Statewide

California Reptiles and Amphibians by Month

Every reptile and amphibian with enough records anywhere in California, counted from observations inside the state line. Seasons can differ a lot across the state, so for a closer match, pick your ecoregion on the California page.

112 species7 venomous

Peak and shoulder ratings are rough guidance, not a schedule. Weather, elevation and the year can shift any species by weeks.

Rare and protected species are left off on purpose. Look, don't take, and never handle a venomous snake.

Species out in California, by group and month

Group
Snakes	9	27	33	37	38	38	37	38	36	32	23	8
Lizards	17	27	33	37	38	38	36	36	35	32	22	13
Turtles	2	2	4	4	4	3	3	3	3	2	2	2
Frogs and Toads	7	9	9	9	11	11	11	11	10	9	7	7
Salamanders	20	20	19	18	13	10	7	7	10	18	20	20

Numbers = species active that month (at peak or just starting / winding down).

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94 species at peak or shoulder in September

peak

Frogs and ToadsAfrican Clawed FrogXenopus laevis

introduced

peak

Frogs and ToadsAmerican BullfrogLithobates catesbeianus

introduced

peak

SnakesAquatic Garter SnakeThamnophis atratus

peak

LizardsBanded Rock LizardPetrosaurus mearnsi

peak

SnakesBrahminy BlindsnakeIndotyphlops braminus

introduced

peak

LizardsBrown AnoleAnolis sagrei

introduced

peak

SalamandersCalifornia Giant SalamanderDicamptodon ensatus

peak

SnakesCalifornia LyresnakeTrimorphodon lyrophanes

peak

Frogs and ToadsCalifornia Tree FrogPseudacris cadaverina

peak

Frogs and ToadsCascades FrogRana cascadae

peak

SnakesCoast Night SnakeHypsiglena ochrorhynchus

peak

Frogs and ToadsCoastal Tailed FrogAscaphus truei

peak

SnakesCommon CoachwhipMasticophis flagellum

peak

SnakesCommon Garter SnakeThamnophis sirtalis

peak

LizardsCommon Side-blotched LizardUta stansburiana

peak

LizardsDesert Night LizardXantusia vigilis

peak

LizardsDesert Spiny LizardSceloporus magister

peak

TurtlesFlorida Softshell TurtleApalone ferox

introduced

peak

SnakesForest Sharp-tailed SnakeContia longicauda

peak

SnakesGopher SnakePituophis catenifer

peak

LizardsGranite Night LizardXantusia henshawi

peak

LizardsGranite Spiny LizardSceloporus orcutti

peak

LizardsGreen AnoleAnolis carolinensis

introduced

peak

LizardsIsland Fence LizardSceloporus becki

peak

LizardsItalian Wall LizardPodarcis siculus

introduced

peak

SnakesLong-nosed SnakeRhinocheilus lecontei

peak

LizardsLong-tailed Brush LizardUrosaurus graciosus

peak

LizardsMediterranean House GeckoHemidactylus turcicus

introduced

peak

SnakesMojave RattlesnakeCrotalus scutulatus

venomous

peak

LizardsMoorish GeckoTarentola mauritanica

introduced

peak

SnakesNorth American RacerColuber constrictor

peak

LizardsNorthern Alligator LizardElgaria coerulea

peak

Frogs and ToadsNorthern Red-legged FrogRana aurora

peak

LizardsOrange-throated WhiptailAspidoscelis hyperythrus

peak

Frogs and ToadsPacific Chorus FrogPseudacris regilla

peak

SalamandersPacific Giant SalamanderDicamptodon tenebrosus

peak

LizardsPeninsular Leaf-toed GeckoPhyllodactylus nocticolus

peak

TurtlesPond SliderTrachemys scripta

introduced

peak

SnakesRed Diamond RattlesnakeCrotalus ruber

venomous

peak

Frogs and ToadsRed-spotted ToadAnaxyrus punctatus

peak

SnakesSidewinderCrotalus cerastes

venomous

peak

SnakesSierra Garter SnakeThamnophis couchii

peak

LizardsSonoran Spotted WhiptailAspidoscelis sonorae

introduced

peak

LizardsSouthern Alligator LizardElgaria multicarinata

peak

SnakesSouthwestern Speckled RattlesnakeCrotalus pyrrhus

venomous

peak

TurtlesSpiny SoftshellApalone spinifera

introduced

peak

SnakesStriped RacerMasticophis lateralis

peak

SnakesTwo-striped Garter SnakeThamnophis hammondii

peak

SalamandersWandering SalamanderAneides vagrans

peak

LizardsWestern Banded GeckoColeonyx variegatus

