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[]

Order: Crocodilia

Picture	Scientific name	Common name	Family	Conservation status
Family: Alligatoridae (alligators and caimans)
	Alligator mississippiensis	American alligator	Alligatoridae	IUCN (LC)

Lizards[]

Order: Squamata

Picture	Scientific name	Common name	Family	Conservation status
Family: Anguidae (anguid and legless lizards)
	Gerrhonotus infernalis	Texas alligator lizard	Anguidae	IUCN (LC)
	Ophisaurus attenuatus	western slender glass lizard	Anguidae	IUCN (LC)
Family: Dactyloidae (anoles)
	Anolis carolinensis	green anole	Dactyloidae	IUCN (LC)
	Anolis sagrei	brown anole	Dactyloidae	IUCN (LC) Texas (I)
Family: Crotaphytidae (collared and leopard lizards)
	Crotaphytus collaris	eastern collared lizard	Crotaphytidae
	Crotaphytus reticulatus	reticulated collared lizard	Crotaphytidae	IUCN (VU) Texas (T)
	Gambelia wislizenii	longnose leopard lizard	Crotaphytidae	IUCN (LC)
Family: Gekkonidae (geckos)
	Coleonyx brevis	Texas banded gecko	Gekkonidae	IUCN (LC)
	Coleonyx reticulatus	reticulated gecko	Gekkonidae	IUCN (LC) Texas (T)
	Cyrtopodion scabrum	rough-tailed gecko	Gekkonidae	IUCN (LC) Texas (I)
	Hemidactylus turcicus	Mediterranean gecko	Gekkonidae	IUCN (LC) Texas (I)
	Hemidactylus frenatus	Asian house gecko	Gekkonidae	IUCN (LC) Texas (I)
Family: Iguanidae (iguanas)
	Iguana iguana	green iguana	Iguanidae	IUCN (LC) Texas (I)
	Ctenosaura pectinata	Mexican spinytail iguana	Iguanidae	Texas (I)
Family: Phrynosomatidae (sand, horned, and spiny lizards)
	Cophosaurus texanus	greater earless lizard	Phrynosomatidae	IUCN (LC)
	Holbrookia lacerata	spot-tailed earless lizard	Phrynosomatidae	IUCN (NT)
	Holbrookia subcaudalis	southern earless lizard	Phrynosomatidae
	Holbrookia approximans	speckled earless lizard	Phrynosomatidae
	Holbrookia maculata	lesser earless lizard	Phrynosomatidae
	Holbrookia maculata perspicua	prairie earless lizard	Phrynosomatidae
	Holbrookia propinqua	keeled earless lizard	Phrynosomatidae
	Phrynosoma cornutum	Texas horned lizard	Phrynosomatidae	IUCN (LC) Texas (T)
	Phrynosoma douglasii	short-horned lizard	Phrynosomatidae	IUCN (LC) Texas (T)
	Phrynosoma modestum	roundtail horned lizard	Phrynosomatidae	IUCN (LC)
	Sceloporus arenicolus	dunes sagebrush lizard	Phrynosomatidae	IUCN (VU) Texas (T)
	Sceloporus graciosus	sagebrush lizard	Phrynosomatidae
	Sceloporus grammicus	mesquite lizard	Phrynosomatidae	IUCN (LC)
	Sceloporus magister	desert spiny lizard	Phrynosomatidae
	Sceloporus merriami annulatus	Big Bend Canyon lizard	Phrynosomatidae
	Sceloporus merriami longipunctatus	Presidio Canyon lizard	Phrynosomatidae
	Sceloporus merriami	canyon lizard	Phrynosomatidae
	Sceloporus olivaceus	Texas spiny lizard	Phrynosomatidae	IUCN (LC)
	Sceloporus poinsettii	crevice spiny lizard	Phrynosomatidae
	Sceloporus serrifer	blue spiny lizard	Phrynosomatidae	IUCN (LC)
		southern prairie lizard	Phrynosomatidae
		northern prairie lizard	Phrynosomatidae
		northern fence lizard	Phrynosomatidae
	Sceloporus variabilis	rosebelly lizard	Phrynosomatidae	IUCN (LC)
		Texas tree lizard	Phrynosomatidae	IUCN (LC)
		Big Bend tree lizard	Phrynosomatidae
	Uta stansburiana	common side-blotched lizard	Phrynosomatidae
Family: Scincidae (skinks)
		southern coal skink	Scincidae
	Plestiodon fasciatus	five-lined skink	Scincidae
	Plestiodon laticeps	broadhead skink	Scincidae	IUCN (LC)
		variable skink	Scincidae
	Plestiodon obsoletus	Great Plains Skink	Scincidae	IUCN (LC)
		southern prairie skink	Scincidae
	Plestiodon tetragrammus brevilineatus	short-lined skink	Scincidae
	Plestiodon tetragrammus tetragrammus	four-lined skink	Scincidae
	Scincella lateralis	ground skink	Scincidae	IUCN (LC)
Family: Teiidae (whiptails)
	Aspidoscelis exsanguis	Chihuahuan spotted whiptail	Teiidae	IUCN (LC)
	Aspidoscelis gularis	Texas spotted whiptail	Teiidae	IUCN (LC)
	Aspidoscelis inornatus heptagrammus	Trans-Pecos striped whiptail	Teiidae
	Aspidoscelis laredoensis	Laredo striped whiptail	Teiidae	IUCN (LC)
	Aspidoscelis marmoratus	marbled whiptail	Teiidae
	Aspidoscelis neomexicanus	New Mexico whiptail	Teiidae	IUCN (LC)
		eastern six-lined racerunner	Teiidae
		prairie racerunner	Teiidae
	Aspidoscelis tesselatus	checkered whiptail	Teiidae	IUCN (LC)
	Aspidoscelis uniparens	desert grassland whiptail	Teiidae	IUCN (LC)

