Month by month

What Reptiles and Amphibians Are Out in Texas in May

152 reptiles and amphibians are active in Texas in May, and 130 are at peak. Peak species include the Pond Slider, Green Anole, Gulf Coast Toad, and Texas Spiny Lizard.

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

Full 12-month Texas calendar Pick your ecoregion

Species out across Texas, by group and month

Group
Snakes	17	36	44	56	60	60	58	56	54	50	34	25
Lizards	13	21	30	36	35	35	35	36	35	30	24	17
Turtles	8	11	16	17	16	16	16	16	16	15	12	9
Frogs and Toads	19	21	29	33	35	34	34	33	31	28	23	17
Salamanders	6	6	6	7	5	4	2	2	2	5	7	6

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

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At peak in May 130

Snakes

peak

SnakesBaird's RatsnakePantherophis bairdi

peak

SnakesBanded WatersnakeNerodia fasciata

peak

SnakesBig Bend Patch-nosed SnakeSalvadora deserticola

peak

SnakesBlack-necked Garter SnakeThamnophis cyrtopsis

peak

SnakesBlack-striped SnakeConiophanes imperialis

peak

SnakesBrahminy BlindsnakeIndotyphlops braminus

introduced

peak

SnakesBroad-banded CopperheadAgkistrodon laticinctus

venomous

peak

SnakesCheckered Garter SnakeThamnophis marcianus

peak

SnakesChihuahuan Hook-nosed SnakeGyalopion canum

peak

SnakesChihuahuan NightsnakeHypsiglena jani

peak

SnakesCommon CoachwhipMasticophis flagellum

peak

SnakesDeKay's BrownsnakeStoreria dekayi

peak

SnakesDesert KingsnakeLampropeltis splendida

peak

SnakesDiamondback WatersnakeNerodia rhombifer

peak

SnakesEastern CopperheadAgkistrodon contortrix

venomous

peak

SnakesEastern Hognose SnakeHeterodon platirhinos

peak

SnakesGlossy SnakeArizona elegans

peak

SnakesGlossy SwampsnakeLiodytes rigida

peak

SnakesGopher SnakePituophis catenifer

peak

SnakesGraham's Crawfish SnakeRegina grahamii

peak

SnakesGray-banded KingsnakeLampropeltis alterna

peak

SnakesGreat Plains Ground SnakeSonora episcopa

peak

SnakesGreat Plains RatsnakePantherophis emoryi

peak

SnakesLong-nosed SnakeRhinocheilus lecontei

peak

SnakesMexican Hognose SnakeHeterodon kennerlyi

peak

SnakesMountain Patch-nosed SnakeSalvadora grahamiae

peak

SnakesMudsnakeFarancia abacura

peak

SnakesNorth American RacerColuber constrictor

peak

SnakesNorthern CottonmouthAgkistrodon piscivorus

venomous

peak

SnakesPlain-bellied WatersnakeNerodia erythrogaster

peak

SnakesPlains Black-headed SnakeTantilla nigriceps

peak

SnakesPlains Hognose SnakeHeterodon nasicus

peak

SnakesPrairie KingsnakeLampropeltis calligaster

peak

SnakesPrairie RattlesnakeCrotalus viridis

venomous

peak

SnakesRing-necked SnakeDiadophis punctatus

peak

SnakesRough EarthsnakeVirginia striatula

peak

SnakesRough GreensnakeOpheodrys aestivus

peak

SnakesSchott's WhipsnakeMasticophis schotti

peak

SnakesSlowinski's CornsnakePantherophis slowinskii

peak

SnakesSouthwestern Blackhead SnakeTantilla hobartsmithi

peak

SnakesSpeckled KingsnakeLampropeltis holbrooki

peak

SnakesStriped WhipsnakeMasticophis taeniatus

peak

SnakesTamaulipan MilksnakeLampropeltis annulata

peak

SnakesTexas Blind SnakeRena dulcis

peak

SnakesTexas CoralsnakeMicrurus tener

venomous

peak

SnakesTexas Patch-nosed SnakeSalvadora lineata

peak

SnakesTimber RattlesnakeCrotalus horridus

venomous

peak

SnakesTrans-pecos RatsnakeBogertophis subocularis

peak

SnakesWestern Diamond-backed RattlesnakeCrotalus atrox

venomous

peak

SnakesWestern MassasaugaSistrurus tergeminus

