The U.S. state of Alabama is home to 93 indigenous reptile species, not including subspecies. Indigenous species include one species of crocodilian, 12 lizard species, 49 snake species, and 31 turtle species. Three native species have possibly been extirpated from the state. These include the eastern indigo snake, southern hognose snake and the mimic glass lizard.

There are four known introduced reptile species, all lizards. They include the Indo-Pacific gecko, brown anole, Texas horned lizard, and Mediterranean house gecko.

Human predation and habitat destruction have placed several reptile species and subspecies at risk of extirpation or extinction. The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources lists the conservation status of each species within the state with a rank of lowest, low, moderate, high, and highest concern.

Alligator Image Scientific name Common name Family Conservationconcern Alligator mississippiensis American alligator Alligatoridae No longer listed as endangered, U.S. Fish and Wildlife now lists as threatened

Lizards Image Scientific name Common name Family Conservationconcern Ophisaurus attenuatus longicaudus eastern slender glass lizard Anguidae Moderate Ophisaurus mimicus mimic glass lizard Anguidae Possibly extirpated Ophisaurus ventralis eastern glass lizard Anguidae Moderate Hemidactylus garnotii Indo-Pacific gecko Gekkonidae Exotic Hemidactylus turcicus Mediterranean house gecko Gekkonidae Exotic Anolis carolinensis carolinensis green anole Dactyloidae Lowest Anolis sagrei carolinensis brown anole Dactyloidae Exotic Phrynosoma cornutum Texas horned lizard Phrynosomatidae Exotic Sceloporus undulatus eastern fence lizard Phrynosomatidae Low Plestiodon anthracinus coal skink Scincidae High Plestiodon egregius mole skink Scincidae Low/Possibly declining Plestiodon fasciatus five-lined skink Scincidae Lowest Plestiodon inexpectatus southeastern five-lined skink Scincidae High Plestiodon laticeps broad-headed skink Scincidae Low Scincella lateralis ground skinklittle brown skink Scincidae Low Cnemidophorus sexlineatus sexlineatus eastern six-lined racerunner Teiidae Moderate

Snakes Alabama is home to sixty-six known snake species and subspecies. There are nine snake species and subspecies that are venomous to humans in the state. The remaining fifty-five species and subspecies pose no threat to humans.

Image Scientific name Common name Family Venomous to humans Conservationconcern Agkistrodon contortrix eastern copperhead Viperidae Yes Lowest Agkistrodon conanti Florida cottonmouthgreen-tailed moccasin Viperidae Yes Lowest Agkistrodon piscivorus northern cottonmouthwater moccasin Viperidae Yes Lowest Carphophis amoenus amoenus eastern worm snake Colubridae No Lowest Carphophis amoenus helenae midwestern worm snake Colubridae No Lowest Cemophora coccinea copei northern scarlet snake Colubridae No Lowest Coluber constrictor constrictor northern black racer Colubridae No Low Coluber constrictor priapus southern black racer Colubridae No Low Crotalus adamanteus eastern diamondback rattlesnake Viperidae Yes High Crotalus horridus timber rattlesnakecanebrake rattlesnake Viperidae Yes Low Diadophis punctatus edwardsii northern ringneck snake Colubridae No Lowest Diadophis punctatus punctatus southern ringneck snake Colubridae No Lowest Diadophis punctatus stictogenys Mississippi ringneck snake Colubridae No Lowest Drymarchon couperi eastern indigo snake Colubridae No Highest,Possibly extirpated Farancia abacura abacura eastern mud snake Colubridae No Low Farancia abacura reinwardtii western mud snake Colubridae No Low Farancia erytrogramma erytrogramma rainbow snake Colubridae No Highest Heterodon platirhinos eastern hognose snake Colubridae No Moderate Heterodon simus southern hognose snake Colubridae No Highest,Possibly extirpated Lampropeltis calligaster prairie kingsnake Colubridae No High Lampropeltis rhombomaculata mole kingsnake Colubridae No Moderate Lampropeltis elapsoides scarlet kingsnake Colubridae No Low Lampropeltis getula eastern kingsnake Colubridae No High Lampropeltis nigra black kingsnake Colubridae No Low Lampropeltis triangulum triangulum eastern milk snake Colubridae No Moderate Lampropeltis triangulum syspila red milk snake Colubridae No Moderate Masticophis flagellum flagellum eastern coachwhip Colubridae No Moderate Micrurus fulvius eastern coral snake Elapidae Yes High Nerodia clarkii clarkii Gulf salt marsh snake Colubridae No Moderate Nerodia cyclopion Mississippi green water snake Colubridae No Moderate Nerodia erythrogaster erythrogaster redbelly water snake Colubridae No Lowest Nerodia erythrogaster flavigaster yellowbelly water snake Colubridae No Lowest Nerodia fasciata confluens broad-banded water snake Colubridae No Lowest Nerodia fasciata fasciata southern banded water snake Colubridae No Lowest Nerodia fasciata pictiventris Florida banded water snake Colubridae No Lowest Nerodia floridana Florida green water snake Colubridae No Moderate Nerodia rhombifer diamondback water snake Colubridae No Low Nerodia sipedon pleuralis midland water snake Colubridae No Lowest Nerodia taxispilota brown water snake Colubridae No Low Opheodrys aestivus rough green snake Colubridae No Low Pantherophis guttatus guttatus corn snake Colubridae No Moderate Pantherophis alleghaniensis central rat snake Colubridae No Lowest Pituophis melanoleucus lodingi black pine snake Colubridae No Highest Pituophis melanoleucus melanoleucus northern pine snake Colubridae No High Pituophis melanoleucus mugitus Florida pine snake Colubridae No High Liodytes rigida sinicola Gulf crayfish snake Colubridae No Lowest Regina septemvittata queen snake Colubridae No Moderate Rhadinaea flavilata pine woods snake Colubridae No Moderate Liodytes pygaea pygaea North Florida swamp snake Colubridae No High Sistrurus miliarius barbouri dusky pigmy rattlesnakeFlorida ground rattlesnake Viperidae Yes Moderate Sistrurus miliarius miliarius Carolina pigmy rattlesnakeground rattlesnake Viperidae Yes Moderate Sistrurus miliarius streckeri western pigmy rattlesnakeground rattlesnake Viperidae Yes Moderate Storeria dekayi dekayi northern brown snake Colubridae No Lowest Storeria dekayi limnetes marsh brown snake Colubridae No Lowest Storeria dekayi wrightorum midland brown snake Colubridae No Lowest Storeria occipitomaculata occipitomaculata northern redbelly snake Colubridae No Lowest Tantilla coronata southeastern crown snake Colubridae No Low Thamnophis saurita saurita eastern ribbon snake Colubridae No Low Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis common garter snake Colubridae No Low Virginia striatula rough earth snake Colubridae No Lowest Virginia valeriae elegans western smooth earth snake Colubridae No Lowest Virginia valeriae valeriae eastern smooth earth snake Colubridae No Lowest

