List of reptiles of Texas

This list of reptiles of Texas includes the snakes, lizards, crocodilians, and turtles native to the U.S. state of Texas.

Texas has a large range 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 parts 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 are denoted with a (T) and endangered species are denoted with an (E). The climate of Texas has also led to some species being introduced and establishing a permanent population, denoted with an (I).

Conservation status

	Least-concern species
	Vulnerable species
	Endangered species
	Critically endangered
	Invasive species

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 frenatus	Asian house gecko	Gekkonidae	IUCN (LC) Texas (I)
	Hemidactylus turcicus	Mediterranean gecko	Gekkonidae	IUCN (LC) Texas (I)
Family: Iguanidae (iguanas)
	Ctenosaura pectinata	Mexican spinytail iguana	Iguanidae	Texas (I)
Family: Phrynosomatidae (earless, sand, horned, and spiny lizards)
	Cophosaurus texanus	Greater earless lizard	Phrynosomatidae	IUCN (LC)
	Holbrookia lacerata	Northern spot-tailed earless lizard	Phrynosomatidae	IUCN (NT)
	Holbrookia maculata maculata	Great Plains earless lizard	Phrynosomatidae
	Holbrookia maculata flavilenta	Chihuahuan earless lizard	Phrynosomatidae
	Holbrookia maculata perspicua	Prairie earless lizard	Phrynosomatidae
	Holbrookia propinqua	Keeled earless lizard	Phrynosomatidae
	Holbrookia subcaudalis	Southern spot-tailed earless lizard	Phrynosomatidae
	Phrynosoma cornutum	Texas horned lizard	Phrynosomatidae	IUCN (LC) Texas (T)
	Phrynosoma hernandesi	Greater 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 bimaculosus	Twin-spotted spiny lizard	Phrynosomatidae
	Sceloporus consobrinus	Prairie lizard	Phrynosomatidae
	Sceloporus cowlesi	Southwestern fence lizard	Phrynosomatidae
	Sceloporus cyanogenys	Blue spiny lizard	Phrynosomatidae	IUCN (LC)
	Sceloporus grammicus	Mesquite lizard	Phrynosomatidae	IUCN (LC)
	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 marmoratus	Rosebelly lizard	Phrynosomatidae	IUCN (LC)
	Urosaurus ornatus ornatus	Texas tree lizard	Phrynosomatidae	IUCN (LC)
	Urosaurus ornatus schmidti	Big Bend tree lizard	Phrynosomatidae
	Uta stejnegeri	Eastern side-blotched lizard	Phrynosomatidae
Family: Scincidae (skinks)
	Plestiodon anthracinus pluvialis	Southern coal skink	Scincidae
	Plestiodon fasciatus	Five-lined skink	Scincidae
	Plestiodon laticeps	Broadhead skink	Scincidae	IUCN (LC)
	Plestiodon multivirgatus epipleurotus	Variable skink	Scincidae
	Plestiodon obsoletus	Great Plains Skink	Scincidae	IUCN (LC)
	Plestiodon septentrionalis obtusirostris	Southern prairie skink	Scincidae
	Plestiodon tetragrammus brevilineatus	Short-lined skink	Scincidae
	Plestiodon tetragrammus tetragrammus	Four-lined skink	Scincidae
	Scincella lateralis	Little brown skink	Scincidae	IUCN (LC)
Family: Teiidae (whiptails)
	Aspidoscelis exsanguis	Chihuahuan spotted whiptail	Teiidae	IUCN (LC)
	Aspidoscelis gularis	Texas spotted whiptail	Teiidae	IUCN (LC)
	Aspidoscelis inornata heptagramma	Little striped whiptail	Teiidae
	Aspidoscelis laredoensis	Laredo striped whiptail	Teiidae	IUCN (LC)
	Aspidoscelis marmorata marmorata	Western marbled whiptail	Teiidae
	Aspidoscelis marmorata reticuloriens	Eastern marbled whiptail	Teiidae
	Aspidoscelis neomexicana	New Mexico whiptail	Teiidae	IUCN (LC)
	Aspidoscelis sexlineata stephensae	Texas yellow-headed racerunner	Teiidae
	Aspidoscelis sexlineata viridis	Prairie racerunner	Teiidae
	Aspidoscelis scalaris	Plateau spotted whiptail	Teiidae
	Aspidoscelis tesselata	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: Typhlopidae (blindsnakes)
	Indotyphlops braminus	Brahminy blindsnake	Typhlopidae	IUCN (LC)
Family: Leptotyphlopidae (threadsnakes)
	Rena dissecta	New Mexico threadsnake	Leptotyphlopidae	IUCN (LC)
	Rena dulcis dulcis	Plains threadsnake	Leptotyphlopidae	IUCN (LC)
	Rena dulcis rubellum	South Texas threadsnake	Leptotyphlopidae
	Rena humilis segregus	Trans-Pecos threadsnake	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 ratsnake	Colubridae	IUCN (LC)
	Carphophis vermis	Western wormsnake	Colubridae	IUCN (LC)
	Cemophora coccinea	Scarletsnake	Colubridae
	Cemophora lineri	Texas scarletsnake	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
	Coniophanes imperialis	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)
	Farancia abacura	Red-bellied mud snake	Colubridae	IUCN (LC)
	Ficimia streckeri	Mexican hooknose snake	Colubridae
	Gyalopion canum	Chihuahuan hook-nosed snake	Colubridae	IUCN (LC)
	Haldea striatula	Rough earthsnake	Colubridae
