This is a checklist of American reptiles found in Northern America, based primarily on publications by the

Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles The Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles (SSAR) is an international herpetological society. It is a non-profit organization supporting education, conservation, and research related to reptiles and amphibians. Regular publications in ...

(SSAR). It includes all species of Bermuda, Canada, Greenland, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, and the United States including recently introduced species such as

chameleon Chameleons or chamaeleons (family Chamaeleonidae) are a distinctive and highly specialized clade of Old World lizards with 202 species described as of June 2015. The members of this family are best known for their distinct range of colors, bein ...

s, the Nile monitor, and the

Burmese python The Burmese python (''Python bivittatus'') is one of the largest species of snakes. It is native to a large area of Southeast Asia and is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Until 2009, it was considered a subspecies of the Indian python ...

Subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

are listed only in a few cases. The information about range and status of almost all of these species can be found also in the

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 ...

site. * alien species

Summary of 2006 IUCN Red List categories.

Conservation status –

: and

Endangered Species Act The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA or "The Act"; 16 U.S.C. § 1531 et seq.) is the primary law in the United States for protecting imperiled species. Designed to protect critically imperiled species from extinction as a "consequence of ec ...

Order: Crocodilia

Family: Alligatoridae

Family:
Crocodylidae Crocodiles (family Crocodylidae) or true crocodiles are large semiaquatic reptiles that live throughout the tropics in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia. The term crocodile is sometimes used even more loosely to include all extant mem ...

Order: Testudines (turtles)

Suborder: Pleurodira

Family: Podocnemididae (side-necked turtles)

Suborder: Cryptodira

Family: Testudinidae (tortoises)

Family:
Emydidae Emydidae (Latin ''emys'' (freshwater tortoise) + Ancient Greek εἶδος (''eîdos'', “appearance, resemblance”)) is a family of testudines (turtles) that includes close to 50 species in 10 genera. Members of this family are commonly calle ...

Family: Cheloniidae

* Olive ridley sea turtle (''Lepidochelys olivacea'') * Loggerhead sea turtle (''Caretta caretta'') (North Pacific: , Northwest Atlantic: ) * Kemp's ridley sea turtle (''Lepidochelys kempii'') *

Green sea turtle The green sea turtle (''Chelonia mydas''), also known as the green turtle, black (sea) turtle or Pacific green turtle, is a species of large sea turtle of the family Cheloniidae. It is the only species in the genus ''Chelonia''. Its range exten ...

(''Chelonia mydas'')
(Hawaiian subpopulation: , Breeding colony populations in FL: ) *

Hawksbill sea turtle The hawksbill sea turtle (''Eretmochelys imbricata'') is a critically endangered sea turtle belonging to the family Cheloniidae. It is the only extant species in the genus ''Eretmochelys''. The species has a global distribution, that is largel ...

(''Eretmochelys imbricata'')

Family:
Dermochelyidae Dermochelyidae is a family of turtles which has seven extinct genera and one extant genus, including the largest living sea turtles. Classification of known genera The following list of dermochelyid species was published by Hirayama and Tong in ...

* Leatherback sea turtle (''Dermochelys coriacea'')
(East Pacific Ocean subpopulation – i.e. Hawaiian Is.: , West Pacific Ocean subpopulation: , Northwest Atlantic Ocean subpopulation: )

Family:
Chelydridae The Chelydridae is a family of turtles that has seven extinct and two extant genera. The extant genera are the snapping turtles, ''Chelydra'' and '' Macrochelys''. Both are endemic to the Western Hemisphere. The extinct genera are '' Acherontemy ...