Snakes[]

Sub-order: Serpentes

Picture	Scientific name	Common name	Family	Conservation status
Family: Leptotyphlopidae (blind snakes)
	Leptotyphlops dulcis dissectus	New Mexico blind snake	Leptotyphlopidae	IUCN (LC)
	Leptotyphlops dulcis dulcis	Plains blind snake	Leptotyphlopidae	IUCN (LC)
		Trans-Pecos blind snake	Leptotyphlopidae
Family: Colubridae (colubrids)
	Arizona elegans arenicola	Texas glossy snake	Colubridae
	Arizona elegans elegans	Kansas glossy snake	Colubridae
	Arizona elegans philipi	Painted Desert glossy snake	Colubridae
	Bogertophis subocularis	Trans-Pecos rat snake	Colubridae	IUCN (LC)
	Carphophis vermis	western worm snake	Colubridae	IUCN (LC)
	Cemophora coccinea copei	northern scarlet snake	Colubridae
	Cemophora coccinea lineri	Texas scarlet snake	Colubridae	Texas (T)
	Coluber constrictor anthicus	buttermilk racer	Colubridae
	Coluber constrictor etheridgei	tan racer	Colubridae
	Coluber constrictor flaviventris	eastern yellowbelly racer	Colubridae
	Coluber constrictor oaxaca	Mexican racer	Colubridae
	Coluber constrictor priapus	southern black racer	Colubridae
		black-striped snake	Colubridae	Texas (T)
	Diadophis punctatus arnyi	prairie ringneck snake	Colubridae
	Diadophis punctatus regalis	regal ringneck snake	Colubridae
	Diadophis punctatus stictogenys	Mississippi ringneck snake	Colubridae	IUCN (LC)
	Drymarchon corais erebennus	Texas indigo snake	Colubridae	Texas (T)
	Drymobius margaritiferus	speckled racer	Colubridae	Texas (T)
	Elaphe bairdi	Baird's rat snake	Colubridae
		Great Plains rat snake	Colubridae
	Elaphe guttata guttata	corn snake	Colubridae	IUCN (LC)
	Elaphe obsoleta lindheimeri	Texas rat snake	Colubridae
	Elaphe obsoleta obsoleta	black rat snake	Colubridae	IUCN (LC)
	Elaphe slowinskii	Slowinski's corn snake	Colubridae
	Farancia abacura	mud snake	Colubridae	IUCN (LC)
	Ficimia streckeri	Mexican hooknose snake	Colubridae
	Gyalopion canum	western hooknose snake	Colubridae	IUCN (LC)
		Mexican hognose snake	Colubridae
		dusty hognose snake	Colubridae
	Heterodon nasicus nasicus	western hognose snake	Colubridae	IUCN (LC)
	Heterodon platirhinos	eastern hognose snake	Colubridae	IUCN (LC)
	Hypsiglena torquata jani	Texas night snake	Colubridae
	Lampropeltis alterna	grey-banded kingsnake	Colubridae	IUCN (LC)
	Lampropeltis calligaster	prairie kingsnake	Colubridae	IUCN (LC)
	Lampropeltis getula holbrooki	speckled kingsnake	Colubridae
	Lampropeltis getula splendida	desert kingsnake	Colubridae
		Louisiana milk snake	Colubridae
	Lampropeltis triangulum annulata	Mexican milk snake	Colubridae
		New Mexico milk snake	Colubridae
		Central Plains milk snake	Colubridae
	Leptodeira septentrionalis	northern cat-eyed snake	Colubridae	IUCN (LC) Texas (T)
	Liodytes rigida	Gulf crayfish snake	Colubridae
	Masticophis flagellum flagellum	eastern coachwhip	Colubridae	IUCN (LC)
		western coachwhip	Colubridae
		Schott's whipsnake	Colubridae
		Ruthven's whipsnake	Colubridae
		Central Texas whipsnake	Colubridae
		desert striped whipsnake	Colubridae
	Nerodia clarkii	salt marsh snake	Colubridae	IUCN (LC)
	Nerodia clarkii clarkii	Gulf salt marsh snake	Colubridae	IUCN (LC)
	Nerodia cyclopion	Mississippi green water snake	Colubridae	IUCN (LC)
