List of reptiles of Alabama

The U.S. state of Alabama is home to 93 indigenous reptile species, not including subspecies. Indigenous species include one species of crocodilian, 12 lizard species, 49 snake species, and 31 turtle species. Three native species have possibly been extirpated from the state. These include the eastern indigo snake, southern hognose snake and the mimic glass lizard.[1][2]

There are four known introduced reptile species, all lizards.[3] They include the Indo-Pacific gecko, brown anole, Texas horned lizard, and Mediterranean house gecko.[4]

Human predation and habitat destruction has placed several reptile species and subspecies at risk of extirpation or extinction. The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources lists the conservation status of each species within the state with a rank of lowest, low, moderate, high, and highest concern.[3][5][6][7]

Alligator

Image Scientific name Common name Family Conservation
concern
Alligator mississippiensisAmerican alligatorAlligatoridaeNo longer listed as endangered, U.S. Fish and Wildlife now lists as threatened

Lizards

Image Scientific name Common name Family Conservation
concern
Ophisaurus attenuatus longicauduseastern slender glass lizardAnguidaeModerate
Ophisaurus mimicusmimic glass lizardAnguidaePossibly extirpated
Ophisaurus ventraliseastern glass lizardAnguidaeModerate
Hemidactylus garnotiiIndo-Pacific geckoGekkonidaeExotic
Hemidactylus turcicusMediterranean house geckoGekkonidaeExotic
Anolis carolinensis carolinensisgreen anoleDactyloidaeLowest
Anolis sagrei carolinensisbrown anoleDactyloidaeExotic
Phrynosoma cornutumTexas horned lizardPhrynosomatidaeExotic
Sceloporus undulatuseastern fence lizardPhrynosomatidaeLow
Plestiodon anthracinuscoal skinkScincidaeHigh
Plestiodon egregiusmole skinkScincidaeLow/
Possibly declining
Plestiodon fasciatusfive-lined skinkScincidaeLowest
Plestiodon inexpectatussoutheastern five-lined skinkScincidaeHigh
Plestiodon laticepsbroad-headed skinkScincidaeLow
Scincella lateralisground skink
little brown skink
ScincidaeLow
Cnemidophorus sexlineatus sexlineatuseastern six-lined racerunnerTeiidaeModerate

Snakes

Alabama is home to sixty-six known snake species and subspecies. There are eleven snake species and subspecies that are venomous to humans in the state. The remaining fifty-five species and subspecies pose no threat to humans.[5][8][9]

