snakes, turtles, and lizards quiz

Storeria occipitomaculata

• small

• 3 spots form light white ring around neck 

• dark head

• belly is light

• keeled scales

Thamnophis sirtalis

• medium size

• black and white scales (more prevalent on dorsal

• broken stripes

Virginia striatula

• small

• brown

• darker head

• unpatterned

• smooth scales

Virginia valeriae

• small

• light tan

• darker head

• spots of dark brown on back

• keeled scales

Rhadinaea flavilate

• very small

• dark head

• light belly

• pointy head

• dark spots on back

• short

Diadophis punctatus

• small

• fully black

• no patterns

• light stripe around neck

Tantilla relicta

• small

• white dorsal, tan body

• dark head and black neck ring

• keeled scales

Tantilla coronata

• very thin

• short

• white belly, tan body

• dark head and black neck ring

Colbuer constrictor

• medium size

• black body

• ridge on spine

• white belly

• very distinct scales

Masticophis flagellum

• narrow, darker head

• medium size

• eyebrow ridge

• dark body blends to light from head to tail

Pantherophis guttatus

• eyebrow ridge

• light color and black square shaped spots with white center

• body and belly color is similar

• dark nose

Pantherophis spiloides

• looks “dusty”

• tan with indistinct black spots

• long

• lines on lips

Pantherophis alleghaniensis

• tan

• lighter body

• medium size

• diamond shaped head

• 2 lines running down back

Lampropeltis getula

• medium size

• triangle shaped brown and black stripes

• small head

• belly mimics dorsal

Lampropeltis calligaster

• grey

• subtle spots lined with thin black lines

• no neck/head transition

Lampropeltis elapsoides

• red, black, yellow

• small

• pattern continues to dorsal

• “neater” pattern

Cemophora coccinea

• red, black, yellow

• medium size

• white belly

• “messier” pattern

Pituophis melanoleucus

• belly lighter than dorsal (speckled pattern)

• medium size

• brown

• hognose like head

Opheodrys aestivus

• grey-black top, white belly

• small

Farancia erytrogramma

• large size

• black spotty back

• white lines running down top

• spots on belly

• spots on lips

Farancia abacara

• black swoops into diamonds on belly

• large size

• small head

Heterodon platirhinos

• hognose nose → fully upturned snout

• black back medium size

Heterodon simus

• hognose nose → fully upturned snout

• tan with black spots

• white belly

Nerodia erythrogaster

• dark back, no pattern

• light belly

• large head

• medium size

Nerodia clarkii

• small

• black with 2 faint white lines

• pattern mirrored on belly

Nerodia fasciata

• small head

• black and brown triangle shaped stripes

Nerodia floridana

• small black spots

• grey body with black spots

• white belly

• small nose

• uniform head

Nerodia taxispilota

• brown spots thin outlined in black

• light brown back

• keeled scales

• patterned belly

Agkistrodon piscivorous

• large

• tan

• brown, unclosed circles in dark brown

• darker inside circle

Eretmochelys imbricata

• skull

• smaller

• single ridge down center back

• larger scutes on carapace overlap

Chelonia mydas

• skull

• larger

• 1 pair of prefrontal plates between eyes

• no ridge down center back

Macrochelys temminekii

• spikey scutes

• tail almost as long as carapace

• small

• pointy head

Chelydra serpentina

• medium

• dark

• light color

• round head

• stuby legs

• long tail

Sternotherus odoratus

• leopard spot on scutes

• spikey head

• small legs

• small tails

• round skull

• dark head

• small

Sternotherus minor

• round shell

• wrinkly head

• grey head

• pointy head

• speckled shell

Kinosternon bauri

• dark lines on shell

• speckled head

• pointy head

• white lines on side of head

Kinosternon subrubrum

• dark shell (darkest in center)

• brown pointy head

• triangle dark mark on nose

• lines of scutes outlined in black

Apalone mutica

• small

• light brown

• white rimmed shell

• pointy nose with pig nose

Apalone ferox

• small

• brown spots outlined with white

• limbs have same patterns

Apalone spinifera

• long head

• medium size

• speckles on grey back

• black speckled arms

Gopherus polyphemus

• scutes are lighter in center, darker on edge

• medium size

• blunt size

Terrapere carolina

• small

• random fleckes of white on dark brown shell

• pointed head

Clemmys guttata

• medium size

• 1 light spot on each scute

• white triangle on head

• darker in center of carapace

Malaclemys terrapin

• small

• black spotted limbs

• black scutes outlined with white

• ridge down spine

• light nose

• red outlines shell

Graptemys ernsti

• brown shell

• small

• 3 triangles on head and lines in grey

• ridge down back of shell

• lined limbs

Graptemys barbouri

• light brown shell

• very small

• very spikey ridge down back

• spikes are darker

• small lines on limbs

• 2 rectangles on head and lines

Graptemys ouachitensis

• circle lines on scutes

• red brown spots and lines on limbs

• wood pattern head

Deirochelys reticularis

• dark unpatterned shell

• wavy lined head and limbs (like 70s)

