Statewide

Texas Reptiles and Amphibians by Month

Every reptile and amphibian with enough records anywhere in Texas, counted from observations inside the state line. Seasons can differ a lot across the state, so for a closer match, pick your ecoregion on the Texas page.

162 species11 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, 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).

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

139 species at peak or shoulder in September

peak

Frogs and ToadsAmerican BullfrogLithobates catesbeianus

peak

LizardsArizona Striped WhiptailAspidoscelis arizonae

peak

SnakesBaird's RatsnakePantherophis bairdi

peak

SnakesBanded WatersnakeNerodia fasciata

peak

SnakesBlack-necked Garter SnakeThamnophis cyrtopsis

peak

SnakesBlack-striped SnakeConiophanes imperialis

peak

Frogs and ToadsBlanchard's Cricket FrogAcris blanchardi

peak

SnakesBrahminy BlindsnakeIndotyphlops braminus

introduced

peak

LizardsBrown AnoleAnolis sagrei

introduced

peak

LizardsCanyon LizardSceloporus merriami

peak

Frogs and ToadsCanyon Tree FrogDryophytes arenicolor

peak

SnakesCheckered Garter SnakeThamnophis marcianus

peak

Frogs and ToadsChihuahuan Green ToadAnaxyrus debilis

peak

Frogs and ToadsCliff Chirping FrogEleutherodactylus marnockii

peak

LizardsCommon Checkered WhiptailAspidoscelis tesselatus

peak

SnakesCommon CoachwhipMasticophis flagellum

peak

LizardsCommon Five-lined SkinkPlestiodon fasciatus

peak

LizardsCommon Side-blotched LizardUta stansburiana

peak

TurtlesCommon Snapping TurtleChelydra serpentina

peak

LizardsCommon Spotted WhiptailAspidoscelis gularis

peak

Frogs and ToadsCope's Gray Tree FrogDryophytes chrysoscelis

peak

Frogs and ToadsCouch's SpadefootScaphiopus couchii

peak

LizardsCrevice Spiny LizardSceloporus poinsettii

peak

SnakesDeKay's BrownsnakeStoreria dekayi

peak

SnakesEastern Black-tailed RattlesnakeCrotalus ornatus

venomous

peak

LizardsEastern Collared LizardCrotaphytus collaris

peak

SnakesEastern CopperheadAgkistrodon contortrix

venomous

peak

SnakesEastern Hognose SnakeHeterodon platirhinos

peak

TurtlesEastern Musk TurtleSternotherus odoratus

peak

Frogs and ToadsEastern Narrow-mouthed ToadGastrophryne carolinensis

peak

TurtlesFalse Map TurtleGraptemys pseudogeographica

peak

LizardsFour-lined SkinkPlestiodon tetragrammus

peak

Frogs and ToadsFowler's ToadAnaxyrus fowleri

peak

Frogs and ToadsGiant ToadRhinella horribilis

peak

SnakesGlossy SnakeArizona elegans

peak

SnakesGopher SnakePituophis catenifer

peak

SnakesGraham's Crawfish SnakeRegina grahamii

peak

Frogs and ToadsGray TreefrogDryophytes versicolor

peak

LizardsGreater Earless LizardCophosaurus texanus

peak

LizardsGreen AnoleAnolis carolinensis

peak

Frogs and ToadsGreen TreefrogDryophytes cinereus

peak

Frogs and ToadsGreenhouse FrogEleutherodactylus planirostris

introduced

peak

Frogs and ToadsGulf Coast ToadIncilius nebulifer

peak

Frogs and ToadsHurter's SpadefootScaphiopus hurterii

peak

LizardsKeeled Earless LizardHolbrookia propinqua

peak

LizardsLittle Brown SkinkScincella lateralis

peak

LizardsMarbled WhiptailAspidoscelis marmoratus

peak

LizardsMediterranean House GeckoHemidactylus turcicus

introduced

peak

Frogs and ToadsMexican SpadefootSpea multiplicata

peak

Frogs and ToadsMexican TreefrogSmilisca baudinii

peak

SnakesMojave RattlesnakeCrotalus scutulatus

venomous

peak

LizardsMoorish GeckoTarentola mauritanica

introduced

peak

SnakesMountain Patch-nosed SnakeSalvadora grahamiae

peak

SnakesNorth American RacerColuber constrictor

peak

SnakesNorthern CottonmouthAgkistrodon piscivorus

venomous

peak

TurtlesOrnate Box TurtleTerrapene ornata

peak

LizardsOrnate Tree LizardUrosaurus ornatus

peak

TurtlesOuachita Map TurtleGraptemys ouachitensis

peak

Frogs and ToadsPickerel FrogLithobates palustris

peak

SnakesPlain-bellied WatersnakeNerodia erythrogaster

peak

SnakesPlains Black-headed SnakeTantilla nigriceps

peak

Frogs and ToadsPlains Leopard FrogLithobates blairi

peak

LizardsPrairie LizardSceloporus consobrinus

peak

SnakesPrairie RattlesnakeCrotalus viridis

venomous

peak

TurtlesRazor-backed Musk TurtleSternotherus carinatus

peak

Frogs and ToadsRed-spotted ToadAnaxyrus punctatus

peak

SnakesRing-necked SnakeDiadophis punctatus

peak

Frogs and ToadsRio Grande Chirping FrogEleutherodactylus campi

peak

Frogs and ToadsRio Grande Leopard FrogLithobates berlandieri

peak

TurtlesRiver CooterPseudemys concinna

peak

SnakesRock RattlesnakeCrotalus lepidus

venomous

peak

LizardsRose-bellied LizardSceloporus variabilis

peak

SnakesRough EarthsnakeVirginia striatula

peak

