Utah Reptile identification

Callisaurus draconoides (Zebra-Tailed Lizard)

Callisaurus draconoides (Zebra-Tailed Lizard)

• Washington Co. • 6-10cm • Bands on tail • Diurnal • Short snout • Long legs and toes • Long, flat tail

Holbrookia maculata (Lesser earless lizard)

San Juan Co. • Up to 70cm SVL • 2 Black bars just behind forelimbs • Some with chevron pattern down back • No ear opening

Uta stansburiana (Common Side-blotched Lizard)

Widespread throughout Utah - most common lizard seen • Up to 6cm SVL • Variable color • Dark blotches behind to the forelimbs • Small, uniform dorsal scales

Urosaurus ornatus (Ornate tree lizard)

Up to 5.9cm SVL • 2 parallel stripes of enlarged, keeled scales down the back • Throat colors vary in males • Often found on dead trees - blend with bark

Sceloporus graciosus (Sagebrush lizard)

Widespread throughout Utah • Incomplete gular fold • Males with blue patches on belly • Males with single blue patch on throat • Granular scales on rear thighs (see S. occidentalis) • Smaller scales along the back (in comparison to other scelops) • May have rust spot in axilla

Sceloporus occidentalis (Western fence lizard)

To 8.9cm SVL • Larger scales and longer spines on scales (relative to S. graciosus) • Keeled scales on rear thighs • Often have orange on rear of limbs • Darker venter, intermittent black scales, blue belly patches sometimes lined in black.

Sceloporus tristichus (Plateau fence lizard)

8 cm SVL • Paired blue throat patches (vs single on occidentalis) • Northern populations tend to have crossbars, southern have stripes

Sceloporus uniformis (Yellow backed spiny lizard)

Washington Co. • To 14cm SVL • Scales pointed, keeled, & overlapping • Black wedge pattern on neck • Range • uniformis and magister are bigger than others • Used to be subspecies of magister

Sceloporus magister (Desert spiny lizard)

To 14cm SVL • Similar to S. uniformis • Black wedge on neck • Males typically with orange head • Range

Phrynosoma hernandesi (Short horned lizard)

5-12cm SVL • Large gap between short cranial "horns" • Single row of "fringe" scales dorso-laterally • Color varies with substrate

Phrynosoma platyrhinos (Desert horned lizard)

To 14cm SVL • Longer "horns" • No gap between center "horns"

Aspidoscelis tigris (Western whiptail)

10cm SVL, 30cm TL • Range - all colors • Dorsum with stripes and dots, can form a network • Young with blue tail

Aspidoscelis velox (Plateu striped whiptail)

Garfield, Kane, San Juan, & Washintgon Co. • Mid-dorsal stripe faint if present • 8.5cm SVL • 6 stripes (7 with mid-dorsal) • All female • Tail, light blue • Young - blue tail

Aspidoscelis neomexicanus (New Mexican whiptail)

Utah & Salt Lake Co. • 16.5-20cm TL • Range • Mid-dorsal stripe wavy • All female • 6-7 dorsal stripes • Some dots between stripes • Tip of tail greenish • Young with green-blue tail • Introduced

Crotaphytus bicinctores (Great Basin collared lizard)

6-11.5cm SVL • Tail 2x SVL • Color varies • Males without bright yellow heads • Saxicolous • Tail taller than wide

Crotaphytus collaris (Eastern collared lizard)

Garfield, Grand, Kane, & San Juan Co. • To 11.8 SVL • Bright yellow heads - particularly males in breeding season • Body usually brightly colored - striking lizards! • Tail round in cross section

Gambelia wislizenii (Long-nosed Leopard lizard)

8-14.5cm SVL • Light and dark phase • Granular dorsal scales • Dark spotted dorsal pattern with light crossbars • Can have orange spots on side • Long, round tail

Dipsosaurus dorsalis (Desert iguana)

Washington Co. • 14.5cm SVL • To 61cm TL • Diurnal • Most heat tolerant lizard • Active midday • Small head • Row of enlarged, keeled mid-dorsal scales

