Wikipedia

List of reptiles of Pennsylvania

This is a list of reptiles of Pennsylvania as listed by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.[1] As of 2024, there are 38 native reptiles in Pennsylvania. The species are listed as in the PFBC list, with the exception of introduced species, which are derived from other sources. Notes on ranges provided by Pennsylvania Amphibian & Reptile Survey.[2]

Testudines - Turtles & Tortoises

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Family: Chelydridae - Snapping Turtles

Common name Scientific name Status Notes Distribution
Common Snapping Turtle

 

Chelydra serpentina (Linnaeus, 1758) Abundant Statewide

Family: Kinosternidae - Mud & Musk Turtles

Common name Scientific name Status Notes Distribution
Southeastern Mud Turtle   Kinosternon subrubrum subrubrum Bonnaterre, 1789 Endangered nominate subspecies Bucks County[n 1]
Eastern Musk Turtle  Sternotherus odoratus (Latreille, 1802) Abundant Primarily in the northwestern and southeastern counties, some scattered records in central, northwestern, and southeastern counties

Family: Emydidae - Pond Turtles

Common name Scientific name Status Notes Distribution
Midland Painted Turtle   Chrysemys picta marginata Agassiz, 1857 Abundant subspecies of widespread painted turtle Statewide, but primarily west of the Appalachians
Eastern Painted Turtle   Chrysemys picta picta (Schneider, 1783) Abundant subspecies of widespread painted turtle Primarily east of the Appalachians
Spotted Turtle   Clemmys guttata (Schneider, 1792) Species of Special Concern Much of the west, as well as some of the counties in the northwest and Westmoreland County in the southwest
Wood Turtle   Glyptemys insculpta (Le Conte, 1830) Species of Special Concern Statewide, but rarer to the west
Bog Turtle   Glyptemys muhlenbergii (Schoepff, 1801) Endangered Southeastern counties[n 2]
Blanding's Turtle   Emydoidea blandingii (Holbrook, 1838) Candidate Species Erie County
Northern Map Turtle   Graptemys geographica (Lesueur, 1817) Abundant Statewide, except in Allegheny National Forest and northern central counties
False Map Turtle   Graptemys pseudogeographica pseudogeographica (Gray, 1831) Not Evaluated Several observations on the citizen science iNaturalist, also a 1911 record in the University of Colorado Museum of Natural History[4] Primarily around the Delaware River, also seen near Pittsburgh[4]
Northern Diamondback Terrapin   Malaclemys terrapin terrapin Schoepff, 1793 Incidental[2] Nominate subspecies Rarely strays into southeast through Delaware River
River Cooter   Pseudemys concinna (Le Conte, 1830) Nonnative[2] Introduced from pet trade Primarily southeast, some southwest records
Northern Red-bellied Cooter   Pseudemys rubriventris (Le Conte, 1830) Threatened Southeastern counties
Eastern Box Turtle   Terrapene carolina carolina (Linnaeus, 1758) Species of Special Concern Nominate subspecies Statewide but more abundant to the south
Red-eared Slider   Trachemys scripta elegans (Wied-Neuwied, 1839) Invasive[2] Listed as one of the World's Worst Invasive Alien Species Statewide except northern central counties
Yellow-bellied Slider   Trachemys scripta scripta (Thunberg, 1792) Invasive[2] Nominate subspecies of pond slider Primarily southeast, but scattered observations throughout southern and central parts of the state

Family: Trionychidae - Softshell Turtles

Common name Scientific name Status Notes Distribution
Midland Smooth Softshell Turtle 
 
Apalone mutica mutica (Lesueur, 1827) Extirpated[5] Nominate subspecies Formerly found in southwest, now extirpated
Eastern Spiny Softshell   Apalone spinifera spinifera (Lesueur, 1827) Abundant Nominate subspecies Eastern counties, Delaware River and its tributaries, scattered records in between

Squamata - Snakes & Lizards

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Order: Squamata

Clade: Sauria/Lacertilia - Lizards

Family: Phrynosomatidae - Earless, Spiny, Tree, Side-blotched & Horned Lizards

Common name Scientific name Status Notes Distribution
Eastern Fence Lizard   Sceloporus undulatus (Bosc & Daudin, 1801) Species of Special Concern Southern & central counties

Family: Scincidae - Skinks

Common name Scientific name Status Notes Distribution
Northern Coal Skink   Plestiodon anthracinus anthracinus Baird, 1850 Species of Special Concern Nominate subspecies Northern & central counties
Common Five-lined Skink   Plestiodon fasciatus (Linnaeus, 1758) Abundant Essentially statewide, but more common in the northwest, central, and southeast
Broad-headed Skink   Plestiodon laticeps (Schneider, 1801) Candidate species Adams County, Lancaster County, and Chester County

Family: Gekkonidae - Geckos

Common name Scientific name Status Notes Distribution
Mediterranean House Gecko

 

Hemidactylus turcicus (Linnaeus, 1758) Nonnative[2] Southeastern counties

Family: Lacertidae - Wall Lizards

Common name Scientific name Status Notes Distribution
Northern Italian Wall Lizard   Podarcis siculus campestris (Rafinesque, 1810) Nonnative[2] Philadelphia County, Montgomery County, and Bucks County

