Download - Alabama Reptiles
Alabama Reptiles
Three orders of reptiles occur in Alabama:
1.Testudinata – the turtles.2.Crocodilia – the alligators3.Squamata – the snakes and
lizards.
Order TestudinataThe turtles have the body enclosed in a bony case of dermal plates with a dorsal
carapace and a ventral plastron. Their jaws have no teeth, but do
have a horny sheath. The vertebra and ribs are fused to
the shell. The anus is a longitudinal slit.
Family ChelydridaeThe snapping turtles are among the largest freshwater turtles.
They are characterized by massive heads with powerful
hooked jaws, long tails, relatively small, cross-shaped plastrons, and carapaces with 12 marginal scutes on each
side.
Chelydra serpentina – common snapping turtle
Macroclemmys temmincki – Alligator snapping turtle
Family EmydidaeThe emydids are the world’s largest family of turtles. They have a large
plastron and a short tail. The plastron has twelve marginal scutes, with the
pectoral scutes touching the marginals.
Chrysemys picta – the southern painted turtle
Deirochelys reticularia – eastern chicken turtle
Graptemys pulchra – Alabama map turtle
Graptemys nigrinoda – black-knobbed sawback
Pseudomys concinna – river cooter
Trachemys scripta – pond slider
Terrapene carolina – box turtle
Family KinosternidaeThe mud and musk turtles. The
kinosternids have a large plastron with ten or eleven
scutes. The pectorals of the plastron are not in contact with
the marginals.
Kinosternon subrubrum – eastern mud turtle
Sternotherus minor – loggerhead musk turtle
Sternotherus odoratus – common musk turtle (stinkpot)
Family TestudinaeThe tortoises are terrestrial, with elephantine hind feet.
Their forelimbs are shovel-like and are adapted for digging.
Gopherus polyphemus – gopher tortoise
A gopher tortoise burrow. Gopher tortoises can serve as keystone species in longleaf pine habitats.
Family TrionychidaeThe soft-shelled turtles have a shell covered with a leathery
skin. The snout ends in a tubular proboscis. They are
highly aquatic.
Apalone spiniferus – spiny softshell
The only sea turtle that commonly nexts along Alabama’s beaches is the loggerhead, Caretta
caretta, which belongs to the family Cheloniidae.
Order CrocodiliaLarge and well-armored, with sculptured
heads, protruding nostrils, and well-muscled, compressed tails. Front feet have five toes, while webbed hind feet have four toes. Ear is covered with a
movable flap. All are aquatic carnivores. Males tend to grow larger than females.
Alligator mississippiensis – American alligator
In much of their range, alligators serve as a keystone species much like the gopher tortoise.
Distribution of Alligator mississipiensis
Spectacled caimanCaiman crocodilus
Natural distribution of spectacled caimans
American crocodile – Crocodylus acutus
American crocodile distribution
The Daily Beacon Online - Alligator attacks woman
http://www.ecofloridamag.com/alligatorattacks.pdf
Ananova - Alligator suspected of killing toddler
FOXNews.com - Florida Woman Loses Part of Arm to Alligator Attack
Tampabay: Gator attack ends protection on island
Alligators are dangerous animals.
Order SquamataSuborder Lacertilia
The LizardsTwo pairs of relatively equal legs, long
tail. Superficially resemble salamanders, but have dry, scaly skin, toothed jaws,
and external ear openings. Some 3,000 species worldwide.
Family AnguidaeEleven general of about 80 species.
Anguid lizards have elongate, shiny, stiff bodies and tails. Tiny or absent legs.
Stiffness results from abundance of body armor in skin. Many species are so stiff
that they could not breathe if not for flexible lengthwise groove of soft,
granular scales along sides. Most are terrestrial and burrowing. In some
species, the tail vertebrae have fracture planes.
Ophisaurus attenuatus – slender glass lizard
Ophisaurus ventralis – eastern glass lizard
Family IguanidaeA large family of moderately sized
lizards. Have five clawed toes on each of four legs, and a long tail. Most
species either arboreal or terrestrial. Highly visually oriented.
Anolis carolinensis – green anole
A green anole displays its dewlap.
An exotic – the Caribbean brown anole, Anolis sagrei
Sceloporus undulatus – eastern fence lizard
While I’m thinking about it, here’s another exotic that is becoming increasingly common. It’s in the Family Gekkonidae.
