List of reptiles of Florida explained

This is a list of reptiles which are found in the U.S. state of Florida. This list includes both native and introduced species. Introduced species are put on this list only if they have an established population (large breeding population, numerous specimens caught, invasive, etc.). Three out of the four orders of reptiles can be found in Florida, with the order Tuatara being absent. Though many sources have different amounts (due to introduced species), this lists 118 species, which is about right.^[1]

Testudines

This order includes all the freshwater and sea turtles, as well as the land tortoises. Overall, 26 species can be found. Florida has many turtles, but only one species of tortoise.^[2]

Emydids

• Pond slider
• Spotted turtle
• Painted turtle
• Chicken turtle
• Coastal plain cooter
• Common box turtle
• false map turtle
• Escambia map turtle
• Barbour's map turtle
• Florida red-bellied cooter
• Peninsula cooter
• Suwannee cooter
• Red-eared slider
• Yellow-bellied slider
• Eastern river cooter
• Diamondback terrapin

Snapping turtles

• Alligator snapping turtle
• Common snapping turtle

Mud turtles

• Eastern mud turtle
• Striped mud turtle
• Common musk turtle
• Loggerhead musk turtle
• Giant musk turtle - introduced

Softshells

• Spiny softshell turtle
• Smooth softshell turtle
• Florida softshell turtle

Leatherback

• Leatherback sea turtle

Sea turtles

• Green sea turtle
• Hawksbill sea turtle
• Loggerhead sea turtle
• Kemp's ridley sea turtle - rare vagrant^[3]
• Olive ridley sea turtle - extremely rare vagrant^[3]

Tortoises

• Gopher tortoise

Crocodilians

There are three species of Crocodilians found in Florida. They are the largest reptiles and the largest predators of the state.

Alligators

• American alligator
• Spectacled caiman - introduced

Crocodiles

• American crocodile

Squamates (suborder Lacertilia)

The squamates are by far the largest reptile order. It is therefore divided into suborders. Lizards may be the most numerous reptiles in the state, though many species were introduced.

Phrynosomatidae

• Texas horned lizard - introduced
• Florida scrub lizard
• Eastern fence lizard

Leiocephalidae

• Northern curly-tailed lizard - introduced
• Hispaniolan curlytail lizard - introduced

Agamidae

• Calotes mystaceus - introduced
• Common agama- introduced
• Butterfly lizard- introduced
• Oriental garden lizard - introduced

Dactyloidae

• • Green anole Brown anole - introduced
• Bark anole - introduced
• Knight anole - introduced
• Puerto Rican crested anole syn. common Puerto Rican anole - introduced
• Large-headed anole - introduced
• Cuban green anole - introduced
• Hispaniolan green anole - introduced
• Jamaican giant anole - introduced

Iguanidae

• Green iguana - introduced
• Black spiny-tailed iguana- introduced
• Ctenosaura pectinata - introduced

Corytophanidae

• Brown basilisk - introduced

Chamaeleonidae

• Veiled chameleon - introduced http://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/nonnatives/reptiles/veiled-chameleon/^[4]
• Oustalet's chameleon - introduced
• Jackson's chameleon- introduced

Varanidae

• Nile monitor - introduced^{[5] [6] [7] [8] [9]}

Teiidae

• Six-lined racerunner
• Giant ameiva (Ameiva ameiva) - introduced
• Rainbow whiptail - introduced
• Argentine black and white tegu - introduced^[10]

Gekkota

• Reef gecko
• Ocellated gecko - introduced
• Tarentola annularis - introduced
• Flat-tailed house gecko - introduced
• Ashy gecko - introduced
• Tokay gecko - introduced
• Mediterranean house gecko - introduced
• Tropical house gecko - introduced
• Bibron's thick-toed gecko - introduced
• Indo-Pacific gecko - introduced
• Yellow-headed gecko - introduced
• Madagascan giant day gecko - introduced^[11]

Scincidae

• Mole skink
• Coal skink
• Sand skink
• Broadhead skink
• Chalcides ocellatus - introduced
• Eutropis rudis - introduced
• Trachylepis quinquetaeniata - introduced
• Five-lined skink
• Southeastern five-lined skink

Anguidae

• Eastern glass lizard
• Slender glass lizard
• Mimic glass lizard
• Island glass lizard

Squamates (suborder Serpentes)

This suborder includes all kinds of snakes. There are many snakes in Florida, some venomous and others non-venomous, and unlike lizards, nearly all are native. Two species are introduced, including the Burmese python, which was introduced when Hurricane Andrew destroyed a holding facility full of imported snakes, and which created a huge media storm and fears it would become widely invasive, but this species has proven unable to withstand colder weather outside of extreme South Florida.