• medium size

Pseudemys floridana

• large

• mostly black head with small white lines

• black shell with white outlines

Trachemys scripta

• small

• brown shell

• lighter in middle of scute

• white line on head, small dots near eye

• spikey shell, top is darker

Pseudemys concinna

• very small

• lined nongeometric scutes

• lined limbs and head

• circle in middle of head

Chrysemys picta

• triangle head

• lined limbs

• brown unpatterned inner scutes, outer scutes abstract lined in white

Pseudemys nelsoni

• large

• lined tail

• small lines/unlined limbs

• large subtle brown stripes on shell

Plestiodon fasciatus

• black

• medium size

• 2 white lines on back outlined in black

• duller stripes

Plestiodon inexpectatus

• skinny

• lines extend to sides

• brighter white

• longer

• sides of head light

• pointed snout

Scincella lateralis

• smaller

• slight brown lines on back

• black back

• round head

Plestiodon egregius

• small

• black back, light tail

• distinct 2 white lines outlined in black

• pointy head

Plestiodon laticeps

• large

• no pattern

• light head

• grey

• white belly

Aspidoscelis sexlineata

• 6 lines on back

• fat belly

• lined arms pointed head

Hemidactylus ganoti

• light tan

• white belly

• black eyes

• slight white spots

Hemidactylus tercicus

• light tan

• pointed head

• black eyes

• speckled back with stripe breaking up

Ophisaurus mimicus

• 3 black lines go all the way down back

• pointed head

• no arms

• very long

• white spots

Ophisaurus compressus

• pointy head

• 3 black lines (less distinct)

• larger

• no arms

Ophisaurus ventralis

• long

• medium size

• black

• no arms

• brown lines

• white tail

Ophisaurus attenuatus

• black back

• pointy nose

• 2 white lines on back

• no arms

• red line down center

Rhineura floridana

• no limbs

• grey and white

• pointy head

Iguanidae

• scales on back

• banded tail

• large

Helodermatidae

• spotted

• large

• large head

• leopard spots

Varanidae

• black with white spots

• small arms banded tail

Xenogama

• medium size

• spikey short tail

• white line down tail

Uromastyx

• large

• spikey tail, long

• short stripes and spots

Xantusiidae

• medium

• brown striped tail

• brown spots on back

• white head with bright spots

Sceloporus undulatus

• tree bark camoglague

• long claws

• crocodile like head

• medium

sceloporus woodi

• small

• tree pattern camoglague

• long claws

• pointed nose

Anolis Carolinensis

• pointy head

• toe pads

• medium

• spotted arms

• slender

• spindly tail

Anolis sagrei

• bark patterning

• rounded head

• chunkier

• large tail

Chamaeleonidae

• curled tail

• large

• large eyes

Columbridae

storeria, thamnophis, virginia, rhadinaea, diadophis, tantilla, colbuer, mastico, pantherophis, lampropeltis, cemophora, pituophis, opheodrys, farancia, heterodon, nerodia,

Elapsidae

micrurus

Viperidae

agkistrodon,

Leptotyphlopidae

• small

• orange

• reduced eyes

• blung tail

Typhlonectidae

indotyplops

Alligatoridae

paleosuchus

Chelonidae

eretmochelys, chelonia

Chelydridae

macrochelys, chelydra

Kinosternidae

sternotherus, kinosternon

Tronychidae

apalone

Testudinidae

Gopherus

Emydidae

terrapere, clemmys, malaclemys, graptemys, trachemys, deirochelys, pseudemys, chrysemys

Scincidae

plestiodon, scincella, aspidoscelis, gekkonidae, hemidactylus

Anguidae

ophisaurus

Rhincuridae

rhincura

Agamidae

xenogama, uromastyx

Phrynosomatidae

sceloporus, anolis

Paleosuchus palpebrosus

• small alligator

• white stripes

• black body

Pseudemys suwanniensis

• large

• lined scutes (linear not circular)

• white plastrodon

micrurus fulvius

• black bands touching yellow bands

• medium size

• large black bands