Reptiles and amphibians in the United States

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The generic name most likely stems from el lagarto (‘the lizard’), a term, which early Spanish explorers and settlers in Florida used for the alligator. This word derives from the Latin lacertus (‘lizard’).

 

In the 1800s and the first half of the 1900s, hunting and habitat depleted its numbers seriously, and it was feared that it would not survive. In 1967, it was listed as an endangered species and was legally protected. Since then, conservation efforts have been successful, and today it is again common, and has even expanded its range to Tennessee.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek chelydros, a venomous water snake, or a kind of turtle, originally from chelys (‘tortoise’) and hydros, the grass snake (Natrix natrix). In this connection, due to the rather frightening appearance of these snapping animals, the word probably refers to Hydra, a many-headed serpentine sea monster in Greek mythology, whose breath was poisonous and its blood so virulent that even its scent was deadly.

The common name refers to the habit of these animals snapping at people when cornered. They can inflict quite a serious wound.

 

Presumably, the specific name has the same meaning as the generic name.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek thamnos (‘bush’) and ophis (‘snake’).

 

It is extremely variable, but most individuals have a yellow, pale orange, or white dorsal stripe, and usually a stripe of the same colour on each side. Some have red or black spots between the dorsal stripe and the side stripes. Adults are also very variable in length, ranging from 0.5 to 1 m.

 

 

 

 

 

It comes in many colours, including green, blue, yellow, gold, red, orange, brown, and black, but most individuals have 3 pale longitudinal stripes on a darker background. On average, the total length is about 55 cm, but individuals up to about 137 cm have been encountered.

The specific name is derived from the Latin siratalis (‘resembling a garter’), in allusion to the stripes along its body.

 

 

 

 

 

The common name stems from anoli, a Carib term for these animals.

 

 

The body length, excluding the tail, is up to 7.5 cm, whereas the tail is extremely long, up to 13 cm. It is usually green with a whitish dorsal stripe and underside, and often with bluish skin around the eye. However, like all anoles, it is able to change its colour, and brown individuals are often observed.

The specific name refers to the Carolinas. Presumably, the type specimen was collected there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek pseudes (‘false’) and emydos (‘freshwater turtle), implying that these animals resemble members of the genus Emys, but are placed in a different genus.

The common name stems from kuta, the word for turtle in the Bambara and Malinké languages, brought to America by slaves from Africa.

 

The specific name was given in honour of American biologist George Nelson (born 1873). I have not been able to find any other information about him.

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name alludes to the Suwannee River.

Some authorities regard this animal as a subspecies of the river cooter (P. concinna), which is widespread in eastern U.S.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name stems from the word terrapin, which early European settlers used for turtles. Apparently, it was derived from torope, the Powhatan word for turtles.

 

The specific name refers to the Carolinas. Presumably, the type specimen was collected there.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek trachys (‘rough’) and emys (‘turtle’), alluding to the rough carapace of the red-eared slider (below). The common name refers to the swiftness of these animals, when sliding off rocks and logs into the water.

 

It is a brightly coloured species, having an intricate pattern of yellow lines on head, neck, and carapace, and a conspicuous red patch on the side of the head. It mainly lives in stagnant waters.

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘written’, referring to the letter-like markings on the carapace.

 

 

 

 

 

The name gecko stems from the call of the Southeast Asian tokay gecko (Gekko gecko), rendered as geck-oo or tuc-too.

 

Although these beautiful geckos seem much too fragile to live in deserts, they have adapted to this habitat by being nocturnal, spending the daylight hours under stones or fallen logs, where they are well protected against drying out. Their skin is covered by tiny scales, giving it a silky texture.

The last part of the generic name is Ancient Greek, meaning ‘nail’, whereas the first part is derived from the Latin coleus (‘testicle’). It refers to males of the western banded gecko (below), which have 2 tiny spurs, located at the base of the tail, near the testicles (see lower photo below).

 

It is distributed from southern California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico southwards to northern Baja California, Sonora, and Sinaloa.

 

 

 

 

 

The only non-American genus is Brachylophus, found on Fiji and formerly also on Tonga. It is thought that the progenitor of these animals once drifted on logs from South America 8,000 km across the Pacific.

The common name derives from a Spanish corruption of iwana, the term for these animals in Taino, an extinct Arawakan language, spoken by the Taino people of the Caribbean.

 

The generic name is probably derived from Ancient Greek sauros (‘lizard’) and homalos (‘flat’), maybe alluding to the broad back of these animals, which is flattened, when they bask on rocks (see picture below).

The strange common name stems either from the Shoshone word tcaxxwal or from the Cahuilla word čaxwal, by the Spaniards transcribed as chacahuala, which became chuckwalla in American.

