This is a list of reptiles of Pennsylvania as listed by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. As of 2024, there are 38 native reptiles in Pennsylvania. The species are listed as in the PFBC list, with the exception of introduced species, which are derived from other sources. Notes on ranges provided by Pennsylvania Amphibian & Reptile Survey.
Testudines - turtles and tortoises
Family: Chelydridae - snapping turtles ImageCommon nameScientific nameStatusNotes DistributionCommon snapping turtle Chelydra serpentina(Linnaeus, 1758)AbundantStatewide
Family: Emydidae - pond turtles ImageCommon nameScientific nameStatusNotes DistributionMidland painted turtleChrysemys picta marginataAgassiz, 1857AbundantSubspecies of widespread painted turtleStatewide, but primarily west of the AppalachiansEastern painted turtle Chrysemys picta picta(Schneider, 1783)AbundantSubspecies of widespread painted turtlePrimarily east of the AppalachiansSpotted turtle Clemmys guttata(Schneider, 1792)Species of special concernMuch of the west, as well as some of the counties in the northwest and Westmoreland County in the southwestWood turtle Glyptemys insculpta(Le Conte, 1830)Species of special concernStatewide, but rarer to the westBog turtle Glyptemys muhlenbergii(Schoepff, 1801)EndangeredSoutheastern countiesBlanding's turtle Emydoidea blandingii(Holbrook, 1838)Candidate speciesErie CountyNorthern map turtle Graptemys geographica(Lesueur, 1817)AbundantStatewide, except in Allegheny National Forest and northern central countiesFalse map turtle Graptemys pseudogeographica pseudogeographica(Gray, 1831)Not evaluatedSeveral observations on the citizen science website iNaturalist, also a 1911 record in the University of Colorado Museum of Natural HistoryPrimarily around the Delaware River, also seen near PittsburghNorthern diamondback terrapin Malaclemys terrapin terrapinSchoepff, 1793IncidentalNominate subspeciesRarely strays into southeast through Delaware RiverRiver cooter Pseudemys concinna(Le Conte, 1830)NonnativeIntroduced from pet tradePrimarily southeast, some southwest recordsNorthern red-bellied cooter Pseudemys rubriventris(Le Conte, 1830)ThreatenedSoutheastern countiesEastern box turtle Terrapene carolina carolina(Linnaeus, 1758)Species of special concernNominate subspeciesStatewide but more abundant to the southRed-eared slider Trachemys scripta elegans(Wied-Neuwied, 1839)InvasiveListed as one of the world's worst invasive alien speciesStatewide except northern central countiesYellow-bellied slider Trachemys scripta scripta(Thunberg, 1792)InvasiveNominate subspecies of pond sliderPrimarily southeast, but scattered observations throughout southern and central parts of the state
Family: Kinosternidae - mud and musk turtles ImageCommon nameScientific nameStatusNotes DistributionSoutheastern mud turtleKinosternon subrubrum subrubrumBonnaterre, 1789EndangeredNominate subspeciesBucks CountyEastern musk turtleSternotherus odoratus(Latreille, 1802)AbundantPrimarily in the northwestern and southeastern counties, some scattered records in central, northwestern, and southeastern counties
Family: Trionychidae - softshell turtles ImageCommon nameScientific nameStatusNotes DistributionMidland smooth softshell turtleApalone mutica mutica(Lesueur, 1827)ExtirpatedNominate subspeciesFormerly found in southwest, now extirpatedEastern spiny softshellApalone spinifera spinifera(Lesueur, 1827)AbundantNominate subspeciesEastern counties, Delaware River and its tributaries, scattered records in between
Squamata - snakes and lizards Order: Squamata
Clade: Sauria/Lacertilia - lizards
Family: Gekkonidae - geckos ImageCommon nameScientific nameStatusNotes DistributionMediterranean house gecko Hemidactylus turcicus(Linnaeus, 1758)NonnativeSoutheastern counties
Family: Lacertidae - wall lizards ImageCommon nameScientific nameStatusNotes DistributionNorthern Italian wall lizard Podarcis siculus campestris(Rafinesque, 1810)NonnativePhiladelphia County, Montgomery County, and Bucks County
Family: Phrynosomatidae - earless, spiny, tree, side-blotched and horned lizards ImageCommon nameScientific nameStatusNotes DistributionEastern fence lizard Sceloporus undulatus(Bosc & Daudin, 1801)Species of special concernSouthern and central counties
Family: Scincidae - skinks ImageCommon nameScientific nameStatusNotes DistributionNorthern coal skink Plestiodon anthracinus anthracinusBaird, 1850Species of special concernNominate subspeciesNorthern and central countiesCommon five-lined skink Plestiodon fasciatus(Linnaeus, 1758)AbundantEssentially statewide, but more common in the northwest, central, and southeastBroad-headed skinkPlestiodon laticeps(Schneider, 1801)Candidate speciesAdams County, Lancaster County, and Chester County