Sauromalus ater (Chuckwalla)

Washington Co. • To 22cm SVL • Loose folds of skin • Tail with broad base, blunt tip • Rocky habitats • Wedge themselves between rocks and puff up • Primarily herbivorous

Plestiodon skiltonianus (Great Basin skink)

Western part of state • 8.5cm SVL • Darker ground color with stripes along the dorsolateral edge and 2 additional lateral stripes • Often under rocks

Plestiodon multivirgatus (Many Lined Skink)

San Juan Co. • To 7.5cm SVL • Thin brown/tan stripes on dorsum with alternating white, tan, or brown stripes on sides

Coleonyx variegatus (Western banded gecko)

Washington Co. • To 7.5cm SVL • Cream colored dorsum with darker bands • Darker bands can break up to form reticulations in adults • Can be found under temporary hides with scorpions (Centroides sp.) - Likely coincidental (i.e., it was a good place to hide)

Heloderma suspectum (Gila monster)

Washington Co. • To 35cm SVL • Beaded scales • Black and peach coloration • Fossorial • Venomous

Xantusia vigilis (Desert night lizard)

Washington Co. • To 5.7cm SVL • Light colored - may have dark flecking • Large plate-like scales on head • No eyelids

Coluber constrictor (Yellow belly racer)

Subspecies is mormon (may be full sp.) • To 190cm • Often encountered at higher elevations • Hunts with its head off the ground • Yellow/green tint laterally towards venter

Masticophis flagellum (Red coachwhip)

Washington Co. • To 170cm TL • Young with saddles/banding • Adults with less distinct pattern • Fast moving & diurnal • Heat tolerant • Back and forth between Coluber and Masticophis

Masticophis taeniatus (Striped whipsnake)

160cm TL • Hunts with its head above the ground • Active diurnal hunter • Longitudinal stripes • Back and forth between Coluber and Masticophis

Pituophis catenifer (Great Basin gopher snake)

Most commonly seen snake in Utah • Over 120cm • Variable color but always with dark squares dorsally • "Blowsnake" to local Utahns • Vociferous defense prior to fleeing or striking • Rattlesnake mimic

Pantherophis emoryi (Great Plains ratsnake)

Grand Co. • 90-150cm TL • Can be found near farmland where it feeds on rodents • Stripes on head meet to form a point between eyes

Thamnophis elegans (Wandering garter snake)

Widespread throughout the state • To 90cm TL • Light colored vertebral stripe • Often with faded lateral stripes on either side • 8 upper labial scales - 6 & 7 enlarged and taller than wide

Thamnophis sirtalis (Valley garter snake)

Cache & Davis Co. • 91cm TL • Typically, 7 (sometime 8) upper labial scales - Usually with black wedges • Mid-dorsal stripe broad and well defined • Top of head is dark

Thamnophis cyrtopsis (Black-necked garter snake)

San Juan Co. • To 100cm TL • Light mid-dorsal stripe • 2 large black crescent blotches on the neck

Arizona elegans (Glossy snake)

San Juan & Washington Co. • To 100cm • Smooth scales • Round pupils

Phyllorhynchus decurtatus (Spotted leafnose snake)

Washington Co. • To 51cm TL • Rostral scale is large, shield-like, and triangular • Spends much of its life underground

Salvadora hexalepis (Western patchnosed snake)

Washington Co. • To 100cm • Dark stripes down the back • Snout scale is large, and protrudes laterally

Sonora semiannulata (Ground snake)

Washington Co. • To 48cm • Red pattern on dorsals • Black saddles extend laterally

Tantilla hobartsmithi (Southwestern blackhead snake)

To 31cm TL • Light brown/tan with black cap on head • Rear fanged

Trimorphodon biscutatus (Sonoron lyre snake)

Washington Co. • To 100cm TL • Lyre shape on head • Dorsal blotches outlined in grey with light colored center • Smooth scales • Eyes vertically elliptical • Rear fanged

Diadophis punctatus (Regal ringneck snake)