peak

SnakesWestern Black-headed SnakeTantilla planiceps

peak

SnakesWestern Diamond-backed RattlesnakeCrotalus atrox

venomous

peak

LizardsWestern Fence LizardSceloporus occidentalis

peak

SnakesWestern Glossy SnakeArizona occidentalis

peak

SnakesWestern Patch-nosed SnakeSalvadora hexalepis

peak

SnakesWestern RattlesnakeCrotalus oreganus

venomous

peak

SnakesWestern Terrestrial Garter SnakeThamnophis elegans

peak

SnakesWestern ThreadsnakeRena humilis

peak

Frogs and ToadsWestern ToadAnaxyrus boreas

peak

Frogs and ToadsWoodhouse's ToadAnaxyrus woodhousii

peak

LizardsZebra-tailed LizardCallisaurus draconoides

shoulder

SalamandersArboreal SalamanderAneides lugubris

shoulder

LizardsBlainville's Horned LizardPhrynosoma blainvillii

shoulder

SnakesCalifornia King SnakeLampropeltis californiae

shoulder

SnakesCalifornia Mountain KingsnakeLampropeltis zonata

shoulder

SnakesCoast Mountain KingsnakeLampropeltis multifasciata

shoulder

SnakesCoastal Rosy BoaLichanura orcutti

shoulder

SnakesColorado Desert Shovelnose SnakeSonora annulata

shoulder

LizardsCommon ChuckwallaSauromalus ater

shoulder

LizardsCommon Sagebrush LizardSceloporus graciosus

shoulder

SnakesCommon Sharp-tailed SnakeContia tenuis

shoulder

SalamandersDel Norte SalamanderPlethodon elongatus

shoulder

LizardsDesert Collared LizardCrotaphytus bicinctores

shoulder

LizardsDesert Horned LizardPhrynosoma platyrhinos

shoulder

LizardsDesert IguanaDipsosaurus dorsalis

shoulder

SnakesDesert NightsnakeHypsiglena chlorophaea

shoulder

SalamandersEnsatinaEnsatina eschscholtzii

shoulder

LizardsGilbert's SkinkPlestiodon gilberti

shoulder

LizardsLong-nosed Leopard LizardGambelia wislizenii

shoulder

SalamandersLong-toed SalamanderAmbystoma macrodactylum

shoulder

LizardsMojave Fringe-toed LizardUma scoparia

shoulder

SnakesMojave Shovelnose SnakeSonora occipitalis

shoulder

LizardsNorthern Legless LizardAnniella pulchra

shoulder

SnakesNorthern Rubber BoaCharina bottae

shoulder

SalamandersNorthwestern SalamanderAmbystoma gracile

shoulder

SnakesPanamint RattlesnakeCrotalus stephensi

venomous

shoulder

SnakesRing-necked SnakeDiadophis punctatus

shoulder

SalamandersRough-skinned NewtTaricha granulosa

shoulder

LizardsSan Diegan Legless LizardAnniella stebbinsi

shoulder

LizardsSouthern Sagebrush LizardSceloporus vandenburgianus

shoulder

SalamandersSouthern Torrent SalamanderRhyacotriton variegatus

shoulder

SnakesWestern Leaf-nosed SnakePhyllorhynchus decurtatus

shoulder

LizardsWestern SkinkPlestiodon skiltonianus

shoulder

LizardsWestern WhiptailAspidoscelis tigris

About California

When are reptiles and amphibians most active in California?

May is the busiest month in California, with 80 species at peak activity. At least half of the area's species are active from January through November.

What reptiles and amphibians live in California?

112 species have enough iNaturalist records to show here: 38 lizards, 38 snakes, 21 salamanders, 11 frogs and toads, and 4 turtles. The most-reported are the Western Fence Lizard, Common Side-blotched Lizard, and Pacific Chorus Frog.

Are there venomous snakes in California?

Yes. The Western Rattlesnake, Red Diamond Rattlesnake, Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake, Sidewinder, Mojave Rattlesnake, Panamint Rattlesnake, and Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake live here. Don't handle them.

Which reptiles and amphibians in California are introduced?

The Pond Slider, American Bullfrog, Green Anole, and Mediterranean House Gecko are not native here.

Where does this data come from?

Activity calendars are built from iNaturalist research-grade observations (downloaded through GBIF, September 2026), corrected for how many people are out observing each month. Rare and protected species are left off on purpose.