	Nerodia erythrogaster erythrogaster	red-bellied water snake	Colubridae	IUCN (LC)
		blotched water snake	Colubridae
	Nerodia fasciata confluens	broad-banded water snake	Colubridae	IUCN (LC)
	Nerodia fasciata pictiventris	Florida water snake	Colubridae
	Nerodia harteri	Brazos Water Snake	Colubridae	IUCN (NT) Texas (T)
	Nerodia paucimaculata	Concho water snake	Colubridae	IUCN (NT) Texas (T)
	Nerodia rhombifer	Diamondback water snake	Colubridae	IUCN (LC)
	Opheodrys aestivus	rough green snake	Colubridae	IUCN (LC)
	Opheodrys vernalis	smooth green snake	Colubridae	IUCN (LC) Texas (T)
	Pituophis catenifer affinis	Sonoran gopher snake	Colubridae
	Pituophis catenifer sayi	bull snake	Colubridae
	Pituophis ruthveni	Louisiana pine snake	Colubridae	IUCN (EN) Texas (T)
	Regina grahamii	Graham's crayfish snake	Colubridae	IUCN (LC)
	Rhinocheilus lecontei tessellatus	Texas longnose snake	Colubridae
		Big Bend patchnose snake	Colubridae	Texas (T)
		mountain patchnose snake	Colubridae
		Texas patchnose snake	Colubridae
	Sonora semiannulata	ground snake	Colubridae	IUCN (LC)
		marsh brown snake	Colubridae
	Storeria dekayi texana	Texas brown snake	Colubridae
	Storeria occipitomaculata	redbelly snake	Colubridae	IUCN (LC)
		Mexican blackhead snake	Colubridae
		Big Bend blackhead snake	Colubridae
	Tantilla gracilis	flathead snake	Colubridae	IUCN (LC)
	Tantilla hobartsmithi	southwestern blackhead snake	Colubridae	IUCN (LC)
	Tantilla nigriceps	Plains blackhead snake	Colubridae	IUCN (LC)
	Thamnophis cyrtopsis cyrtopsis	blackneck garter snake	Colubridae	IUCN (LC)
	Thamnophis marcianus	checkered garter snake	Colubridae	IUCN (LC)
		arid land ribbon snake	Colubridae
		Gulf Coast ribbon snake	Colubridae
		western ribbon snake	Colubridae
	Thamnophis proximus rubrilineatus	redstripe ribbon snake	Colubridae
	Thamnophis radix	Plains garter snake	Colubridae	IUCN (LC)
	Thamnophis sirtalis annectens	Texas garter snake	Colubridae
		New Mexico garter snake	Colubridae
	Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis	common garter snake	Colubridae	IUCN (LC)
	Trimorphodon vilkinsonii	Texas lyre snake	Colubridae	IUCN (LC) Texas (T)
	Tropidoclonion lineatum texanum	Texas lined snake	Colubridae
	Virginia valeriae	smooth earth snake	Colubridae	IUCN (LC)
Family: Elapidae (elapids)
	Micrurus tener	Texas coral snake	Elapidae	IUCN (LC)
Family: Viperidae (vipers)
	Agkistrodon contortrix	eastern copperhead	Viperidae	IUCN (LC)
	Agkistrodon laticinctus	broad-banded copperhead	Viperidae
	Agkistrodon piscivorus	northern cottonmouth	Viperidae
	Crotalus atrox	western diamondback rattlesnake	Viperidae	IUCN (LC)
	Crotalus horridus	timber rattlesnake	Viperidae	IUCN (LC) Texas (T)
	Crotalus lepidus klauberi	banded rock rattlesnake	Viperidae
	Crotalus lepidus lepidus	Mottled rock rattlesnake	Viperidae	IUCN (LC)
	Crotalus molossus molossus	northern blacktail rattlesnake	Viperidae	IUCN (LC)
	Crotalus scutulatus	Mojave rattlesnake	Viperidae	IUCN (LC)
	Crotalus viridis viridis	prairie rattlesnake	Viperidae	IUCN (LC)
	Sistrurus catenatus edwardsii	desert massasauga	Viperidae
	Sistrurus catenatus tergeminus	western massasauga	Viperidae
	Sistrurus miliarius streckeri	western pigmy rattlesnake	Viperidae

