Wildlife North America
 your photographic guide to American Animals


North American Reptiles

This page is a photo index of all the North American Reptiles on the site (snakes and crocodiles). Although many of the reptiles on the site have several photos, this page shows only the first picture of each animal. Click on the photo or the text link to go to the detail page for that reptile. (The detail pages have larger photos, fact sheets and distribution maps).

Boas and pythons
The Rubber Boa is a small constrictor with a stout body. The skin is smooth, shiny and wrinkled with a rubbery look and feel. Color varies from light brown, dark brown, pink, tan, or olive. The...
Rubber Boa
(Charina bottae)
3 images 		The Rosy Boa is a stocky snake with smooth scales and a blunt tapered tail. The body is gray, cream, tan, yellowish or white with three dark stripes running along the back and sides. The stripes are...
Rosy Boa
(Lichanura trivirgata)
2 images

Colubrid snakes
The Glossy Snake is a small colubrid snake. They have narrow pointed heads and are quite variable in colour and pattern. Color ranges from tan, brown, and gray with spotted patterns. They have...
Glossy Snake
(Arizona elegans)
1 image 		The Trans-Pecos rat snake is a nocturnal species that is not often seen in the wild except during the breeding season. They are variable in color depending on locality. Red or orange phases are found...
Trans-Pecos Rat Snake
(Bogertophis subocularis)
2 images 		The Buttermilk Racer is a thin bodied snake. The body is usually black or gray (sometimes almost green or blue) mottled with white or yellow spots. The amount of white spots is variable and some...
Buttermilk Racer
(Coluber constrictor anthicus)
1 image 		The Eastern Yellow-belly Racer is a slender snake. It is olive grey-green, with a yellow or whitish underside. There are no markings on the head or back. dorsal markings. The throat and neck are...
Eastern Yellow-belly Racer
(Coluber constrictor flaviventris)
1 image
The Blue Racer is a large gray or blue snake with smooth scales. The head is usually darker than the body with white chin and throat. The underside is pale blue or white. Young racers are gray with...
Blue Racer
(Coluber constrictor foxi)
2 images 		The Black Racer is smooth-scaled and black above with a gray or black underside. The chin and throat have white markings. The belly is grayish to uniform black. It is a slender, fast moving snake,...
Black Racer
(Coluber constrictor priapus)
3 images 		The Western Ringneck Snake is a small, slender snake. The body is olive, brownish, blue-grey or green on top with a yellow or orange neck band. The underside is yellow-orange, becoming coral towards...
Western Ringneck Snake
(Diadophis punctatus)
1 image 		The Northern Ringneck Snake is gray to bluish black above with a flat black head. The neck ring and underside color varies from yellowish to reddish. The belly is unmarked or has a row of dark,...
Northern Ringneck Snake
(Diadophis punctatus edwardsii)
1 image
The Regal Ringneck Snake is usually gray with a white or cream underside. The underside has black speckling the underside of the tail tip is bright red or orange. It has a yellow or orange ring...
Regal Ringneck Snake
(Diadophis punctatus regalis)
1 image 		The Eastern Indigo Snake is a large glossy black snake with iridescent blue highlights. The throat and chin are reddish or white. The underside is dull orange and blue gray. Juveniles are black with...
Eastern Indigo Snake
(Drymarchon corais couperi)
1 image 		The Texas Indigo Snake is mainly black with shiny iridescent scales. The underside is gray or may be a salmon pink color. The chin and sides of the head are reddish-brown. The Indigo Snake is active...
Texas Indigo Snake
(Drymarchon corais erebennus)
1 image 		The Speckled Racer is a black snake with distinctive yellow and blue spotting, giving the snake a greenish appearance. The underside is usually yellow to green.
Speckled Racer
(Drymobius margaritiferus)
1 image
Baird's Rat Snake is usually yellow or orange-yellow. It has four stripes along the body. The underside is gray or yellow, darkening near the tail. Hatchlings are about 30cm long and have gray and...
Baird's Rat Snake
(Elaphe bairdi)
2 images 		Emory's Rat Snake, also known as the Great Plains Rat Snake, is light gray or tan in color, with dark gray, brown, or green-gray blotches down its back. It has stripes on each side of the head that...
Emory's Rat Snake
(Elaphe emoryi)
1 image 		The Corn Snake is orange-brown with orange, red, or brownish blotches bordered with black. The underside has a black and white checkered pattern, often with some orange. The tail has two black...
Corn Snake
(Elaphe guttata)
2 images 		The Common Rat Snake is one of the largest snakes in North America. It has a slender body and a wedge-shaped head. There are a number of color variations: The Black Rat Snake is all black except for...
Common Rat Snake
(Elaphe obsoleta)
2 images
The Texas Rat Snake is large snake that is variable in color and pattern throughout its range. They are often yellow or tan in color, with brown or olive green irregular blotches. Snakes from...