Clade: Serpentes - snakes
Family: Colubridae - colubrid snakes ImageCommon nameScientific nameStatusNotes DistributionEastern worm snakeCarphophis amoenus amoenus(Say, 1825)Species of special concernSouth-central and southeastern countiesKirtland's snake Clonophis kirtlandii(Kennicott, 1856)EndangeredButler County, Allegheny County, and Forest CountyNorthern black racer Coluber constrictor constrictorLinnaeus, 1758AbundantNominate subspeciesStatewide except northernmost countiesNorthern ring-necked snake Diadophis punctatus edwardsii(Merrem, 1820)AbundantSubspecies of widespread ring-necked snakeStatewideCentral ratsnakePantherophis alleghaniensis(Holbrook, 1836)AbundantThe taxonomy of the genus Pantherophis, and especially P. alleghaniensis and P. quadrivittatus, are in flux, and the names and validity of this species are prone to changeStatewideEastern hog-nosed snakeHeterodon platirhinosLatreille, 1801Species of special concernCentral and eastern countiesEastern milksnakeLampropeltis triangulum(Lacépède, 1789)AbundantWhen subspecies are recognized, the Pennsylvania subspecies is Lampropeltis triangulum triangulumStatewideNorthern watersnake Nerodia sipedon sipedon(Linnaeus, 1758)AbundantStatewideNorthern rough green snake Opheodrys aestivus aestivus(Linnaeus, 1766)EndangeredLancaster County and Chester CountySmooth green snakeOpheodrys vernalis(Harlan, 1827)Species of special concernStatewide except southeastQueensnake Regina septemvittata(Say, 1825)Species of special concernWestern and southeastern countiesDeKay's brown snake Storeria dekayi(Holbrook, 1836)AbundantStatewideNorthern red-bellied snake Storeria occipitomaculata occipitomaculata(Storer, 1839)AbundantNominate subspeciesStatewide except southeastShort-headed garter snake Thamnophis brachystoma(Cope, 1892)Species of special concernNorthwestern counties, introduced to Pittsburgh areaPowell R, Conant R, Collins JT (2016). Peterson Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, Fourth Edition. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. xiv + 494 pp., 47 plates, 207 figures. . (Thamnophis brachystoma, pp. 426-427 + Plate 42).Eastern ribbonsnakeThamnophis saurita saurita(Linnaeus, 1766)Species of special concernSubspecies of common ribbon snakeCentral counties eastward, some records north of PittsburghNorthern ribbon snake Thamnophis saurita septentrionalisRossman, 1963Species of special concernSubspecies of common ribbon snakeNorthwestern counties and Tioga CountyEastern garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis(Linnaeus, 1758)AbundantNominate subspeciesStatewideEastern smooth earth snake Virginia valeriae valeriaeBaird and Girard, 1853Species of special concernSubspecies of smooth earth snakeLancaster County and Chester CountyMountain earth snakeVirginia valeriae pulchra(Richmond, 1954)Species of special concernSubspecies of smooth earth snakeCentral counties
Family: Viperidae - pit vipers ImageCommon nameScientific nameStatusNotes DistributionEastern copperhead Agkistrodon contortrix(Linnaeus, 1766)Species of special concernMost of state except westernmost and northernmost countiesTimber rattlesnake Crotalus horridusLinnaeus, 1758Species of special concernMost of state except western and southeastern countiesEastern massasauga Sistrurus catenatus(Rafinesque, 1818)EndangeredVenango County and Butler County
Nonestablished species Reptiles released from the pet trade can be seen in Pennsylvania. Some more established than others. Released pets can eventually become established breeding populations, such as in the case of the red-eared slider, which is now illegal to own in many countries. Testudines Three-toed box turtle (Terrapene triunguis) - seen near Philadelphia and Allentown Ornate box turtle (Terrapene ornata) - two records of escaped pets from southeast Pennsylvania Chinese softshell turtle - an adult was found in the Delaware River. This species is present in New York City and has potential to become an invasive species. Florida red-bellied cooter (Pseudemys nelsoni) - recorded by PARS in Chester County Sauria Asian house gecko (Hemidactylus frenatus) - recorded in Franklin County by PARS Tropical house gecko (Hemidactylus mabouia) - has a handful of singular records in the central and southeastern parts of the state Brown anole (Anolis sagrei) - primarily around urban areas, notably Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and Lancaster Green anole (Anolis carolinensis) - around Pittsburgh and Philadelphia Serpentes Corn snake (Pantherophis guttatus) - escapee observed north of Pittsburgh and in Philadelphia
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