Amphibians and Reptiles 
of North Carolina
 

Noting those during Focus On Nature Tours
with an (*)

including: 
Salamanders
Toads & Frogs (seen or heard) 
Turtles
Skinks, Anoles, and other Lizards
Snakes

A list compiled by Armas Hill
(with input by the staff from the
Howell Woods Environmental Learning Center
in Four Oaks, North Carolina)


This list includes species found in central & eastern North Carolina,
from the Piedmont east to the Seacoast 
(and in the case of Sea-Turtles, the Ocean) 


UPPER RIGHT PHOTO: a LOGGERHEAD SEA TURTLE photographed off the North Carolina seacoast 
(Photo by Alan Brady)


Codes: 

ARR: area of Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge
CNF: areas of Croatan National Forest & nearby coastal North Carolina  
NRV: (upper) Neuse River Valley (the Piedmont)
OBX: Outer Banks (including Roanoke Island & Ocracoke Island)

(e/NC): endangered in North Carolina
(t/NC): threatened in North Carolina
(nt/NC): near (or potentially) threatened in North Carolina

Upcoming FONT Birding & Nature Tours in North Carolina

Birds during FONT North Carolina Tours (with some photos)

Mammals (Land & Sea) during Previous North Carolina Tours (with some photos)

Butterflies, Dragonflies, & Damselflies in North Carolina (with some photos)

          Amphibians:

1. Green Frog  ______ (*) NRV 
   Rana clamitans
   
   
   
   
   Green Frog
   (photo by Howard Eskin)
   
   
2. Bullfrog ______ (*) ARR,NRV
   Rana catesbeiana
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Two photographs of Bullfrogs
   (upper photo courtesy of Doris Potter;
    lower photo during a FONT tour) 
   
   
3. Pickerel Frog ______ (*) ARR,NRV
   Rana palustris
   
   
   
   
   Pickerel Frog
   (photo by Marie Gardner)
   
   
4. Carpenter Frog ______ (*) ARR
   Rana virgatipes
   
   
5. Southern Leopard Frog ______ ARR
   Rana sphenocephala
   
   
6. Crawfish Frog (nt/NC) ______ (*) CNF (northern limit of range east-cent NC)
   Rana areolata
   
   
7. Southern Chorus Frog ______ (*) CNF (northern limit of range east-cent NC)
   Pseudacris nigrita
   
   
8. Ornate Chorus Frog ______ (*) CNF (northern limit of range so-cent NC)
   Pseudacris ornata
   
   
9. Green Treefrog ______ (*) ARR
   Hyla cinerea
   
   
10. Barking Treefrog ______ (*) CNF
    Hyla gratiosa
    
    
11. Pine Woods Treefrog ______ (*) NRV  
    Hyla femoralis
    
    
12. Squirrel Treefrog ______ (*) NRV
    Hyla squirrela
    
    
13. (Cope's) Gray Treefrog ______ (*) NRV
    Hyla versicolor 
    
    
14. Northern Cricket Frog ______ NRV
    Acris crepitans
    
    
15. Southern Cricket Frog ______ NRV
    Acris gryllus
    
    
16. Little Grass Frog ______ (the smallest frog in North America)
    Limnaoedus ocularis
    
    
17. Spring Peeper ______ NRV
    Hyla crucifer
    
    
18. American Toad  ______  (in central North Carolina)
    Bufo americanus
    
    
    
    
    American Toad
    (photo by Howard Eskin)
    
    
19. Oak Toad ______ (*) CNF,NRV
    Bufo quercicus
    
    
20. Southern Toad ______ (*) CNF,NRV
    Bufo terrestris
    
    
21. Fowler's Toad ______ (*) ARR,NRV
    Bufo woodhousei (an eastern race of Woodhouse's Toad) 
    
    
    
    
    Fowler's Toad
    (photo by Howard Eskin)
    