Texas Rat Snake
(Elaphe obsoleta lindheimeri)
1 image 		The Western Fox Snake is blotched with light brown to black spots. The head is brown or reddish. The belly underside is yellow and checkered with black. Young ones have a dark line on the head in...
Western Fox Snake
(Elaphe vulpina)
1 image 		The Western Hognose Snake is light brown with dark brown or gray blotches. The underside often has a black and white checkered pattern, sometimes with some orange. They are stocky snakes with an...
Western Hognose Snake
(Heterodon nasicus)
2 images 		The Eastern Hognose Snake is variable in color and pattern. The background color can be red, green, orange, brown, grey or black, or combination of shades. The pattern can be blotched, checkered, or...
Eastern Hognose Snake
(Heterodon platirhinos)
2 images
The Night Snake is pale grey, beige or light brown with pairs of brown blotches down the back. There are usually three large black blotches on the neck. The underside is white or yellow. It has a...
Night Snake
(Hypsiglena torquata)
1 image 		The Grey-banded Kingsnake is variable in color and pattern. There is two main variations:
Gray-banded Kingsnake
(Lampropeltis alterna)
1 image 		The Prairie Kingsnake is brown or gray-brown with darker grey or brown blotches down the body. Typical specimens have a series of larger, roundish brown blotches with alternating smaller blotches on...
Prairie Kingsnake
(Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster)
1 image 		The Mole Kingsnake is light brown, grayish brown, tan or orange, with fifty or less reddish-brown blotches edged with black. There are smaller reddish-brown blotches on the sides in between the...
Mole Kingsnake
(Lampropeltis calligaster rhombomaculata)
1 image
The California Kingsnake is highly variable in color and pattern. There are banded phases with alternating bands of black or brown, and white or yellow. There are also striped phase with longitudinal...
California Kingsnake
(Lampropeltis getula californiae)
3 images 		The Florida Kingsnake is brown or dull yellow with more than 40 white to yellowish crossbands, overlaid on a chain mesh pattern of scales. The scales between the crossbands become paler with age, and...
Florida Kingsnake
(Lampropeltis getula floridana)
1 image 		The Eastern Kingsnake is brown or black with 20 - 45 white or yellow crossbands in chain-like pattern. The underside is checkered black and white, or solid black. The scales are smooth. Juveniles are...
Eastern Kingsnake
(Lampropeltis getula getula)
1 image 		The Speckled Kingsnake is dark brown or black with yellow dots or speckles (usually one per scale) along the back. Juveniles are dark olive-green color becoming black as they mature. Albinos and...
Speckled Kingsnake
(Lampropeltis getula holbrooki)
1 image
The Desert Kingsnake is dark brown or black, with yellow speckles on the sides. Along the back are 20 to 42 saddles (which are sometimes very faintly defined). The saddle markings are separated by...
Desert Kingsnake
(Lampropeltis getula splendida)
2 images 		The Mexican Milk Snake is variable in color. It is usually mottled gray or brown with black or red (or black and red) saddle shaped markings bordered with white. The head usually has a dark V-shaped...
Mexican Kingsnake
(Lampropeltis mexicana mexicana)
1 image 		The Mexican Milk Snake has red, black and cream banding. It mimics the Coral Snake. There are usually between 14 and 25 creamy white, yellow or tangerine orange bands bordered by black separated by...
Mexican Milk Snake
(Lampropeltis triangulum annulata)
1 image 		The Pueblan Milk Snake is a three color banded snake. The band pattern is red-black-white-black. The bands are fairly broad, although the black bands are narrower than the red and white bands. There...
Pueblan Milk Snake
(Lampropeltis triangulum campbelli)
1 image
The Scarlet Kingsnake has 12 - 22 red rings, alternating with yellow and black. It is a mimic of the Eastern Coral Snake (Micrurus fulvius fulvius). The Scarlet Kingsnake always has a red snout with...
Scarlet Kingsnake
(Lampropeltis triangulum elapsoides)
1 image 		The Honduran Milk Snake has an orange-red base color with black and white bands, or black and yellow bands. There is also a tangerine phase with orange bands instead of yellow or white. The head is...
Honduran Milk Snake
(Lampropeltis triangulum hondurensis)
1 image 		Nelson's Milk Snake is red with triple bands of black-white-black. The red bands are similar width to the combined width of the black and white triple bands. The white band is very thin. It is...
Nelson's Milk Snake
(Lampropeltis triangulum nelsoni)
1 image 		The Sinaloan Milk Snake is red with triple bands of black and cream or yellow - a thin yellow or cream band is sandwiched between black band on either side. The red bands are broad - about three...
Sinaloan Milk Snake
(Lampropeltis triangulum sinaloae)
1 image
The Red Milk Snake is a tri-colored snake with broad red saddle-shaped markings bordered with black separated by pale bands. There are usually between 19 and 30 red or red-brown saddle shaped...
Red Milk Snake
(Lampropeltis triangulum syspila)
