Herpetology Lab Practical Lab 2

Spring 2026 Herpetology Lab Final Practical; Auburn University

List the families and orders in Lepidosauria

• Order Rhynchodephalia

• Family Dibamidae

• Infraorder Gekkota

• Superfamily Scinoidea

• Superfamily Lacertoidea

• Superorder Anguimorpha

• Infraorder Iguania

What is the genera of Gekkota is commonly found in Alabama?

Hemidactylus

What genera of Scincoidea are found commonly in Alabama?

• Scinella

• Plestiodon

• Tiliqua

What is the genera of Lacertoidea found commonly in Alabama?

Aspidoscelis

What are the genera of Anguimorpha?

• Ophisaurus

• Heloderma

• Varanus

What are the genera of Iguania found commonly in Alabama?

• Anolis

• Sceloporus

• Tricerus

Describe and draw the clade of Lepidosauria

What are distinguishing features of Infraorder Gekkota?

• Fat, round tails

• Tail approximately the same length as the body

• No eyelids

• Scansors: toepads with lamellae covered with setae

• All species vocalize

• Dry adhesion

Define features of Hemidactylus turcicus

• Eyes lidless

• Pupil of eye vertically elliptical

• Warty dorsum

• Fat tail

• Rounded triangular head

What is the common name of Hemidactylus turcicus?

Mediterranean House Gecko

What are defining features of Superfamily Scincoidea (Family Scincidae)

• Cycloid scales that are shiny

• Limb/digit loss and reduction in some

Define features of Scincella lateralis

• Reduced limbs

• Resembles a salamander

• Maximum size small

• Lower eyelid with a transparent “window”

• Dorsum of adults lacking conspicuous light stripe

• Cycloid scales

What is the common name of Scincella lateralis?

Ground skink

Define features of Plestiodon fasciatus

• Upper labials usually 4 to center of the eye

• Enlarged postlabials usually evident and 2 in number

• Mid-dorsal stripe in juveniles relatively wide

• Adult males show at least traces of striped pattern

• Head of adult male orange and usually swollen

• Cycloid scales

What is the common name of Plestiodon fasciatus?

Five-lined skink

Define features of Plestiodon laticeps

• Upper labials usually 5 to center of the eye

• Enlarged postlabials usually lacking

• Mid-dorsal stripe on juveniles very narrow

• Adult males and females large

• Adult males with orange heads

• Cycloid scales

What is the common name of Plestiodon laticeps?

Broad-headed skink

Define features of Plestiodon anthracinus

• Large, blocky bodies

• 1 postmental scale

What is the common name of Plestiodon anthracinus?

Coal skink

Define features of Plestiodon inexpectatus

• “Unexpected tail”

• 4 labial scales

What is the common name of Plestiodon inexpectatus?

Southeastern five-lined skink

What is the common name of the Tiliqua spp.?

Blue-tongued skinks

What family lies within the Superfamily Lacertoidea?

Teiidae

What are defining features of Family Teiidae?

• Large rectangular ventral scales

• Small velvety dorsal scales

• Tail longer than body

• Multiple parthenogenic lineages

Define features of Aspidoscelis sexlineata

• 6 dorsolateral lines

• Significantly long back toe

• Broader head compared to Plestiodon fasciatus

• Large rectangular ventral scales

• Long, skinny tails

What is the common name of Aspidoscrlis sexlineata

Six-lined racerunner

What family lies within Superorder Anguimorpha?

Family Anguidae

What are defining features of Family Anguidae?

• Large rectangular ventral scales

• No limbs

• Lizard-like-face

• Ear openings

• Moveable eyelids

Define features of Ophisaurus ventralis

• No solid side stripe

• Keeled rectangular ventral scales

• Dark dorsum, light venter

• 3-4 scales above lateral groove

• Adults with “salt-and-pepper” markings of turquoise and black

What is the common name of Ophisaurus ventralis?

Eastern Glass lizard

Define features of Ophisaurus attenuatus

• Distinct side stripe

• Dorsal band

• Dark dorsum, light venter

• Dorsum crossbanded anteriorly in most adults

What is the common name of Ophisaurus attenuatus?

Eastern Slender Glass Lizard

What is the common name of Heloderma suspectum?

Gila monster

What is the common name of Varanus niloticus?

Nile monitor

What are the two groups in Infraorder Iguania

• Acrodonta (Chameleons)

• Pleurodonta (iguanas)

What are defining features of Infraorder Iguania?

• Color changing scales in some

• Some species have enlarged post-anal scales on males

Define features of Anolis carolinensis

• Pinkish-red dewlap

• Conical face

• Females have no dewlap

What is the common name of Anolis carolinensis?

Green Anole

Define features of Anolis sagrei

• Orange dewlap

• Male and females both have dewlaps

• Bulky body

• Rounded snout

What is the common name of Anolis sagrei?

Brown Anole

Define features of the Sceloporus undulatus

• Spiky scales

• Body not greatly flattened

What is the common name of Sceloporus undulatus?

Eastern Fence Lizard

What is the common name of Triocerus jacksoni?

Jackson’s Chameleon

Describe and draw the clade of Serpentes

What are the families and order within Serpentes?

• Infraorder Scolecophidia

• Family Boidae

• Family Pythonidae

• Family Viperidae

• Family Elapidae

• Subfamily Colubrinae

• Subfamily Nactricinae

• Subfamily Dipsadinae

What is the genera of Scolecophidia?

Typhlops

What is the genera of Boidae?

