps of Texas
- Texas Parks & Wildlife: Endangered and Threatened Species of Texas
- Integrated Taxonomic Information System
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