1 image 		The Eastern Milk Snake is pale gray to gray brown with a pattern of reddish or brown saddle-shaped blotches on the back. There are sometimes blotches on the lower sides too. The head is pale gray...
Milk Snake
(Lampropeltis triangulum triangulum)
1 image 		The San Diego Mountain Kingsnake is a colorful species with black, white and red crossbands that completely encircle the body and tail. It has smooth, glistening scales. The snout and eyes are...
San Diego Mountain Kingsnake
(Lampropeltis zonata pulchra)
1 image 		The Red Coachwhip is a slender snake and is highly variable in color. The back color can be tan, grey, red, or pink with bold black or brown crossbars or blotches. The head and neck have black...
Red Coachwhip
(Masticophis flagellum piceus)
2 images
The Western Coachwhip is variable in color and can be tan, brown, yellow, or pink. They sometimes have slightly darker bands. The snake is slender with a thin tail. The underside is pink. The eyes...
Western Coachwhip
(Masticophis flagellum testaceus)
3 images 		Schott's Whipsnake is blue-gray (sometimes greenish) with two white lines running along the sides from the back of the head to half way down the body. One stripe is high on the side and the other is...
Schott's Whipsnake
(Masticophis schotti schotti)
1 image 		The Mangrove Salt Marsh Snake is variable in color and pattern and can be gray, brown, olive green, or tan with faint darker banding. Some snakes are almost all black, or solid reddish orange or...
Mangrove Salt Marsh Snake
(Nerodia clarkii compressicauda)
2 images 		The Atlantic Salt Marsh Snake is light grayish tan with four stripes that extend halfway down the back where they are replaced with dark bands or blotches down the rest of the body. The underside is...
Atlantic Salt Marsh Snake
(Nerodia clarkii taeniata)
1 image
The Redbelly Water Snake are heavy-bodied snakes with brown, reddish-brown or almost black back. The underside and throat have strong reddish orange, or pale reddish brown color. Juveniles are...
Redbelly Water Snake
(Nerodia erythrogaster erythrogaster.)
1 image 		The Banded Water Snake is a stocky snake with black, brown, or red crossbands across the back. The background color varies from gray, yellow, tan, or reddish. The underside is pale with roughly...
Banded Water Snake
(Nerodia fasciata fasciata)
1 image 		The Florida Banded Water Snake is a stout snake with black, brown, or red bands across the body. The narrower bands are pale tan, gray, or reddish. sometimes there is a black stripe down the back....
Florida Banded Water Snake
(Nerodia fasciata pictiventris)
2 images 		The Diamondback Water Snake is mainly brown, dark brown, or dark olive green with a black net-like pattern along their back, forming a series of diamond shapes down the middle of the back. There are...
Diamondback Water Snake
(Nerodia rhombifer)
1 image
The Northern Water Snake is brown, tan or gray with alternating square blotches that may merge to form bands. Adult snakes can appear solid brown or black with age. The underside is usually white,...
Northern Water Snake
(Nerodia sipedon)
3 images 		The Rough Green Snake is a slender snake that is bright green above and has a yellowish underside. It is an arboreal snake and is often found climbing in low vegetation. It is also frequently seen on...
Rough Green Snake
(Opheodrys aestivus)
2 images 		The Sonoran Gopher Snake is a large snake with heavily keeled scales. The head is narrow and slightly wider than the neck,. The background color is straw, light brown or tan, with large brown or...
Sonoran Gopher Snake
(Pituophis catenifer affinis)
1 image 		Bullsnakes are usually yellow with brown, black or reddish blotches. A number of color variations are found including albinos. They are often mistaken for rattlesnakes, as it resembles the Western...
Bullsnake
(Pituophis catenifer sayi)
2 images
The Pine Snake is a strongly built snake with small head. It is yellow, cream or pale brown with black, brown or reddish-brown blotches on the back becoming more widely spaced on the tail. There are...
Pine Snake
(Pituophis melanoleucus)
1 image 		The Pine Woods Snake is a slender snake, colored yellowish-brown to reddish. The lips are white or yellow. It has a thin dark line through the eye to the corner of the jaw. The underside is white to...
Pine Woods Snake
(Rhadinaea flavilata)
1 image 		The Long-Nosed Snake is a slender snake. It is cream with black saddle shaped markings with smaller reddish patches between the black markings. (Some snakes have no red marks). The underside is...
Long-Nosed Snake
(Rhinocheilus lecontei)
4 images 		The Mountain Patchnose Snake is a long and slender tan or cream colored snake with two wide dark brown or black stripes on the back. The back stripes have straight edges. The centre of the back...
Mountain Patchnose Snake
(Salvadora grahamiae)
1 image
The Coast Patch-Nosed Snake is a slender snake. It has a yellow or beige stripe down the back bordered by dark tan or brown side stripes. The underside is dull white becoming orange towards the ...
Coast Patch-Nosed Snake
(Salvadora hexalepis virgultea)