venomous

peak

SnakesWestern MilksnakeLampropeltis gentilis

peak

SnakesWestern RatsnakePantherophis obsoletus

peak

SnakesWestern Ribbon SnakeThamnophis proximus

Lizards

peak

LizardsArizona Striped WhiptailAspidoscelis arizonae

peak

LizardsBroad-headed SkinkPlestiodon laticeps

peak

LizardsBrown AnoleAnolis sagrei

introduced

peak

LizardsCanyon LizardSceloporus merriami

peak

LizardsChihuahuan Spotted WhiptailAspidoscelis exsanguis

peak

LizardsCommon Checkered WhiptailAspidoscelis tesselatus

peak

LizardsCommon Five-lined SkinkPlestiodon fasciatus

peak

LizardsCommon Side-blotched LizardUta stansburiana

peak

LizardsCommon Spotted WhiptailAspidoscelis gularis

peak

LizardsCrevice Spiny LizardSceloporus poinsettii

peak

LizardsEastern Collared LizardCrotaphytus collaris

peak

LizardsFour-lined SkinkPlestiodon tetragrammus

peak

LizardsGreat Plains SkinkPlestiodon obsoletus

peak

LizardsGreater Earless LizardCophosaurus texanus

peak

LizardsGreen AnoleAnolis carolinensis

peak

LizardsKeeled Earless LizardHolbrookia propinqua

peak

LizardsLaredo Striped WhiptailAspidoscelis laredoensis

peak

LizardsLittle Brown SkinkScincella lateralis

peak

LizardsMarbled WhiptailAspidoscelis marmoratus

peak

LizardsOrnate Tree LizardUrosaurus ornatus

peak

LizardsPrairie LizardSceloporus consobrinus

peak

LizardsRose-bellied LizardSceloporus variabilis

peak

LizardsRoundtail Horned LizardPhrynosoma modestum

peak

LizardsRusty-rumped WhiptailAspidoscelis scalaris

peak

LizardsSix-lined RacerunnerAspidoscelis sexlineatus

peak

LizardsSouthwestern Fence LizardSceloporus cowlesi

peak

LizardsTexas Banded GeckoColeonyx brevis

peak

LizardsTexas Horned LizardPhrynosoma cornutum

peak

LizardsTexas Spiny LizardSceloporus olivaceus

peak

LizardsTwin-spotted Spiny LizardSceloporus bimaculosus

peak

LizardsWestern Earless LizardHolbrookia maculata

Turtles

peak

TurtlesCommon Snapping TurtleChelydra serpentina

peak

TurtlesEastern Mud TurtleKinosternon subrubrum

peak

TurtlesEastern Musk TurtleSternotherus odoratus

peak

TurtlesFalse Map TurtleGraptemys pseudogeographica

peak

TurtlesOrnate Box TurtleTerrapene ornata

peak

TurtlesOuachita Map TurtleGraptemys ouachitensis

peak

TurtlesPond SliderTrachemys scripta

peak

TurtlesRazor-backed Musk TurtleSternotherus carinatus

peak

TurtlesRiver CooterPseudemys concinna

peak

TurtlesSabine Map TurtleGraptemys sabinensis

peak

TurtlesSmooth SoftshellApalone mutica

peak

TurtlesSpiny SoftshellApalone spinifera

peak

TurtlesTexas CooterPseudemys texana

peak

TurtlesTexas Map TurtleGraptemys versa

peak

TurtlesThree-toed Box TurtleTerrapene triunguis

peak

TurtlesYellow Mud TurtleKinosternon flavescens

Alligators

peak

AlligatorsAmerican AlligatorAlligator mississippiensis

Frogs and Toads

peak

Frogs and ToadsAmerican BullfrogLithobates catesbeianus

peak

Frogs and ToadsAmerican ToadAnaxyrus americanus

peak

Frogs and ToadsBarking FrogCraugastor augusti

peak

Frogs and ToadsBlanchard's Cricket FrogAcris blanchardi

peak

Frogs and ToadsChihuahuan Green ToadAnaxyrus debilis

peak

Frogs and ToadsCliff Chirping FrogEleutherodactylus marnockii

peak

Frogs and ToadsCope's Gray Tree FrogDryophytes chrysoscelis

peak

Frogs and ToadsCouch's SpadefootScaphiopus couchii

peak

Frogs and ToadsEastern Narrow-mouthed ToadGastrophryne carolinensis

peak

Frogs and ToadsFowler's ToadAnaxyrus fowleri

peak