 

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘black’, the predominant colour of this species.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The distribution area is from Nevada and south-eastern California eastwards to New Mexico, southwards to Baja California, Sonora, and Sinaloa.

The generic and specific names are derived from Ancient Greek kallos (‘beautiful’), sauros (‘lizard’), drakon (‘dragon’), and the suffix eides (‘resembling’), thus ‘the beautiful lizard that resembles a dragon’.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name was given in honour of American physician and zoologist John Edwards Holbrook (1796-1871), who wrote the first comprehensive illustrated book on North American reptiles and amphibians, titled A Description of the Reptiles Inhabiting the United States.

The common name alludes to the fact that these animals have no external ear openings, presumably to prevent soil from entering their ears when digging.

 

It has 2 folds across the throat, that of females turning orange during the breeding season.

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘spotted’, alluding to the many dark spots and bars on this animal.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek skelos (‘leg’) and poros (‘passage’ or ‘pore’), alluding to the large pores on the thigh.

 

The specific and common names were given as a tribute to American surgeon and naturalist Henry Crécy Yarrow (1840-1929), who was a volunteer curator of amphibians and reptiles in the National Museum of Natural History.

 

 

 

 

 

It is native to the Chihuahuan and Sonoran Deserts, found from California, Utah, and Texas southwards to Baja California, Durango, and Coahuila. It lives in dry areas in a variety of habitats, including woodland, shrubberies, and grasslands.

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘master’ or ‘chief’, referring to the large size of this species.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is a small animal, measuring 6-9 cm from snout to vent, with a very long tail, up to 12 cm. It comes in various colours, mostly brownish or blackish, sometimes sand-coloured or greenish. Males have a bright blue belly and throat, lacking in females and juveniles.

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘western’.

Subspecies longipes, called Great Basin fence lizard, is distributed in California, Nevada, Utah, Oregon, and Idaho. Males of this subspecies are often very dark, almost black. The subspecific name is Latin, meaning ‘with long feet’.

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name is derived from Ancient Greek treis (‘three’) and stichos (‘a row’), alluding to 2 narrow, pale lateral stripes and a wider dorsal stripe of this animal.

 

 

 

 

 

This animal lives in arid places, including deserts, lower mountain slopes, and riparian woodlands, found in California, Nevada, western Arizona, and south-western Utah.

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘of one form’, i.e. ‘without variation’ – a strange name, as males and females are not similar.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek oura (‘tail’) and sauros (‘lizard’), alluding to the long tail of these animals.

 

Adults males are very colourful on the abdomen, having two large turquoise patches and yellow, orange, or turquoise throat. Females lack this colouration. The body length is up to 6 cm, and the tail is very long, up to 8 cm.

 

 

 

 

 

The family and common names are adapted from the Ancient Syriac word for these animals, sqinqur.

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek pleistos (‘most’) and odous (‘tooth’), referring to the numerous teeth of these lizards.

 

The adult male is brownish, with a bright orange head in the mating season. The female has 5 pale stripes running down the back and tail, similar to the five-lined skink (P. fasciatus). It can be distinguished by having 5 labial scales beneath the mouth, whereas the five-lined has only 4. Juveniles resemble females, but have a blue tail.

The specific name is derived from the Latin latus (‘broad’) and ceps (‘headed’), originally from caput (‘head’). It was so named because of its wide jaws, giving the head a triangular appearance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek aspis (‘viper’ or ‘shield’) and skelos (‘leg’). It is not clear what it refers to.

 

It is widespread, found from Oregon, Idaho, and Colorado southwards to the Mexican states Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Sinaloa, and Zacatecas. It lives in dry areas, including desert, shrubberies, woodland, and riparian growth.

The specific name refers to its pattern, which may be tiger-like in some individuals.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name refers to the fact that some species dig large, deep burrows like gophers, rodents of the family Geomyidae.

 

Previously, animals east and south of the Colorado River were regarded as belonging to this species, but are now considered a distinct species, named G. morafkai.

It escapes winter cold and extreme summer heat by hibernating for long periods of time. Furthermore, it avoids drying out by excreting solid urine. It spends a long time eating juicy plants of the desert, and when encounting a waterhole, it drinks substantial quantities. One individual, which was weighed before drinking, weighed 43% more after quenching its thirst!

The specific name honours Swiss biologist and geologist Jean Louis Rodolphe Agassiz (1807-1873), who performed extensive studies in North and South America.

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name refers to Polyphemus, a cave-dwelling, one-eyed giant of Greek mythology, who kept Odysseus and his men captive, eating several of them. Like the generic name, it alludes to this species digging large, deep burrows.