1 image 		The Swamp Snake is the only species in the Seminatrix genus. There are three subspecies: South Florida Swamp Snake (Seminatrix pygaea cyclas), Carolina Swamp Snake (Seminatrix pygaea paludis), North...
Swamp Snake
(Seminatrix pygaea)
1 image 		The Short-tailed Snake is a slender gray snake with 50-80 dark brown or black blotches down the back. There are also dark spots on the sides that alternate with the spots on the back. There is an...
Short-tailed Snake
(Stilosoma extenuatum)
1 image 		The Texas Brown Snake is reddish brown with dark brown spots around the eyes. The Texas Brown Snake is variable in color, and can be brown, tan, or brick red. There is a faint lighter stripe down the...
Texas Brown Snake
(Storeria dekayi texana)
1 image
The Plains Blackhead Snake is a slender tan, red-brown or cream colored snake. The head has a dark gray-brown or black cap that narrows to a point at the back of the head. The head is of similar...
Plains Blackhead Snake
(Tantilla nigriceps)
1 image 		The Western Blackhead Snake is a small, slender snake. It is light brown, tan to olive-grey above with a narrow cream or white neck band. The head is flattened and black in color. The underside is...
Western Blackhead Snake
(Tantilla planiceps)
2 images 		Butler’s Garter Snake is a slender snake with three yellow or orange stripes along the length of the body. The background color is brown, black or olive. There are sometimes two rows of dark spots...
Butler's Garter Snake
(Thamnophis butleri)
1 image 		The Blackneck Garter Snake is dark olive brown or olive gray with a yellow or orange stripe on the back and whitish stripes on sides. The side stripe is confined to the second and third rows of...
Blackneck Garter Snake
(Thamnophis cyrtopsis)
1 image
The Coast Garter Snake is a slender snake. It is variable in color and pattern, It usually has a yellow stripe along the back and white, yellow or reddish stripes along the lower part of the side....
Coast Garter Snake
(Thamnophis elegans terrestris)
1 image 		The Two-Striped Garter Snake is olive, brown or brownish-grey above. The underside is dull yellow, orange, or salmon. It has rows of small, dark spots along the sides, and a yellow stripe on each...
Two-Striped Garter Snake
(Thamnophis hammondii)
1 image 		The Checkered Garter Snake is typically tan, brown or greenish with large black blotches in a distinctive checkered pattern down its back. There are yellowish stripes on the back and lower sides...
Checkered Garter Snake
(Thamnophis marcianus marcianus)
2 images 		The Redstripe Ribbon Snake has a distinctive red stripe down the center of the back. The red (less commonly orange) back stripe begins behind the head. There is a pale lateral stripe on each side on...
Redstripe Ribbon Snake
(Thamnophis proximus rubrilineatus)
1 image
The Eastern Ribbon Snake is a slender snake. It is olive-black with a tan or yellow stripe along the back. There is also a pale tan or yellowish stripe on each side along the third and fourth rows of...
Eastern Ribbon Snake
(Thamnophis sauritus sauritus)
1 image 		The Northern Ribbon Snake is a slender snake. It is black or brown with three yellow or white stripes along its back. The head is black with white scales along the mouth. The underside is white or...
Northern Ribbon Snake
(Thamnophis sauritus septentrionalis)
1 image 		The Texas Garter Snake has a greenish black back with a bright orange or red stripe down the center and yellowish stripes on either side of the body.
Texas Garter Snake
(Thamnophis sirtalis annectens)
1 image 		The California Red-Sided Garter Snake is dark olive to nearly black. The head is red or orange. The head is olive. It has prominent yellow stripe down the back and less prominent stripes along the...
California Red-Sided Garter Snake
(Thamnophis sirtalis infernalis)
2 images
The Common Garter Snake usually has a pattern of yellow stripes on a brown background. There are a number of color variations including striped, checkered and almost all black.
Common Garter Snake
(Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis)
2 images 		The Baja California Lyre snake has a laterally flattened body and broad head on a slender neck. It has a V-shaped marking on top of the head resembling a lyre. It is light brown or grey above, with...
Baja California Lyresnake
(Trimorphodon biscutatus lyrophanes)
1 image 		The Texas Lyre Snake is generally a brown, tan or grey in color with dark brown blotching down the back. They have large eyes with vertical pupils. Their is a distinctive V shaped pattern on their...
Texas Lyre Snake
(Trimorphodon biscutatus vilkinsonii)
1 image 		The Texas Lined Snake is olive brown, gray brown or dark brown with a yellow or cream colored stripe down the center of the back. The underside has a double row of crescent shaped markings down the...
Texas Lined Snake
(Tropidoclonion lineatum texanum)
1 image
The Rough Earth Snake is brown or gray brown, with no pattern above. The underside is light yellow or cream. The head is small with pointed snout, and there may be a faint light ring round the neck....
Rough Earth Snake
(Virginia striatula)
1 image