SnakesRough GreensnakeOpheodrys aestivus

peak

LizardsRoundtail Horned LizardPhrynosoma modestum

peak

LizardsRusty-rumped WhiptailAspidoscelis scalaris

peak

TurtlesSabine Map TurtleGraptemys sabinensis

peak

SnakesSaltmarsh SnakeNerodia clarkii

peak

SnakesSchott's WhipsnakeMasticophis schotti

peak

TurtlesSmooth SoftshellApalone mutica

peak

Frogs and ToadsSouthern Leopard FrogLithobates sphenocephalus

peak

SnakesSouthwestern Blackhead SnakeTantilla hobartsmithi

peak

LizardsSouthwestern Fence LizardSceloporus cowlesi

peak

TurtlesSpiny SoftshellApalone spinifera

peak

LizardsSpotted House GeckoHemidactylus parvimaculatus

introduced

peak

Frogs and ToadsSquirrel Tree FrogDryophytes squirellus

peak

SnakesStriped WhipsnakeMasticophis taeniatus

peak

LizardsTexas Alligator LizardGerrhonotus infernalis

peak

LizardsTexas Banded GeckoColeonyx brevis

peak

SnakesTexas CoralsnakeMicrurus tener

venomous

peak

TurtlesTexas Map TurtleGraptemys versa

peak

SnakesTexas Patch-nosed SnakeSalvadora lineata

peak

LizardsTexas Spiny LizardSceloporus olivaceus

peak

Frogs and ToadsTexas ToadAnaxyrus speciosus

peak

TurtlesThree-toed Box TurtleTerrapene triunguis

peak

SnakesTimber RattlesnakeCrotalus horridus

venomous

peak

LizardsTwin-spotted Spiny LizardSceloporus bimaculosus

peak

SnakesWestern Diamond-backed RattlesnakeCrotalus atrox

venomous

peak

SnakesWestern MilksnakeLampropeltis gentilis

peak

Frogs and ToadsWestern Narrow-mouthed ToadGastrophryne olivacea

peak

SnakesWestern Ribbon SnakeThamnophis proximus

peak

SalamandersWestern Tiger SalamanderAmbystoma mavortium

peak

Frogs and ToadsWoodhouse's ToadAnaxyrus woodhousii

peak

TurtlesYellow Mud TurtleKinosternon flavescens

shoulder

AlligatorsAmerican AlligatorAlligator mississippiensis

shoulder

LizardsBlue Spiny LizardSceloporus cyanogenys

shoulder

SnakesBroad-banded CopperheadAgkistrodon laticinctus

venomous

shoulder

SnakesCentral American Indigo SnakeDrymarchon melanurus

shoulder

SnakesChihuahuan NightsnakeHypsiglena jani

shoulder

LizardsChihuahuan Spotted WhiptailAspidoscelis exsanguis

shoulder

SnakesDesert KingsnakeLampropeltis splendida

shoulder

SnakesDiamondback WatersnakeNerodia rhombifer

shoulder

TurtlesEastern Mud TurtleKinosternon subrubrum

shoulder

SalamandersEastern NewtNotophthalmus viridescens

shoulder

SnakesFlat-headed SnakeTantilla gracilis

shoulder

LizardsGraphic Spiny LizardSceloporus grammicus

shoulder

SnakesGray-banded KingsnakeLampropeltis alterna

shoulder

SnakesGreat Plains Ground SnakeSonora episcopa

shoulder

SnakesGreat Plains RatsnakePantherophis emoryi

shoulder

LizardsGreat Plains SkinkPlestiodon obsoletus

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsGreat Plains ToadAnaxyrus cognatus

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsGreen FrogLithobates clamitans

shoulder

SnakesLong-nosed SnakeRhinocheilus lecontei

shoulder

SnakesMexican Hognose SnakeHeterodon kennerlyi

shoulder

SnakesMississippi Green WatersnakeNerodia cyclopion

shoulder

SnakesPlains Hognose SnakeHeterodon nasicus

shoulder

TurtlesPond SliderTrachemys scripta

shoulder

SnakesPrairie KingsnakeLampropeltis calligaster

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsSheep FrogHypopachus variolosus

shoulder

LizardsSix-lined RacerunnerAspidoscelis sexlineatus

shoulder

SnakesSpeckled KingsnakeLampropeltis holbrooki

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsSpotted Chorus FrogPseudacris clarkii

shoulder

SnakesTexas Blind SnakeRena dulcis

shoulder

TurtlesTexas CooterPseudemys texana

shoulder

LizardsTexas Horned LizardPhrynosoma cornutum

shoulder

SnakesTrans-pecos RatsnakeBogertophis subocularis

shoulder

LizardsWestern Earless LizardHolbrookia maculata

shoulder

SnakesWestern MassasaugaSistrurus tergeminus

venomous

shoulder

SnakesWestern RatsnakePantherophis obsoletus

About Texas

When are reptiles and amphibians most active in Texas?

June is the busiest month in Texas, with 133 species at peak activity. At least half of the area's species are active from February through November.

What reptiles and amphibians live in Texas?

162 species have enough iNaturalist records to show here: 60 snakes, 39 frogs and toads, 38 lizards, 17 turtles, 7 salamanders, and 1 alligator. The most-reported are the Pond Slider, Green Anole, and Gulf Coast Toad.

Are there venomous snakes in Texas?

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 live here. Don't handle them.

Which reptiles and amphibians in Texas are introduced?

The Mediterranean House Gecko, Brown Anole, Spotted House Gecko, and Moorish Gecko 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.