Turtles and Lizards Practical

Turtles: 1. Chelydridae “Snapping Turtles” 2. Emydidae “Pond Turtles” 3. Kinosternidae “Mud Turtlers” 4. Trionychidae “Softshell Turtles” | Lizards: 1. Anguidae “Glass Lizards” 2. Crotaphytidae “Collared Lizards” 3. Phrynosomatidae “Earless & Horned Lizards” 4. Scincidae “Skinks” 5. Teiidae “Racerunners”

Common Snapping Turtle

Order: Testudines

Family: Chelydridae
Location: KS

ID: sawtoothed tail; eyes on top of head; single row of marginals; lack of keels on back

Life/History: bottom crawlers; often found during nesting season; assertive

Alligator Snapping Turtle

Order:Testudines

Family: Chelydridae

Location: SE KS River and Streams

ID: eyes on side of head and large smooth head scales; two rows of marginals; three strong keels on back

Life/History: ambush predators with lingual luring; periodically found in KS; upstream migration of adults impeded by low-head barrier

Status: SINC

Painted Turtle

Order: Testudines

Family: Emydidae

Location: KS

ID: variable colors from green to black; smooth carapace; frequently has red highlights on marginals and skin; plastron red - orange black with black markings

Life/History: can be active under ice; males smaller than females; omnivores; frequently basks

Slider

Order: Testudines

Family: Emydidae

Location: KS, except NW and W

ID: carapace from green to black; plastron frequently has black spots/blobs; scute frequently lined in back; rear marginals are serrated; red mark behind eye; vertical yellow bars on coastals

Life/History: most common pet turtle; opportunistic omnivores; males smaller with long tails

Eastern River Cooter

Order: Testudines

Family: Emydidae

Location: SE KS

ID: serrated rear marginals; more elongated and domed than sliders; juveniles have concentric rings and lined networks; egg shaped

Lief/History: skittish vegetarians; juveniles are omnivorous; larger water bodies

Northern Map Turtle

Order: Testudines

Family: Emydidae

Location: Marais des Cygnes & Caney River Systems

ID: lots of lines on face; yellow dot behind ear

Life/History: slow-moving backwaters; durophagous; males smaller, females bigger head and different diet

Status: Kansas Threatened

Ouachita Map Turtle & False Map Turtle

Order: Testudines

Family: Emydidae

Location: Eastern ½ of KS

ID: yellow bar behind eye; serrated rear marginals; knobbed vertebral pointing rearward

Life/History: Lake/Pond; River/Stream; durophagous; females bigger than males

Eastern Box Turtle

Order: Testudines

Family: Emydidae

Location: SE KS

ID: 3 toes; shell closes completely in front and back; no pattern or radiating dots

Life/History: males have concave plastron; red spots on body; woodland box turtle; terrestrial

Ornate Box Turtle

Order: Testudines

Family: Emydidae

Location: Kansas, near western rivers

ID: yellow lines across scutes; dark background

Life/History: opportunistic omnivore; males have red eyes and green yellowish head; females have yellow brown eye and brown head

Yellow Mud Turtle

Order: Testudines

Family: Kinosternidae

Location: Western 2/3 of KS

ID: no pattern to carapace; carapace unkeeled; distinct K on plastron

Life/History: semi-aquatic in slow moving murky waters; burrow and aestivate through drought; opportunistic omnivores

Eastern Musk Turtle

Order: Testudines

Family: Kinosternidae

Location: SE KS

ID: strong stripes on head; stinky; carapace more keeled; plastron does not fold in to close shell

Life/History: permanent water; will communally nest; best climbing turtle in KS

Smooth Softshell Turtle

Order: Testudines

Family: Trionychidae

Location: statewide in rivers with sandy/muddy bottoms

ID: lacks tubercles on front edge of carapace; nothing in nose; soft shell

Life/History: females bigger than males; males have longer heads

Spiny Softshell Turtle

Order: Testudines

Family: Trionychidae

Location: KS

ID: tubercles on front edge of carapace; something in nose; soft shell

Life/History: females bigger than males

Slender Glass Lizard

Order: Squamata

Family: Anguidae

Location: Eastern 2/3 of KS

ID: eyelids and external ear openings; grooved side; hard but will drop tail; dorsal stripes

Life/History: 1/3 body + 2/3 tail; diurnal insectivores; frequents rodent burrows

