Current Scientific and Common Names of the Amphibians and Reptiles in Kansas (107 Species and Subspecies)

Note: This list follows the taxonomy of Crother (2000) in the new Scientific and Standard English names of Amphibians and Reptiles of North America, which is endorsed by all three U.S. Herpetological Societies (SSAR, HL, and ASIH). In the list below older names which might be found in field guides are included in parentheses.

Class Amphibia - Amphibians (31 Species and Subspecies)

Order Caudata - Salamanders (9 Species and Subspecies)

Family Ambystomatidae - Mole Salamanders

Small-mouthed Salamander - Ambystoma texanum

Barred Tiger Salamander - Ambystoma tigrinum mavortium

Eastern Tiger Salamander - Ambystoma tigrinum tigrinum



Family Plethodontidae - Lungless Salamanders

Dark-sided Salamander - Eurycea longicauda melanopleura

Cave Salamander - Eurycea lucifuga

Grotto Salamander - Typhlotriton spelaeus



Family Proteidae - Mudpuppies

Red River Mudpuppy - Necturus maculosus louisianensis

Common Mudpuppy - Necturus maculosus maculosus



Family Salamandridae - Newts

Central Newt - Notophthalmus viridescens louisianensis



Order Anura - Frogs & Toads (22 Species and Subspecies)

Family Bufonidae - True Toads

Eastern American Toad - Bufo americanus americanus (American Toad)

Dwarf American Toad - Bufo americanus charlesmithi

Great Plains Toad - Bufo cognatus

Western Green Toad - Bufo debilis insidior

Red-spotted Toad - Bufo punctatus

Woodhouse's Toad - Bufo woodhousii woodhousii



Family Hylidae - Treefrogs & Allies

Blanchard's Cricket Frog - Acris crepitans blanchardi

Cope's Gray Treefrog - Hyla chrysoscelis

Gray Treefrog - Hyla versicolor (Eastern Gray Treefrog)

Spotted Chorus Frog - Pseudacris clarkii

Northern Spring Peeper - Pseudacris crucifer crucifer

Boreal Chorus Frog - Pseudacris maculata (P. triseriata maculata)

Western Chorus Frog - Pseudacris triseriata (P. t. triseriata)

Strecker's Chorus Frog - Pseudacris streckeri streckeri



Family Microhylidae - Narrow-mouthed Toads

Eastern Narrow-mouthed Toad - Gastrophryne carolinensis

Great Plains Narrow-mouthed Toad - Gastrophryne olivacea



Family Pelobatidae - Spadefoot Toads

Plains Spadefoot - Spea bombifrons (Scaphiopus bombifrons)



Family Ranidae - True Frogs

Northern Crawfish Frog - Rana areolata circulosa

Plains Leopard Frog - Rana blairi

American Bullfrog - Rana catesbeiana (Bullfrog)

Northern Green Frog - Rana clamitans melanota (Green Frog)

Southern Leopard Frog - Rana sphenocephala utricularia (Rana utricularia)



Class Reptilia - True Reptiles (76 Species and Subspecies)


Order Squamata - Lizards (17 Species and Subspecies)

Family Anguidae - Glass Lizards

Western Slender Glass Lizard - Ophisaurus attenuatus attenuatus



Family Crotaphytidae - Collared Lizards

Eastern Collared Lizard - Crotaphytus collaris (Crotaphytus collaris collaris)



Family Lacertidae - Lacertid Lizards

Western Green Lizard - Lacerta bilineata

Northern Italian Wall Lizard - Podarcis sicula campestris



Family Phrynosomatidae - Earless, Horned, & Spiny Lizards

Great Plains Earless Lizard - Holbrookia maculata maculata (Northern Lesser Earless Lizard)

Prairie Earless Lizard - Holbrookia maculata perspicua (Eastern Lesser Earless Lizard)

Texas Horned Lizard - Phrynosoma cornutum

Northern Prairie Lizard - Sceloporus undulatus garmani

Northern Fence Lizard - Sceloporus undulatus hyacinthinus



Family Scincidae - Skinks

Southern Coal Skink - Eumeces anthracinus pluvialis

Common Five-lined Skink - Eumeces fasciatus

Broad-headed Skink - Eumeces laticeps

Great Plains Skink - Eumeces obsoletus

Southern Prairie Skink - Eumeces septentrionalis obtusirostris

Northern Prairie Skink - Eumeces septentrionalis septentrionalis

Little Brown Skink - Scincella lateralis (Ground Skink)



Family Teiidae - Whiptails

Prairie Racerunner - Cnemidophorus sexlineatus viridis



Order Squamata - Snakes (44 Species and Subspecies)

