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List of reptiles of Pennsylvania

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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 and tortoises

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Family: Chelydridae - snapping turtles

Image Common name Scientific name Status Notes Distribution
Common snapping turtle Chelydra serpentina
(Linnaeus, 1758) 		Abundant Statewide

Family: Emydidae - pond turtles

Image 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 1]
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 website 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: Kinosternidae - mud and musk turtles

Image Common name Scientific name Status Notes Distribution
Southeastern mud turtle Kinosternon subrubrum subrubrum
Bonnaterre, 1789 		Endangered Nominate subspecies Bucks County[n 2]
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: Trionychidae - softshell turtles

Image 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 and lizards

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Order: Squamata

Clade: Sauria/Lacertilia - lizards

Family: Gekkonidae - geckos

Image Common name Scientific name Status Notes Distribution
Mediterranean house gecko Hemidactylus turcicus
(Linnaeus, 1758) 		Nonnative[2] Southeastern counties

Family: Lacertidae - wall lizards

Image 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

Family: Phrynosomatidae - earless, spiny, tree, side-blotched and horned lizards

Image Common name Scientific name Status Notes Distribution
Eastern fence lizard Sceloporus undulatus
(Bosc & Daudin, 1801) 		Species of special concern Southern and central counties

Family: Scincidae - skinks

Image Common name Scientific name Status Notes Distribution
Northern coal skink Plestiodon anthracinus anthracinus
Baird, 1850 		Species of special concern Nominate subspecies Northern and 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

Clade: Serpentes - snakes

Family: Colubridae - colubrid snakes

Image 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 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 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 green snake Opheodrys aestivus aestivus
(Linnaeus, 1766) 		Endangered Lancaster County and Chester County
Smooth green snake Opheodrys vernalis
(Harlan, 1827) 		Species of special concern Statewide except southeast
Queensnake Regina septemvittata
(Say, 1825) 		Species of special concern Western and southeastern counties
DeKay's brown snake 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 earth snake Virginia valeriae valeriae
Baird and Girard, 1853 		Species of special concern Subspecies of smooth earth snake Lancaster County and Chester County
Mountain earth snake Virginia valeriae pulchra
(Richmond, 1954) 		Species of special concern Subspecies of smooth earth snake Central counties

Family: Viperidae - pit vipers

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

References

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  1. ^ "Pennsylvania Native Reptile and Amphibian Species". Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commisision. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Retrieved September 18, 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 September 18, 2024.
  3. ^ "Glyptemys muhlenbergii". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  4. ^ a b "Graptemys pseudogeographica". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  5. ^ "Apalone mutica mutica". NatureServe Explorer. Retrieved September 18, 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 September 19, 2024.
  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). September 16, 2013. Retrieved September 27, 2013.
  10. ^ "Terrapene triunguis". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  11. ^ "Terrapene ornata". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  12. ^ "Pelodiscus sinensis". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  13. ^ "Hemidactylus mabouia". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  14. ^ "Anolis sagrei". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  15. ^ "Anolis carolinensis". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  16. ^ "Pantherophis guttatus". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
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