REPTILES CLASSIFICATION & CHARACTERISTIC

Turtles (Order Testudines)

Family Chelydridae (Snapping Turtles)

  • Large head, strong hooked beak, long tail, small lower shell, uniform color, and large size. Aquatic bottom dwelling
  • Species: Common Snapping Turtle

Family Kinosternidae (Mud and Musk Turtles)

  • Oval shell, short tail, dull color, small lower shell, and musk gland. Aquatic bottom dwelling
  • Species: Yellow Mud Turtle

Family Emydidae (Basking Turtles)

  • Largest family of turtles worldwide, semi-aquatic (a few terrestrial), large well developed lower shell
  • Species: Slider and Ornate Box Turtle

Family Trionychidae (Softshell Turtles)

  • Flexible, leathery upper shell, reduced lower shell, slender elongate nose, aquatic habits
  • Species: Smooth Softshell

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carapace

carapace bridge

plastron

twelve plates (6 pairs)

plastron hinges

keeled carapace

Lizards (Order Squamata – Suborder Lacertilia)

Family Crotophytidae (Collared and Leopard Lizards)

  • Large head, able to run on hind legs, and moderate size
  • Species: Collared Lizard

Family Phrynosomatidae (Sand & Spiny Lizards)

  • Cryptically colored/patterned, some with spiny scales, active, diurnal, and small in size
  • Species: Lesser Earless Lizard, Prairie Lizard, Texas Horned Lizard

Family Scincidae (Skinks)

  • Smooth, shiny scales, elongate, depressed bodies, small, flattened heads, and small to moderate size
  • Species: Ground Skink, Five-Lined Skink, Great Plains Skink

Family Teiidae (Racerunners and Whiptails)

  • Large head, granular dorsal scales, large ventral scales
  • Species: Six-Linned Racerunner

Family Lacertidae (Wall Lizards and Lacertas)

  • Exotic species introduced into the Topeka area

Family Anguidae (Anguid Lizards)

  • limbs reduced/absent, groove along side
  • Species: Western Slender Glass Lizard

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limbless (western glass lizard)

ear opening (lesser earless lizard)

scale rows at midbody

occipital spines (texas horned lizard)

granular fold of skin on neck, back scales small and granular, venter scales large and differ abruptly from dorsal (six line racerunner)

frontal scales V-shaped, supranasals absent (ground skink)

frontal scales rectangular shaped, supranasals present (eumeces species)

oblique lateral rows of scales (great plains skink)

seven upper labial, fifth contact orbit, two large post labial present (five-lined skink)

postnasal present, dorsal/lateral scales in parallel rows that don’t rise

Snakes (Order Squamata – Suborder Serpentes)

Family Leptotyphlopidae (Slender Blind Snakes)

  • 14 scale rows, enlarged oval scales that are small in size, tiny eyes, burrower, and egg layer

Family Xenodontidae (Rear-Fanged Snakes)

  • Small number of dorsal scales, posterior fangs, egg layer, scales both keeled and smooth
  • Species: Western Worm Snake – Carphophis, Ringneck Snake – Diaphophis

Family Colubridae (Harmless Egg-Laying Snakes)

  • Small number of dorsal scales, and egg layer
  • Species: Glossy Snake – Arizona, Racer – Coluber, Rat Snake – Elaphe, Prairie Kingsnake, Milksnake, and Common Kingsnake – Lampropeltis, Green Snake – Opheodrys, Bullsnake - Pituophis

Family Natricidae (Harmless Live-Bearing Snakes)

  • Semiaquatic, secretive, food of cold blooded prey, and live bearing
  • Species: Northern Water Snake – Nerodia, Common Garter Snake and Ribbon Snake – Thamnophis

Family Viperidae (Vipers and Pit-Vipers)

  • Long fangs, vertical slit pupils, and live bearing
  • Species: Copperhead – Agkistrodon, Western Rattlesnake – Crotalus

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venter and dorsal scales

sensory pits, rattle absent, hourglass pattern (copperhead)

sensory pits, rattle present, numerous small scales on head, oval blotches, tail dark banded (western rattlesnake)

dark, ringneck (ringneck)

all or most subcaudal scales divided, smooth scales

anal scales entire or divided

number of scale rows

keeled scales