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
American alligator

Family Alligatoridae

  • Genus Alligator
    • Alligator mississippiensis (American alligator)

Lizards
Texas alligator lizard

Alligator lizards

Family Anguidae (anguid lizards)

  • Genus Gerrhonotus
    • Gerrhonotus infernalis (Texas alligator lizard)

Anoles
Green anole

Family Dactyloidae (anoles)

Collared lizards
Common collared lizard

Family Crotaphytidae (collared and leopard lizards)

  • Genus Crotaphytus (collared lizards)
  • Genus Gambelia (leopard lizards)
    • Gambelia wislizenii (longnose leopard lizard)

Geckos
Texas Banded Gecko

Family Gekkonidae (geckos)

  • Genus Coleonyx
    • Coleonyx brevis (Texas banded gecko)
    • Coleonyx reticulatus (reticulated gecko) (T)
  • Genus Cyrtodactylus
  • Genus Hemidactylus
    • Hemidactylus turcicus (Mediterranean gecko) (I)
    • Hemidactylus frenatus (Asian house gecko) (I)

Iguanas

Family Iguanidae (iguanas)

Legless lizards
Western slender glass lizard
  • Genus Ophisaurus
    • Ophisaurus attenuatus attenuatus (western slender glass lizard)

Spiny and horned lizards
roundtail horned lizard
Texas spiny lizard
Texas tree lizard

Family Phrynosomatidae (sand, horned, and spiny lizards)

Skinks
Ground skink

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

Whiptails
Trans-Pecos striped whiptail
Desert grassland whiptail

Family Teiidae (Whiptails)

  • Genus Aspidoscelis
    • Aspidoscelis exsanguis (Chihuahuan spotted whiptail)
    • Aspidoscelis gularis (Texas spotted whiptail)
    • Aspidoscelis inornatus heptagrammus (Trans-Pecos striped whiptail)
    • Aspidoscelis laredoensis (Laredo striped whiptail)
    • Aspidoscelis marmoratus (marbled whiptail)
    • Aspidoscelis neomexicanus (New Mexico whiptail)
    • Aspidoscelis sexlineatus sexlineatus (eastern six-lined racerunner)
    • Aspidoscelis sexlineatus viridis (prairie racerunner)
    • Aspidoscelis tesselatus (checkered whiptail)
    • Aspidoscelis uniparens (desert grassland whiptail)

Snakes
Plains blind snake

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
Eastern yellowbelly racer
Regal ringneck snake
Texas indigo snake
Texas rat snake
Eastern hognose snake
Texas night snake
Grey-banded kingsnake
Mexican milk snake
Western coachwhip
Diamondback water snake
Texas long-nosed snake
Texas brown snake
Red-stripe ribbon snake
Texas garter snake
Texas lyre snake

Family Colubridae

  • Genus Arizona (glossy snakes)
  • Genus Bogertophis
    • Bogertophis subocularis (Trans-Pecos rat snake)
  • Genus Carphophis (worm snakes)
  • Genus Cemophora (scarlet snakes)
  • Genus Coluber (racers)
  • Genus Coniophanes
    • Coniophanes imperialis (black-striped snake) (T)
  • Genus Diadophis (ringneck snakes)
  • Genus Drymarchon (indigo snakes)
    • Drymarchon corais erebennus (Texas indigo snake) (T)
  • Genus Drymobius
  • 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
  • Genus Gyalopion
  • 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)
  • Genus Liodytes
    • Liodytes rigida (Gulf crayfish snake)
  • 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)
  • Genus Pituophis (gopher snakes)
  • Genus Regina (crayfish snakes)
  • Genus Rhinocheilus (longnose snakes)
  • 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 vilkinsonii (Texas lyre snake) (T)
  • Genus Tropidoclonion
    • Tropidoclonion lineatum texanum (Texas lined snake)
  • Genus Virginia (earth snakes)
    • Virginia valeriae (smooth earth snake)

Elapids
Texas coral snake

Family Elapidae

Viperids
Western cottonmouth
Canebrake rattlesnake

Family Viperidae (vipers)

Turtles
Hawksbill turtle
Leatherback sea turtle

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
Common musk turtle

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)

Pond and box turtles
Chicken turtle
Diamondback terrapin
Texas river cooter
Ornate & Desert box turtle

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
Alligator snapping turtle

Family Chelydridae (snapping turtles)

  • Genus Chelydra
    • Chelydra serpentina (common snapping turtle)
  • Genus Macrochelys
    • Macrochelys temminckii (alligator snapping turtle)

Softshell turtles
Spiny softshell turtle

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
Texas Tortoise

Family Testudinidae (gopher tortoises)

  • Genus Gopherus
    • Gopherus berlandieri (Texas tortoise) (T)

See also
  • List of Texas amphibians

References
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