Image Scientific name Common name Family Venomous to humans Conservation
concern
Agkistrodon contortrix contortrixsouthern copperheadViperidaeYesLowest
Agkistrodon contortrix mokasennorthern copperhead
highland moccasin
ViperidaeYesLowest
Agkistrodon piscivorus conantiFlorida cottonmouth
green-tailed moccasin
ViperidaeYesLowest
Agkistrodon piscivorus leucostomawestern cottonmouth
water moccasin
ViperidaeYesLowest
Agkistrodon piscivorus piscivoruseastern cottonmouth
water moccasin
ViperidaeYesLowest
Carphophis amoenus amoenuseastern worm snakeColubridaeNoLowest
Carphophis amoenus helenaemidwestern worm snakeColubridaeNoLowest
Cemophora coccinea copeinorthern scarlet snakeColubridaeNoLowest
Coluber constrictor constrictornorthern black racerColubridaeNoLow
Coluber constrictor priapussouthern black racerColubridaeNoLow
Crotalus adamanteuseastern diamondback rattlesnakeViperidaeYesHigh
Crotalus horridustimber rattlesnake
canebrake rattlesnake
ViperidaeYesLow
Diadophis punctatus edwardsiinorthern ringneck snakeColubridaeNoLowest
Diadophis punctatus punctatussouthern ringneck snakeColubridaeNoLowest
Diadophis punctatus stictogenysMississippi ringneck snakeColubridaeNoLowest
Drymarchon couperieastern indigo snakeColubridaeNoHighest,
Possibly extirpated
Elaphe obsoleta spiloidesgray rat snakeColubridaeNoLowest
Farancia abacura abacuraeastern mud snakeColubridaeNoLow
Farancia abacura reinwardtiiwestern mud snakeColubridaeNoLow
Farancia erytrogramma erytrogrammarainbow snakeColubridaeNoHighest
Heterodon platirhinoseastern hognose snakeColubridaeNoModerate
Heterodon simussouthern hognose snakeColubridaeNoHighest,
Possibly extirpated
Lampropeltis calligaster calligasterprairie kingsnakeColubridaeNoHigh
Lampropeltis calligaster rhombomaculatamole kingsnakeColubridaeNoModerate
Lampropeltis elapsoidesscarlet kingsnakeColubridaeNoLow
Lampropeltis getula getulaeastern kingsnakeColubridaeNoHigh
Lampropeltis getula holbrookispeckled kingsnakeColubridaeNoHigh
Lampropeltis nigrablack kingsnakeColubridaeNoLow
Lampropeltis triangulum triangulumeastern milk snakeColubridaeNoModerate
Lampropeltis triangulum syspilared milk snakeColubridaeNoModerate
Masticophis flagellum flagellumeastern coachwhipColubridaeNoModerate
Micrurus fulviuseastern coral snakeElapidaeYesHigh
Nerodia clarkii clarkiiGulf salt marsh snakeColubridaeNoModerate
Nerodia cyclopionMississippi green water snakeColubridaeNoModerate
Nerodia erythrogaster erythrogasterredbelly water snakeColubridaeNoLowest
Nerodia erythrogaster flavigasteryellowbelly water snakeColubridaeNoLowest
Nerodia fasciata confluensbroad-banded water snakeColubridaeNoLowest
Nerodia fasciata fasciatasouthern banded water snakeColubridaeNoLowest
Nerodia fasciata pictiventrisFlorida banded water snakeColubridaeNoLowest
Nerodia floridanaFlorida green water snakeColubridaeNoModerate
Nerodia rhombiferdiamondback water snakeColubridaeNoLow
Nerodia sipedon pleuralismidland water snakeColubridaeNoLowest
Nerodia taxispilotabrown water snakeColubridaeNoLow
Opheodrys aestivusrough green snakeColubridaeNoLow
Pantherophis guttatus guttatuscorn snakeColubridaeNoModerate
Pantherophis obsoletusblack rat snakeColubridaeNoLowest
Pituophis melanoleucus lodingiblack pine snakeColubridaeNoHighest
Pituophis melanoleucus melanoleucusnorthern pine snakeColubridaeNoHigh
Pituophis melanoleucus mugitusFlorida pine snakeColubridaeNoHigh
Regina rigida sinicolaGulf crayfish snakeColubridaeNoLowest
Regina septemvittataqueen snakeColubridaeNoModerate
Rhadinaea flavilatapine woods snakeColubridaeNoModerate
Seminatrix pygaea pygaeaNorth Florida swamp snakeColubridaeNoHigh
Sistrurus miliarius barbouridusky pigmy rattlesnake
Florida ground rattlesnake
ViperidaeYesModerate
Sistrurus miliarius miliariusCarolina pigmy rattlesnake
ground rattlesnake
ViperidaeYesModerate
Sistrurus miliarius streckeriwestern pigmy rattlesnake
ground rattlesnake
ViperidaeYesModerate
Storeria dekayi dekayinorthern brown snakeColubridaeNoLowest
Storeria dekayi limnetesmarsh brown snakeColubridaeNoLowest
Storeria dekayi wrightorummidland brown snakeColubridaeNoLowest
Storeria occipitomaculata occipitomaculatanorthern redbelly snakeColubridaeNoLowest
Tantilla coronatasoutheastern crown snakeColubridaeNoLow
Thamnophis sauritus saurituseastern ribbon snakeColubridaeNoLow
Thamnophis sirtalis sirtaliscommon garter snakeColubridaeNoLow
Virginia striatulasmooth earth snakeColubridaeNoLowest
Virginia valeriae eleganswestern earth snakeColubridaeNoLowest
Virginia valeriae valeriaeeastern earth snakeColubridaeNoLowest

Turtles

Alabama law makes it illegal to take, sell or possess turtles, turtle parts, or turtle eggs from the wild for commercial purposes.[6]

