Reptiles and Amphibians

"Reptiles and amphibians are sometimes thought of as primitive, dull and dimwitted. In fact, of course, they can be lethally fast, spectacularly beautiful, and surprisingly affectionate and very sophisticated."
- Sir David Attenborough

Species of Reptiles in California

The placement of turtles has historically been highly variable. Classically, turtles were considered to be related to the primitive anapsid reptiles.[29] Molecular work has usually placed turtles within the diapsids. As of 2013, three turtle genomes have been sequenced.[30] The results place turtles as a sister clade to the archosaurs, the group that includes crocodiles, non-avian dinosaurs, and birds.[31] However, in their comparative analysis of the timing of organogenesis, Werneburg and Sánchez-Villagra (2009) found support for the hypothesis that turtles belong to a separate clade within Sauropsida, outside the saurian clade altogether.[32]
Lizards of California
Southern Alligator Lizard
Elgaria multicarinata
Panamint Alligator Lizard
Elgaria panamintina
Temblor Legless Lizard
Anniella alexanderae
Southern Sierra Legless Lizard
Anniella campi
Bakersfield Legless Lizard
Anniella grinnelli
Northern California Legless Lizard
Anniella pulchra
Southern California Legless Lizard
Anniella stebbinsi
Great Basin Collared Lizard
Crotaphytus bicinctores
Baja California Collared Lizard
Crotaphytus vestigium
Cope's Leopard Lizard
Gambelia copeii
Blunt-Nosed Leopard Lizard
Gambelia sila
Long-Nosed Leopard Lizard
Gambelia wislizenii
Switak's Banded Gecko
Coleonyx switaki
Western Banded Gecko
Coleonyx variegatus
Peninsula Leaf-Toed Gecko
Phyllodactylus nocticolis
Mediterranean House Gecko
Hemidactylus turcicus
Gila Monster
Heloderma suspectum
Desert Iguana
Dipsosaurus dorsalis
Common Chuckwalla
Sauromalus ater
Zebra-Tailed Lizard
Callisaurus draconoides
Banded Rock Lizard
Petrosaurus mearnsi
Coast Horned Lizard
Phyrnosoma blainvillii
Pygmy Short-Horned Lizard
Phrynosoma douglasii
Flat-Tail Horned Lizard
Phrynosoma mcallii
Desert Horned Lizard
Phrynosoma platyrhinos
Common Sagebrush Lizard
Sceloporus graciosus
Desert Spiny Lizard
Sceloporus magister
Western Fence Lizard
Sceloporus occidentalis
Granite Spiny Lizard
Sceloporus orcutti
Yellow-Backed Spiny Lizard
Sceloporus uniformis
Coachella Valley Fringe-Toed Lizard
Uma inornata
Colorado Desert Fringe-Toed Lizard
Uma notata
Mojave Fringe-Toed Lizard
Uma scoparia
Long-Tailed Brush Lizard
Urosaurus graciosus
Baja California Brush Lizard
Urosaurus nigricauda
Ornate Tree Lizard
Urosaurus ornatus
Common Side-Blotched Lizard
Uta stansburiana
Gilbert's Skink
Plestiodon gilberti
Western Skink
Plestiodon skiitonianus
Orange-Throated Whiptail
Aspidoscelis hyperythrus
Tiger Whiptail
Aspidoscelis tigris
Sandstone Night Lizard
Xantusia gracilis
Granite Night Lizard
​Xantusia henshawi
Island Night Lizard
Xantusia riversiana
Sierra Night Lizard
Xantusia sierrae
Desert Night Lizard
Xantusia vigilis
Baja California Night Lizard
Xantusia wigginsi
Southern Italian Wall Lizard
Podarcis siculus
Snakes of California
Northern Rubber Boa
Charina bottae
Southern Rubber Boa
Charina umbratica
Coastal Rosy Boa
Lichanura orcutti
Rosy Boa
Lichanura trivirgata
Glossy Snake
Arizona elegans
Western Shovelnose Snake
Chionactis occipitalis
Eastern Racer
Coluber constrictor
Forest Sharp-Tailed Snake
Contia longicauda
Sharp-Tailed Snake
Contia tenuis
Ringneck Snake
Diadophis punctatus
Desert Night Snake
Hypsiglena chlorophaea
Coast Night Snake
Hypsiglena ochrorhynchus
California Kingsnake
Lampropeltis californiae
Coast Mountain Kingsnake
Lampropeltis multifasciata
California Mountain Kingsnake
Lampropeltis zonata
Coachwhip
Masticophis flagellum
Baja California Coachwhip
Masticophis fuliginosus
California Striped Whipsnake
Masticophis lateralis
Striped Whipsnake
Masticophis taeniatus
Banded Water Snake
Nerodia fasciata
Western Leaf-Nosed Snake
Phyllorhynchus decurtatus
Gopher Snake
Pituophis catenifer
Long-Nosed Snake
Rhinocheilus lecontei
Western Patch-Nosed Snake
Salvadora hexalepis
Western Ground Snake
Sonora semiannulata
Southwestern Blackhead Snake
Tantilla hobartsmithi
Western Black-Headed Snake
Tantilla planiceps
Aquatic Garter Snake
Thamnophis atratus
Sierra Garter Snake
Thamnophis couchii
Terrestrial Garter Snake
Thamnophis elegans
Giant Garter Snake
Thamnophis gigas
Two-Striped Garter Snake
Thamnophis hammondii
Checkered Garter Snake
Thamnophis marcianus
Northwestern Garter Snake
Thamnophis ordinoides
Common Garter Snake
Thamnophis sirtalis
Sonoran Lyre Snake
Trimorphodon lambda
California Lyresnake
Trimorphodon lyrophanes
Western Threadsnake
Rena humilis
Brahminy Blind Snake
Indotyphlops braminus
Western Rattlesnake
Crotalus oreganus
Red Diamond Rattlesnake
Crotalus ruber
Sidewinder
Crotalus cerastes
Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake
Crotalus pyrrhus
Mojave Rattlesnake
Crotalus scutulatus
Panamint Rattlesnake
Crotalus stephensi
Western Diamondback Rattlesnake
Crotalus atrox
Turtles of California
Loggerhead Sea Turtle
Caretta caretta
Green Sea Turtle
Chelonia mydas
Olive Ridley Sea Turtle
Lepidochelys olivacea
Common Snapping Turtle
Chelydra serpentina
Leatherback Sea Turtle
Dermochelys coriacea
Western Painted Turtle
Chrysemys picta
Western Pond Turtle
Actinemys marmorata
Red-Eared Slider
Trachemys scripta
Sonoran Mud Turtle
Kinosternon sonoriense
Mojave Desert Tortoise
Gopherus agassizii
Spiny Softshell
Apalone spinifera

