List of reptiles of Korea explained

This is a list of reptiles of Korea. It includes reptiles found on the Korean Peninsula as well as the adjoining waters and islands.

Turtles

Scientific name Common English name Common Korean name Image Distribution Status
Caretta carettaLoggerhead sea turtle붉은바다거북 (red sea turtle)
Chelonia mydasGreen sea turtle바다거북 (sea turtle)
Dermochelys coriaceaLeatherback sea turtle장수거북 (general or giant turtle)
Chinemys reevesiiChinese pond turtle남생이 (namsaengi)
Trachemys scripta elegansRed-eared slider붉은귀거북 (red eared tortoise) or 청거북 (blue tortoise)
Pelodiscus sinensisChinese softshell turtle중국자라 (Chinese soft-shelled turtle)
Pelodiscus maackiiNorthern Chinese softshell turtle자라 (soft-shelled turtle)

Lizards

Scientific name Common English name Common Korean name Image Distribution Status
Gekko japonicusSchlegel's Japanese gecko도마뱀붙이 (gecko)
Plestiodon coreensisSmith's skink장수도마뱀 (long-lived skink)
Scincella vandenburghiKorean skink도마뱀 (skink)
Scincella huanrenensis Huanren dwarf skink북도마뱀 (northern skink)
Eremias argusMongolian racerunner표범장지뱀 (leopard lizard)
Takydromus amurensisAmur grass lizard아무르장지뱀 (Amur lizard)
Takydromus wolteriWhite-striped grass lizard줄장지뱀 (stripped lizard)

Snakes

Scientific name Authority Common English name Common Korean name Distribution
Dinodon rufozonatum rufozonatum[1] CantorRed-banded snake능구렁이Throughout
Elaphe davidi[2] Sauvage, 1884David's ratsnake세줄무늬뱀Found in North Korea and likely occurs in adjacent areas of northwestern South Korea
Elaphe dione[3] PallasSteppe rat snake or Dione rat snake누룩뱀, 시루레기, 밀뱀Common throughout
Elaphe schrenckii, Elaphe anomala[4] StrauchAmur rat snake, Korean rat snake, Russian rat snake먹구렁이 or 흑질백장 when black, 황구렁이 when brown/yellowCommon throughout mainland; not found on Jeju
Elaphe taeniura taeniura[5] CopeKorean beauty snake줄꼬리뱀Found only in North Korea
Gloydius brevicauda[6] Stejneger, 1907Short-tailed mamushi살모사Throughout mainland; not found on Jeju
Gloydius saxatilis[7] EmelianovRock mamushi까치살모사In the higher reaches of the Taebaek and Sobaek Mountains
Gloydius ussuriensis[8] EmelianovUssuri mamushi쇠살모사Throughout
Hebius vibakari ruthveni[9] Van DenburghAsian keelback or Japanese keelback대륙유혈목이Most common in the south, particularly Jeju
Hydrophis cyanocinctus[10] Daudin, 1803Annulated sea snake얼룩바다뱀
Hydrophis melanocephalus[11] Gray, 1849Slender-necked sea snake먹대가리바다뱀
Oocatochus rufodorsatus[12] Cantor, 1842Chinese garter snake, frog-eating rat snake, or red-backed rat snake무자치, 무좌수, 물뱀, 떼뱀Throughout
Orientocoluber spinalis[13] PetersSlender racer실뱀, 줄뱀Throughout; most common in the south
Pelamis platurus[14] Linnaeus, 1766Pelagic sea snake or yellow-bellied sea snake바다뱀
Rhabdophis tigrinus tigrinus[15] BoieTiger keelback유혈목이, 꽃뱀Common throughout
Sibynophis collaris[16] GrayBlack-headed snake or collared snake비바리뱀Jeju (discovered there in 1981)
Vipera berus sachalinensis[17] Common viper북살모사North Korea

Notes

  1. Baek & Sim (1999), pp. 127-129 (given as Dinodon rufozonatus rufozonatus).
  2. Species Restoration Center (2005), #17.
  3. Baek & Sim (1999), pp. 135-136.
  4. Baek & Sim (1999), pp. 130-134.
  5. Web site: The Amphibians and Reptiles of Our Land. ko. Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Korea. 2005.
  6. Baek & Sim (1999), pp. 140-148 (as Agkistrodon brevicaudus).
  7. Baek & Sim (1999), pp. 152-153 (as Agkistrodon saxatilis).
  8. Baek & Sim (1999), pp. 149-151 (as Agkistrodon ussuriensis).
  9. Baek & Sim (1999), pp. 115-117; Species Restoration Center (2005), #14.
  10. Species Restoration Center (2005), #25.
  11. Species Restoration Center (2005), #26.
  12. Baek & Sim (1999), pp. 137-139.
  13. Baek & Sim (1999), pp. 125-126.
  14. Species Restoration Center (2005), #27.
  15. Baek & Sim, pp. 118-122. Given as Rhabdophis tigrinus lateralis by Species Restoration Center (2005).
  16. Baek & Sim (1999), pp. 123-124. (given as Sibynophis chinensis in Jeju Island, #7, and Species Restoration Center (2005)).
  17. Given as Vipera berus by Species Restoration Center (2005), #31.

References

External links