Image Scientific name Common name Family Conservation
concern
Caretta carettaloggerhead sea turtleCheloniidaeHighest
Chelonia mydasgreen sea turtleCheloniidaeHighest
Lepidochelys kempiiAtlantic ridley sea turtleCheloniidaeHighest/
U.S. Fish and Wildlife lists as endangered
Chelydra serpentinacommon snapping turtleChelydridaeLowest
Macrochelys temminckiialligator snapping turtleChelydridaeWheeler Wildlife Refuge lists as endangered
Dermochelys coriacealeatherback sea turtleDermochelyidaeHighest/
U.S. Fish and Wildlife lists as endangered
Chrysemys picta pictaeastern painted turtleEmydidaeLowest
Chrysemys picta dorsalissouthern painted turtleEmydidaeLowest
Chrysemys picta marginatamidland painted turtleEmydidaeLowest
Deirochelys reticularia reticulariaeastern chicken turtleEmydidaeLow
Graptemys barbouriBarbour's map turtleEmydidaeHigh
Graptemys ernstiEscambia map turtleEmydidaeModerate
Graptemys geographicanorthern map turtleEmydidaeLow
Graptemys nigrinoda delticoladelta map turtle
southern black-knobbed sawback
EmydidaeModerate
Graptemys nigrinoda nigrinodablack-knobbed map turtle
northern black-knobbed sawback
EmydidaeModerate
Graptemys ouachitensisOuachita map turtleEmydidaeLowest
Graptemys pulchraAlabama map turtleEmydidaeModerate
Malaclemys terrapin pileataMississippi diamondback terrapinEmydidaeHighest
Pseudemys alabamensisAlabama red-bellied cooter
(Designated as official state reptile)
EmydidaeHighest/
U.S. Fish and Wildlife lists as endangered
Pseudemys concinna concinnaeastern river cooterEmydidaeLowest
Pseudemys concinna floridanacoastal plain cooterEmydidaeLowest
Trachemys scripta elegansred-eared sliderEmydidaeLowest
Trachemys scripta scriptayellow-bellied sliderEmydidaeLowest
Terrapene carolina carolinaeastern box turtleEmydidaeLow
Terrapene carolina majorGulf Coast box turtleEmydidaeLow
Terrapene carolina triunguisthree-toed box turtleEmydidaeLow
Kinosternon subrubrumeastern mud turtleKinosternidaeLowest
Sternotherus minor minorloggerhead musk turtleKinosternidaeLow
Sternotherus minor peltiferstripe-necked musk turtleKinosternidaeLow
Sternotherus depressusflattened musk turtleKinosternidaeHigh
Sternotherus odoratuscommon musk turtle
stinkpot turtle
KinosternidaeLowest
Gopherus polyphemusgopher tortoiseTestudinidaeHigh
Apalone feroxFlorida softshell turtleTrionychidaeModerate
Apalone muticasmooth softshell turtleTrionychidaeLow
Apalone spiniferaspiny softshell turtleTrionychidaeLow

References

  1. Mount, Robert H. (1975). The Reptiles and Amphibians of Alabama. Auburn, Alabama: Auburn Printing Company. pp. 150–315. OCLC 1958638.
  2. "Reptiles in Alabama". Outdoor Alabama. Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Archived from the original on October 30, 2012. Retrieved October 6, 2012.
  3. "Lizards". Outdoor Alabama. Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Archived from the original on September 14, 2012. Retrieved October 6, 2012.
  4. "Exotic Animals Established in Alabama". Outdoor Alabama. Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Archived from the original on September 13, 2012. Retrieved October 6, 2012.
  5. "Snakes". Outdoor Alabama. Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Archived from the original on September 14, 2012. Retrieved October 6, 2012.
  6. "Turtles". Outdoor Alabama. Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Archived from the original on September 14, 2012. Retrieved October 6, 2012.
  7. "Alligators". Outdoor Alabama. Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Archived from the original on September 7, 2005. Retrieved October 6, 2012.
  8. Mount, Robert H. (1975). The Reptiles and Amphibians of Alabama. Auburn, Alabama: Auburn Printing Company. pp. 172–259. OCLC 1958638.
  9. "Identification and Control of Snakes in Alabama" (PDF). Alabama Cooperative Extension System. Alabama A&M University and Auburn University. Retrieved June 6, 2012.
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