State herp calendar
Reptiles and Amphibians of North Carolina
North Carolina has mountains, Piedmont hills and a big coastal plain. Salamanders are the biggest group, mostly thanks to the mountains. Green Anoles and Green Treefrogs are the most-reported herps. May is the busiest month. The Eastern Copperhead, Timber Rattlesnake, Northern Cottonmouth and Pygmy Rattlesnake live here.
107 species4 ecoregions4 venomous
Search entire stateSpecies out across North Carolina, by group and month
| Group | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snakes | 7 | 15 | 24 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 22 | 11 |
| Lizards | 3 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 3 |
| Turtles | 3 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 4 |
| Frogs and Toads | 11 | 14 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 14 | 15 |
| Salamanders | 14 | 23 | 29 | 37 | 34 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 31 | 29 | 25 | 16 |
Numbers = species active that month (at peak or just starting / winding down).
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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.
Pick your ecoregion
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Tap a region to see what's out
Ecoregions of North Carolina
Seasons shift a lot between North Carolina's ecoregions. Pick the one nearest you for a 12-month calendar of what's out.
Blue Ridge Mountains
61 speciesSalamander country: wet coves, cold streams, and more salamanders than anything else.
View calendar →Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain
55 speciesLow pine woods, swamps and bays with treefrogs, toads and turtles.
View calendar →Piedmont
68 speciesRolling hills and suburbs where toads, anoles and ratsnakes are part of daily life.
View calendar →Southeastern Plains
86 speciesLongleaf pine, swamps and farmland with the biggest species list on the site.
View calendar →Venomous here: Eastern Copperhead, Northern Cottonmouth, Pygmy Rattlesnake, Timber Rattlesnake. Don't handle any snake you can't identify.
About North Carolina
When are reptiles and amphibians most active in North Carolina?
May is the busiest month in North Carolina, with 85 species at peak activity. At least half of the area's species are active from February through November.
What reptiles and amphibians live in North Carolina?
107 species have enough iNaturalist records to show here: 38 salamanders, 28 snakes, 20 frogs and toads, 10 lizards, 10 turtles, and 1 alligator. The most-reported are the Green Anole, Pond Slider, and Green Treefrog.
Are there venomous snakes in North Carolina?
Yes. The Eastern Copperhead, Timber Rattlesnake, Northern Cottonmouth, and Pygmy Rattlesnake live here. Don't handle them.
Which reptiles and amphibians in North Carolina 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.