	Heterodon kennerlyi	Mexican hognose snake	Colubridae
	Heterodon nasicus gloydi	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	Gray-banded kingsnake	Colubridae	IUCN (LC)
	Lampropeltis calligaster	Prairie kingsnake	Colubridae	IUCN (LC)
	Lampropeltis holbrooki	Speckled kingsnake	Colubridae
	Lampropeltis splendida	Desert kingsnake	Colubridae
	Lampropeltis annulata	Mexican milksnake	Colubridae
	Lampropeltis gentilis	Western milksnake	Colubridae
	Leptodeira septentrionalis	Northern cat-eyed snake	Colubridae	IUCN (LC) Texas (T)
	Liodytes rigida	Gulf swampsnake	Colubridae
	Masticophis flagellum flagellum	Eastern coachwhip	Colubridae	IUCN (LC)
	Masticophis flagellum testaceus	Western coachwhip	Colubridae
	Masticophis schotti schotti	Schott's whipsnake	Colubridae
	Masticophis schotti ruthveni	Ruthven's whipsnake	Colubridae
	Masticophis taeniatus girardi	Central Texas whipsnake	Colubridae
	Masticophis taeniatus taeniatus	Desert striped whipsnake	Colubridae
	Nerodia clarkii	Saltmarsh watersnake	Colubridae	IUCN (LC)
	Nerodia cyclopion	Mississippi green watersnake	Colubridae	IUCN (LC)
	Nerodia erythrogaster	Plain-bellied watersnake	Colubridae	IUCN (LC)
	Nerodia fasciata confluens	Broad-banded watersnake	Colubridae	IUCN (LC)
	Nerodia fasciata pictiventris	Florida watersnake	Colubridae	Texas (I)
	Nerodia harteri	Brazos watersnake	Colubridae	IUCN (NT) Texas (T)
	Nerodia paucimaculata	Concho watersnake	Colubridae	IUCN (NT) Texas (T)
	Nerodia rhombifer	Diamondback watersnake	Colubridae	IUCN (LC)
	Nerodia sipedon pleuralis	Midland watersnake	Colubridae	IUCN (LC)
	Opheodrys aestivus	Rough green snake	Colubridae	IUCN (LC)
	Opheodrys vernalis	Smooth green snake	Colubridae	IUCN (LC) Texas (T)
	Pantherophis bairdi	Baird's ratsnake	Colubridae
	Pantherophis emoryi	Great Plains ratsnake	Colubridae
	Pantherophis obsoletus	Western ratsnake	Colubridae
	Pantherophis slowinskii	Slowinski's cornsnake	Colubridae
	Pituophis catenifer affinis	Sonoran gopher snake	Colubridae
	Pituophis catenifer sayi	Bull snake	Colubridae
	Pituophis ruthveni	Louisiana pinesnake	Colubridae	IUCN (EN) Texas (T)
	Regina grahamii	Graham's crayfish snake	Colubridae	IUCN (LC)
	Rhinocheilus lecontei tessellatus	Texas longnose snake	Colubridae
	Salvadora deserticola	Big Bend patch-nose snake	Colubridae	Texas (T)
	Salvadora grahamiae grahamiae	Mountain patch-nose snake	Colubridae
	Salvadora grahamiae lineata	Texas patch-nose snake	Colubridae
	Sonora semiannulata	Ground snake	Colubridae	IUCN (LC)
	Storeria dekayi limnetes	Marsh brown snake	Colubridae
	Storeria dekayi texana	Texas brown snake	Colubridae
	Storeria occipitomaculata	Redbelly snake	Colubridae	IUCN (LC)
	Tantilla atriceps	Mexican blackhead snake	Colubridae
	Tantilla cucullata	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)
	Thamnophis proximus diabolicus	Arid land ribbon snake	Colubridae
	Thamnophis proximus orarius	Gulf Coast ribbon snake	Colubridae
	Thamnophis proximus proximus	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
	Thamnophis sirtalis dorsalis	New Mexico garter snake	Colubridae
	Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis	Common garter snake	Colubridae	IUCN (LC)
	Trimorphodon vilkinsonii	Texas lyresnake	Colubridae	IUCN (LC) Texas (T)
	Tropidoclonion lineatum texanum	Texas lined snake	Colubridae
	Virginia valeriae	Smooth earthsnake	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 ornatus	Eastern black-tailed rattlesnake	Viperidae	IUCN (LC)
	Crotalus scutulatus	Mojave rattlesnake	Viperidae	IUCN (LC)
	Crotalus viridis viridis	Prairie rattlesnake	Viperidae	IUCN (LC)
	Sistrurus tergeminus edwardsii	Desert massasauga	Viperidae
	Sistrurus tergeminus 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 murrayi	Rough-footed mud turtle	Kinosternidae	IUCN (LC)
	Kinosternon subrubrum hippocrepis	Mississippi mud turtle	Kinosternidae
	Sternotherus carinatus	Razorback musk turtle	Kinosternidae
	Sternotherus odoratus	Eastern musk turtle	Kinosternidae	IUCN (LC)
Family: Emydidae (water and box turtles)
	Chrysemys dorsalis	Southern painted turtle	Emydidae	IUCN (LC)
	Chrysemys picta bellii	Western 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 sabinensis	Sabine map turtle	Emydidae	IUCN (LC)
	Graptemys pseudogeographica kohnii	Mississippi 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 nelsoni	Florida red-bellied turtle	Emydidae	IUCN (LC)
	Pseudemys texana	Texas river cooter	Emydidae	IUCN (LC)
	Terrapene triunguis	Three-toed 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 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