Hemidactylus turcicus – Mediterranean house gecko
Family ScincidaeCosmopolitan group of 87 genera and 1280 species found on every continent except Antarctica. 15 species in U.S.
Typically has a cylindrical body and tail covered by smooth, sleek scales. Terrestrial skinks have small legs.
Fracture planes in tails allow the tail to break off. In such cases, the tail is usually brightly colored. Diurnal.
Eumeces fasciatus
Five-lined skink
Eumeces inexpectans – southeastern five-lined skink
Eumeces laticeps – broad-headed skink
Scincella laterale – ground skink
Family TeiidaeForty genera of about 230 species confined to the New World. Long,
slender lizards with long whiplike tails and well-developed leggs. Movements
characteristically rapid and jerky. Typically have small, round, non-
overlapping scales on the back and large, rectangular scales on the belly.
Diurnal, terrestrial carnivores.
Cnemidophorus sexlineatus – six-lined racerunner
Superorder SerpentesSnakes
Some 2700 species. Found on all continents except Antarctica. Elongated
scaly body with no limbs, external ear openings, or eyelids. Periodically shed outer layer of skin. Of the 115 species that may be seen north of Mexico, 17
species are venomous.
Family ColubridaeLargest of all snake families. Head generally as wide as or wider than the neck, with large
and regularly arranged scales. Eyes well developed with round or vertical pupils. Back scales may be smooth or keeled. Scales on
underside of tail usually divided. Teeth present on both jaws, but no hollow, poison-injecting fangs. Habitats highly variable. All devour whole animals. Most are egg-layers, but some have live young. Males tail usually
longer and thicker at base than female.
Carphophis amoenus – worm snake
Cemophora coccinea – northern scarlet snake
Coluber constrictor – black racer
Diadophis punctatus – southern ringneck snake
Elaphe guttata – corn snake
Elaphe obsoleta spiloides – grey rat snake
Elaphe obsoleta obsoleta – black rat snake
Farancia abacura
Western mud snake
Farancia erytrogramma – rainbow snake
Heterodon platyrhinos
Eastern hognose snake
Lampropeltis getula getula – eastern kingsnake
Lampropeltis getula holbrooki – speckled kingsnake
Lampropeltis triangulum triangulum – eastern milk snake
Lampropeltis triangulum elapsoides – scarlet king snake
Masticophis flagellum – eastern coachwhip
Nerodia erythrogaster flavipesYellow-bellied water snake
Nerodia rhombifer – diamond-backed water snake
Note the pattern of alternating lateral and dorsal blotches
Nerodia sipedon – midland water snake
Brown water snake
Nerodia taxispilota
Opheodrys aestivus – rough green snake
Regina rigida – glossy crawfish snake
Regina septemvitatta
Queen snake
Storeria dekayi - brown snake
Storeria occipitomaculatus - red-bellied snake
Tantilla coronata – southeastern crowned snake
Thamnophis sauritus – eastern ribbon snake
Thamnophis sirtalis – eastern garter snake
Family ElapidaeIncludes coral snakes, cobras, kraits,
mambas and others. Enlarged grooved fangs are fixed in position on
the front part of the upper jaw and cannot be folded back. Venom is
strongly neurotoxic.
Micrurus fulvius
Coral snake
Family ViperidaeIncludes many dangerously venomous
snakes. Most are stout-bodied, with heads distinctly wider than the neck. Most are
patterned with crossbands or blotches. Have hollow, retractable fangs situated near the
front of the upper jjaw. In pit vipers, a heat-sensitive pit is present on each side of the
head between the eye and the nostril. Eyes have vertical pupils and an undivided row of scales under the tail. Venom is a complex
mix of proteins acting primarily on the victim’s blood tissue. Most pit vipers bear
their young alive.
The pit organ is located on each side of the head between the eye and the nostril.
Agkistrodon contortrix - copperhead
Agkistrodon piscivorus – eastern cottonmouth
The common name of the cottonmouth comes from the white interior of the mouth.
Juvenile cottonmouths and copperheads have a yellow-green tail that they use as a lure.
Crotalus horridus – timber rattlesnake
Crotalus adamanteus – eastern diamondback rattlesnake
Sistrurus miliarius – pigmy rattlesnake
The top of the diamondback’s head is covered by small scales….
While the pigmy rattlesnake has large plates.