List of reptiles of Kansas

This list of Kansas reptiles includes the snakes, turtles and lizards found in the US state of Kansas.

Turtles

Kansas is home to 15 species of turtles.

Family Chelydridae – snapping turtles

• Alligator snapping turtle (Macrochelys temminckii)
• Common snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina)

Family Kinosternidae – mud and musk turtles

• Common musk turtle (stinkpot) (Sternotherus odoratus)
• Yellow mud turtle (Kinosternon flavescens)

Family Emydidae – basking and box turtles

• Painted turtle (Chrysemys picta)
• Common map turtle (Graptemys geographica)
• Ouachita map turtle (Graptemys ouachitensis)
• False map turtle (Graptemys pseudogeographica)
• River cooter (Pseudemys concinna)
• Ornate box turtle (Terrapene ornata)
• Three-toed box turtle (Terrapene triunguis)
• Pond slider (Trachemys scripta)

Family Trionychidae – softshell turtles

• Spiny softshell turtle (Apalone spinifera)
• Smooth softshell turtle (Apalone mutica)

Lizards

There are 16 species of lizards in Kansas.

Anguidae – lateral fold lizards

• Slender glass lizard (Ophisaurus attenuatus)

Crotaphytidae – collared and leopard lizards

• Eastern collared lizard (Crotaphytus collaris)

Gekkonidae – geckos

• Mediterranean gecko (introduced) (Hemidactylus turcicus)

Lacertidae – Lacertas (wall and true lizards)

• Western green lizard (introduced) (Lacerta bilineata)
• Italian wall lizard (introduced) (Podarcis siculus)

Phrynosomatidae – spiny lizards

• Lesser earless lizard (Holbrookia maculata)
• Texas horned lizard (Phrynosoma cornutum)
• Southern prairie lizard (Sceloporus consobrinus)

Scincidae – skinks

• Coal skink (Plestiodon anthracinus)
• Five-lined skink (Plestiodon fasciatus)
• Broadhead skink (Plestiodon laticeps)
• Great Plains skink (Plestiodon obsoletus)
• Prairie skink (Plestiodon septentrionalis)
• Little brown skink (Scincella lateralis)

Teiidae – whiptails

• Six-lined racerunner (Aspidoscelis sexlineatus)

Venomous species

• Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus)
• Broad-banded copperhead (Agkistrodon laticinctus)
• Western diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox)
• Timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus)
• Prairie rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis)
• Western massasauga (Sistrurus tergeminus)

Non-venomous species

• Eastern glossy snake (Arizona elegans)
• Western worm snake (Carphophis vermis)
• Eastern racer (Coluber constrictor)
• Ringneck snake (Diadophis punctatus)
• Western hognose snake (Heterodon nasicus)
• Eastern hognose snake (Heterodon platirhinos)
• Chihuahuan night snake (Hypsiglena jani)
• Prairie kingsnake (Lampropeltis calligaster)
• Speckled kingsnake (Lampropeltis holbrooki)
• Eastern milk snake (Lampropeltis triangulum)
• Western milk snake (Lampropeltis gentilis)
• Texas threadsnake (Rena dulcis)
• Coachwhip (Masticophis flagellum)
• Plainbelly water snake (Nerodia erythrogaster)
• Diamondback water snake (Nerodia rhombifer)
• Northern water snake (Nerodia sipedon)
• Rough green snake (Opheodrys aestivus)
• Great Plains rat snake (Pantherophis emoryi)
• Western rat snake (Pantherophis obsoletus)
• Gopher snake (Pituophis catenifer)
• Graham's crayfish snake (Regina grahamii)
• Longnose snake (Rhinocheilus lecontei)
• Great plains ground snake (Sonora episcopa)
• Brown snake (Storeria dekayi)
• Redbelly snake (Storeria occipitomaculata)
• Flathead snake (Tantilla gracilis)
• Plains blackhead snake (Tantilla nigriceps)
• Checkered garter snake (Thamnophis marcianus)
• Western ribbon snake (Thamnophis proximus)
• Plains garter snake (Thamnophis radix)
• Common garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis)
• Lined snake (Tropidoclonion lineatum)
• Rough earth snake (Virginia striatula)
• Smooth earth snake (Virginia valeriae)

References