Download Reptile Classification

REPTILES CLASSIFICATION & CHARACTERISTIC
Turtles (Order Testudines)
Family Chelydridae (Snapping Turtles)
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Large head, strong hooked beak, long tail, small lower shell, uniform
color, and large size. Aquatic bottom dwelling
Species: Common Snapping Turtle
Family Kinosternidae (Mud and Musk Turtles)
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Oval shell, short tail, dull color, small lower shell, and musk gland.
Aquatic bottom dwelling
Species: Yellow Mud Turtle
Family Emydidae (Basking Turtles)
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Largest family of turtles worldwide, semi-aquatic (a few terrestrial),
large well developed lower shell
Species: Slider and Ornate Box Turtle
Family Trionychidae (Softshell Turtles)
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Flexible, leathery upper shell, reduced lower shell, slender elongate
nose, aquatic habits
Species: Smooth Softshell
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carapace
carapace bridge
plastron
twelve plates (6 pairs)
plastron hinges
keeled carapace
Lizards (Order Squamata – Suborder Lacertilia)
Family Crotophytidae (Collared and Leopard Lizards)
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Large head, able to run on hind legs, and moderate size
Species: Collared Lizard
Family Phrynosomatidae (Sand & Spiny Lizards)
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Cryptically colored/patterned, some with spiny scales, active, diurnal,
and small in size
Species: Lesser Earless Lizard, Prairie Lizard, Texas Horned Lizard
Family Scincidae (Skinks)
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Smooth, shiny scales, elongate, depressed bodies, small, flattened
heads, and small to moderate size
Species: Ground Skink, Five-Lined Skink, Great Plains Skink
Family Teiidae (Racerunners and Whiptails)
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Large head, granular dorsal scales, large ventral scales
Species: Six-Linned Racerunner
Family Lacertidae (Wall Lizards and Lacertas)
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Exotic species introduced into the Topeka area
Family Anguidae (Anguid Lizards)
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limbs reduced/absent, groove along side
Species: Western Slender Glass Lizard
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limbless (western glass lizard)
ear opening (lesser earless lizard)
scale rows at midbody
occipital spines (texas horned lizard)
granular fold of skin on neck, back scales small and granular, venter scales large and differ
abruptly from dorsal (six line racerunner)
frontal scales V-shaped, supranasals absent (ground skink)
frontal scales rectangular shaped, supranasals present (eumeces species)
oblique lateral rows of scales (great plains skink)
seven upper labial, fifth contact orbit, two large post labial present (five-lined skink)
postnasal present, dorsal/lateral scales in parallel rows that don’t rise
Snakes (Order Squamata – Suborder Serpentes)
Family Leptotyphlopidae (Slender Blind Snakes)
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14 scale rows, enlarged oval scales that are small in size, tiny eyes,
burrower, and egg layer
Family Xenodontidae (Rear-Fanged Snakes)
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Small number of dorsal scales, posterior fangs, egg layer, scales both
keeled and smooth
Species: Western Worm Snake – Carphophis, Ringneck Snake –
Diaphophis
Family Colubridae (Harmless Egg-Laying Snakes)
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Small number of dorsal scales, and egg layer
Species: Glossy Snake – Arizona, Racer – Coluber, Rat Snake –
Elaphe, Prairie Kingsnake, Milksnake, and Common Kingsnake –
Lampropeltis, Green Snake – Opheodrys, Bullsnake - Pituophis
Family Natricidae (Harmless Live-Bearing Snakes)
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Semiaquatic, secretive, food of cold blooded prey, and live bearing
Species: Northern Water Snake – Nerodia, Common Garter Snake and
Ribbon Snake – Thamnophis
Family Viperidae (Vipers and Pit-Vipers)
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Long fangs, vertical slit pupils, and live bearing
Species: Copperhead – Agkistrodon, Western Rattlesnake – Crotalus
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venter and dorsal scales
sensory pits, rattle absent, hourglass pattern (copperhead)
sensory pits, rattle present, numerous small scales on head, oval blotches, tail dark banded
(western rattlesnake)
dark, ringneck (ringneck)
all or most subcaudal scales divided, smooth scales
anal scales entire or divided
number of scale rows
keeled scales