Family Colubridae - Colubrids

Kansas Glossy Snake - Arizona elegans elegans

Western Wormsnake - Carphophis vermis

Eastern Yellow-bellied Racer - Coluber constrictor flaviventris

Prairie Ring-necked Snake - Diadophis punctatus arnyi

Great Plains Ratsnake - Elaphe guttata emoryi

Black Ratsnake - Elaphe obsoleta obsoleta

Dusty Hog-nosed Snake - Heterodon nasicus gloydi

Plains Hog-nosed Snake - Heterodon nasicus nasicus

Eastern Hog-nosed Snake - Heterodon platirhinos

Texas Nightsnake - Hypsiglena torquata janii

Prairie Kingsnake - Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster

Speckled Kingsnake - Lampropeltis getula holbrooki (L.g. holbrooki x splendida)

Central Plains Milksnake - Lampropeltis triangulum gentilis

Red Milksnake - Lampropeltis triangulum syspila

Eastern Coachwhip - Masticophis flagellum flagellum

Western Coachwhip - Masticophis flagellum testaceus

Blotched Watersnake - Nerodia erythrogaster transversa

Northern Diamond-backed Watersnake - Nerodia rhombifer rhombifer

Northern Watersnake - Nerodia sipedon sipedon

Northern Rough Greensnake - Opheodrys aestivus aestivus

Bullsnake - Pituophis catenifer sayi ( Bull Snake - Pituophis melanoleucus sayi)

Graham's Crayfish Snake - Regina grahamii

Texas Long-nosed Snake - Rhinocheilus lecontei tessellatus

Groundsnake - Sonora semiannulata

Texas Brownsnake - Storeria dekayi texana

Northern Red-bellied Snake - Storeria occipitomaculata occipitomaculata

Flat-headed Snake - Tantilla gracilis

Plains Black-headed Snake - Tantilla nigriceps

Marcy's Checkered Gartersnake - Thamnophis marcianus marcianus (Checkered Garter Snake)

Arid Land Ribbonsnake - Thamnophis proximus diabolicus

Orange-striped Ribbonsnake - Thamnophis proximus proximus (Western Ribbon Snake)

Plains Gartersnake - Thamnophis radix (Western Plains Garter Snake - Thamnophis radix haydenii)

Texas Gartersnake - Thamnophis sirtalis annectens (T. s. annectans)

Red-sided Gartersnake - Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis

Lined Snake - Tropidoclonion lineatum

Rough Earthsnake - Virginia striatula

Western Smooth Earthsnake - Virginia valeriae elegans



Family Leptotyphlopidae - Threadsnakes

Texas Threadsnake - Leptotyphlops dulcis dulcis (Plains Blind Snake)



Family Viperidae - Vipers

Osage Copperhead - Agkistrodon contortrix phaeogaster

Western Cottonmouth - Agkistrodon piscivorus leucostoma

Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake - Crotalus atrox

Timber Rattlesnake - Crotalus horridus

Prairie Rattlesnake - Crotalus viridis viridis

Western Massasauga - Sistrurus catenatus tergeminus



Order Testudines - Turtles (15 Species and Subspecies)

Family Chelydridae - Snapping Turtles

Eastern Snapping Turtle - Chelydra serpentina serpentina (Common Snapping Turtle)

Alligator Snapping Turtle - Macrochelys temminckii



Family Emydidae - Box & Water Turtles

Western Painted Turtle - Chrysemys picta bellii

Northern Map Turtle - Graptemys geographica (Common Map Turtle)

Ouachita Map Turtle - Graptemys ouachitensis ouachitensis (Graptemys pseudogeographica ouachitensis)

False Map Turtle - Graptemys pseudogeographica pseudogeographica

Mississippi Map Turtle - Graptemys pseudogeographica kohnii

Eastern River Cooter - Pseudemys concinna concinna (Missouri River Cooter - Pseudemys concinna metteri)

Three-toed Box Turtle - Terrapene carolina triunguis

Ornate Box Turtle - Terrapene ornata ornata

Red-eared Slider - Trachemys scripta elegans



Family Kinosternidae - Mud & Musk Turtles

Yellow Mud Turtle - Kinosternon flavescens (Kinosternon flavescens flavescens)

Stinkpot - Sternotherus odoratus (Common Musk Turtle)



Family Trionychidae - Softshell Turtles

Midland Smooth Softshell - Apalone mutica mutica

Western Spiny Softshell - Apalone spinifera hartwegi




Last updated on 31 January 2003

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