Turtles[]

Order: Testudines

Picture	Scientific name	Common name	Family	Conservation status
Family: Cheloniidae (marine turtles)
	Caretta caretta	loggerhead sea turtle	Cheloniidae	IUCN (VU) Texas (T)
	Chelonia mydas	green turtle	Cheloniidae	IUCN (EN) Texas (T)
	Eretmochelys imbricata	hawksbill sea turtle	Cheloniidae	IUCN (CR) Texas (E)
	Lepidochelys kempii	Atlantic Ridley	Cheloniidae	IUCN (CR) Texas (E)
Family: Dermochelidae (leatherback sea turtles)
	Dermochelys coriacea	leatherback sea turtle	Dermochelidae	IUCN (VU) Texas (E)
Family: Kinosternidae (mud and musk turtles)
	Kinosternon flavescens	yellow mud turtle	Kinosternidae	IUCN (LC)
	Kinosternon hirtipes	rough-footed mud turtle	Kinosternidae	IUCN (LC)
		Mississippi mud turtle	Kinosternidae
	Sternotherus carinatus	razorback musk turtle	Kinosternidae
	Sternotherus odoratus	common musk turtle	Kinosternidae	IUCN (LC)
Family: Emydidae (water and box turtles)
	Chrysemys picta bellii	western painted turtle	Emydidae	IUCN (LC)
	Chrysemys picta dorsalis	southern painted turtle	Emydidae	IUCN (LC)
	Deirochelys reticularia	chicken turtle	Emydidae
	Graptemys caglei	Cagle's map turtle	Emydidae	IUCN (EN)
	Graptemys ouachitensis	Oachita map turtle	Emydidae	IUCN (LC)
	Graptemys pseudogeographica	false map turtle	Emydidae	IUCN (LC)
	Graptemys versa	Texas map turtle	Emydidae	IUCN (LC)
	Malaclemys terrapin	diamondback terrapin	Emydidae	IUCN (VU)
	Pseudemys concinna concinna	Eastern river cooter	Emydidae
	Pseudemys gorzugi	Rio Grande cooter	Emydidae	IUCN (NT)
	Pseudemys texana	Texas river cooter	Emydidae	IUCN (LC)
	Terrapene carolina carolina	eastern box turtle	Emydidae	IUCN (VU)
	Terrapene ornata luteola	desert box turtle	Emydidae
	Terrapene ornata ornata	ornate box turtle	Emydidae	IUCN (NT)
	Trachemys gaigeae	Big Bend slider	Emydidae	IUCN (VU)
	Trachemys scripta elegans	red-eared slider	Emydidae
Family: Chelydridae (snapping turtles)
	Chelydra serpentina	common snapping turtle	Chelydridae	IUCN (LC)
	Macrochelys temminckii	alligator snapping turtle	Chelydridae	IUCN (VU)
Family: Trionychidae (softshell turtles)
	Apalone mutica	smooth softshell turtle	Trionychidae	IUCN (LC)
	Apalone spinifera emoryi	Texas spiny softshell turtle	Trionychidae
	Apalone spinifera guadalupensis	Guadalupe spiny softshell turtle	Trionychidae
	Apalone spinifera hartwegi	western spiny softshell turtle	Trionychidae
	Apalone spinifera pallida	Pallid spiny softshell turtle	Trionychidae
Family: Testudinidae (gopher tortoises)
	Gopherus berlandieri	Texas tortoise	Testudinidae	IUCN (LC) Texas (T)

See also[]

• List of Texas amphibians

References[]

• Texas Memorial Museum: Herps of Texas
• Texas Parks & Wildlife: Endangered and Threatened Species of Texas
• Integrated Taxonomic Information System