 

 

 

 

 

The Latin name of the pit vipers is derived from Ancient Greek krotalon (‘castanet’), alluding to the rattle on a rattlesnake’s tail. This subfamily is found in Asia and the Americas. The members, which include rattlesnakes, lanceheads, and Asian pit vipers, are distinguished by the presence of a heat-sensing pit organ, located between the eye and the nostril on both sides of the head.

 

Rattlesnakes have grooves in the long fangs, in which the poison runs down to the wound from the bite. The snake holds on to smaller prey, until it is dead, but lets go larger animals like rabbits after biting them, as they might inflict wounds on the snake with their teeth. Larger prey run away, but die after some time from the toxins. The snake then tracks the prey, using its sense of smell. On the sides of the head, rattlesnakes have sensitive pits, which are able to detect differences in temperature of a mere 0.3°C. This allows the snake to pinpoint the prey, even when it is pitch dark.

The generic name is explained above under family name. The name rattle snake refers to the fact that these snakes announce their presence to larger animals by rattling some loose, horn-like growths at the end of the tail. This sound warns the larger animal, and confrontations are avoided.

 

It is found from California, Nevada, Oklahoma, and Arkansas southwards to Veracruz, and formerly also Oaxaca.

This species is responsible for most deaths that occur from snake bites in the United States and Mexico, reflected by the specific name, which is Latin, meaning ‘fierce’, ‘frightening’ or ‘terrible’. The common name alludes to the diamond-shaped pattern down the back.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is usually between 1 and 1.2 m long, but may accasionally reach a length of 1.5 m.

The specific name is Latin, usually translated as ‘green’, but it may also mean ‘lively’. What it refers to in this connection is not clear.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One source translates the generic name as ‘king’ or ‘chief’. The connection is hard to see.

 

It is very variable in pattern and colouration. Females grows to about 11 cm long, males to about 8.5 cm.

 

 

 

 

 

It is distributed from southern Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan southwards through central and western United States, from Minnesota, Iowa, and Missouri westwards to Montana and south-eastern California, and thence southwards to Aquascalientes and San Luis Potosi in Mexico. It has been encountered up to elevations around 2,400 m, living in a variety of habitats, including grassland, desert shrubberies, and riparian woodland.

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘kindred’ or ‘related to’. It is not clear what it refers to – perhaps the previous species.

 

 

 

 

 

Most species have discs on their toes to help them stick to surfaces like trees, leaves, or rocks.

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek dryos (‘tree’) and phytes (‘plant’).

 

The upperside is brown or grey with darker spots, an adaptation to help it being camouflaged among the brownish or greyish rocks, where it lives. The underside is cream-coloured or orange-yellow.

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘sand-coloured’.

Some authorities call this species Hyla arenicolor.

 

 

 

 

 

It mainly lives in humid areas like swamps, sloughs and margins of lakes and ponds, found from eastern Texas eastwards to Florida, northwards along the Mississippi River to south-eastern Missouri and southern Illinois, and along the Atlantic coastal plain to Chesapeake Bay and Virginia.

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘ash-coloured’ – a strange name for this bright green animal. The simple explanation is that preserved adults of this species turn ash-grey over time, so when German classicist and naturalist Johann Gottlob Theaenus Schneider (1750-1822) named the animal Calamita cinereus in 1799, it was from a preserved specimen.

The most famous work of Schneider was Kritisches griechisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch (‘Critical Greek-German Dictionary’), published 1797-98.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek pseudes (‘false’) and akris (‘locust’), probably referring to the call of most chorus frogs, similar to that of the insect. An alternative interpretation is that it means ‘the false Acris’ (another frog genus).

 

It is widely distributed in western North America, from extreme southern Alaska and British Columbia southwards to the tip of Baja California, eastwards to western Montana and eastern Nevada, found from sea level to an elevation of about 3,300 m in the Sierra Nevada, living in various habitats, usually near water.

The specific name is a diminutive of the Latin regalis (‘royal’), thus ‘the small royal one’, probably intended to mean ‘the small splendid one’.

Some authorities divide this species into 3 separate species, P. hypochondriaca in Baja California and southern California, P. sierra in central California, and P. regilla, found from north-western California northwards. However, this split is not widely accepted, and further studies are needed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek noton (‘back’) and ophthalmos (‘eye’), referring to the eye-spots on the body of juveniles of the eastern newt (below).

 

It may reach a total length of 14 cm, and some individuals are known to live for 15 years. Adults are greenish, sometimes brownish or yellowish, whereas juveniles are bright orange, called red efts. Both adults and juveniles have spots on the body. This species produces a neurotoxin named tetrodotoxin, which makes it unpalatable to fish and crayfish.

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘greenish’, referring to the colour of most adults.