Species of amphibians in California

Frogs and Toads
Coast Tailed Frog
Ascaphus truei
Sonoran Desert Toad
Incilius alvarius
Western Toad
Anaxyrus boreas halophilus
Arroyo Toad
Bufo californicus
Yosemite Toad
Anaxyrus canorus
Great Plains Toad
Bufo cognatus
Black Toad
Bufo exsul
Arizona Toad
Bufo microscaphus
Red-Spotted Toad
Bufo punctatus
Woodhouse's Toad
Bufo woodhousii
California Chorus Frog
Pseudacris cadaverina
Southern Pacific Chorus Frog
Pseudacris hypochondriaca
Northern Pacific Chorus Frog
Pseudacris regilla
Central Pacific Chorus Frog
Pseudacris sierra
Couch's Spadefoot
Scaphiopus couchii
Western Spadefoot
Spea hammondii
Great Basin Spadefoot
Spea intermontana
Northern Red-Legged Frog
Rana aurora
Rio Grande Leopard Frog
Rana berlandieri
Foothill Yellow-Legged Frog
Rana boylii
Cascades Frog
Rana cascadae
American Bullfrog
Rana catesbeiana
California Red-Legged Frog
Rana draytonii
Columbia Spotted Frog
Rana luteiventris
Southern Mountain Yellow-Legged Frog
Rana muscosa
Northern Leopard Frog
Lithobates pipiens
Oregon Spotted Frog
Rana pretiosa
Sierra Nevada Yellow-Legged Frog
Rana sierrae
Southern Leopard Frog
Lithobates sphenocephalus
Lowland Leopard Frog
Rana yavapaiensis
African Clawed Frog
Xenopus laevis
Newts and Salamanders
California Tiger Salamander
Ambystoma californiense
Northwestern Salamander
Ambystoma gracile
Long-Toed Salamander
Ambystoma macrodactylum
Barred Tiger Salamander
Ambystoma mavortium
California Giant Salamander
Dicamptodon ensatus
Pacific Giant Salamander
Dicamptodon tenebrosus
Clouded Salamander
Aneides ferreus
Speckled Black Salamander
Aneides flavipunctatus
Shasta Black Salamander
Aneides iecanus
Arboreal Salamander
Aneides lugubris
Santa Cruz Black Salamander
Aneides niger
Wandering Salamander
Aneides vagrans
Greenhorn Mountains Slender Salamander
Batrachoseps altasierrae
California Slender Salamander
Batrachoseps attenuatus
Fairview Slender Salamander
Batrachoseps bramei
Inyo Mountains Slender Salamander
Batrachoseps campi
Hell Hollow Slender Salamander
Batrachoseps diabolicus
San Gabriel Mountains Slender Salamander
Batrachoseps gabrieli
Gabilan Mountains Slender Salamander
Batrachoseps gavilanensis
Gregarious Slender Salamander
Batrachoseps gregarius
San Simeon Slender Salamander
Batrachoseps incognitus
Sequoia Slender Salamander
Batrachoseps kawia
Santa Lucia Mountains Slender Salamander
Batrachoseps luciae
Garden Slender Salamander
Batrachoseps major
Lesser Slender Salamander
Batrachoseps minor
Black-Bellied Slender Salamander
Batrachoseps nigriventris
Channel Islands Slender Salamander
Batrachoseps pacificus
Kings River Slender Salamander
Batrachoseps regius
Relictual Slender Salamander
Batrachoseps relictus
Kern Plateau Slender Salamander
Batrachoseps robustus
Kern Canyon Slender Salamander
Batrachoseps simatus
Tehachapi Slender Salamander
Batrachoseps stebbinsi
Ensatina
Ensatina eschscholtzii
Limestone Salamander
Hydromantes brunus
Mount Lyell Salamander
Hydromantes platycephalus
Shasta Salamander
Hydromantes shastae
Scott Bar Salamander
Plethodon asupak
Dunn's Salamander
Plethodon dunni
Del Norte Salamander
Plethodon elongatus
Siskiyou Mountains Salamander
Plethodon stormi
Southern Torrent Salamander
Rhyacotriton variegatus
Rough-Skinned Newt
Taricha granulosa
Red-Bellied Newt
Taricha rivularis
Sierra Nevada Newt
Tarricha sierrae
California Newt
Taricha torosa