Boa

What is the genera of Pythonidae?

Python

What are the genera of Viperidae commonly found in Alabama?

• Agkistrodon

• Crotalus

• Sisturus

What is the genera of Elapidae that is commonly found in Alabama?

Micrurus

What are the genera of Colubrinae commonly found in Alabama?

• Coluber

• Opheodrys

• Pantherophis

• Lampropeltis

• Drymarchon

What are the genera of Nactricinae commonly found in Alabama?

• Thamnophis

• Virginia

• Haldea

• Nerodia

• Storeria

• Tantilla

What are the genera of Dipsadinae commonly found in Alabama?

• Diadophis

• Farancia

• Heterodon

Describe the features of Typhlops spp.

• Vestigial eyes

• Teeth on upper jaw only

• Itty bitty

What is the common name of Typhlops spp.?

Blind snake

Define features of Family Boidae

• Infrared-sensitive labial pits

• Vestigial pelvic girdle spurs visible in males of some species

Describe the features of Boa constrictor

• Squared- narrow snout

• Chunky

• Line down the middle of the head

What is the common name of Boa constrictor?

Boa constrictor

Describe the features of Pythonidae

• Non-venomous

• Similar to boas in appearance and possession of infrared sensors

• Longest snake species

• Metabolic extremes

Describe the features of Python bivittatus

• Similar to boa constrictor

• Blotchy pattern

• Round snout

What is the common name for Python bivittatus

Burmese python

Define the features of Viperidae

• Long fangs that fold against roof of the mouth

• Cytotoxic venom

• Pupils vertical

What two groups is Viperidae broken up into?

• Crotalinae

• Viperinae

Describe Crotalinae

Pit vipers, possess heat-sensing pits between eye and nostrils

Describe Viperinae

True vipers, no heat-sensing pits

Define features of Agkistrodon contortix

• Hourglass-shaped crossbar patterns that look pinched

• Crossbars might not connect on sides

• No rattle

What is the common name of Agkistrodon contortrix

Copperhead

Define features of Agkistrodon piscivorous

• Round snout

• Stripes on dorsum that connect

• No rattle

• Pale white inner mouth

What is the common name of Agkistrodon piscivorous

Cottonmouth

Define features of Crotalus adamanteus

• Diamond shape pattern along dorsum

• Rattle present

• Keeled scales

What is the common name of Crotalus adamanteus?

Eastern diamondback rattlesnake

Define the features of Crotalus horridus

• Cheveron patterns pointing down the body

• Rattle present

• Keeled scales

What is the common name of Crotalus horridus?

Timber rattlesnake

Define features of Sistrurus miliarius

• Mid-dorsal body blotches oval shaped about equal longitudinally

• Mid-lateral blotches relatively round

• Keeled scales

• Rattle present

• Smaller than Crotalus

What is the common name of Sistrurus miliarius?

Pygmy rattlesnake

Define features of Elapidae

• Fixed front fangs

• Neurotoxic venoms

Define features of Micurus fulvius

• Body color of bold black, red, and yellow rings encircling body

• Wide red rings bordered by thinner yellow rings

• Eyes small and black located within black head cap

What subfamilies are in Family Colubridae?

• Colubrinae

• Nactricinae

• Dipsadinae

Define features of subfamily Colubrinae

• Mostly non-venomous, but some have venomous members

• no fangs

Define features of Coluber constrictor

• Pointy scales

• Dorsum uniform black with lighter chin

What is the common name of Coluber constrictor?

Eastern racer

Define features of Opheodrys aestivus

• Very pointy scales

• Light venter compared to dorsum

• Dorsal color is bright green but bluish in preservative

What is the common name of Opheodrys aestivus?

Rough green snake

Define features of Pantherophis spiloides

• Dorsal blotches

• No neck bands uniting on head forming a “spear” point

What is the common name of Pantherophis spiloides?

Gray rat snake

Define features of Panterophis guttatus

• Ventral scales resemble “corn” coloration patterns

• Dorsal blotches

• Neck bands uniting on head to form a “spear” point

What is the common name of Pantherophis guttatus?

Corn snake

Define features of Lampropeltis getula

• Dark dorsum with light goldish stripes

• Slender head

What is the common name of Lampropeltis getula?

Eastern kingsnake

Define features of Lampropeltis nigra

• Dorsum with small, irregular yellow markings (speckling) occasionally with inconspicuous, narrow yellow bands.

• Slender head

What is the common name of Lampropeltis nigra?

Black kingsnake

Define features of Drymarchon couperi

• Big body

• Dark body color with upper labials that has a bold dark band below the eye

• Mouth area is a tannish color

What is the common name of Drymarchon couperi?

Eastern Indigo Snake

Define the features of Nactricinae

• No fangs

• Keeled scales

• All viviparous

Define features of Thamnophis sirtalis

• Dorsolateral light stripes faded

• Venter with 1 or 2 rows of dark, half-moon shaped spots along each side

• Tail not noticeably elongate

• Keeled scales

• Checkered pattern

What is the common name of Thamnophis sirtalis?

Eastern garter snake

Define the features of Virginia valeriae

• Dorsal scales in 15 rows at midbody

• Dorsal scales smooth or weakly keeled

• 6 upper labials

What is the common name of Virginia valeriae?

Smooth earth snake

Define features of Haldea striatula

• 5 upper labial scales

• One postocular scale

• Dark head

• Dorsal scales strongly keeled

What is the common name of Haldea striatula?

Rough earth snake