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List of reptiles and amphibians of Alaska

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Alaska is the northwestern most part of North America. Reptiles and amphibians are not common in Alaska due to them being cold-blooded. Alaska has four reptile species and eight amphibian species. Two of these species are introduced species. There are no snakes or lizards in Alaska.[1]

Reptiles

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Order: Testudines - Turtles & Tortoises

Family: Cheloniidae - Typical Sea Turtles

Photo Common name Scientific name Status Notes Distribution
Loggerhead Sea Turtle Caretta caretta (Linnaeus, 1758) VU[2] Two sightings between 1960 and 2007[3] Gulf of Alaska
Green Sea Turtle Chelonia mydas (Linnaeus, 1758) EN[4] 15 sightings since 1960[5] Gulf of Alaska
Olive Ridley Sea Turtle Lepidochelys olivacea (Eschscholtz, 1829) VU[6] Three sightings between 1960 and 2007[7] Gulf of Alaska

Family: Dermochelyidae - Leatherback Sea Turtles

Photo Common name Scientific name Status Notes Distribution
Leatherback Sea Turtle Dermochelys coriacea (Vandelli, 1761) VU[8] 19 sightings between 1960 and 2007[9] Gulf of Alaska, Bristol Bay, southernmost of Bering Sea

Amphibians

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Order: Anura - Frogs & Toads

Family: Ranidae - True Frogs

Photo Common name Scientific name Status Notes Distribution
Wood Frog Lithobates sylvaticus (Le Conte, 1825) LC[10] Sometimes placed in genus Rana[11] Statewide, except extreme north, Alaska Peninsula, and Aleutian Islands
Northern Red-legged Frog Rana aurora (Baird & Girard, 1852) LC[12] Introduced to Alaska

Sometimes placed in genus Amerana[13]

Introduced to northeastern Chichagof Island[1]
Columbia Spotted Frog Rana luteiventris Thompson, 1913 LC[14] Sometimes placed in genus Amerana[13] Southeast Alaska

Family: Hylidae - Tree Frogs

Photo Common name Scientific name Status Notes Distribution
Pacific Chorus Frog Pseudacris regilla (Baird & Girard, 1852) LC[15] Introduced to Alaska southern Revillagigedo Island[1] and north of the city of Sitka on the Sitka Sound and north of Juneau[16]

Family: Bufonidae - True Toads

Photo Common name Scientific name Status Notes Distribution
Western Toad Anaxyrus boreas (Baird & Girard, 1852) LC[17] Southeast Alaska north to Prince William Sound

Order: Caudata - Newts & Salamanders

Family: Salamandridae - Newts

Photo Common name Scientific name Status Notes Distribution
Rough-skinned Newt Taricha granulosa (Skilton, 1849) LC[18] Southeast Alaska

Family: Ambystomatidae - Mole Salamanders

Photo Common name Scientific name Status Notes Distribution
Northwestern Salamander Ambystoma gracile (Baird, 1859) LC[19] southern Southeast Alaska
Long-toed Salamander Ambystoma macrodactylum Baird, 1850 LC[20] subspecies Ambystoma macrodactylum columbianum[21] southern Southeast Alaska

Unconfirmed Species

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Two species are alleged to occur naturally in Alaska, but are not officially confirmed.[1]

Additionally, the tailed frog, Ascaphus truei, occurs in British Columbia until the Portland Inlet[22], and may occur in southernmost Alaska.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e MacDonald, S. O. "The Amphibians and Reptiles of Alaska A Field Handbook" (PDF). Fauna of Alaska. U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  2. ^ Casale, P.; Tucker, A.D. (2017) [amended version of 2015 assessment]. "Caretta caretta". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T3897A119333622. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T3897A119333622.en. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  3. ^ "Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta)". Alaska Department of Fish and Game. State of Alaska. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  4. ^ Seminoff, J.A. (Southwest Fisheries Science Center, U.S.). (2023) [amended version of 2004 assessment]. "Chelonia mydas". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2023: e.T4615A247654386. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2023-1.RLTS.T4615A247654386.en. Retrieved 23 September 2024.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. ^ "Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas)". Alaska Department of Fish and Game. State of Alaska. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  6. ^ Abreu-Grobois, A.; Plotkin, P. (IUCN SSC Marine Turtle Specialist Group). (2008). "Lepidochelys olivacea". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2008: e.T11534A3292503. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T11534A3292503.en. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  7. ^ "Olive Ridley Sea Turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea)". Alaska Department of Fish and Game. State of Alaska. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  8. ^ Wallace, B.P.; Tiwari, M.; Girondot, M. (2013). "Dermochelys coriacea". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2013: e.T6494A43526147. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-2.RLTS.T6494A43526147.en. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  9. ^ "Leatherback Sea Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)". Alaska Department of Fish and Game. State of Alaska. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  10. ^ IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group. (2022). "Lithobates sylvaticus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2022: e.T58728A193382501. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T58728A193382501.en. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  11. ^ Yuan, Z.-Y.; et al. (2016). "Spatiotemporal diversification of the true frogs (genus Rana): A historical framework for a widely studied group of model organisms". Systematic Biology. 65 (5): 824–42. doi:10.1093/sysbio/syw055. hdl:2292/43460. PMID 27288482.
  12. ^ IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group. (2022). "Rana aurora". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2022: e.T58553A196335511. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T58553A196335511.en. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  13. ^ a b Dubois, Alain; Ohler, Annemarie; Pyron, R. Alexander (26 February 2021). "New concepts and methods for phylogenetic taxonomy and nomenclature in zoology, exemplified by a new ranked cladonomy of recent amphibians (Lissamphibia)". Megataxa. 5 (1). doi:10.11646/megataxa.5.1.1. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  14. ^ IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group. (2022). "Rana luteiventris". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2022: e.T58649A196336248. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T58649A196336248.en. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  15. ^ IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group. (2022). "Pseudacris regilla". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2022: e.T166731785A53961380. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-2.RLTS.T166731785A53961380.en. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  16. ^ "Pseudacris regilla". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 2024-09-23.
  17. ^ IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group. (2022). "Anaxyrus boreas". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2022: e.T181488862A197445871. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-2.RLTS.T181488862A197445871.en. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  18. ^ IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group. (2022). "Taricha granulosa". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2022: e.T59469A196342071. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T59469A196342071.en. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  19. ^ IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group. (2022). "Ambystoma gracile". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2022: e.T59057A196337763. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T59057A196337763.en. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  20. ^ IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group. (2022). "Ambystoma macrodactylum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2022: e.T59063A196338222. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T59063A196338222.en. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  21. ^ Stebbins RA (2003). A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians (Peterson Field Guide Series) (3rd ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 978-0-395-98272-3.
  22. ^ IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group. (2022). "Ascaphus truei". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2022: e.T54414A196332997. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T54414A196332997.en. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
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