Blind snakes

• Brahminy blind snake - introduced

Boidae

• Common boa - introduced

Colubrids

• Corn snake
• Mud snake
• Ribbon snake
• Rainbow snake
• Black rat snake
• Common garter snake
• Rough green snake
• Pine snake
• Redbelly snake
• Eastern racer
• Southern black racer
• Scarlet snake
• American brown snake
• Rough earth snake
• Smooth earth snake
• Florida crown snake
• Southeastern crown snake
• Rim rock crown snake
• Swamp snake
• Short-tailed snake
• Queen snake
• Striped crayfish snake
• Glossy crayfish snake
• Pine woods snake
• Common kingsnake
• Mole kingsnake
• Scarlet kingsnake
• Salt marsh snake
• Gulf salt marsh snake
• Green water snake
• Brown water snake
• Banded water snake
• Midland water snake
• Plainbelly water snake
• Coachwhip
• Ringneck snake
• Eastern indigo snake
• Eastern hognose snake
• Southern hognose snake

Elapids

• Eastern coral snake

Pythons

• Burmese python - introduced
• Indian rock python - introduced
• African rock python - introduced

Vipers

• Cottonmouth
• Southern copperhead
• Pygmy rattlesnake
• Timber rattlesnake
• Eastern diamondback rattlesnake

Squamates (suborder Amphisbaenidae)

This is the smallest and least known squamate suborder. It contains the wormlike amphisbaenids. Florida has one species.

Amphisbaenids

• Florida worm lizard

See also

• List of amphibians of Florida
• List of birds of Florida
• List of mammals of Florida
• List of snakes of Florida
• List of invasive species in Florida
• List of invasive species in the Everglades
• Fauna of Florida

Sources

• Reptile Database
• Florida Herpetology Center
• Invasive reptiles
• Invasive

Notes and References

1. Web site: Archived copy . 2018-09-09 . 2018-09-09 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180909150618/http://myfwc.com/research/wildlife/amphibians-reptiles/atlas/ . dead .
2. https://myfwc.com/research/wildlife/sea-turtles/florida/species/
3. Web site: MTN 101:23-25 the First Records of Olive Ridleys in Florida, USA.
4. Web site: Chameleons - Everglades CISMA. 21 September 2022 .
5. Web site: Archived copy . 2018-06-06 . 2018-06-11 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180611081714/http://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/nonnatives/reptiles/nile-monitor . dead .
6. (Campbell, 2003; Enge et al. 2004).
7. Web site: USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database . Gainesville, FL . United States Geological Survey . Nonindenous Aquatic Species . NAS - Invasive Species FactSheet: Varanus niloticus (Nile monitor) . https://web.archive.org/web/20090509162103/http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/FactSheet.asp?speciesID=1085 . 2009-05-09 . dead.
8. Web site: Everglades CISMA . 2011-10-11 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120125022122/http://www.evergladescisma.org/species/subinfo.cfm?sub=18353 . 2012-01-25 . dead .
9. News: Homestead ARB home to diverse array of wildlife . Hofmeyer . Erik . Homestead Air Reserve Base News . Homestead Air Reserve Base . 10 June 2008 . 15 December 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090517033222/http://www.homestead.afrc.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123102111 . 17 May 2009 . dead .
10. Web site: Argentine black and white tegu . 2018-06-06 . 2018-05-25 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180525132811/http://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/nonnatives/reptiles/argentine-black-and-white-tegu/ . dead .
11. Web site: Nonnatives - Giant Day Gecko . 2018-06-24 . 2018-10-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181020092045/http://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/nonnatives/reptiles/giant-day-gecko/ . dead .