Family: Kinosternidae

Family: Trionychidae (softshells)

* Florida softshell (''Apalone ferox'') * Smooth softshell (''Apalone mutica'') * Spiny softshell (''Apalone spinifera'') * Wattle-necked softshell (''Palea steindachneri'') * ( Hawaii only) * Chinese softshell (''Pelodiscus sinensis'') * ( Hawaii only)

Order: Squamata (scaled reptiles)

Suborder: Iguania

Family:
Agamidae Agamidae is a family (biology), family of over 300 species of iguanian lizards indigenous to Africa, Asia, Australia, and a few in Southern Europe. Many species are commonly called dragons or dragon lizards. Overview phylogenetics, Phylogenetic ...
(agamas)

Family: Chamaeleonidae (chameleons)

Family: Crotaphytidae (collared and leopard lizards)

Family: Iguanidae (iguanas)

Family: Phrynosomatidae

Family: Dactyloidae (anoles)

Family: Polychrotidae

* Many-colored bush anole (''Polychrus marmoratus'') * (probably introduced)

Family: Corytophanidae (casquehead lizards)

* Brown basilisk (''Basiliscus vittatus'') *

Family: Leiocephalidae (curly-tailed lizards)

Northern curly-tailed lizard ''Leiocephalus carinatus'', commonly known as the northern curly-tailed lizard or saw-scaled curlytail, is a species of lizard in the family Leiocephalidae (curly-tailed lizard). Geographic range It is native to the Bahama Islands, the Cayman ...

(''Leiocephalus carinatus'') * * Red-sided curly-tailed lizard (''Leiocephalus schreibersii'') *

Suborder:
Gekkota Geckos are small, mostly carnivorous lizards that have a wide distribution, found on every continent except Antarctica. Belonging to the infraorder Gekkota, geckos are found in warm climates throughout the world. They range from . Geckos are ...

Family: Gekkonidae (geckos)

Suborder: Autarchoglossa

Family:
Lacertidae The Lacertidae are the family (biology), family of the wall lizards, true lizards, or sometimes simply lacertas, which are native to Afro-Eurasia. It is a diverse family with at least 300 species in 39 genera. They represent the dominant group o ...
(wall or true lizards)

Family: Scincidae (skinks)

Family: Anguidae

Family: Anniellidae (American legless lizards)

Family: Helodermatidae (Gila monsters)

* Gila monster (''Heloderma suspectum'')

Family: Teiidae (tegus or whiptails)

* Giant ameiva (''Ameiva ameiva'') * * Dusky giant ameiva (''Ameiva praesignis'') * * Species split from the

canyon spotted whiptail The canyon spotted whiptail (''Aspidoscelis burti'') is a species of lizard in the family Teiidae. The species is native to northwestern Mexico and the adjacent southwestern United States. Etymology The specific name, ''burti'', is in honor ...

(''Aspidoscelis burti'') : **

Giant spotted whiptail The giant spotted whiptail (''Aspidoscelis stictogrammus'') is a species of Teiidae, teiid lizard found in the United States (Arizona) and Mexico. References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q11848689 Aspidoscelis Reptiles described in 1950 Taxa named by ...

(''Aspidoscelis'' (''burti'') ''stictogramma'') ** Red-backed whiptail (''Aspidoscelis xanthonota'') *

Chihuahuan spotted whiptail The Chihuahuan spotted whiptail (''Aspidoscelis exsanguis'')''Aspidos ...

(''Aspidoscelis exsanguis'') * Common spotted whiptail (''Aspidoscelis gularis'') *

Orange-throated whiptail The orange-throated whiptail (''Aspidoscelis hyperythrus'') is a species of lizard in the family Teiidae. The species was previously placed in the genus ''Cnemidophorus''. Three subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominotyp ...

(''Aspidoscelis hyperythra'') * Species split from ''Aspidoscelis inornata'': ** Little striped whiptail (''Aspidoscelis inornata'') (

diploid Ploidy () is the number of complete sets of chromosomes in a cell, and hence the number of possible alleles for autosomal and pseudoautosomal genes. Sets of chromosomes refer to the number of maternal and paternal chromosome copies, respectively ...

) and: *** Little white whiptail (''Aspidoscelis'' (''inornata'') ''gypsi'') (split from ''A. inornata'') ***

Pai striped whiptail The Pai striped whiptail (''Aspidoscelis pai'') is a lizard species of the genus ''Aspidoscelis'', very similar to the Arizona striped whiptail, and endemic to Arizona in the United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), c ...

