List Of Reptiles Of Canada
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This is a list of the reptiles of Canada. Most species are confined to the southernmost parts of the country. All Canadian reptiles are composed of squamates and testudines. Conservation status -
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biologi ...
: : - Extinct, - Extinct in the wild : - Critically endangered, - Endangered, - Vulnerable : - Near threatened, - Least concern : - Data deficient, - Not evaluated :(v. 2013.2, the data is current as of 5 March 2014)


Order Squamata

Of the order Squamata,
lizard Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia alt ...
s and snakes are represented. There are no known
amphisbaenid The Amphisbaenidae (common name: worm lizards) are a family of amphisbaenians, a group of limbless vertebrates. Geographic range Amphisbaenids occur in South America, some Caribbean islands, Europe, and sub-Saharan Africa. Taxonomy One deep-br ...
s native to Canada.


Snakes (suborder Serpentes)

Snakes are the best-represented group of reptiles in Canada, with 35 varieties in three families. They can be found in all provinces and territories except Yukon,
Nunavut Nunavut ( , ; iu, ᓄᓇᕗᑦ , ; ) is the largest and northernmost Provinces and territories of Canada#Territories, territory of Canada. It was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the ''Nunavut Act'' ...
, and Newfoundland and Labrador. *'' Charina bottae'' (rubber boa) – southern British Columbia, but not Vancouver Island *''
Coluber constrictor foxii ''Coluber constrictor foxii'', commonly known as the blue racer, is a subspecies of ''Coluber constrictor'', a species of nonvenomous, colubrid snake commonly referred to as the eastern racer. Distribution Blue racers prefer open and semi-open ...
'' (blue racer) – Pelee Island in Ontario *'' Coluber constrictor flaviventris'' (eastern yellow-bellied racer) – southern Saskatchewan *''
Coluber constrictor mormon The western yellow-bellied racer (''Coluber constrictor mormon''),Wrobel, Murray (2004). ''Elsevier's Dictionary of Reptiles''. Elsevier. Page 122. . also known as the western yellowbelly racer or western racer, is a snake subspecies endemic to t ...
'' (western yellow-bellied racer) – south-central British Columbia *''
Contia tenuis The sharp-tailed snake or sharptail snake (''Contia tenuis'') is a small species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to the Western United States and British Columbia. Common names Additional common names for ''C. tenuis ...
'' (common sharp-tailed snake) – southern Vancouver Island in British Columbia *'' Crotalus horridus'' (timber rattlesnake) – once present in southern Ontario and southern Quebec; extirpated *''
Crotalus oreganus oreganus ''Crotalus'' is a genus of venomous pit vipers in the family Viperidae, known as rattlesnakes or rattlers. Wright AH, Wright AA (1957). ''Handbook of Snakes of the United States and Canada''. Ithaca and London: Comstock Publishing Associates ( ...
'' (northern Pacific rattlesnake) – south-central British Columbia *''
Crotalus viridis viridis ''Crotalus'' is a genus of venomous pit vipers in the family Viperidae, known as rattlesnakes or rattlers. Wright AH, Wright AA (1957). ''Handbook of Snakes of the United States and Canada''. Ithaca and London: Comstock Publishing Associates ( ...
'' (prairie rattlesnake) – southern Alberta, southwestern Saskatchewan *'' Diadophis punctatus edwardsii'' (northern ring-necked snake) – southeastern Ontario, southern Quebec, most of New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia *'' Hypsiglena torquata'' (desert night snake) – extreme south-central British Columbia *'' Heterodon nasicus nasicus'' (western hog-nosed snake) – southeastern Alberta southern Saskatchewan and southwestern Manitoba *'' Heterodon platirhinos'' (eastern hog-nosed snake) – southwestern Ontario *'' Lampropeltis triangulum'' (eastern milk snake) – southern Ontario southern Quebec *'' Nerodia sipedon insularum'' (Lake Erie watersnake) – islands in western Lake Erie *'' Nerodia sipedon sipedon'' (northern watersnake) – southern and central Ontario, southern Quebec *''
