List of reptiles of Massachusetts

This is a list of reptiles of Massachusetts. It includes all reptiles currently found in the US state of Massachusetts in alphabetical order of scientific name. It does not include species found only in captivity.

Snakes

Name	Scientific name	Order	Family	Range and status	IUCN Red List
Northern copperhead	Agkistrodon contortrix mokasen	Snake	Viperidae	Rare, endangered in the state; found in Norfolk, Berkshire, and Hampden Counties	7
Black racer	Coluber constrictor	Snake	Colubridae	Locally common although declining; statewide except Nantucket	7
Timber rattlesnake	Crotalus horridus	Snake	Viperidae	Very rare, endangered in the state; found in Berkshire, Hampden, Hampshire, and Norfolk counties	7
Eastern worm snake	Carphophis ameonus amoenus	Snake	Colubridae	Rare and threatened in the Commonwealth; found only in the Southern Connecticut River Valley in Hampden and Hampshire Counties	7
Ring-necked snake	Diadophis punctatus	Snake	Colubridae	Common and widespread in the Commonwealth; statewide	7
Eastern hog-nosed snake	Heterodon platirhinos	Snake	Colubridae	Uncommon; spotty distribution, but found in all counties except Berkshire, Nantucket, and Dukes County	7
Eastern milk snake	Lampropeltis triangulum	Snake	Colubridae	Common; statewide	7
Northern water snake	Nerodia sipedon	Snake	Colubridae	Common; statewide except Dukes County	7
Smooth green snake	Opheodrys vernalis	Snake	Colubridae	Common but declining due to habitat loss; statewide	7
Black rat snake	Pantherophis obsoletus	Snake	Colubridae	Very rare, endangered in the Commonwealth; found only in Southern Worcester County, the Connecticut River Valley and Essex County	7
DeKay's brown snake	Storeria dekayi	Snake	Colubridae	Common; statewide except Martha's Vineyard island and Nantucket	7
Brahminy blind snake	Ramphotyphlops braminus	Snake	Typhlopidae	Introduced; reported to occur only in and around Boston; status unclear	7
Northern redbelly snake	Storeria occipitomaculata occipitomaculata	Snake	Colubridae	Common; statewide except Nantucket	7
Ribbon snake	Thamnophis sauritus	Snake	Colubridae	Common but declining; statewide	7
Common garter snake	Thamnophis sirtalis	Snake	Colubridae	Common; statewide	7

Turtles

Name	Scientific name	Order	Family	Range and status	IUCN Red List
Loggerhead sea turtle	Caretta caretta	Turtle	Cheloniidae	Very rare, located in coastal waters of the southeast; one recorded in Essex County in 2008; endangered federally and in the Commonwealth	7
Green sea turtle	Chelonia mydas	Turtle	Cheloniidae	Very rare, reported from Dukes, Nantucket, and Cape Cod; listed as threatened in the Commonwealth and endangered federally	7
Common snapping turtle	Chelydra serpentina	Turtle	Chelydridae	Common; statewide	7
Painted turtle	Chrysemys picta	Turtle	Emydidae	Common; statewide	7
Spotted turtle	Clemmys guttata	Turtle	Emydidae	Locally common to uncommon; statewide except Northern Berkshire County and Suffolk County	7
Leatherback sea turtle	Dermochelys coriacea	Turtle	Dermochelyidae	Very rare, coastal southeastern waters; endangered	7
Blanding's turtle	Emydoidea blandingii	Turtle	Emydidae	Rare, scattered populations in east; threatened in the Commonwealth	7
Hawksbill sea turtle	Eretmochelys imbricata	Turtle	Cheloniidae	Rare vagrant, recorded in 1909, 1968, and 1989; critically endangered	7
Wood turtle	Glyptemys insculpta	Turtle	Emydidae	Uncommon, found statewide anywhere north and west of Bristol County and Plymouth County; listed as special concern	7
Bog turtle	Glyptemys muhlenbergii	Turtle	Emydidae	Very rare, found only in Berkshire County; critically endangered in the commonwealth and federally	7
Kemp's ridley sea turtle	Lepidochelys kempii	Turtle	Cheloniidae	Recorded from Cape Cod, Dukes County, and Nantucket; listed as endangered in the Commonwealth, critically endangered globally	7
Diamondback terrapin	Malaclemys terrapin	Turtle	Emydidae	Uncommon, found in Cape Cod, Plymouth County, and Bristol County; listed as threatened federally and in the Commonwealth	7
Northern red-bellied cooter	Pseudemys rubriventris	Turtle	Emydidae	Rare, found only in Plymouth County; listed as endangered	7
Eastern musk turtle	Sternotherus odoratus	Turtle	Kinosternidae	Common; statewide except Dukes and Nantucket Counties	7
Eastern box turtle	Terrapene carolina carolina	Turtle	Emydidae	Uncommon, statewide except possibly Nantucket; listed as special concern	7
Red-eared slider	Trachemys scripta elegans	Turtle	Emydidae	Introduced; may occur statewide, most likely common	7

Lizards

Name	Scientific name	Order	Family	Range and status	IUCN Red List
Common five-lined skink	Plestidon fasciatus	Lizard	Scincidae	Extirpated; formerly Western and Southern Massachusetts (Berkshire and Bristol Counties), but now absent from the Commonwealth due to habitat loss	7
Italian wall lizard	Podarcis siculus	Lizard	Lacertidae	Introduced; recorded only in Suffolk County, unconfirmed reports in Middlesex County.

References

• Massachusetts Reptiles and Amphibians List J.E. Cardoza and P.G. Mirick, Massachusetts Div. of Fisheries and Wildlife
• Red-eared Slider Fact Sheet-USGS