(''Aspidoscelis'' (''inornata'') ''pai'') (split from ''A. inornata'') ***

Arizona striped whiptail The Arizona striped whiptail (''Aspidoscelis arizonae'') is a species of whiptail lizard endemic to the United States. This is a species of lizards that lives in Arizona's grassy desert areas and is normally found hiding in desert shrubs. They a ...

(''Aspidoscelis'' (''inornata'') ''arizonae'') (split from ''A. inornata'') ** Plateau striped whiptail (''Aspidoscelis velox'') ( triploid) * Neaves' whiptail (''Aspidoscelis neavesi'') * Laredo striped whiptail (''Aspidoscelis laredoensis'') *

Marbled whiptail The marbled whiptail (''Aspidoscelis marmoratus'') is a species of lizard found in the United States, in southern New Mexico and Texas, and in northern Mexico, in Coahuila, Chihuahua and Durango. Description The marbled whiptail grows fro ...

(''Aspidoscelis marmorata'' *

Giant whiptail The giant whiptail (''Aspidoscelis motaguae'') is a species of teiid lizard native to Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua. It has also been introduced to Florida in the United States where it is considered an invasive spe ...

(''Aspidoscelis motaguae'') * * New Mexico whiptail (''Aspidoscelis neomexicana'') * ''Aspidoscelis tesselata'' complex: **

Common checkered whiptail The checkered whiptail (''Aspidoscelis tesselata'') is a species of lizard found in the southwestern United States in Colorado, Texas and New Mexico, and in northern Mexico in Chihuahua and Coahuila. Many sources believe that the species ...

(''Aspidoscelis tesselata'') (

, former ''A. grahamii'')) and: ***

Gray checkered whiptail The gray checkered whiptail (''Aspidoscelis dixoni''), also known commonly as Dixon's whiptail and the gray-checkered whiptail, is a species of lizard in the family Teiidae. The species is native to northern Mexico, and to the United State ...

(''Aspidoscelis dixoni'') (split from ''A. tesselata'') **

Colorado checkered whiptail The Colorado checkered whiptail or triploid checkered whiptail (''Aspidoscelis neotesselatus'') is a species of teiid lizard found in Colorado in the United States. References {{Taxonbar, from=Q2866848 Aspidoscelis Reptiles described in ...

(''Aspidoscelis neotesselata'') ( triploid, former '' A. tesselata'') *

Plateau spotted whiptail The plateau spotted whiptail (''Aspidoscelis septemvittatus'') is a species of lizard found in the southern United States in Texas, and in northern Mexico in Chihuahua and Coahuila. It is known to hybridize with the Eastern Spotted Whiptail, ...

(''Aspidoscelis scalaris'') and: ** Big Bend spotted whiptail (''Aspidoscelis (scalaris) septemvittata'') *

Six-lined racerunner The six-lined racerunner (''Aspidoscelis sexlineatus'') is a species of lizard native to the United States and Mexico. Geographic range The six-lined racerunner is found throughout much of the southeastern and south-central portion of the United ...

(''Aspidoscelis sexlineata'') *

Sonoran spotted whiptail The Sonoran spotted whiptail (''Aspidoscelis sonorae'') is a Parthenogenesis, parthenogenic species of Teiidae, teiid lizard found in Arizona and New Mexico in the United States, and Mexico. References

Aspidoscelis Reptiles described in ...

(''Aspidoscelis sonorae'') **

Gila spotted whiptail The Sonoran spotted whiptail (''Aspidoscelis sonorae'') is a parthenogenic species of teiid lizard found in Arizona and New Mexico in the United States, and Mexico. References Aspidoscelis Reptiles described in 1964 Taxa named by Jo ...

(''Aspidoscelis flagellicauda'') (sometimes in ''A. sonorae'') * Tiger whiptail (''Aspidoscelis tigris'') * Desert grassland whiptail (''Aspidoscelis uniparens'') *

Rainbow whiptail The rainbow whiptail (''Cnemidophorus lemniscatus'') is a species of lizard found in Central America, the Caribbean, and northern South America. It has also been introduced in Florida and has established populations there. A rainbow whiptail g ...

