Month by month

What Reptiles and Amphibians Are Out in California in March

98 reptiles and amphibians are active in California in March, and 63 are at peak. Peak species include the Western Fence Lizard, Common Side-blotched Lizard, Pacific Chorus Frog, and Southern Alligator Lizard.

Counted from iNaturalist research-grade observations recorded inside California. Seasons shift across the state, so for a closer match, pick your ecoregion.

Full 12-month California calendar Pick your ecoregion

Species out across California, by group and month

Group
Snakes	9	27	33	37	38	38	37	38	36	32	23	8
Lizards	17	27	33	37	38	38	36	36	35	32	22	13
Turtles	2	2	4	4	4	3	3	3	3	2	2	2
Frogs and Toads	7	9	9	9	11	11	11	11	10	9	7	7
Salamanders	20	20	19	18	13	10	7	7	10	18	20	20

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

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At peak in March 63

Snakes

peak

SnakesAquatic Garter SnakeThamnophis atratus

peak

SnakesBrahminy BlindsnakeIndotyphlops braminus

introduced

peak

SnakesCoast Night SnakeHypsiglena ochrorhynchus

peak

SnakesCoastal Rosy BoaLichanura orcutti

peak

SnakesCommon Garter SnakeThamnophis sirtalis

peak

SnakesCommon Sharp-tailed SnakeContia tenuis

peak

SnakesForest Sharp-tailed SnakeContia longicauda

peak

SnakesPanamint RattlesnakeCrotalus stephensi

venomous

peak

SnakesRed Diamond RattlesnakeCrotalus ruber

venomous

peak

SnakesRing-necked SnakeDiadophis punctatus

peak

SnakesSidewinderCrotalus cerastes

venomous

peak

SnakesStriped RacerMasticophis lateralis

peak

SnakesTwo-striped Garter SnakeThamnophis hammondii

peak

SnakesWestern Black-headed SnakeTantilla planiceps

peak

SnakesWestern Diamond-backed RattlesnakeCrotalus atrox

venomous

peak

SnakesWestern Patch-nosed SnakeSalvadora hexalepis

peak

SnakesWestern RattlesnakeCrotalus oreganus

venomous

peak

SnakesWestern Terrestrial Garter SnakeThamnophis elegans

Lizards

peak

LizardsBaja California Collared LizardCrotaphytus vestigium

peak

LizardsBanded Rock LizardPetrosaurus mearnsi

peak

LizardsCommon ChuckwallaSauromalus ater

peak

LizardsCommon Side-blotched LizardUta stansburiana

peak

LizardsDesert Horned LizardPhrynosoma platyrhinos

peak

LizardsDesert IguanaDipsosaurus dorsalis

peak

LizardsDesert Night LizardXantusia vigilis

peak

LizardsGilbert's SkinkPlestiodon gilberti

peak

LizardsGranite Spiny LizardSceloporus orcutti

peak

LizardsGreen AnoleAnolis carolinensis

introduced

peak

LizardsIsland Fence LizardSceloporus becki

peak

LizardsIsland Night LizardXantusia riversiana

peak

LizardsMojave Fringe-toed LizardUma scoparia

peak

LizardsNorthern Alligator LizardElgaria coerulea

peak

LizardsNorthern Legless LizardAnniella pulchra

peak

LizardsSan Diegan Legless LizardAnniella stebbinsi

peak

LizardsSouthern Alligator LizardElgaria multicarinata

peak

LizardsWestern Banded GeckoColeonyx variegatus

peak

LizardsWestern Fence LizardSceloporus occidentalis

peak

LizardsWestern SkinkPlestiodon skiltonianus

peak

LizardsZebra-tailed LizardCallisaurus draconoides

Turtles

peak

TurtlesCommon Snapping TurtleChelydra serpentina

introduced

peak

TurtlesPond SliderTrachemys scripta

introduced

peak

TurtlesSpiny SoftshellApalone spinifera

introduced

Frogs and Toads

peak

Frogs and ToadsCalifornia Tree FrogPseudacris cadaverina

peak

Frogs and ToadsPacific Chorus FrogPseudacris regilla

peak

Frogs and ToadsRed-spotted ToadAnaxyrus punctatus

peak

Frogs and ToadsWestern ToadAnaxyrus boreas

peak

Frogs and ToadsWoodhouse's ToadAnaxyrus woodhousii

Salamanders

peak

SalamandersArboreal SalamanderAneides lugubris

peak

SalamandersBlack-bellied Slender SalamanderBatrachoseps nigriventris

peak