Elapid snakes
The Eastern Coral Snake has wide red and black rings separated by narrow yellow rings. The rings completely encircle the body. The red rings are usually speckled with black. (The pattern is similar...
Eastern Coral Snake
(Micrurus fulvius)
1 image 		The Texas Coral Snake has red and black rings separated by narrow yellow rings with rings completely encircling the body. It is similar in appearance to the Eastern Coral Snake. The head is rounded...
Texas Coral Snake
(Micrurus tener)
1 image

Slender blind snakes
The Texas Blind Snake looks like a shiny earthworm. They are pink or brown and have a segmented appearance. The eyes are two dark spots under the head scales, and the mouth is very small. Blind...
Texas Blind Snake
(Leptotyphlops dulcis dulcis)
1 image 		The Western Blind Snake looks like a long earthworm. It is pink, purple, or silvery-brown and blunt at both ends. The eyes are reduced to light sensitive black spots. The skull is thick for ...
Western Blind Snake
(Leptotyphlops humilis)
1 image

Vipers
The Common Cantil is a heavy bodied snake with a broad, triangular head and small eyes with vertical pupils. They are usually brown or black, with darker brown or black banding, sometimes with white...
Common Cantil
(Agkistrodon bilineatus bilineatus)
2 images 		The Ornate Cantil has a heavy body and relatively long tail. The broad triangular head has small eyes with vertical pupils. The body is brown or black and often has distinct tan colored banding, with...
Ornate Cantil
(Agkistrodon bilineatus taylori)
2 images 		The Southern Copperhead is a moderate sized snake with thick, heavy banded body. Adults have a copper colored head and neck. The body is pale brown to light tan with a pinkish tint, patterned with...
Southern Copperhead
(Agkistrodon contortrix contortrix)
2 images 		The Broad-banded Copperhead is light tan with broad reddish-brown or copper bands with a very thin white border. The number of bands varies from 10 to 17. It has a large head and hinged fangs that...
Broad-banded Copperhead
(Agkistrodon contortrix laticinctus)
1 image
The Northern Copperhead has dark chestnut cross bands that are narrower in the center and wider on the sides, giving the bands an hourglass shape. There are often small dark spots between the bands....
Northern Copperhead
(Agkistrodon contortrix mokasen)
1 image 		The Osage Copperhead has dark chestnut cross bands that are narrower in the center and wider on the sides, giving the bands an hourglass shape. There are also dark rounded spots at the sides of the...
Osage Copperhead
(Agkistrodon contortrix phaeogaster)
1 image 		The Trans-pecos Copperhead is light tan with brown wide cross bands. The band color varies from red-brown to gray-brown depending on locality. It is similar to A. contortrix laticinctus, the...
Trans-pecos Copperhead
(Agkistrodon contortrix pictigaster)
1 image 		The Florida Cottonmouth is similar in pattern to A. p. piscivorus but has dark brown cheek stripe bordered above and below by narrow light lines. It has two dark stripes at the front of the lower...
Florida Cottonmouth
(Agkistrodon piscivorus conanti)
2 images
The Western Cottonmouth is the smallest of the three subspecies of Cottonmouth. It is similar to the Eastern Cottonmouth, A. p. piscivorus and the Florida Cottonmouth, A. p. conanti, except that...
Western Cottonmouth
(Agkistrodon piscivorus leucostoma)
2 images 		The Eastern Cottonmouth is the largest species of the genus Agkistrodon. The head is broad and distinct from the neck. The snout is broad. The body has a heavy build and the tail that is fairly long...
Eastern Cottonmouth
(Agkistrodon piscivorus piscivorus)
3 images 		The Eastern Diamondback is a large dangerous snake - the venom can kill humans. The mortality rate from a full bite is about 40 percent. This rattlesnake is a bulky snake with a large head. There is...
Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake
(Crotalus adamanteus)
1 image 		The Western Diamondback Rattlesnake has a gray-brown, pinkish brown, brick red or yellowish, base color with a series of about 24 dark gray-brown or brown blotches. The first few blotches may be more...
Western Diamondback Rattlesnake
(Crotalus atrox)
3 images
The Sidewinder is cream, buff, yellowish brown, pink or pale gray with 28 - 47 blotches on the back. The blotches are roughly rhombus shaped or oval shaped. The underside is white. The Sidewinder...
Sidewinder
(Crotalus cerastes)
2 images 		The Baja California Rattlesnake is a medium sized rattlesnake. It has a relatively small head with a stripe behind the eye. The color varies from tan to dark brown, grayish brown to silvery gray....
Baja California Rattlesnake
(Crotalus enyo)
