Aransas

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Amphibians and Reptiles of Aransas National Wildlife Refuge Abundance Common Name Abundance C Common; suitable habitat is available, Scientific Name should not be missed during appropriate season. Toads and Frogs Couch’s Spadefoot C U Uncommon; present in moderate Scaphiopus couchi numbers (often due to low availability Hurter’s Spadefoot C of suitable habitat); not seen every Scaphiopus hurteri visit during season Blanchard’s Cricket Frog U Acris crepitans blanchardi O Occasional; present, observed only Green Tree Frog C a few times per season; also includes Hyla cinerea those species which do not occur year, Squirrel Tree Frog U while in some years may be Hyla squirella fairly common. Spotted Chorus Frog U Pseudacris clarki R Rare; observed only every 1 to 5 Strecker’s Chorus Frog U years; records for species at Aransas Pseudacris streckeri are sporadic and few. Texas Toad R Bufo speciosus Introduction Gulf Coast Toad C Amphibians have moist, glandular skins, Bufo valliceps valliceps and their toes are devoid of claws. Their Bullfrog C young pass through a larval, usually Rana catesbeiana aquatic, stage before they metamorphose Southern Leopard Frog C into the adult form. Belonging to the Rana sphenocephala Class Amphibia are the salamanders, Eastern Narrowmouth Toad C frogs, and toads. Gastrophryne carolinensis Great Plains Narrowmouth Toad R Reptiles are clad in scales, shields, or Gastrophryne olivacea plates, and their toes bear claws. To this class belong the crocodilians, lizards, Reptiles snakes, and turtles. Common Name Abundance Scientific Name Note Crocodilians Please remember that collecting American Alligator C amphibians and reptiles is not allowed on the Refuge. If you should find an unlisted Alligator mississippiensis or rare species, contact the Refuge staff Turtles and provide a description. We welcome Common Snapping Turtle R any additions visitors may provide to Chelydra serpentina serpentina enhance the accuracy of these lists. Yellow Mud Turtle O Kinosternon flavescens flavescens Amphibians R Common Name Abundance Mississippi Mud Turtle Kinostenron subrubrum hippocrepis Scientific Name Texas Diamondback Terrapin R Malaclemys terrapin littoralis Salamanders R Rio Grande Lesser Siren C Three-toed Box Turtle Terrapene carolina triunguis Siren intermedia texana O Smallmouth Salamander R Ornate Box Turtle Terrapene ornata ornata Ambystoma texanum C Eastern Tiger Salamander R Red-Eared Slider Trachemys scripta elegans Ambystoma tigrinum tigrinum Common Name Scientific Name Abundance Texas Tortoise Gopherus berlandieri Guadalupe Spiny Soft-shelled Turtle Trionyx spiniferus guadalupensis Loggerhead Caretta caretta Atlantic Green Turtle Chelonia mydas mydas Atlantic Hawksbill Eretmochelys imbricata imbricata Atlantic Ridley(Kemp’s Ridley) Lepidocheyls kempi Leatherback Dermochelys coriacea R R O O O O R Lizards Mediterranean Gecko C Hemidactylus turcicus turcicus Keeled Earless Lizard R Holbrookia propinqua propinqua Texas Horned Lizard R Phrynosoma cornutum Northern Fence Lizard C Sceloporus undulatus hyacinthinus Green Anole C Anolis carolinensis Five-lined Skink R Eumeces fasciatus Ground Skink C Scincella lateralis Texas Spotted Whiptail R Cnemidophorus gularis gularis Six-lined Racerunner C Cnemidophorus sexlineatus sexlineatus Western Slender Glass Lizard U Ophisaurus attenuatus Snakes Note: There are many species of snakes, some are venomous, so use caution when walking and do not handle any wildlife. Texas Blind Snake Leptopytyplops dulcis Texas Scarlet Snake Cemophora coccinea lineri Eastern Yellow-bellied Racer Coluber constrictor flaviventris Mexican Racer Coluber constrictor oaxaca Southwestern Rat Snake Elaphe guttata meahllmorum R R O R O Common Name Scientific Name Abundance Texas Rat Snake Elaphe obsoleta lindheimeri Western Mud Snake Farancia abacura reinwardti Dusky Hog-nosed Snake Heterodon nasicus gloydi Eastern Hog-nosed Snake Heterodon platirhinos Prairie King Snake Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster Speckled King Snake Lampropeltis getula holbrooki Desert King Snake Lampropeltis getula splendida Louisiana Milk Snake Lampropeltis triangulum amaura Mexican Milk Snake Lampropeltis triangulum annulata Western Coachwhip Masticophis flagellum testaceus Gulf Salt Marsh Snake Nerodia clarki clarki Green Water Snake Nerodia cyclopion cyclopion Broad-banded Water Snake Nerodia fasciata confluens U R R O O O R R R U O O R Common Name Scientific Name Abundance Diamondback Water Snake Nerodia rhombifer rhombifer Rough Green Snake Opheodrys aestivus Bull Snake Pituophis catenifer sayi Graham’s Crayfish Snake Regina grahami Texas Brown Snake Storeria dekayi texana Flatheaded Snake Tantilla gracilis Checkered Garter Snake Thamnophis marcianus marcianus Gulf Coast Ribbon Snake Thamnophis proximus orarius Eastern Garter Snake Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis Red-sided Garter Snake Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis Texas Garter Snake Thamnophis sirtalis annectens Rough Earth Snake Virginia striatula Common Name Scientific Name Abundance O Venomous Snakes Texas Coral Snake Micrurus fulvius tenere Broad-banded Copperhead Agkistrodon contortrix laticinctus Western Cottonmouth Agkistrodon piscivorus leucostoma Western Diamondback Rattlesnake Crotalus atrox Western Massasauga Sistrurus catenatus tergeminus R Revision Date: March 2008 C Reference: Dixon, James R. Amphibians and Reptiles of Texas, College Station: Texas A & M University Press, 2000. R C R O U R R R O U R C O R