This is a list of reptiles of Pennsylvania as listed by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.[1] 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.[2]
Family: Chelydridae - snapping turtles
Family: Emydidae - pond turtles
| Image | Common name | Scientific name | Status | Notes | Distribution | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midland painted turtle | Chrysemys picta marginata Agassiz, 1857 | Abundant | Subspecies of widespread painted turtle | Statewide, but primarily west of the Appalachians | ||
| Chrysemys picta picta (Schneider, 1783) | Abundant | Subspecies of widespread painted turtle | Primarily east of the Appalachians | |||
| Clemmys guttata (Schneider, 1792) | Species of special concern | Much of the west, as well as some of the counties in the northwest and Westmoreland County in the southwest | ||||
| Glyptemys insculpta (Le Conte, 1830) | Species of special concern | Statewide, but rarer to the west | ||||
| Glyptemys muhlenbergii (Schoepff, 1801) | Endangered | Southeastern counties | ||||
| Emydoidea blandingii (Holbrook, 1838) | Candidate species | Erie County | ||||
| Graptemys geographica (Lesueur, 1817) | Abundant | Statewide, except in Allegheny National Forest and northern central counties | ||||
| Graptemys pseudogeographica pseudogeographica (Gray, 1831) | Not evaluated | Several observations on the citizen science website iNaturalist, also a 1911 record in the University of Colorado Museum of Natural History[3] | Primarily around the Delaware River, also seen near Pittsburgh | |||
| Malaclemys terrapin terrapin Schoepff, 1793 | Incidental | Nominate subspecies | Rarely strays into southeast through Delaware River | |||
| Pseudemys concinna (Le Conte, 1830) | Nonnative | Introduced from pet trade | Primarily southeast, some southwest records | |||
| Pseudemys rubriventris (Le Conte, 1830) | Threatened | Southeastern counties | ||||
| Terrapene carolina carolina (Linnaeus, 1758) | Species of special concern | Nominate subspecies | Statewide but more abundant to the south | |||
| Trachemys scripta elegans (Wied-Neuwied, 1839) | Invasive | Listed as one of the world's worst invasive alien species | Statewide except northern central counties | |||
| Trachemys scripta scripta (Thunberg, 1792) | Invasive | Nominate subspecies of pond slider | Primarily southeast, but scattered observations throughout southern and central parts of the state |
Family: Kinosternidae - mud and musk turtles
| Image | Common name | Scientific name | Status | Notes | Distribution | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southeastern mud turtle | Kinosternon subrubrum subrubrum Bonnaterre, 1789 | Endangered | Nominate subspecies | Bucks County | ||
| Eastern musk turtle | Sternotherus odoratus (Latreille, 1802) | Abundant | Primarily in the northwestern and southeastern counties, some scattered records in central, northwestern, and southeastern counties |
Family: Trionychidae - softshell turtles
| Image | Common name | Scientific name | Status | Notes | Distribution | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midland smooth softshell turtle | Apalone mutica mutica (Lesueur, 1827) | Extirpated[4] | Nominate subspecies | Formerly found in southwest, now extirpated | ||
| Eastern spiny softshell | Apalone spinifera spinifera (Lesueur, 1827) | Abundant | Nominate subspecies | Eastern counties, Delaware River and its tributaries, scattered records in between |
Order: Squamata
Clade: Sauria/Lacertilia - lizards
Family: Gekkonidae - geckos
Family: Lacertidae - wall lizards
Family: Phrynosomatidae - earless, spiny, tree, side-blotched and horned lizards
Family: Scincidae - skinks
| Image | Common name | Scientific name | Status | Notes | Distribution | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plestiodon anthracinus anthracinus Baird, 1850 | Species of special concern | Nominate subspecies | Northern and central counties | |||
| Plestiodon fasciatus (Linnaeus, 1758) | Abundant | Essentially statewide, but more common in the northwest, central, and southeast | ||||
| Broad-headed skink | Plestiodon laticeps (Schneider, 1801) | Candidate species | Adams County, Lancaster County, and Chester County |
Clade: Serpentes - snakes
Family: Colubridae - colubrid snakes
| Image | Common name | Scientific name | Status | Notes | Distribution | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern worm snake | Carphophis amoenus amoenus (Say, 1825) | Species of special concern | South-central and southeastern counties | |||
| Clonophis kirtlandii (Kennicott, 1856) | Endangered | Butler County, Allegheny County, and Forest County | ||||
| Coluber constrictor constrictor Linnaeus, 1758 | Abundant | Nominate subspecies | Statewide except northernmost counties | |||
| Diadophis punctatus edwardsii (Merrem, 1820) | Abundant | Subspecies of widespread ring-necked snake | Statewide | |||
| Pantherophis alleghaniensis (Holbrook, 1836) | Abundant | The taxonomy of the genus Pantherophis, and especially P. alleghaniensis and P. spiloides, are in flux, and the names and validity of this species are prone to change | Generally east of the Appalachians | |||
| Pantherophis spiloides (A. M. C. Duméril, Bibron, & A. H. A. Duméril, 1854) | Abundant | The taxonomy of the genus Pantherophis, and especially P. alleghaniensis and P. spiloides, are in flux, and the names and validity of this species are prone to change | Generally west of the Appalachians | |||
| Eastern hog-nosed snake | Heterodon platirhinos Latreille, 1801 | Species of special concern | Central and eastern counties | |||
| Eastern milksnake | Lampropeltis triangulum (Lacépède, 1789) | Abundant | When subspecies are recognized, the Pennsylvania subspecies is Lampropeltis triangulum triangulum | Statewide | ||
| Nerodia sipedon sipedon (Linnaeus, 1758) | Abundant | Statewide | ||||
| Opheodrys aestivus aestivus (Linnaeus, 1766) | Endangered | Lancaster County and Chester County | ||||
| Smooth green snake | Opheodrys vernalis (Harlan, 1827) | Species of special concern | Statewide except southeast | |||
| Regina septemvittata (Say, 1825) | Species of special concern | Western and southeastern counties | ||||
| Storeria dekayi (Holbrook, 1836) | Abundant | Statewide | ||||
| Storeria occipitomaculata occipitomaculata (Storer, 1839) | Abundant | Nominate subspecies | Statewide except southeast | |||
| Thamnophis brachystoma (Cope, 1892) | Species of special concern | Northwestern counties, introduced to Pittsburgh area[5] | ||||
| Eastern ribbonsnake | Thamnophis saurita saurita (Linnaeus, 1766) | Species of special concern | Subspecies of common ribbon snake | Central counties eastward, some records north of Pittsburgh[6] | ||
| Thamnophis saurita septentrionalis Rossman, 1963 | Species of special concern | Subspecies of common ribbon snake | Northwestern counties and Tioga County | |||
| Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis (Linnaeus, 1758) | Abundant | Nominate subspecies | Statewide | |||
| Virginia valeriae valeriae Baird and Girard, 1853 | Species of special concern | Subspecies of smooth earth snake | Lancaster County and Chester County | |||
| Mountain earth snake | Virginia valeriae pulchra (Richmond, 1954) | Species of special concern | Subspecies of smooth earth snake | Central counties |
Family: Viperidae - pit vipers
| Image | Common name | Scientific name | Status | Notes | Distribution | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agkistrodon contortrix (Linnaeus, 1766) | Species of special concern | Most of state except westernmost and northernmost counties | ||||
| Crotalus horridus Linnaeus, 1758 | Species of special concern | Most of state except western and southeastern counties | ||||
| Sistrurus catenatus (Rafinesque, 1818) | Endangered | Venango County and Butler County |
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.[7] [8]