Ecoregion

Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes Reptiles and Amphibians by Month

Coastal marsh and prairie run along the Gulf here, and the season barely stops. American Alligators are the most-reported herp. Green Anoles and Gulf Coast Toads are common in towns. The snake list is long, and it includes the Northern Cottonmouth, Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake and Texas Coralsnake. May is the busiest month.

83 species5 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 Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes, by group and month

Group
Snakes	19	27	34	34	34	32	29	28	27	26	25	22
Lizards	10	14	15	15	15	15	15	15	15	15	14	12
Turtles	6	8	10	10	10	9	7	7	7	6	5	5
Frogs and Toads	11	16	18	19	21	20	20	20	18	18	12	11
Salamanders		1	1	1	1

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

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68 species at peak or shoulder in September

peak

Frogs and ToadsAmerican BullfrogLithobates catesbeianus

peak

SnakesBanded WatersnakeNerodia fasciata

peak

SnakesBlack-striped SnakeConiophanes imperialis

peak

Frogs and ToadsBlanchard's Cricket FrogAcris blanchardi

peak

LizardsBlue Spiny LizardSceloporus cyanogenys

peak

SnakesBrahminy BlindsnakeIndotyphlops braminus

introduced

peak

LizardsBrown AnoleAnolis sagrei

introduced

peak

SnakesCentral American Indigo SnakeDrymarchon melanurus

peak

SnakesCheckered Garter SnakeThamnophis marcianus

peak

SnakesCommon CoachwhipMasticophis flagellum

peak

LizardsCommon Five-lined SkinkPlestiodon fasciatus

peak

TurtlesCommon Snapping TurtleChelydra serpentina

peak

LizardsCommon Spotted WhiptailAspidoscelis gularis

peak

Frogs and ToadsCouch's SpadefootScaphiopus couchii

peak

SnakesDeKay's BrownsnakeStoreria dekayi

peak

SnakesEastern CopperheadAgkistrodon contortrix

venomous

peak

SnakesEastern Hognose SnakeHeterodon platirhinos

peak

Frogs and ToadsEastern Narrow-mouthed ToadGastrophryne carolinensis

peak

TurtlesFalse Map TurtleGraptemys pseudogeographica

peak

LizardsFour-lined SkinkPlestiodon tetragrammus

peak

Frogs and ToadsGiant ToadRhinella horribilis

peak

SnakesGopher SnakePituophis catenifer

peak

SnakesGraham's Crawfish SnakeRegina grahamii

peak

LizardsGraphic Spiny LizardSceloporus grammicus

peak

Frogs and ToadsGray TreefrogDryophytes versicolor

peak

SnakesGreat Plains RatsnakePantherophis emoryi

peak

LizardsGreen AnoleAnolis carolinensis

peak

Frogs and ToadsGreen TreefrogDryophytes cinereus

peak

Frogs and ToadsGreenhouse FrogEleutherodactylus planirostris

introduced

peak

Frogs and ToadsGulf Coast ToadIncilius nebulifer

peak

Frogs and ToadsHurter's SpadefootScaphiopus hurterii

peak

LizardsKeeled Earless LizardHolbrookia propinqua

peak

LizardsLittle Brown SkinkScincella lateralis

peak

LizardsMediterranean House GeckoHemidactylus turcicus

introduced

peak

Frogs and ToadsMexican TreefrogSmilisca baudinii

peak

SnakesNorthern CottonmouthAgkistrodon piscivorus

venomous

peak

SnakesPlain-bellied WatersnakeNerodia erythrogaster

peak

LizardsPrairie LizardSceloporus consobrinus

peak

Frogs and ToadsRio Grande Chirping FrogEleutherodactylus campi

peak

Frogs and ToadsRio Grande Leopard FrogLithobates berlandieri

peak

LizardsRose-bellied LizardSceloporus variabilis

peak

SnakesRough EarthsnakeVirginia striatula

peak

SnakesRough GreensnakeOpheodrys aestivus

peak

SnakesSaltmarsh SnakeNerodia clarkii

peak

SnakesSchott's WhipsnakeMasticophis schotti

peak

Frogs and ToadsSouthern Leopard FrogLithobates sphenocephalus

peak

TurtlesSpiny SoftshellApalone spinifera

peak

Frogs and ToadsSpotted Chorus FrogPseudacris clarkii

peak

LizardsSpotted House GeckoHemidactylus parvimaculatus

introduced

peak

Frogs and ToadsSquirrel Tree FrogDryophytes squirellus

peak

SnakesTexas CoralsnakeMicrurus tener

venomous

peak

SnakesTexas Patch-nosed SnakeSalvadora lineata

peak

LizardsTexas Spiny LizardSceloporus olivaceus

peak

Frogs and ToadsTexas ToadAnaxyrus speciosus

peak

TurtlesThree-toed Box TurtleTerrapene triunguis

peak

SnakesWestern Diamond-backed RattlesnakeCrotalus atrox

venomous

peak

Frogs and ToadsWestern Narrow-mouthed ToadGastrophryne olivacea

peak

SnakesWestern Ribbon SnakeThamnophis proximus

shoulder

AlligatorsAmerican AlligatorAlligator mississippiensis

shoulder

SnakesDiamondback WatersnakeNerodia rhombifer

shoulder

TurtlesEastern Mud TurtleKinosternon subrubrum

shoulder

SnakesMississippi Green WatersnakeNerodia cyclopion

shoulder

SnakesNorth American RacerColuber constrictor

shoulder

TurtlesPond SliderTrachemys scripta

shoulder

TurtlesRiver CooterPseudemys concinna

shoulder

LizardsSix-lined RacerunnerAspidoscelis sexlineatus

shoulder

SnakesSpeckled KingsnakeLampropeltis holbrooki

shoulder

SnakesWestern RatsnakePantherophis obsoletus

About Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes

When are reptiles and amphibians most active in the Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes?

May is the busiest month in the Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes, with 71 species at peak activity. At least half of the area's species are active all year.

What reptiles and amphibians live in the Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes?

83 species have enough iNaturalist records to show here: 34 snakes, 21 frogs and toads, 16 lizards, 10 turtles, 1 alligator, and 1 salamander. The most-reported are the American Alligator, Pond Slider, and Brown Anole.

Are there venomous snakes in the Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes?

Yes. The Northern Cottonmouth, Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake, Eastern Copperhead, Texas Coralsnake, and Broad-banded Copperhead live here. Don't handle them.

Which reptiles and amphibians in the Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes are introduced?

The Brown Anole, Mediterranean House Gecko, Spotted House Gecko, and Greenhouse Frog are not native here.

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.