(''Cnemidophorus lemniscatus'') * * Argentine giant tegu (''Salvator merianae'') * * Gold tegu (''Tupinambis teguixin'') *

Family: Xantusiidae (night lizards)

* Species split from the desert night lizard (''Xantusia vigilis'') : ** Desert night lizard (''Xantusia vigilis'') **

Arizona night lizard The Arizona night lizard (''Xantusia arizonae'') is a species of small smooth-skinned gray-brown lizards with dark spots that sometimes form partial lines down the back. The lizard has a slightly flattened head. The scales of the underside and tai ...

(''Xantusia arizonae'') ** Sierra night lizard (''Xantusia sierrae'') ** Wiggins' night lizard (''Xantusia wigginsi'') *

Bezy's night lizard Bezy's night lizard (''Xantusia bezyi'') is a species of 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 ...

(''Xantusia bezyi'') *

Sandstone night lizard The sandstone night lizard (''Xantusia gracilis'') is a species of night lizard. Prior to 2005, it was considered a subspecies of the granite night lizard, ''Xantusia henshawi''. The physical difference is that the sandstone night lizard has lig ...

(''Xantusia gracilis'') *

Granite night lizard The granite night lizard (''Xantusia henshawi'') is a species of xantusiid lizard endemic to North America."''Xantusia henshawi'' ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org. Etymology The specific name, ''henshawi'', is in honor of Amer ...

(''Xantusia henshawi'') * Island night lizard (''Xantusia riversiana'')

Family: Varanidae (monitor lizards)

* Nile monitor (''Varanus niloticus'') * * Savannah monitor (''Varanus exanthematicus'') * * Common water monitor (''Varanus salvator'') *

Suborder:
Amphisbaenia Amphisbaenia (called amphisbaenians or worm lizards) is a group of usually legless squamates, comprising over 200 extant species. Amphisbaenians are characterized by their long bodies, the reduction or loss of the limbs, and rudimentary eyes. As ...

Family: Rhineuridae (North American worm lizards)

Suborder: Serpentes

Family: Typhlopidae (blind snakes)

* Brahminy blindsnake (''Indotyphlops braminus'') *

Family: Boidae (boas)

Family:
Colubridae Colubridae (, commonly known as colubrids , from la, coluber, 'snake') is a family of snakes. With 249 genera, it is the largest snake family. The earliest species of the family date back to the Oligocene epoch. Colubrid snakes are found on ever ...
(colubrids)

Subfamily: Natricinae Subfamily: Dipsadinae Subfamily: Xenodontinae

Family: Viperidae

Family: Elapidae

Family: Leptotyphlopidae (slender blind snakes)

Family:
Acrochordidae The Acrochordidae, commonly known as wart snakes, Java wart snakes, file snakes, elephant trunk snakes, or dogface snakes are a monogeneric family created for the genus ''Acrochordus''. This is a group of basal aquatic snakes found in Australia a ...
(file snakes)

* Javanese file snake (''Acrochordus javanicus'') *

Family: Pythonidae (pythons)

(''Python bivittatus'') * ('' P.'' (''molurus'') ''bivittatus'': , introduced to Florida) * Northern African rock python (''Python sebae'') *

Notes

References

External links

8th Edition of Scientific and Standard English Names of Amphibians and Reptiles of North America North of Mexico
published by th
Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles
available on the website of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists
Scientific and Common Names of the Reptiles and Amphibians of North America – Explained
Ellin Beltz, 2006 *
The Reptile Database
Uetz, P. and Jirí Hošek (eds.)
US Fish & Wildlife Service – Species Search
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ''Reptilia endangered species''
US Fish & Wildlife Service – ''Endangered Species Program''NOAA; National Marine Fisheries Service – ''Endangered Species Act''The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
{{Americas topic, List of reptiles of