Clade: Serpentes - Snakes

Family: Colubridae - Colubrid Snakes

Common name Scientific name Status Notes Distribution
Eastern Worm Snake   Carphophis amoenus amoenus (Say, 1825) Species of Special Concern South-central and southeastern counties
Kirtland's Snake   Clonophis kirtlandii (Kennicott, 1856) Endangered Butler County, Allegheny County, and Forest County
Northern Black Racer   Coluber constrictor constrictor Linnaeus, 1758 Abundant Nominate subspecies Statewide except northernmost counties
Northern Ring-necked Snake   Diadophis punctatus edwardsii (Merrem, 1820) Abundant Subspecies of widespread Ring-necked snake Statewide
Eastern Ratsnake   Pantherophis alleghaniensis (Holbrook, 1836) Abundant The taxonomy of the genus Pantherophis, and especially P. alleghaniensis and P. spiloides, are constantly in flux, and the names and validity of this species are prone to change Generally east of the Appalachians
Gray Ratsnake   Pantherophis spiloides (A. M. C. Duméril, Bibron, & A. H. A. Duméril, 1854) Abundant[n 3] The taxonomy of the genus Pantherophis, and especially P. alleghaniensis and P. spiloides, are constantly in flux, and the names and validity of this species are prone to change Generally west of the Appalachians
Eastern Hog-nosed Snake   Heterodon platirhinos Latreille, 1801 Species of Special Concern Central and eastern counties
Eastern Milksnake   Lampropeltis triangulum (Lacépède, 1789) Abundant When subspecies are recognized, the Pennsylvania subspecies is Lampropeltis triangulum triangulum Statewide
Northern Watersnake   Nerodia sipedon sipedon (Linnaeus, 1758) Abundant Statewide
Northern Rough Greensnake   Opheodrys aestivus aestivus (Linnaeus, 1766) Endangered Lancaster County and Chester County
Smooth Greensnake   Opheodrys vernalis (Harlan, 1827) Species of Special Concern Statewide except southeast
Queensnake   Regina septemvittata (Say, 1825) Species of Special Concern Western and southeastern counties
De Kay's Brownsnake   Storeria dekayi (Holbrook, 1836) Abundant Statewide
Northern Red-bellied Snake   Storeria occipitomaculata occipitomaculata (Storer, 1839) Abundant Nominate subspecies Statewide except southeast
Short-headed Garter Snake   Thamnophis brachystoma (Cope, 1892) Species of Special Concern Northwestern counties, introduced to Pittsburgh area[6]
Eastern Ribbonsnake   Thamnophis saurita saurita (Linnaeus, 1766) Species of Special Concern subspecies of common ribbon snake Central counties eastward, some records north of Pittsburgh[7]
Northern Ribbon Snake   Thamnophis saurita septentrionalis Rossman, 1963 Species of Special Concern subspecies of common ribbon snake Northwestern counties and Tioga County
Eastern Garter Snake   Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis (Linnaeus, 1758) Abundant Nominate subspecies Statewide
Eastern Smooth Earthsnake   Virginia valeriae valeriae Baird and Girard, 1853 Species of species concern subspecies of smooth earth snake Lancaster County and Chester County
Mountain Earthsnake Virginia valeriae pulchra (Richmond, 1954) Species of Special Concern subspecies of smooth earth snake Central counties

Family: Viperidae - Pit Vipers

Common name Scientific name Status Notes Distribution
Eastern Copperhead   Agkistrodon contortrix (Linnaeus, 1766) Species of Special Concern Most of state except westernmost and northernmost counties
Timber Rattlesnake   Crotalus horridus Linnaeus, 1758 Species of Special Concern Most of state except western and southeastern counties
Eastern Massasauga   Sistrurus catenatus (Rafinesque, 1818) Endangered Venango County and Butler County

Nonestablished Species

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Reptiles released from the pet trade can be seen in Pennsylvania. Some pets are more established than others. Released pets can eventually become established breeding populations, such as in the case of the red-eared slider, which is now illegal to own in many countries.[8][9]


Notes

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  1. ^ A single deceased mud turtle was recorded from Washington County.[2]
  2. ^ The population in Crawford County and Mercer County has not been recorded since 1928.[3]
  3. ^ Included in P. alleghaniensis by both the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission and by PARS.

Reflist

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  1. ^ "Pennsylvania Native Reptile and Amphibian Species". Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commisision. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "PARS". Pennsylvania Amphibian & Reptile Survey. The Mid-Atlantic Center for Herpetology and Conservation. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
  3. ^ "Glyptemys muhlenbergii". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 2024-09-18.
  4. ^ a b "Graptemys pseudogeographica". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 2024-09-18.
  5. ^ "Apalone mutica mutica Midland Smooth Softshell Turtle". NatureServe Explorer. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
  6. ^ Powell R, Conant R, Collins JT (2016). Peterson Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, Fourth Edition. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. xiv + 494 pp., 47 plates, 207 figures. ISBN 978-0-544-12997-9. (Thamnophis brachystoma, pp. 426-427 + Plate 42).
  7. ^ "Thamnophis saurita subsp. saurita". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 2024-09-19.
  8. ^ Red-eared slider (PDF) (Report). Animal Pest Alert. Vol. 6. Western Australia: Department of Agriculture. 2009.
  9. ^ Species listed in the Annexes of the EU Wildlife Trade Regulations. European Commission Environment (Report). 16 September 2013. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  10. ^ "Terrapene triunguis". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 2024-09-18.
  11. ^ "Terrapene ornata". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 2024-09-18.
  12. ^ "Pelodiscus sinensis". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 2024-09-18.
  13. ^ "Hemidactylus mabouia". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 2024-09-18.
  14. ^ "Anolis sagrei". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 2024-09-18.
  15. ^ "Anolis carolinensis". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 2024-09-18.
  16. ^ "Pantherophis guttatus". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 2024-09-19.
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