Further reading

• Dixon, James R. 2013. Amphibians and Reptiles of Texas, with Keys, Taxonomic Synopses, Bibliography, and Distribution Maps. 3nd ed. Texas A&M University Press. College Station, Texas. viii, 477 pp. ISBN 1-60344-734-2
• Dixon, James R., John E. Werler, and Michael R. Forstner. 2020. Texas Snakes, A Field Guide, Revised Edition. University of Texas Press. Austin, Texas. xvi, 448 pp. ISBN 978-1-4773-2041-9
• Ernst, Carl H. and Jeffrey E. Lovich. 2009. Turtles of the United States and Canada. The Johns Hopkins University Press. Baltimore, Maryland. xii, 827 pp. ISBN 0-8018-9121-3
• Ernst, Carl H. and Evelyn M. Ernst. 2003. Snakes of the United States and Canada. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D. C. ix, 668 pp. ISBN 1-58834-019-8
• Hibbitts, Troy D. and Toby L. Hibbitts. 2016. Texas Turtles and Crocodilians, A Field Guide. University of Texas Press. Austin. xvi, 257 pp. ISBN 978-1-4773-0777-9
• Hibbitts, Troy D. and Toby J. Hibbitts. 2015. Texas Lizards, A Field Guide. University of Texas Press. Austin. xvi, 333 pp. ISBN 978-0-292-75934-3
• Jones, Lawrence L. C. and Robert E. Lovich. 2009. Lizards of the American Southwest, A Photographic Field Guide. Rio Nuevo Publishers. Tucson, Arizona. 567 pp. ISBN 1-933855-35-5
• Powell, Robert, Roger Conant, and Joseph T. Collins. 2016. Peterson Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, 4rd ed. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, Massachusetts. xiii, 494 pp. ISBN 978-0-544-12997-9
• Werler, John E. and James R. Dixon. 2000. Texas Snakes, Identification, Distribution, and Natural History. University of Texas Press, Austin, Texas. xv, 437 pp. ISBN 0-292-79130-5

References

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