    
22. Eastern Spadefoot Toad ______ (*) ARR,CNF,NRV
    Scaphiopus holbrooki
    
    
23. Eastern Narrowmouth Toad ______ (*) ARR,CNF,NRV
    Gastrophryne carolinensis
    
    
24. Mabee's Salamander ______ CNF (northern limit of range north-east NC) 
    Ambystoma mabeei
    
    
25. Spotted Salamander ______ NRV
    Ambystoma maculatum
    
    
26. Marbled Salamander ______ NRV
    Ambystoma opacum
    
    
27. Southern Dusky Salamander ______ ARR
    Desmognathus auriculatus 
    
    
28. Three-lined Salamander ______
    Eurycea guttolineata
    
    
29. Slimy Salamander ______ NRV
    Plethodon glutinous
    
    
30. Mud Salamander ______
    Pseudotriton montanus
    
    
31. Red Salamander ______
    Pseudotriton ruber 
    
    
32. Two-toed Amphiuma ______ NRV
    Amphiuma means
    
    
33. Lesser Siren ______
    Siren intermedia
    
    
34. Greater Siren (nt/NC) ______
    Siren lacertina
    
    
35. Eastern Newt ______
    Notophthalmus viridescens
    
    
36. Carolina Mudpuppy (has been called Neuse River Waterdog) (nt/NC) ______
    Necturus lewisi (endemic to North Carolina, in the Neuse and Tar River basins) 
    
    
37. Dwarf Mudpuppy ______
    Necturus punctatus 
    
    
    Reptiles:
    
    
38. American Alligator (e/NC) ______ (*) ARR
    Alligator mississippiensis 
    
    
39. Eastern Mud Turtle ______ (*) ARR,NRV
    Kinosternum subrubum
    
    
40. Eastern Musk Turtle (has been called Stinkpot) ______ (*) NRV
    Sternotherus odoratus
    
    
41. River Cooter ______ (*) NRV
    Chrysemys concinna
    
    
42. Eastern Box Turtle ______ (*) ARR,CNF,NRV
    Terrapene carolina
    
    
    
    
    Eastern Box Turtle
    (photo by Howard Eskin)
    
    
43. Redbelly Turtle  ______  (*) 
    Pseudemys rubriventris
    
    
    
    
    Redbelly Turtle  
    (photo by Marie Gardner)
    
    
44. Painted Turtle ______ (*) ARR,NRV
    Chrysemys picta
    
    
    
    
    Painted Turtles
    (photo by Howard Eskin)
    
    
45. Yellowbelly (or Pond) Slider ______ (*) NRV
    Chrysemys s. scripta
    
    
    
    
    The Yellowbelly, or Pond Slider
    (photo by Howard Eskin)
    
    
46. Spotted Turtle ______ NRV
    Clemmys guttata
    
    
47. Snapping Turtle ______ (*) NRV
    Chleydra serpentina
    
    
    
    
    Snapping Turtle
    (photo by Howard Eskin)
    
    
48. Diamondback Terrapin ______ (*) OBX
    Malaclemys terrapin
    
    
    
    
    Diamondback Terrapin
    (photo by Howard Eskin)
    
    
49. Leatherback (Sea Turtle) (e/NC) ______ (*) offshore ocean
    Dermochelys coriacea
    
    
50. Loggerhead (Sea Turtle) (e/NC) ______ (*) offshore ocean
    Caretta caretta 
    (nests on a few undisturbed beaches in NC)  
    
    
    
    
    Loggerhead Sea Turtle 
    (photographed by Alan Brady 
    during a FONT North Carolina pelagic trip)
      
