Ecoregion

Blue Ridge Mountains Reptiles and Amphibians by Month

The Blue Ridge is salamander country. Flip a streamside rock and you might find a Seal Salamander or a Blue Ridge Dusky Salamander, and Eastern Newts crowd the ponds. Things wake up early here and April is the peak. Central Ratsnakes and Common Garter Snakes are the snakes you'll see most. Eastern Copperheads and Timber Rattlesnakes live here too.

61 species2 venomous

Peak and shoulder ratings are rough guidance, not a schedule. Weather, elevation and the year can shift any species by weeks.

Rare and protected species are left off on purpose. Look, don't take, and never handle a venomous snake.

Species out in Blue Ridge Mountains, by group and month

Group
Snakes	1	2	8	11	12	12	10	10	11	10	8	3
Lizards	1	3	3	4	4	4	3	3	3	3	2	1
Turtles		3	3	6	6	6	6	4	3	3	2
Frogs and Toads	3	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	5	5	2
Salamanders	9	19	27	31	29	28	26	26	28	28	22	10

Numbers = species active that month (at peak or just starting / winding down).

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51 species at peak or shoulder in September

peak

Frogs and ToadsAmerican BullfrogLithobates catesbeianus

peak

Frogs and ToadsAmerican ToadAnaxyrus americanus

peak

SalamandersBlue Ridge Blackbelly SalamanderDesmognathus mavrokoilius

peak

SalamandersBlue Ridge Dusky SalamanderDesmognathus orestes

peak

SalamandersCarolina Mountain Dusky SalamanderDesmognathus carolinensis

peak

SnakesCentral RatsnakePantherophis alleghaniensis

peak

SalamandersCherokee Blackbelly SalamanderDesmognathus gvnigeusgwotli

peak

SnakesCommon Garter SnakeThamnophis sirtalis

peak

SnakesCommon WatersnakeNerodia sipedon

peak

SnakesDeKay's BrownsnakeStoreria dekayi

peak

SnakesEastern CopperheadAgkistrodon contortrix

venomous

peak

LizardsEastern Fence LizardSceloporus undulatus

peak

SnakesEastern Hognose SnakeHeterodon platirhinos

peak

SalamandersEastern NewtNotophthalmus viridescens

peak

SalamandersEastern Red-backed SalamanderPlethodon cinereus

peak

Frogs and ToadsFowler's ToadAnaxyrus fowleri

peak

SalamandersGreat Balsams Mountain Dusky SalamanderDesmognathus balsameus

peak

Frogs and ToadsGreen FrogLithobates clamitans

peak

SalamandersImitator SalamanderDesmognathus imitator

peak

SalamandersKanawha Blackbelly SalamanderDesmognathus kanawha

peak

SalamandersMarbled SalamanderAmbystoma opacum

peak

SnakesNorth American RacerColuber constrictor

peak

SalamandersNorthern Dusky SalamanderDesmognathus fuscus

peak

SalamandersNorthern Gray-cheeked SalamanderPlethodon montanus

peak

SalamandersNorthern Two-lined SalamanderEurycea bislineata

peak

Frogs and ToadsPickerel FrogLithobates palustris

peak

SnakesQueensnakeRegina septemvittata

peak

SalamandersRavine SalamanderPlethodon richmondi

peak

SnakesRed-bellied SnakeStoreria occipitomaculata

peak

SalamandersRed-cheeked SalamanderPlethodon jordani

peak

SnakesRing-necked SnakeDiadophis punctatus

peak

SalamandersSeal SalamanderDesmognathus monticola

peak

SalamandersSouthern Blackbelly SalamanderDesmognathus amphileucus

peak

SalamandersThree-lined SalamanderEurycea guttolineata

peak

SnakesTimber RattlesnakeCrotalus horridus

venomous

peak

SalamandersWhite-spotted Slimy SalamanderPlethodon cylindraceus

shoulder

SalamandersChattooga Dusky SalamanderDesmognathus perlapsus

shoulder

SalamandersCherokee Mountain Dusky SalamanderDesmognathus adatsihi

shoulder

LizardsCommon Five-lined SkinkPlestiodon fasciatus

shoulder

TurtlesCommon Snapping TurtleChelydra serpentina

shoulder

LizardsGreen AnoleAnolis carolinensis

shoulder

SalamandersNorthern Slimy SalamanderPlethodon glutinosus

shoulder

SalamandersOcoee SalamanderDesmognathus ocoee

shoulder

TurtlesPainted TurtleChrysemys picta

shoulder

TurtlesPond SliderTrachemys scripta

shoulder

SalamandersPygmy SalamanderDesmognathus wrighti

shoulder

SalamandersRed SalamanderPseudotriton ruber

shoulder

SalamandersSanteetlah Dusky SalamanderDesmognathus santeetlah

shoulder

SalamandersSouthern Two-lined SalamanderEurycea cirrigera

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsSpring PeeperPseudacris crucifer

shoulder

SalamandersSpring SalamanderGyrinophilus porphyriticus

About Blue Ridge Mountains

When are reptiles and amphibians most active in the Blue Ridge Mountains?

April is the busiest month in the Blue Ridge Mountains, with 46 species at peak activity. At least half of the area's species are active from February through November.

What reptiles and amphibians live in the Blue Ridge Mountains?

61 species have enough iNaturalist records to show here: 32 salamanders, 12 snakes, 7 frogs and toads, 6 turtles, and 4 lizards. The most-reported are the Eastern Newt, Central Ratsnake, and American Toad.

Are there venomous snakes in the Blue Ridge Mountains?

Yes. The Eastern Copperhead and Timber Rattlesnake live here. Don't handle them.

Where does this data come from?

Activity calendars are built from iNaturalist research-grade observations (downloaded through GBIF, September 2026), corrected for how many people are out observing each month. Rare and protected species are left off on purpose.