Reptiles & Amphibians
Reptiles and amphibians, sometimes called herps, are cold-blooded vertebrates. Hundreds of species live in the Chesapeake region: from salamanders that dwell along mountainous streams to sea turtles that visit the salty waters of the lower Bay.
Types of Reptiles & Amphibians:
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Black Rat Snake
Elaphe obsoleta obsoletaThe black rat snake is a non-venomous snake with a long, black body and white belly. It can be found throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed, from the mountains to the shoreline.
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Bog Turtle
Glyptemys muhlenbergiiThe bog turtle an endangered species and is the smallest turtle in North America.
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Broad-headed Skink
Plestiodon laticepThe broad-headed skink is the largest skink in the Chesapeake Bay region. It gets its name from the large, swollen jowls males develop as they mature.
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Common snapping turtle
Chelydra serpentinaThe common snapping turtle is the largest freshwater turtle in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. It lives in both freshwater and brackish water environments.
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Copperhead
Agkistrodon contortrixThe copperhead snake is one of only a few venomous snakes found in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, although it is rarely lethal to humans.
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Diamondback Terrapin
Malaclemys terrapinThe diamondback terrapin is an aquatic turtle with distinctive diamond-shaped rings covering its shell. It lives in and around the Chesapeake Bay’s brackish tidal waters, including rivers and marshes.
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Eastern Box Turtle
Terrapene carolina carolinaThe eastern box turtle is a terrestrial reptile found primarily in woodlands across the Chesapeake watershed.
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Eastern Garter Snake
Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalisThe eastern garter snake is a common terrestrial snake. It is known for the three white or yellow stripes that run down the length of its back.
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Eastern Milksnake
Lampropeltis triangulumThe eastern milksnake is a secretive creature that spends most of its life underground or under rocks and logs.
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Five-lined Skink
Plestiodon fasciatusThe five-lined skink is a small reptile with five distinctive stripes running along the length of its body. It can be found in damp forested areas throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
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Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle
Lepidochelys kempiiKemp’s ridley is a critically endangered sea turtle with creamy skin and grey or olive limbs. It feeds on blue crabs in the Chesapeake Bay in the summer.
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Loggerhead Turtle
Caretta carettaThe loggerhead turtle is the largest hard-shelled sea turtle, with a heart-shaped, reddish brown shell. It can be found in the Chesapeake Bay from May to November.
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Northern Water Snake
Nerodia sipedon sipedonThe northern water snake is a non-venomous aquatic snake that lives in lakes, swamps, streams and other waterways throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
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Rainbow Snake
Farancia erytrogramma erytrogrammaThe rainbow snake is a beautifully colored, non-venomous snake that is endangered in Maryland. It lives in streams, swamps and marshes in southern Maryland and eastern Virginia.
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Red-bellied Cooter
Pseudemys rubriventrisThe red-bellied cooter is an aquatic turtle with a dark, highly domed shell and a distinctive red belly. It can be found basking along the edge of ponds, streams and rivers throughout the Potomac River and in coastal portions of Maryland and Virginia.
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Rough Green Snake
Opheodrys aestivus aestivusThe rough green snake is a non-venomous snake with a long, slender, bright green body. It lives in leafy trees and shrubs in thickly vegetated areas throughout the Chesapeake Bay region.
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Spotted Turtle
Clemmys guttataThe spotted turtle is a small semi-aquatic species known for the bright yellow spots that dot its dark shell. The species is listed as threatened in several states.