Kern County Reptile Checklist

An Illustrated Checklist of Kern County Reptiles and Amphibians

Total Orders 2, suborders 2, Families 17, Species 51, subspecies 15, 2 introduced

(E) = endangered species (T) = threatened species (SC) = species of concern (X) extirpated (I) = introduced

 

CLASS Reptilia

ORDER Testudines

Family Emydidae - Box and Water Turtles
  Red-eared Slider (I) Trachemys scripta elegans
  Yellowbelly Slider (I) Trachemys scripta scripta
  Southwestern Pond Turtle (SC) Actinemys marmorata pallida
    Family Testudinidae - Land Tortoises
  Desert Tortoise (T) Gopherus agassizii
 

ORDER SQUAMATA
SUBORDER Lacertilia - Lizards

Family Anniellidae - Legless Lizards
  California Legless Lizard (SC) Anniella pulchra
    Family Gekkonidae - Geckos
  Desert Banded Gecko Coleonyx variegatus variegatus
    Family Anguidae - Alligator Lizards
  Sierra Alligator Lizard Elgaria coerulea palmeri
  California Alligator Lizard Elgaria multicarinata multicarinata
  San Diego Alligator Lizard Elgaria multicarinata webbii
    Family Iguanidae - Iguanas
  Chuckwalla Sauromalus ater
  Northern Desert Iguana Dipsosaurus dorsalis dorsalis
    Family Crotaphytidae - Collared and Leopard Lizards
  Mojave Black-collared Lizard Crotaphytus bicinctores
  Blunt-nosed Leopard Lizard (E) Gambelia sila
  Long-nosed Leopard Lizard Gambelia wislizenii
    Family Phrynosomatidae - Spiny Lizards
  Western Zebra-tailed Lizard Callisaurus draconoides rhodostictus
  Coast Horned Lizard Phrynosoma coronatum
  Southern Desert Horned Lizard Phrynosoma platyrhinos calidiarum
  Western Sagebrush Lizard Sceloporus graciosus gracilis
  Yellow-backed Spiny Lizard Sceloporus magister uniformis
  San Joaquin Fence Lizard Sceloporus occidentalis  biseriatus
  Northwestern Fence Lizard Sceloporus occidentalis occidentalis
  Western Side-blotched Lizard Uta stansburiana elegans
  Eastern Side-blotched Lizard Uta stansburiana stejnegeri
    Family Scincidae - Skinks
  Western Red-tailed Skink Plestiodon (Eumeces) gilberti rubricaudatus
  Western Skink Plestiodon (Eumeces) skiltonianus skiltonianus
    Family Teiidae - Whiptails
  California Whiptail Aspidoscelis tigris mundus
  Great Basin Whiptail Aspidoscelis tigris tigris
    Family Xantusiidae - Night Lizards
  Sierra Night Lizard (SC) Xantusia vigilis sierrae
  Desert Night Lizard Xantusia vigilis vigilis
  SUBORDER Serpentes - Snakes Family Boidae - Boas 
  Northern Rubber Boa Charina bottae
  Desert Rosy Boa (SC) Lichanura trivirgata gracia
    Family Colubridae - Harmless Egg-laying Snakes
  Western Racer Coluber mormon
  Mojave Shovel-nosed Snake Chionactus occipitalis occipitalis
  Mojave Glossy Snake Arizona occidentalis candida
  Desert Glossy Snake Arizona occidentalis eburnata
  California Glossy Snake Arizona occidentalis occidentalis
  California Kingsnake Lampropeltis getula californiae
  Sierra Mountain Kingsnake Lampropeltis zonata multicincta
  Red Racer (Coachwhip) Masticophis flagellum piceus
  San Joaquin Coachwhip (SC) Masticophis flagellum ruddocki
  California Striped Racer Masticophis lateralis lateralis
  Spotted Leaf-nosed Snake Phyllorhynchus decurtatus
  San Diego Gopher Snake Pituophis catenifer annectens
  Pacific Gopher Snake Pituophis catenifer catenifer
  Great Basin Gopher Snake Pituophis catenifer deserticola
  Western Long-nosed Snake Rhinocheilus lecontei lecontei
  Desert Patch-nosed Snake Salvadora hexalepis hexalepis
  Coast Patch-nosed Snake (SC) Salvadora hexalepis virgultea
  Ground Snake Sonora semiannulata
  Smith's Black-headed Snake Tantilla hobartsmithi
    Family Leptotyphlopidae - Slender Blind Snakes
  Desert Thread Snake Leptotyphlops humilis cahuilae
    Family Natricidae - Harmless Live-Bearing Snakes
  Western Aquatic Garter Snake Thamnophis couchii
  Wandering Garter Snake Thamnophis elegans vagrans
  Giant Garter Snake (T) (X) Thamnophis gigas
  Two-striped Garter Snake (SC) Thamnophis hammondii
  Valley Garter Snake Thamnophis sirtalis fitchi
    Family Dipsadidae - Slender Rear-Fanged Snakes
  Spotted Night Snake Hypsiglena torquata ochrorhynchus
  California Night Snake Hypsiglena torquata nuchalata
  California Lyre Snake Trimorphodon biscutatus lyrophanes
  Coral-bellied Ring-necked Snake Diadophis punctatus pulchellus
  Monterey Ring-necked Snake Diadophis punctatus vandenburghii
    Family Crotalidae - subfamily Crotalinae - Vipers and Pitvipers
  Mojave Desert Sidewinder Crotalus cerastes cerastes
  Panamint Rattlesnake Crotalus mitchellii stephensi
  Mojave Rattlesnake Crotalus scutulatus scutulatus
  Southern Pacific Rattlesnake Crotalus oreganus helleri
  Northern Pacific Rattlesnake Crotalus oreganus oreganus

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NATURE ALLEY AMPHIBIAN & REPTILE PAGES

Kern County Reptile and Amphibian Photo Checklist

Kern Amphibian Checklist

Kern Reptile Checklist

Photo Checklist of KRP Amphibians & Reptiles

Checklist of Kern River Valley Amphibians plus article on Salamander diversity

Simple Checklist of Reptiles of the Kern River Valley

Bullfrog

Western Pond Turtle

Recommended Reading

A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians -- by Robert C. Stebbins (Author), Roger Tory Peterson (Editor)

The National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians -- by John L. Behler, F. Wayne King

A Key to Amphibians & Reptiles of the Continental United States and Canada  -- by Robert Powell, Joseph T. Collins, Errol D., Jr. Hooper

Reptiles and Amphibians, Peterson First Guides -- Houghton Mifflin Co.

Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians Coloring Book -- by Roger Tory Peterson, Robert C. Stebbins, Roger Conant

Reptiles (National Audubon Society First Field Guide) -- by John L. Behler

North American Reptiles, Mac's Field Guides -- The Mountaineers

Venomous Reptiles of North America -- Carl H. Ernst, Smithsonian Institution

The Lizard Watching Guide : To the Common Lizards of Southern California's Mojave and Colorado Deserts --
by Sherburn R. Sanborn

Turtles of the United States and Canada  -- by Carl H. Ernst, Jeffrey E. Lovich, Roger W. Barbour

A series of simple checklists for use in the field



Frontispiece:

Pacific Gophersnake

Photo by Alison Sheehey © NatureAli

No rights assigned, all reserved.

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