Opheodrys vernalis ''Opheodrys'' is a genus of small to medium-sized nonvenomous colubrid snakes commonly referred to as green snakes. In North America the genus consists of two distinct species. As their common names imply, the rough green snake has keeled dorsa ...
'' (smooth green snake) – southeast Saskatchewan, southern Manitoba, central and southern Ontario, southern Quebec, most of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island *'' Pantherophis gloydi'' (eastern foxsnake) – southwestern Ontario *'' Pantherophis obsoleta obsoleta'' (black ratsnake) – southern Ontario *'' Pantherophis spiloides'' (grey ratsnake) – southeastern Ontario *'' Pituophis catenifer deserticola'' (Great Basin gophersnake) – south-central British Columbia *''
Pituophis catenifer sayi ''Pituophis'' is a genus of nonvenomous colubrid snakes, commonly referred to as gopher snakes, pine snakes, and bullsnakes, which are endemic to North America. Geographic range Species and subspecies within the genus ''Pituophis'' are found ...
'' (bullsnake) – southern Alberta and southern Saskatchewan *''
Regina septemvittata The queen snake (''Regina septemvittata'') is a species of nonvenomous semiaquatic snake, a member of the subfamily Natricinae of the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to North America. Common names ''R. septemvittata'' is known by many c ...
'' (queen snake) – southwestern Ontario *'' Sistrurus catenatus'' (eastern massasauga) – Bruce Peninsula and some parts of southwestern Ontario *''
Storeria dekayi ''Storeria dekayi'', commonly known as De Kay's brown snake, De Kay's snake, and simply the brown snake (along with many others), is a small non-venomous species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is native to North America and Centr ...
'' (Dekay's brownsnake) – southern Ontario, southern Quebec *'' Storeria occipitomaculata occipitomaculata'' (northern red-bellied snake) - southeastern Saskatchewan, southern Manitoba, southwestern and southeastern Ontario, southern Quebec, most of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island *''
Thamnophis butleri Butler's garter snake (''Thamnophis butleri'') is a species of garter snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to North America. Etymology The specific name ''butleri'' is in honor of ornithologist Amos Butler (1860-1937) of Brook ...
'' (Butler's gartersnake) – southwestern Ontario *'' Thamnophis elegans vagrans'' (wandering gartersnake) – most of British Columbia, most of Alberta, southwestern Saskatchewan, and possibly the
Liard River The Liard River of the North American boreal forest flows through Yukon, British Columbia and the Northwest Territories, Canada. Rising in the Saint Cyr Range of the Pelly Mountains in southeastern Yukon, it flows southeast through British Co ...
Valley in southwestern Northwest Territories *''
Thamnophis ordinoides The northwestern garter snake (''Thamnophis ordinoides'') is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to North America. Geographic range In the United States, ''T. ordinoides'' is found in California, Oregon, and Washi ...
'' (northwestern gartersnake) – southwestern British Columbia, including Vancouver Island *'' Thamnophis radix haydeni'' (plains gartersnake) – eastern Alberta, southern Saskatchewan and southwestern Manitoba *'' Thamnophis sauritus septentrionalis'' (northern ribbonsnake) – southern Ontario and southwestern Nova Scotia *'' Thamnophis sirtalis fitchi'' (valley garter snake) – central mainland British Columbia almost up to the Yukon border, and northern Vancouver Island *'' Thamnophis sirtalis pallidulus'' (Maritime garter snake) – southern half of Quebec, most of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island *'' Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis'' (red-sided gartersnake) – eastern plains of British Columbia, most of Alberta, extreme southern Northwest Territories around the Fort Smith region, most of Saskatchewan, southern half of Manitoba, and northwestern Ontario *'' Thamnophis sirtalis pickeringi'' (Puget Sound gartersnake) – southwest corner of British Columbia, including southern Vancouver Island *'' Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis'' (eastern gartersnake) – most of Ontario and Quebec, and the southeast corner of Manitoba


Lizards (suborder

Lacertilia Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia althou ...
)

