Ecoregion

Texas Blackland Prairies and Post Oak Savanna Reptiles and Amphibians by Month

Prairie and post oak woods surround some of the biggest cities in Texas. Green Anoles and Pond Sliders are the most-reported herps. Gulf Coast Toads call after spring storms. Western Ratsnakes are common. May is the busiest month, and the Northern Cottonmouth, Eastern Copperhead and Texas Coralsnake live here.

71 species6 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 Texas Blackland Prairies and Post Oak Savanna, by group and month

Group
Snakes	10	20	24	26	26	26	23	23	22	21	19	16
Lizards	5	8	11	11	11	11	11	12	11	11	8	6
Turtles	8	8	11	11	11	11	11	11	9	9	9	8
Frogs and Toads	9	13	15	19	17	16	14	13	14	13	9	8
Salamanders	1	2	2	1	1	1					1	1

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

Keep Herp Calendar free

Hi, I'm Nick. I built Herp Calendar on my own and I keep it free, with no ads. If it has helped you find a herp this season, a small tip goes straight into the hosting and the data work. Only if you can spare it. Either way, I'm glad you're here.

Leave a tip

57 species at peak or shoulder in September

peak

AlligatorsAmerican AlligatorAlligator mississippiensis

peak

Frogs and ToadsAmerican BullfrogLithobates catesbeianus

peak

Frogs and ToadsBlanchard's Cricket FrogAcris blanchardi

peak

LizardsBrown AnoleAnolis sagrei

introduced

peak

SnakesCheckered Garter SnakeThamnophis marcianus

peak

Frogs and ToadsCliff Chirping FrogEleutherodactylus marnockii

peak

SnakesCommon CoachwhipMasticophis flagellum

peak

LizardsCommon Five-lined SkinkPlestiodon fasciatus

peak

TurtlesCommon Snapping TurtleChelydra serpentina

peak

LizardsCommon Spotted WhiptailAspidoscelis gularis

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 ToadsGray TreefrogDryophytes versicolor

peak

SnakesGreat Plains RatsnakePantherophis emoryi

peak

LizardsGreen AnoleAnolis carolinensis

peak

Frogs and ToadsGreen TreefrogDryophytes cinereus

peak

Frogs and ToadsGulf Coast ToadIncilius nebulifer

peak

LizardsLittle Brown SkinkScincella lateralis

peak

LizardsMediterranean House GeckoHemidactylus turcicus

introduced

peak

LizardsMoorish GeckoTarentola mauritanica

introduced

peak

SnakesNorth American RacerColuber constrictor

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 GreensnakeOpheodrys aestivus

peak

LizardsSix-lined RacerunnerAspidoscelis sexlineatus

peak

Frogs and ToadsSouthern Leopard FrogLithobates sphenocephalus

peak

TurtlesSpiny SoftshellApalone spinifera

peak

Frogs and ToadsSquirrel Tree FrogDryophytes squirellus

peak

SnakesTexas CoralsnakeMicrurus tener

venomous

peak

SnakesTexas Patch-nosed SnakeSalvadora lineata

peak

LizardsTexas Spiny LizardSceloporus olivaceus

peak

SnakesTimber RattlesnakeCrotalus horridus

venomous

peak

SnakesWestern Diamond-backed RattlesnakeCrotalus atrox

venomous

peak

Frogs and ToadsWestern Narrow-mouthed ToadGastrophryne olivacea

peak

SnakesWestern Ribbon SnakeThamnophis proximus

peak

Frogs and ToadsWoodhouse's ToadAnaxyrus woodhousii

shoulder

SnakesBroad-banded CopperheadAgkistrodon laticinctus

venomous

shoulder

SnakesDiamondback WatersnakeNerodia rhombifer

shoulder

SnakesFlat-headed SnakeTantilla gracilis

shoulder

TurtlesPond SliderTrachemys scripta

shoulder

TurtlesRiver CooterPseudemys concinna

shoulder

SnakesRough EarthsnakeVirginia striatula

shoulder

SnakesSpeckled KingsnakeLampropeltis holbrooki

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsSpotted Chorus FrogPseudacris clarkii

shoulder

SnakesTexas Blind SnakeRena dulcis

shoulder

TurtlesTexas CooterPseudemys texana

shoulder

TurtlesTexas Map TurtleGraptemys versa

shoulder

TurtlesThree-toed Box TurtleTerrapene triunguis

shoulder

SnakesWestern RatsnakePantherophis obsoletus

About Texas Blackland Prairies and Post Oak Savanna

When are reptiles and amphibians most active in the Texas Blackland Prairies and Post Oak Savanna?

May is the busiest month in the Texas Blackland Prairies and Post Oak Savanna, with 61 species at peak activity. At least half of the area's species are active from February through December.

What reptiles and amphibians live in the Texas Blackland Prairies and Post Oak Savanna?

71 species have enough iNaturalist records to show here: 26 snakes, 19 frogs and toads, 12 lizards, 11 turtles, 2 salamanders, and 1 alligator. The most-reported are the Green Anole, Pond Slider, and Gulf Coast Toad.

Are there venomous snakes in the Texas Blackland Prairies and Post Oak Savanna?

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

Which reptiles and amphibians in the Texas Blackland Prairies and Post Oak Savanna are introduced?

The Mediterranean House Gecko, Moorish 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.