Ecoregion

Piney Woods and Loess Hills Reptiles and Amphibians by Month

Pine forest and hardwood bottoms cover the Piney Woods. Green Anoles are the most-reported herp. Green Treefrogs call on warm nights, and Three-toed Box Turtles cross the roads. Western Ribbon Snakes are common by the water. March is the busiest month, and the Northern Cottonmouth and Eastern Copperhead both live here.

61 species3 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 Piney Woods and Loess Hills, by group and month

Group
Snakes	9	16	18	19	19	19	17	17	17	17	16	12
Lizards	5	6	8	9	9	9	9	8	7	7	6	6
Turtles	5	9	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	9	9	4
Frogs and Toads	11	15	15	14	12	12	12	12	12	12	12	10
Salamanders	5	7	7	6	3	1	1	1	2	3	4	4

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

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49 species at peak or shoulder in September

peak

AlligatorsAmerican AlligatorAlligator mississippiensis

peak

Frogs and ToadsAmerican BullfrogLithobates catesbeianus

peak

Frogs and ToadsAmerican ToadAnaxyrus americanus

peak

Frogs and ToadsBlanchard's Cricket FrogAcris blanchardi

peak

LizardsBrown AnoleAnolis sagrei

introduced

peak

LizardsCommon Five-lined SkinkPlestiodon fasciatus

peak

Frogs and ToadsCope's Gray Tree FrogDryophytes chrysoscelis

peak

SnakesDeKay's BrownsnakeStoreria dekayi

peak

SnakesEastern CopperheadAgkistrodon contortrix

venomous

peak

SnakesEastern Hognose SnakeHeterodon platirhinos

peak

TurtlesEastern Musk TurtleSternotherus odoratus

peak

TurtlesFalse Map TurtleGraptemys pseudogeographica

peak

Frogs and ToadsFowler's ToadAnaxyrus fowleri

peak

LizardsGreen AnoleAnolis carolinensis

peak

Frogs and ToadsGreen TreefrogDryophytes cinereus

peak

LizardsLittle Brown SkinkScincella lateralis

peak

LizardsMediterranean House GeckoHemidactylus turcicus

introduced

peak

SnakesNorth American RacerColuber constrictor

peak

SnakesNorthern CottonmouthAgkistrodon piscivorus

venomous

peak

Frogs and ToadsPickerel FrogLithobates palustris

peak

SnakesPrairie KingsnakeLampropeltis calligaster

peak

LizardsPrairie LizardSceloporus consobrinus

peak

TurtlesRazor-backed Musk TurtleSternotherus carinatus

peak

SnakesRed-bellied SnakeStoreria occipitomaculata

peak

Frogs and ToadsRio Grande Chirping FrogEleutherodactylus campi

peak

SnakesRough GreensnakeOpheodrys aestivus

peak

TurtlesSabine Map TurtleGraptemys sabinensis

peak

Frogs and ToadsSouthern Leopard FrogLithobates sphenocephalus

peak

TurtlesSpiny SoftshellApalone spinifera

peak

TurtlesThree-toed Box TurtleTerrapene triunguis

peak

SnakesTimber RattlesnakeCrotalus horridus

venomous

peak

SnakesWestern Ribbon SnakeThamnophis proximus

shoulder

SnakesCentral RatsnakePantherophis alleghaniensis

shoulder

TurtlesCommon Snapping TurtleChelydra serpentina

shoulder

SnakesDiamondback WatersnakeNerodia rhombifer

shoulder

TurtlesEastern Mud TurtleKinosternon subrubrum

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsEastern Narrow-mouthed ToadGastrophryne carolinensis

shoulder

SalamandersEastern NewtNotophthalmus viridescens

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsGray TreefrogDryophytes versicolor

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsGreen FrogLithobates clamitans

shoulder

SnakesPlain-bellied WatersnakeNerodia erythrogaster

shoulder

TurtlesPond SliderTrachemys scripta

shoulder

SnakesRing-necked SnakeDiadophis punctatus

shoulder

TurtlesRiver CooterPseudemys concinna

shoulder

SnakesRough EarthsnakeVirginia striatula

shoulder

LizardsSix-lined RacerunnerAspidoscelis sexlineatus

shoulder

SnakesSpeckled KingsnakeLampropeltis holbrooki

shoulder

SalamandersWestern Dwarf SalamanderEurycea paludicola

shoulder

SnakesWestern RatsnakePantherophis obsoletus

About Piney Woods and Loess Hills

When are reptiles and amphibians most active in the Piney Woods and Loess Hills?

March is the busiest month in the Piney Woods and Loess Hills, with 49 species at peak activity. At least half of the area's species are active all year.

What reptiles and amphibians live in the Piney Woods and Loess Hills?

61 species have enough iNaturalist records to show here: 19 snakes, 15 frogs and toads, 10 turtles, 9 lizards, 7 salamanders, and 1 alligator. The most-reported are the Green Anole, Pond Slider, and Green Treefrog.

Are there venomous snakes in the Piney Woods and Loess Hills?

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

Which reptiles and amphibians in the Piney Woods and Loess Hills are introduced?

The Mediterranean House Gecko and Brown Anole 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.