Lizard diversity is low in Canada, with six native species and one introduced species: *'' Elgaria coerulea principis'' (northwestern alligator lizard) – southern British Columbia, including most of Vancouver Island *''
Plestiodon skiltonianus The western skink ''(Plestiodon skiltonianus)'' is a species of small, smooth- scaled lizard with relatively small limbs. It measures about 100 to 210 mm (about 4 to 8.25 inches) in total length (body + tail). It is one of seven species of ...
'' (western skink) - southern interior of British Columbia *'' Plestiodon fasciatus'' (five-lined skink) – southern Ontario *'' Plestiodon septentrionalis septentrionalis'' (northern prairie skink) – southwestern Manitoba *''
Phrynosoma douglasii The pygmy short-horned lizard (''Phrynosoma douglasii'') is a species of small horned lizard in the family Phrynosomatidae. The species is native to the northwestern United States and adjacent southwestern Canada. Like other horned lizards, it is ...
'' (pygmy horned lizard) – extreme south-central British Columbia *''
Phrynosoma hernandesi The greater short-horned lizard (''Phrynosoma hernandesi)'', also commonly known as the mountain short-horned lizard or Hernández's short-horned lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Phrynosomatidae. The species is endemic to western No ...
'' (short-horned lizard) – extreme southeastern Alberta and southern Saskatchewan *'' Podarcis muralis'' (common wall lizard) - introduced - southeastern Vancouver Island, Denman Island, single records in Vancouver, Summerland and Osoyoos but no populations on BC mainland.


Order Testudines

Of the order Testudines, pond turtles are common in all of Canada's provinces, with the exception of Newfoundland and Labrador, which has sea turtles off its shores as does British Columbia.


Land and pond turtles

*'' Actinemys marmorata'' (Pacific pond turtle) extirpated *''
Apalone spinifera The spiny softshell turtle (''Apalone spinifera'') is a species of softshell turtle, one of the largest freshwater turtle species in North America. Both the common name, spiny softshell, and the specific name, ''spinifera'' (spine-bearing), r ...
'' (spiny softshell turtle) *''
Chelydra serpentina The common snapping turtle (''Chelydra serpentina'') is a species of large freshwater turtle in the family Chelydridae. Its natural range extends from southeastern Canada, southwest to the edge of the Rocky Mountains, as far east as Nova Scotia a ...
'' (common snapping turtle) *''
Chrysemys picta The painted turtle (''Chrysemys picta'') is the most widespread native turtle of North America. It lives in slow-moving fresh waters, from southern Canada to northern Mexico, and from the Atlantic to the Pacific. They have been shown to prefer l ...
'' (painted turtle) *'' Clemmys guttata'' (spotted turtle) * *'' Emydoidea blandingii'' (Blanding's turtle) *'' Glyptemys insculpta'' (wood turtle) *'' Graptemys geographica'' (northern map turtle) *'' Sternotherus odoratus'' (stinkpot turtle) *''
Terrapene carolina The common box turtle (''Terrapene carolina'') is a species of box turtle with six existing subspecies. It is found throughout the Eastern United States and Mexico. The box turtle has a distinctive hinged lowered shell (the box) that allows ...
'' (eastern box turtle) extirpatedTurtle
Canadian Encyclopedia


Sea turtles

*'' Caretta caretta'' (loggerhead sea turtle) *'' Chelonia mydas'' (green sea turtle) *'' Dermochelys coriacea'' (leatherback sea turtle) *'' Lepidochelys kempii'' (Kemp's ridley sea turtle) *'' Lepidochelys olivacea'' (olive ridley sea turtle)


See also

* Lists of reptiles by region


References


Further reading

*


External links


JCVI Reptiles Database: CanadaIUCN Red List of Threatened Species
{{DEFAULTSORT:List Of Reptiles Of Canada Canada
Reptiles Reptiles, as most commonly defined are the animals in the Class (biology), class Reptilia ( ), a paraphyletic grouping comprising all sauropsid, sauropsids except birds. Living reptiles comprise turtles, crocodilians, Squamata, squamates (lizar ...
Canada