1 image 		The Timber Rattlesnake is a large venomous snake with a triangular head. The tail is black with no tail rings, and tipped with a rattle. There are two different color variations. One form is gray...
Timber Rattlesnake
(Crotalus horridus)
4 images 		The Banded Rock Rattlesnake is light grey with darker grey banding that varies greatly from habitat to habitat. The ground color may even be green or purplish in some areas. Snakes from the Franklin...
Banded Rock Rattlesnake
(Crotalus lepidus klauberi)
1 image
The Rock Rattlesnake has a large, rounded head, and stocky body. The eyes that have vertical pupils. The color pattern is variable and generally matches the color of the rock in their natural...
Rock Rattlesnake
(Crotalus lepidus lepidus)
2 images 		The Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake varies in color from white to dark grey or shades of pink or orange. It has dark diffused bands on the back. The scales are keeled scales. The head is large. It...
Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake
(Crotalus mitchellii pyrrhus)
2 images 		The Blacktail Rattlesnake is variable in color and can be olive green, yellow, brown or black. The tail is always black irrespective of body color. They often have a black band across the eyes and...
Blacktail Rattlesnake
(Crotalus molossus molossus)
2 images 		The Southern Pacific Rattlesnake has grey, olive, or brown background color with light-edged, darker diamonds on the back. The sides have angular light-edged blotches. There is a light stripe from...
Southern Pacific Rattlesnake
(Crotalus oreganus helleri)
3 images
The Great Basin Rattlesnake is a heavy-bodied, venomous snake with a thin neck and a large triangular head. It is buff, pale gray, pale brown, olive brown or yellowish brown ground color, with a...
Great Basin Rattlesnake
(Crotalus oreganus lutosus)
1 image 		The Northern Pacific Rattlesnake is typically dark brown, dark gray (sometimes black or pale yellow,) overlaid with large dark blotches with uneven white edges on the back. The blotches are wider...
Northern Pacific Rattlenake
(Crotalus oreganus oreganus)
1 image 		The Twin-spotted Rattlesnake is gray, blue gray, brownish gray, reddish brown, and usually has fine brown speckling. The base color is overlaid with small dark blotches that are arranged in pairs...
Twin-spotted Rattlesnake
(Crotalus pricei)
1 image 		The Red Diamond Rattlesnake is an impressive snake. It is a reddish or tan color with a light edged diamond pattern on its back. Some specimens are a brick red color. It has a distinctive black and...
Red Diamond Rattlesnake
(Crotalus ruber)
2 images
The Mojave Rattlesnake varies from brown to pale green depending on the surroundings. It has a dark diamond pattern along its back similar to the Western Diamondback rattlesnake (C. atrox). The...
Mojave Rattlesnake
(Crotalus scutulatus)
1 image 		The Tiger Rattlesnake is a relatively small species of rattlesnake, with a small head and large rattle. It has a gray, blue-gray, pink or buff background color becoming pink, pale orange or cream on...
Tiger Rattlesnake
(Crotalus tigris)
1 image 		The Hopi Rattlesnake is the smallest subspecies of C. viridis. The color is variable and may be pink, gray or orange-brown in color, matching the soil and rock color of their natural range. The back...
Hopi Rattlesnake
(Crotalus viridis nuntius)
1 image 		The Desert Massasauga is a small rattlesnake with a light gray or white base color, with dark gray or gray brown blotches. There is a dark stripe along the side of the head passing over the eye. The...
Desert Massasauga, Buzztail
(Sistrurus catenatus edwardsii)
1 image
The Western Massasauga has tan-gray or light gray background color with dark brown blotches. The underside is light with some dark markings. The head has a dark broad stripe along each side. They...
Western Massasauga
(Sistrurus catenatus tergeminus)
1 image 		The Dusky Pigmy Rattlesnake is a thick snake with a triangular shaped head. The body is light to dark gray with a row of black or dark gray blotches along a reddish brown stripe down the middle of...
Dusky Pigmy Rattlesnake
(Sistrurus miliarius barbouri)
2 images 		The Carolina Pigmy Rattlesnake is light gray, dark gray or reddish brown with a series of dark oval spots running down a reddish brown or orange brown stripe on the back. The spots have fairly...
Carolina Pigmy Rattlesnake
(Sistrurus miliarius miliarius)
3 images 		The Western Pigmy Rattlesnake is gray with a reddish stripe down the backbone and a series of irregular blotches along the back. These blotches are wider than they are long. There are one or two...
Western Pigmy Rattlesnake
(Sistrurus miliarius streckeri)
1 image