Frogs and ToadsGiant ToadRhinella horribilis

peak

Frogs and ToadsGray TreefrogDryophytes versicolor

peak

Frogs and ToadsGreat Plains ToadAnaxyrus cognatus

peak

Frogs and ToadsGreen FrogLithobates clamitans

peak

Frogs and ToadsGreen TreefrogDryophytes cinereus

peak

Frogs and ToadsGulf Coast ToadIncilius nebulifer

peak

Frogs and ToadsHurter's SpadefootScaphiopus hurterii

peak

Frogs and ToadsMexican Burrowing ToadRhinophrynus dorsalis

peak

Frogs and ToadsPlains SpadefootSpea bombifrons

peak

Frogs and ToadsRed-spotted ToadAnaxyrus punctatus

peak

Frogs and ToadsRio Grande Chirping FrogEleutherodactylus campi

peak

Frogs and ToadsRio Grande Leopard FrogLithobates berlandieri

peak

Frogs and ToadsSheep FrogHypopachus variolosus

peak

Frogs and ToadsSouthern Leopard FrogLithobates sphenocephalus

peak

Frogs and ToadsSpotted Chorus FrogPseudacris clarkii

peak

Frogs and ToadsSquirrel Tree FrogDryophytes squirellus

peak

Frogs and ToadsTexas ToadAnaxyrus speciosus

peak

Frogs and ToadsWestern Narrow-mouthed ToadGastrophryne olivacea

peak

Frogs and ToadsWoodhouse's ToadAnaxyrus woodhousii

Shoulder season in May 22

Snakes

shoulder

SnakesCentral American Indigo SnakeDrymarchon melanurus

shoulder

SnakesEastern Black-tailed RattlesnakeCrotalus ornatus

venomous

shoulder

SnakesFlat-headed SnakeTantilla gracilis

shoulder

SnakesMississippi Green WatersnakeNerodia cyclopion

shoulder

SnakesMojave RattlesnakeCrotalus scutulatus

venomous

shoulder

SnakesRock RattlesnakeCrotalus lepidus

venomous

shoulder

SnakesSaltmarsh SnakeNerodia clarkii

Lizards

shoulder

LizardsBlue Spiny LizardSceloporus cyanogenys

shoulder

LizardsMediterranean House GeckoHemidactylus turcicus

introduced

shoulder

LizardsSlender Glass LizardOphisaurus attenuatus

shoulder

LizardsTexas Alligator LizardGerrhonotus infernalis

Frogs and Toads

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsCanyon Tree FrogDryophytes arenicolor

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsGreenhouse FrogEleutherodactylus planirostris

introduced

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsMexican SpadefootSpea multiplicata

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsMexican TreefrogSmilisca baudinii

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsPlains Leopard FrogLithobates blairi

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsStrecker's Chorus FrogPseudacris streckeri

Salamanders

shoulder

SalamandersEastern NewtNotophthalmus viridescens

shoulder

SalamandersSmall-mouthed SalamanderAmbystoma texanum

shoulder

SalamandersWestern Dwarf SalamanderEurycea paludicola

shoulder

SalamandersWestern Lesser SirenSiren nettingi

shoulder

SalamandersWestern Tiger SalamanderAmbystoma mavortium

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.

Texas in May

What reptiles and amphibians are out in Texas in May?

152 reptiles and amphibians are active in Texas in May, and 130 are at peak. Peak species include the Pond Slider, Green Anole, Gulf Coast Toad, and Texas Spiny Lizard.

Are venomous snakes active in Texas in May?

Yes. The Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake, Northern Cottonmouth, Eastern Copperhead, Broad-banded Copperhead, Texas Coralsnake, Eastern Black-tailed Rattlesnake, Timber Rattlesnake, Mojave Rattlesnake, Rock Rattlesnake, Prairie Rattlesnake, and Western Massasauga can be active in May. Watch where you step and don't handle them.