Turtles Alabama law makes it illegal to take, sell or possess turtles, turtle parts, or turtle eggs from the wild for commercial purposes. Image Scientific name Common name Family Conservationconcern Caretta caretta loggerhead sea turtle Cheloniidae Highest Chelonia mydas green sea turtle Cheloniidae Highest Lepidochelys kempii Atlantic ridley sea turtle Cheloniidae Highest/U.S. Fish and Wildlife lists as endangered Chelydra serpentina common snapping turtle Chelydridae Lowest Macrochelys temminckii alligator snapping turtle Chelydridae Wheeler Wildlife Refuge lists as endangered Dermochelys coriacea leatherback sea turtle Dermochelyidae Highest/U.S. Fish and Wildlife lists as endangered Chrysemys picta picta eastern painted turtle Emydidae Lowest Chrysemys picta dorsalis southern painted turtle Emydidae Lowest Chrysemys picta marginata midland painted turtle Emydidae Lowest Deirochelys reticularia reticularia eastern chicken turtle Emydidae Low Graptemys barbouri Barbour's map turtle Emydidae High Graptemys ernsti Escambia map turtle Emydidae Moderate Graptemys geographica northern map turtle Emydidae Low Graptemys nigrinoda delticola delta map turtlesouthern black-knobbed sawback Emydidae Moderate Graptemys nigrinoda nigrinoda black-knobbed map turtlenorthern black-knobbed sawback Emydidae Moderate Graptemys ouachitensis Ouachita map turtle Emydidae Lowest Graptemys pulchra Alabama map turtle Emydidae Moderate Malaclemys terrapin pileata Mississippi diamondback terrapin Emydidae Highest Pseudemys alabamensis Alabama red-bellied cooter(Designated as official state reptile) Emydidae Highest/U.S. Fish and Wildlife lists as endangered Pseudemys concinna concinna eastern river cooter Emydidae Lowest Pseudemys concinna floridana coastal plain cooter Emydidae Lowest Trachemys scripta elegans red-eared slider Emydidae Lowest Trachemys scripta scripta yellow-bellied slider Emydidae Lowest Terrapene carolina carolina eastern box turtle Emydidae Low Terrapene carolina major Gulf Coast box turtle Emydidae Low Terrapene carolina triunguis three-toed box turtle Emydidae Low Kinosternon subrubrum eastern mud turtle Kinosternidae Lowest Sternotherus minor minor loggerhead musk turtle Kinosternidae Low Sternotherus minor peltifer stripe-necked musk turtle Kinosternidae Low Sternotherus depressus flattened musk turtle Kinosternidae High Sternotherus odoratus common musk turtlestinkpot turtle Kinosternidae Lowest Gopherus polyphemus gopher tortoise Testudinidae High Apalone ferox Florida softshell turtle Trionychidae Moderate Apalone mutica smooth softshell turtle Trionychidae Low Apalone spinifera spiny softshell turtle Trionychidae Low Eretmochelys imbricata imbricata Atlantic hawksbill Cheloniidae Highest/U.S. Fish and Wildlife lists as endangered

References