SalamandersCalifornia Giant SalamanderDicamptodon ensatus

peak

SalamandersCalifornia Slender SalamanderBatrachoseps attenuatus

peak

SalamandersDel Norte SalamanderPlethodon elongatus

peak

SalamandersEnsatinaEnsatina eschscholtzii

peak

SalamandersGabilan Mountains Slender SalamanderBatrachoseps gavilanensis

peak

SalamandersGregarious Slender SalamanderBatrachoseps gregarius

peak

SalamandersKlamath Black SalamanderAneides klamathensis

peak

SalamandersNorthwestern SalamanderAmbystoma gracile

peak

SalamandersSanta Lucia Mountains Slender SalamanderBatrachoseps luciae

peak

SalamandersSierra NewtTaricha sierrae

peak

SalamandersSouthern California Slender SalamanderBatrachoseps major

peak

SalamandersSouthern Torrent SalamanderRhyacotriton variegatus

peak

SalamandersSpeckled Black SalamanderAneides flavipunctatus

peak

SalamandersWandering SalamanderAneides vagrans

Shoulder season in March 35

Snakes

shoulder

SnakesCalifornia King SnakeLampropeltis californiae

shoulder

SnakesCalifornia LyresnakeTrimorphodon lyrophanes

shoulder

SnakesCoast Mountain KingsnakeLampropeltis multifasciata

shoulder

SnakesColorado Desert Shovelnose SnakeSonora annulata

shoulder

SnakesCommon CoachwhipMasticophis flagellum

shoulder

SnakesDesert NightsnakeHypsiglena chlorophaea

shoulder

SnakesGopher SnakePituophis catenifer

shoulder

SnakesLong-nosed SnakeRhinocheilus lecontei

shoulder

SnakesMojave RattlesnakeCrotalus scutulatus

venomous

shoulder

SnakesMojave Shovelnose SnakeSonora occipitalis

shoulder

SnakesNorth American RacerColuber constrictor

shoulder

SnakesNorthern Rubber BoaCharina bottae

shoulder

SnakesSouthwestern Speckled RattlesnakeCrotalus pyrrhus

venomous

shoulder

SnakesWestern Glossy SnakeArizona occidentalis

shoulder

SnakesWestern Leaf-nosed SnakePhyllorhynchus decurtatus

Lizards

shoulder

LizardsBlainville's Horned LizardPhrynosoma blainvillii

shoulder

LizardsDesert Collared LizardCrotaphytus bicinctores

shoulder

LizardsDesert Spiny LizardSceloporus magister

shoulder

LizardsGranite Night LizardXantusia henshawi

shoulder

LizardsItalian Wall LizardPodarcis siculus

introduced

shoulder

LizardsLong-nosed Leopard LizardGambelia wislizenii

shoulder

LizardsLong-tailed Brush LizardUrosaurus graciosus

shoulder

LizardsMediterranean House GeckoHemidactylus turcicus

introduced

shoulder

LizardsMoorish GeckoTarentola mauritanica

introduced

shoulder

LizardsOrange-throated WhiptailAspidoscelis hyperythrus

shoulder

LizardsPeninsular Leaf-toed GeckoPhyllodactylus nocticolus

shoulder

LizardsWestern WhiptailAspidoscelis tigris

Turtles

shoulder

TurtlesFlorida Softshell TurtleApalone ferox

introduced

Frogs and Toads

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsAfrican Clawed FrogXenopus laevis

introduced

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsAmerican BullfrogLithobates catesbeianus

introduced

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsCoastal Tailed FrogAscaphus truei

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsNorthern Red-legged FrogRana aurora

Salamanders

shoulder

SalamandersCalifornia NewtTaricha torosa

shoulder

SalamandersPacific Giant SalamanderDicamptodon tenebrosus

shoulder

SalamandersRough-skinned NewtTaricha granulosa

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.

California in March

What reptiles and amphibians are out in California in March?

Are venomous snakes active in California in March?

Yes. The Western Rattlesnake, Red Diamond Rattlesnake, Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake, Sidewinder, Mojave Rattlesnake, Panamint Rattlesnake, and Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake can be active in March. Watch where you step and don't handle them.