Month by month

What Reptiles and Amphibians Are Out in Florida in December

92 reptiles and amphibians are active in Florida in December, and 58 are at peak. Peak species include the Brown Anole, American Alligator, Green Iguana, and North American Racer.

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

Full 12-month Florida calendar Pick your ecoregion

Species out across Florida, by group and month

Group
Snakes	26	29	31	33	33	31	30	30	31	30	29	27
Lizards	27	29	33	31	33	33	33	31	30	29	28	25
Turtles	11	13	14	15	13	13	13	13	13	11	11	11
Frogs and Toads	19	20	22	21	20	20	20	19	19	20	19	19
Salamanders	9	9	9	10	7	4	3	5	9	7	7	9

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

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At peak in December 58

Snakes

peak

SnakesBanded WatersnakeNerodia fasciata

peak

SnakesBrown WatersnakeNerodia taxispilota

peak

SnakesBurmese PythonPython bivittatus

introduced

peak

SnakesCommon Garter SnakeThamnophis sirtalis

peak

SnakesCommon Ribbon SnakeThamnophis saurita

peak

SnakesEastern CoralsnakeMicrurus fulvius

venomous

peak

SnakesEastern Diamondback RattlesnakeCrotalus adamanteus

venomous

peak

SnakesFlorida BrownsnakeStoreria victa

peak

SnakesFlorida CottonmouthAgkistrodon conanti

venomous

peak

SnakesFlorida Crowned SnakeTantilla relicta

peak

SnakesFlorida Green WatersnakeNerodia floridana

peak

SnakesNorth American RacerColuber constrictor

peak

SnakesPine Woods LittersnakeRhadinaea flavilata

peak

SnakesRed CornsnakePantherophis guttatus

peak

SnakesRing-necked SnakeDiadophis punctatus

peak

SnakesRough GreensnakeOpheodrys aestivus

peak

SnakesSaltmarsh SnakeNerodia clarkii

peak

SnakesScarlet KingsnakeLampropeltis elapsoides

Lizards

peak

LizardsAsian House GeckoHemidactylus frenatus

introduced

peak

LizardsBark AnoleAnolis distichus

introduced

peak

LizardsBlack Spiny-tailed IguanaCtenosaura similis

introduced

peak

LizardsBrown AnoleAnolis sagrei

introduced

peak

LizardsCrested AnoleAnolis cristatellus

introduced

peak

LizardsEastern Fence LizardSceloporus undulatus

peak

LizardsFlat-tailed House GeckoHemidactylus platyurus

introduced

peak

LizardsFlorida Scrub LizardSceloporus woodi

peak

LizardsGiant AmeivaAmeiva ameiva

introduced

peak

LizardsGreen IguanaIguana iguana

introduced

peak

LizardsMadagascar Giant Day GeckoPhelsuma grandis

introduced

peak

LizardsMole SkinkPlestiodon egregius

peak

LizardsPeters's Rock AgamaAgama picticauda

introduced

peak

LizardsReef GeckoSphaerodactylus notatus

peak

LizardsTokay GeckoGekko gecko

introduced

peak

LizardsTropical House GeckoHemidactylus mabouia

introduced

peak

LizardsVeiled ChameleonChamaeleo calyptratus

introduced

Turtles

peak

TurtlesChicken TurtleDeirochelys reticularia

peak

TurtlesCommon Snapping TurtleChelydra serpentina

peak

TurtlesFlorida Red-bellied CooterPseudemys nelsoni

peak

TurtlesFlorida Softshell TurtleApalone ferox

peak

TurtlesLoggerhead Musk TurtleSternotherus minor

peak

TurtlesPeninsular CooterPseudemys peninsularis

peak

TurtlesPond SliderTrachemys scripta

peak

TurtlesRiver CooterPseudemys concinna

peak

TurtlesStriped Mud TurtleKinosternon baurii

Alligators

peak

AlligatorsAmerican AlligatorAlligator mississippiensis

Frogs and Toads

peak

Frogs and ToadsEastern SpadefootScaphiopus holbrookii

peak

Frogs and ToadsOrnate Chorus FrogPseudacris ornata

peak

Frogs and ToadsPig FrogLithobates grylio

peak

Frogs and ToadsSouthern Chorus FrogPseudacris nigrita

peak

Frogs and ToadsSouthern Cricket FrogAcris gryllus

peak

Frogs and ToadsSpring PeeperPseudacris crucifer