    
51. Carolina Anole (has been called Green Anole) ______  (*)  CNF,NRV
    Anolis carolinensis
    
    
52. Eastern Fence Lizard ______  (*)  CNF,NRV
    Scelopus undulatus 
    
    
53. Five-lined Skink ______ NRV
    Eumeces fasciatus
    
    
54. Southeastern Five-lined Skink ______ NRV
    Eumeces inexpectatus
    
    
55. Broadhead Skink ______ NRV
    Eumeces laticeps
    
    
56. Ground Skink ______ NRV
    Scincella lateralis
    
    
57. Six-lined Racerunner ______ NRV
    Cnemidophorus sexlineatus
    
    
58. Slender Glass Lizard ______
    Ophisaurus attenuatus
    
    
59. Eastern Glass Lizard ______ (*) ARR
    Ophisaurus ventralis
    
    
60. Worm Snake ______ NRV
    Carphophis amoenus
    
    
61. Scarlet Snake ______
    Cemophora coccinea
    
    
62. Black Racer ______ (*) ARR,NRV
    Coluber constrictor
    
    
63. Ringneck Snake ______
    Diadophis punctatus
    
    
64. Corn Snake ______ CNF
    Elaphe guttata
    
    
65. Rat Snake ______ NRV
    Elaphe obseleta
    
    
66. (Eastern) Mud Snake ______ ARR,CNF,NRV 
    Farancia abacura
    
    
67. Rainbow Snake ______ ARR
    Farancia erytrogramma
    
    
68. Eastern Hognose Snake ______ NRV
    Heterodon platyrhinos
    
    
69. Southern Hognose Snake ______ CNF (northern limit of range so-cent NC)
    Heterodon simus
    
    
70. Mole Kingsnake ______
    Lampropeltis calligaster
    
    
71. Eastern Kingsnake ______ NRV
    Lampropeltis getulus
    
    
72. Scarlet Kingsnake, Eastern Milk Snake ______  (These 2 forms, that appear so different from each other, were long thought to be 2 species, but are actually conspecific. There's a zone of intergradation, with snakes having intermediate characteristics, in northeastern North Carolina.)
    Lampropeltis triangulum    
    
    
73. Eastern Coachwhip ______ CNF  (probably the longest snake in NC)
    Masticophis flagellum
    
    
74. Redbelly Water Snake ______ ARR,NRV
    Nerodia erythrogaster
    
    
75. Banded Water Snake ______ ARR,NRV
    Nerodia fasciata
    
    
76. Brown Water Snake ______ NRV
    Nerodia taxispilota
    
    
77. Northern Water Snake ______ ARR
    Nerodia sipedon
    
    
78. Rough Green Snake ______ NRV
    Opheodrys aestivus
    
    
79. Glossy Crayfish Snake ______
    Regina rigida
    
    
80. Pine Woods Snake ______ CNF
    Rhadinaea flavilata
    
    
81. Black Swamp Snake ______ ARR
    Seminatrix pygaea
    
    
82. Brown Snake ______ NRV
    Storeia dekayi
    
    
83. Redbelly Snake ______
    Storeria occipitomaculata
    
    
84. Southestern Crowned Snake ______ CNF
    Tantilla coronata
    
    
85. Eastern Garter Snake ______ NRV
    Thamnophis sirtalis
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    Two photographs of the Eastern Garter Snake
    (above photo by Doris Potter; lower photo by Howard Eskin)
    
    
86. Eastern Ribbon Snake ______ NRV
    Thamnophis s. sauritus
    
    
87. Rough Earth Snake ______
    Virginia striatula
    
    
88. Smooth Earth Snake ______
    Virginia valeriae
    
    
89. Copperhead ______ ARR,CNF,NRV (venomous)
    Agkistrodon contortrix
    
    
90. Cottonmouth ______ (*) ARR,CNF,NRV (venomous)
    Agkistrodon piscivorus
    
    
    
    
    Cottonmouth
    (photo courtesy of Michael Christopher)
    
    
91. Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake (e/NC) ______ (venomous)
    Crotalus adamanteus
    
    
92. Timber Rattlesnake (in the Carolinas called "Canebrake Rattlesnake") ______ (venomous)
    Crotalus horridus
    
    
    
    
    Timber Rattlesnake
    (photo by Fred Lesser)
    
    
93. Pygmy Rattlesnake ______ CNF (venonmous)
    Sistrurus miliarius