Eastern Collared Lizard

Order: Squamata

Family: Crotaphytidae

Locations: N Central; S Central; SE

ID: big head; 1-2 dark collars; small granular scales; Males – orange/yellow throat and brighter colors (green/blue); territorial; When gravid, Females have transverse orange bars

Life/History: Common in rocky areas where they perch and watch; Eat anything that fits in their mouths; Females protect nests of 1-13 eggs

Common Lesser Earless Lizard

Order: Squamata

Family: Phrynosomatidae

Locations: Western 2/3 of KS

ID: Blunt face, eyes on side of head, no ear opening; Variable coloration: gray/tan/orange-brown; Paired dark blotches down back along light dorsal line; 2 black bars on side behind front legs; Males: yellow tint on lower sides, blue outline on side bars; Gravid females: Pink/peach tint & yellow throat patch

Life/History: diurnal; eats invertebrates; Potentially declining, Flint Hills records largely pre-1940; More information needed on contemporary distribution

Texas Horned Lizard

Order: Squamata

Family: Phrynosomatidae

Locations: Southern KS

ID: flat body w/ big spikes

Life/History: females larger; diurnal; loves harvester ants; eggs laid in burrows; toxugenic - squirt toxin onto body surface. Toxin targets Canids; Skin has capillary action to bring water to mouth

Prairie Lizard

Order: Squamata

Family: Phrynosomatidae

Locations: Localized Populations in Rangeland, Sandy Riparian Corridors

ID: Alternating dark & light stripes; SE KS: Gray/Brown w/transverse zig-zag lines; Rest of KS: Stronger stripes & weaker zig-zags; Breeding Condition Males: Iridescent blue sides

Life/History: 2 potential species; diurnal; insectivores

Coal Skink

Order: Squamata

Family: Scincidae

Locations: East of Flint Hills

ID: Small smooth scales → skink; 5-7”; Tan/Brown, broad black side stripe with thin cream border; Single Postmental Scale; Young: jet black & purple tail

Life/History: Rare in KS; Forage under leaves or cover near streams

Prairie Skink

Order: Squamata

Family: Scincidae

Locations: Patches of Eastern 2/3 KS but not SE

ID: Northern: Light Gray/Tan, eye stripe runs down tail can break up; Southern: Darker Tan/Copper, eye stripe stops ~ hind legs; Two Postmental scales

Life/History: 2 potential species (insert is “Southern” rest are “Northern”); Secretive in sandy soil grasslands, found under cover; Invertivores; Females guard eggs (it’s a skink thing); Juveniles have blue tails & darker/black

Common Five-Lined Skink

Order: Squamata

Family: Scincidae

Locations: Forested Eastern ¼ of KS

ID: brown/black body 5 cream-colored stripes; males are brown w/o stripes; juveniles w/ blue tails; 4 supralabials and 2 postlabials

Life/History: many shared scincid traits; blue tail neurotoxic to cats; insectivores

Broad-Headed Skink

Order: Squamata

Family: Scincidae

Locations: Easternmost Counties South of Johnson County

ID: brown/black body w/ 5 cream-colored stripes; males are brown w/o stripes; juveniles with blue tails; 5 supralabials

Life/History: locally abundant in few places; 2x size of five-lined skink; associated with mature oak woodlands

Status: Threatened

Great Plains Skink

Order: Squamata

Family: Scincidae

Locations: statewide

ID: big but not striped; tan/brown scales edged in dark brown/black creates mottling; scales run diagonal rather than parallel; males head swell and some orange

Life/History: stay close to their burrows; eats anything; close to water in arid parts

Little Brown Skink

Order: Squamata

Family: Scincidae

Locations: Rivers of Eastern 1/3 & S. Central KS

ID: small with thin legs; tan/copper back, dark eye stripe to tail; cream/yellow belly; eye window; single supranasal/internasal

Life/History: eats variety of small invertebrates in leaf litter; often heard rustling around leaves; swims through litter and sand rather than run

Six-Lined Racerunner

Order: Squamata

Family: Teiidae

Locations: Statewide

ID: 6 light cream stripes on tan/brown; green sides; Males have blue on jaws/belly; Teiid: big hind legs, small granular scales

Life/History: Abundant where loose soil & open habitat; Fast & alert; Active diurnal invertebrate hunter