Salamanders

peak

SalamandersApalachicola Dusky SalamanderDesmognathus apalachicolae

peak

SalamandersCoastal Plain Dwarf SalamanderEurycea quadridigitata

peak

SalamandersEastern NewtNotophthalmus viridescens

peak

SalamandersMole SalamanderAmbystoma talpoideum

peak

SalamandersSoutheastern Slimy SalamanderPlethodon grobmani

peak

SalamandersSouthern Two-lined SalamanderEurycea cirrigera

peak

SalamandersThree-lined SalamanderEurycea guttolineata

Shoulder season in December 34

Snakes

shoulder

SnakesBlack SwampsnakeSeminatrix pygaea

shoulder

SnakesBrahminy BlindsnakeIndotyphlops braminus

introduced

shoulder

SnakesCommon CoachwhipMasticophis flagellum

shoulder

SnakesEastern RatsnakePantherophis quadrivittatus

shoulder

SnakesMudsnakeFarancia abacura

shoulder

SnakesPygmy RattlesnakeSistrurus miliarius

venomous

shoulder

SnakesRed-bellied SnakeStoreria occipitomaculata

shoulder

SnakesScarletsnakeCemophora coccinea

shoulder

SnakesStriped SwampsnakeLiodytes alleni

Lizards

shoulder

LizardsBrown BasiliskBasiliscus vittatus

introduced

shoulder

LizardsEastern Glass LizardOphisaurus ventralis

shoulder

LizardsGreen AnoleAnolis carolinensis

shoulder

LizardsIndo-Pacific House GeckoHemidactylus garnotii

introduced

shoulder

LizardsKnight AnoleAnolis equestris

introduced

shoulder

LizardsLittle Brown SkinkScincella lateralis

shoulder

LizardsMediterranean House GeckoHemidactylus turcicus

introduced

shoulder

LizardsNorthern Curly-tailed LizardLeiocephalus carinatus

introduced

Turtles

shoulder

TurtlesCoastal Plain CooterPseudemys floridana

shoulder

TurtlesEastern Musk TurtleSternotherus odoratus

Frogs and Toads

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsAmerican BullfrogLithobates catesbeianus

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsCane ToadRhinella marina

introduced

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsCuban Tree FrogOsteopilus septentrionalis

introduced

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsEastern Narrow-mouthed ToadGastrophryne carolinensis

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsGreen FrogLithobates clamitans

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsGreen TreefrogDryophytes cinereus

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsGreenhouse FrogEleutherodactylus planirostris

introduced

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsLittle Grass FrogPseudacris ocularis

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsOak ToadAnaxyrus quercicus

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsPine Woods Tree FrogDryophytes femoralis

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsSouthern Leopard FrogLithobates sphenocephalus

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsSouthern ToadAnaxyrus terrestris

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsSquirrel Tree FrogDryophytes squirellus

Salamanders

shoulder

SalamandersGreater SirenSiren lacertina

shoulder

SalamandersTwo-toed AmphiumaAmphiuma means

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.

Florida in December

What reptiles and amphibians are out in Florida in December?

92 reptiles and amphibians are active in Florida in December, and 58 are at peak. Peak species include the Brown Anole, American Alligator, Green Iguana, and North American Racer.

Are venomous snakes active in Florida in December?

Yes. The Florida Cottonmouth, Pygmy Rattlesnake, Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake, and Eastern Coralsnake can be active in December. Watch where you step and don't handle them.