Crocodiles
The American Alligator is a large reptile with a slightly rounded body, sturdy limbs, a broad head, and powerful tail. Adults are dark green, or brown in colour. Juveniles are black with yellow...
American Alligator
(Alligator mississipiensis)
2 images 		The Common Caiman is a small to medium sized crocodile. The common name of Spectacled Caiman comes from the bony ridge in front of the eyes that appears to join the eyes like a pair of spectacles....
Common Caiman
(Caiman crocodilus)
2 images 		The American Crocodile has four short and a long powerful tail. It has rows of bony scales running down its back and tail. Adults are olive brown. Juveniles are light tan with dark bands on the body...
American Crocodile
(Crocodylus acutus)
1 image 		Morelet's Crocodile is a relatively small crocodile. It has a broad snout and is greyish brown with darker bands and spots on the body and tail. Young have yellow with black banding.
Morelet's Crocodile
(Crocodylus moreletii)
1 image

Leatherback Turtles
The Leatherback Sea Turtle is endangered. Plastic bags in its ocean environment have contributed to many deaths as it mistakes them for jellyfish - its main food. It is a large turtle with...
Leatherback Sea Turtle
(Dermochelys coriacea)
1 image

Musk And Mud Turtles
The Eastern Mud Turtle is a small turtle with a dull brown carapace. The scutes are sometimes dark bordered. The sides of head are spotted or mottled with yellow. The underside (plastron) is dark...
Eastern Mud Turtle
(Kinosternon subrubrum)
1 image 		The Razorback Musk Turtle has a brown carapace with black markings at the edges of the scutes. The shell has a sharp keel down the center giving the species its common name. The skin is grey-brown...
Razorback Musk Turtle
(Sternotherus carinatus)
2 images 		The Flattened Musk Turtle has a much flatter carapace than other Musk Turtles. The top of the carapace is brown and the underside (plastron) is either pinkish or yellowish-brown. The head and neck...
Flattened Musk Turtle
(Sternotherus depressus)
1 image 		The Common Musk Turtle is black, grey or brown with a high domed shell. They have long necks and short legs. Males have longer tails. The head has yellow-green striping from the tip of their nose to...
Common Musk Turtle
(Sternotherus odoratus)
2 images

Pond Turtles
The Painted Turtle has a black or greenish brown carapace with some red and yellow markings around the shell. The underside or plastron is yellow-orange with fine markings, looking like it has been...
Painted Turtle
(Chrysemys picta)
2 images 		The Spotted Turtle is a small turtle. The carapace ranges from black to a blue-black with some small yellow or cream spots. Adult males have brown eyes and a tan chin. Adult females have orange eyes...
Spotted Turtle
(Clemmys guttata)
2 images 		The Chicken Turtle has a long neck with yellow stripes and a yellow stripe on the forelegs and rear legs. The carapace is olive to dark brown. with a net-like pattern. Females are usually larger than...
Chicken Turtle
(Deirochelys reticularia)
1 image 		Blanding's Turtle is a semi-aquatic turtle with a bright yellow chin and throat. The carapace is domed and oblong when viewed from above. The carapace is dark with yellow or light-speckles or...
Blanding's Turtle
(Emydoidea blandingii)
1 image
Adult Wood Turtles have a brown to gray-brown carapace. The shell has a low central keel and has a rough sculptured appearance. There are sometimes yellow streaks down the centre of the carapace....
Wood Turtle
(Glyptemys insculpta)
1 image 		The Bog Turtle is one of the smallest turtles in the world. It has a dark brown or black carapace, and may have radiating light lines on the back. The head, neck, and legs are dark brown with some...
Bog Turtle
(Glyptemys muhlenbergii)
1 image 		Barbour's Map Turtle has an olive green carapace with fine yellow and gray markings. It has black tipped spines, on the 2nd 3rd and 4th vertebrae. The underside is yellowish. The head is gray with...
Barbour's Map Turtle
(Graptemys barbouri)
1 image 		The Mississippi Map Turtle is brown with fine gray and yellowish markings. It has stripes on the neck and crescent shaped light spots behind the eyes, which stop the neck stripes from reaching the...
Mississippi Map Turtle
(Graptemys kohnii)
1 image
The Black knobbed Map Turtle is a small to medium size turtle. It has characteristic large black knobs projecting up from the keel. The carapace has The skin is light gray with yellowish pattern. ...
Black knobbed Map Turtle
(Graptemys nigrinoda)
2 images 		The False Map Turtle carapace is olive, brown, or black with dark blotches surrounded by yellow lines. The lines can form a fine web pattern over the shell. The markings are more prominent on young...
False Map Turtle
(Graptemys pseudogeographica)
1 image 		The Alabama Map Turtle is a moderate-sized map turtle. The carapace is brown or dark olive with a series of concentric fine yellow markings on the dorsal scales. The back has a keel with prominent...
Alabama Map Turtle
(Graptemys pulchra)
1 image 		The Diamondback Terrapin has a prominent diamond pattern on the shell. The shell color varies from brown to gray. Skin color can be gray, brown, yellow or white, with a pattern of fine black markings...
Diamondback Terrapin
(Malaclemys terrapin)
1 image
The Florida Redbelly Turtle is closely related to the Peninsula Cooter (P. floridana). The two species can often be found basking on logs together. The carapace is dark with indistinct yellowish or...
Florida Redbelly Turtle
(Pseudemys nelsoni)
2 images 		The Texas River Cooter is a fairly large greenish brown turtle. The skin has yellow and black striped markings that fade with age. Males have longer tails and longer claws than females. They are...
Texas River Cooter
(Pseudemys texana)
2 images 		Eastern Box Turtles have a high, dome-like carapace. The carapace is brown or black with yellow or orange pattern of radiating lines, spots or blotches. The skin is usually brown with some yellow,...
Eastern Box Turtle
(Terrapene carolina)
2 images 		The Desert Box Turtle is a dull brown turtle, with indistinct darker markings. The skin is dark with some yellowish or greenish markings. The head may have some greenish markings. Young turtles have...
Desert Box Turtle
(Terrapene ornata luteola)
1 image
The Red-eared Slider gets its name from the broad red or orange stripe behind each eye. Adult turtles have a dull olive green carapace. Young hatchlings have a green carapace and skin with yellow...
Red-eared Slider
(Trachemys scripta)
2 images