Greenish (olive) dorsum • May not have the ring of light yellow/orange scales around the neck • Yellow/orange venter turning orange/red posteriorly • Rear fanged • Often found under rocks

Rhinocheilus lecontei (Western longnose snake)

To 150cm TL • Color varies • Typically, black banding with various amounts of white, red, and yellow between • Scattered white scales laterally • Venter white-cream

Hypsiglena chlorophaea (Desert night snake)

To 60cm TL • Dark collar around neck • Smooth scales • Vertically elliptical pupils • Rear fanged

Lampropeltis californiae (California kingsnake)

Washington Co. • To 140cm TL • Dietary generalist • Can eat other snakes • Pattern can varytypically large black, small white bars

Lampropeltis pyromelana (Arizona mountain kingsnake)

Pink is range, red sightings (Range reduction to North) • To 110cm TL • Light colored snout • Often associated with rocky slopes or heavily wooded areas • Higher elevations

Lampropeltis gentilis (Western milksnake)

Pink is range, red are sightings • 45-90cm TL • Nocturnal • Fossorial • Diverse habitats • Dark snout (usually)

Opheodrys vernalis (Smooth green snake)

Salt Lake, Summit, & Utah Co. • 36-51cm TL • Relies on color (crypsis) and speed to avoid predators • Feeds on arthropods • Bright green • Smooth dorsal scales

Crotalus cerastes (Mojave sidewinder)

Washington Co. • 50-80cm TL • Raised supraocular scales

Crotalus abyssus (Grand Canyon rattlesnake)

Garfield Co. (barely in Utah) • 41-137cm TL • Barred black and white/grey tail • Rostral scale touching more than 2 internasals

Crotalus concolor (Midget faded rattlesnake)

East side of state • To 75cm - smaller • Pattern fades with age • Strong neurotoxin

Crotalus pyrrhus (Speckled rattlesnake)

Washington Co. • Less than 100cm TL • Rocky areas • Limited range in UT • Prenasals separated from rostral by small scales • Speckled dorsum

Crotalus scutulatus (Mojave rattlesnake)

Washington Co. • 100-130cm TL • Large scales between supraoculars • Light postocular stripe continues past mouth • Contrasting dark and white/gray bands at tail • Tongue purple at base

Crotalus lutosus (Great Basin rattlesnake)

Most common species in Utah • Barred tail without white rings • Dorsal blotches with light centers • Typically, lighter background.

Crotalus viridis (Prairie & Hopi rattlesnakes)

San Juan, Garfield, & Kane Co. • Up to 160cm TL • nuntius subspecies is a smaller version- to 70cm TL • 3 or more internasals • 2 internasals contacting the rostral • Dark dorsal blotches • Often white edges to dorsal blotches

Leptotyphlops humilis (Utah blind Snake)

Washington Co. • To 39cm TL • Fossorial • Eyes vestigial • Pink worm with scales

Charina bottae (Rubber boa)

Cache, Salt Lake, Utah, & Wasatch Co. • 38-84cm TL • Most northern distribution of any Boidae • At elevations over 3000m • Light yellow to olive dorsum • Loose "rubbery" looking skin

Apalone spinifera (Spiny softshell)

Washington Co. • 18-54(?)cm CL • Flexible shell • Long snout • Name comes from bumps on leading edge of shell • Range: Yellow - native, maroon - Introduced

Chrysemys picta (Painted turtle)

10-25cm CL • Yellow streaks on face • Red on ventral portion of carapace • Red on legs • Older individuals darker • Native? and introduced populations

Trachemys scripta (Red eared slider)

Davis, Washington, Salt Lake, & Utah Co. • 15-20cm CL • Red blotches behind eyes • Introduced - often released pets

Gopherus agassizii (Desert tortoise)

Washington Co. • 25-36cm CL • Threatened (habitat loss) • Limited range in Utah • Utah's only terrestrial chelonian • High domed shell • Elephant like feet

Chelydra serpentina (Snapping turtle)

• Washington Co. • To 50cm CL • Non-native • Cold tolerant • Long tail with crest • Tiny plastron