Sea Turtles
The Loggerhead Turtle has a large head. The body is reddish brown or brown. They have flippers with a claw on the front flippers. The shell is armoured with strong horny plates called scutes.
Loggerhead Sea Turtle
(Caretta caretta)
2 images 		The Green Turtle has a small head and strong paddle-shaped front flippers. It gets its name from the colour of its fat rather than the colour of its shell. Males are larger than females with longer...
Green Turtle
(Chelonia mydas)
2 images 		The Hawksbill Turtle is critically endangered as it has been hunted for food, also for its attractive shell scales which are made into tortoiseshell ornaments and jewelry. The turtle is green or...
Hawksbill
(Eretmochelys imbricata)
2 images 		The Atlantic Ridley is the smallest sea turtle. The head has a beak shaped snout. Adult turtles have a grey-green carapace. and yellow-green or white plastron (underside). The hatchlings dark...
Atlantic Ridley Sea Turtle
(Lepidochelys kempii)
1 image
The Olive Ridley Sea Turtle is a lightly-built turtle with a large head and a high-domed shell. The carapace is a dark olive green with a yellowish underside. The tail of the extends past the...
OliveRidley Sea Turtle
(Lepidochelys olivacea)
1 image

Snapping Turtles
The Common Snapping Turtle is a large freshwater turtle. The turtle has an agile head and neck (the scientific name
Common Snapping Turtle
(Chelydra serpentina)
2 images 		The Alligator Snapping Turtle is the largest freshwater turtle in North America. It has a large heavy head and a long, thick tail with three ridges along the top. It can be easily distinguished from...
Alligator Snapping Turtle
(Macroclemys temminckii)
2 images

Softshell Turtles
The Florida Softshell Turtle is one of the largest freshwater turtles in North America, and the largest of the Apalone genus. It has a dark brown to olive green, leathery carapace. The underside...
Florida Softshell
(Apalone ferox)
2 images 		The Spiny Softshell Turtle is one of the largest freshwater turtles in North America. It has small flexible cone-shaped spines on the edge of the carapace. Spiny Softshell Turtles have soft, smooth...
Spiny Softshell Turtle
(Apalone spinifera)
1 image

Tortoises
The Desert Tortoise is a terrestrial tortoise with a high-domed greenish-tan to dark brown carapace. The front legs have heavy claws and are flattened for digging. The back legs are stumpy. Males are...
Desert Tortoise
(Gopherus agassizii)
2 images 		The Texas Tortoise is an oblong turtle with a flat-topped shell. The carapace is mainly brown, with some yellow or orange markings on the scutes. The underside (plastron) is yellow. The head is...
Texas Tortoise
(Gopherus berlandieri)
2 images 		The Bolson Tortoise is the largest North American tortoise species. It was discovered as recently as 1959. The Bolson Tortoise is a terrestrial tortoise with a high-domed brownish carapace. The front...
Bolson Tortoise
(Gopherus flavomarginatus)
1 image 		The Gopher Tortoise has a brown, gray or black carapace, and yellow or tan underside (plastron). Hatchlings are lighter in color. Males have a concave plastron, while females have a flat plastron....
Gopher Tortoise
(Gopherus polyphemus)
2 images









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