Month by month

What Reptiles and Amphibians Are Out in Florida in May

107 reptiles and amphibians are active in Florida in May, and 95 are at peak. Peak species include the Brown Anole, American Alligator, Green Anole, and Cuban Tree Frog.

Counted from iNaturalist research-grade observations recorded inside Florida. Seasons shift across the state, so for a closer match, pick your ecoregion.

Full 12-month Florida calendar Pick your ecoregion

Species out across Florida, by group and month

Group
Snakes	26	29	31	33	33	31	30	30	31	30	29	27
Lizards	27	29	33	31	33	33	33	31	30	29	28	25
Turtles	11	13	14	15	13	13	13	13	13	11	11	11
Frogs and Toads	19	20	22	21	20	20	20	19	19	20	19	19
Salamanders	9	9	9	10	7	4	3	5	9	7	7	9

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

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At peak in May 95

Snakes

peak

SnakesBanded WatersnakeNerodia fasciata

peak

SnakesBlack SwampsnakeSeminatrix pygaea

peak

SnakesBrahminy BlindsnakeIndotyphlops braminus

introduced

peak

SnakesBrown WatersnakeNerodia taxispilota

peak

SnakesCentral RatsnakePantherophis alleghaniensis

peak

SnakesCommon CoachwhipMasticophis flagellum

peak

SnakesCommon Garter SnakeThamnophis sirtalis

peak

SnakesCommon Ribbon SnakeThamnophis saurita

peak

SnakesEastern CoralsnakeMicrurus fulvius

venomous

peak

SnakesEastern Diamondback RattlesnakeCrotalus adamanteus

venomous

peak

SnakesEastern Hognose SnakeHeterodon platirhinos

peak

SnakesEastern RatsnakePantherophis quadrivittatus

peak

SnakesFlorida BrownsnakeStoreria victa

peak

SnakesFlorida CottonmouthAgkistrodon conanti

venomous

peak

SnakesFlorida Crowned SnakeTantilla relicta

peak

SnakesFlorida Green WatersnakeNerodia floridana

peak

SnakesGlossy SwampsnakeLiodytes rigida

peak

SnakesMudsnakeFarancia abacura

peak

SnakesNorth American RacerColuber constrictor

peak

SnakesPine SnakePituophis melanoleucus

peak

SnakesPine Woods LittersnakeRhadinaea flavilata

peak

SnakesPlain-bellied WatersnakeNerodia erythrogaster

peak

SnakesPygmy RattlesnakeSistrurus miliarius

venomous

peak

SnakesRed CornsnakePantherophis guttatus

peak

SnakesRed-bellied SnakeStoreria occipitomaculata

peak

SnakesRing-necked SnakeDiadophis punctatus

peak

SnakesRough GreensnakeOpheodrys aestivus

peak

SnakesSaltmarsh SnakeNerodia clarkii

peak

SnakesScarlet KingsnakeLampropeltis elapsoides

peak

SnakesScarletsnakeCemophora coccinea

peak

SnakesSmooth EarthsnakeVirginia valeriae

Lizards

peak

LizardsArgentine Black-and-white TeguSalvator merianae

introduced

peak

LizardsAsian House GeckoHemidactylus frenatus

introduced

peak

LizardsBark AnoleAnolis distichus

introduced

peak

LizardsBlack Spiny-tailed IguanaCtenosaura similis

introduced

peak

LizardsBroad-headed SkinkPlestiodon laticeps

peak

LizardsBrown AnoleAnolis sagrei

introduced

peak

LizardsBrown BasiliskBasiliscus vittatus

introduced

peak

LizardsCrested AnoleAnolis cristatellus

introduced

peak

LizardsDusky Giant AmeivaAmeiva praesignis

introduced

peak

LizardsEastern Fence LizardSceloporus undulatus

peak

LizardsEastern Glass LizardOphisaurus ventralis

peak

LizardsFlat-tailed House GeckoHemidactylus platyurus

introduced

peak

LizardsFlorida Scrub LizardSceloporus woodi

peak

LizardsFlorida Worm LizardRhineura floridana

peak

LizardsGiant AmeivaAmeiva ameiva

introduced

peak

LizardsGreen AnoleAnolis carolinensis

peak

LizardsGreen IguanaIguana iguana

introduced

peak

LizardsIsland Glass LizardOphisaurus compressus

peak

LizardsKnight AnoleAnolis equestris

introduced

peak

LizardsLittle Brown SkinkScincella lateralis

peak

LizardsMadagascar Giant Day GeckoPhelsuma grandis

introduced

peak

LizardsMediterranean House GeckoHemidactylus turcicus

introduced

peak

LizardsNorthern Curly-tailed LizardLeiocephalus carinatus

introduced

peak

LizardsPeters's Rock AgamaAgama picticauda

introduced

peak

LizardsRainbow WhiptailCnemidophorus lemniscatus

introduced

peak

LizardsReef GeckoSphaerodactylus notatus

peak

LizardsSix-lined RacerunnerAspidoscelis sexlineatus

peak

LizardsSoutheastern Five-lined SkinkPlestiodon inexpectatus

peak

LizardsTokay GeckoGekko gecko

introduced

peak

LizardsTropical House GeckoHemidactylus mabouia

introduced

Turtles

peak

TurtlesCoastal Plain CooterPseudemys floridana

peak

TurtlesCommon Snapping TurtleChelydra serpentina

peak

TurtlesEastern Mud TurtleKinosternon subrubrum

peak

TurtlesEastern Musk TurtleSternotherus odoratus

peak

TurtlesFlorida Softshell TurtleApalone ferox

peak

TurtlesIntermediate Musk TurtleSternotherus intermedius

peak

TurtlesLoggerhead Musk TurtleSternotherus minor

peak

TurtlesPond SliderTrachemys scripta

peak

TurtlesRiver CooterPseudemys concinna

peak

TurtlesStriped Mud TurtleKinosternon baurii

Alligators

peak

AlligatorsAmerican AlligatorAlligator mississippiensis

Frogs and Toads

peak

Frogs and ToadsAmerican BullfrogLithobates catesbeianus

peak

Frogs and ToadsBarking Tree FrogDryophytes gratiosus

peak

Frogs and ToadsCane ToadRhinella marina

introduced

peak

Frogs and ToadsCope's Gray Tree FrogDryophytes chrysoscelis

peak

Frogs and ToadsCuban Tree FrogOsteopilus septentrionalis

introduced

peak

Frogs and ToadsEastern Narrow-mouthed ToadGastrophryne carolinensis

peak

Frogs and ToadsEastern SpadefootScaphiopus holbrookii

peak

Frogs and ToadsGreen FrogLithobates clamitans

peak

Frogs and ToadsGreen TreefrogDryophytes cinereus

peak

Frogs and ToadsLittle Grass FrogPseudacris ocularis

peak

Frogs and ToadsOak ToadAnaxyrus quercicus

peak

Frogs and ToadsPig FrogLithobates grylio

peak

Frogs and ToadsPine Woods Tree FrogDryophytes femoralis

peak

Frogs and ToadsRiver FrogLithobates heckscheri

peak

Frogs and ToadsSouthern Cricket FrogAcris gryllus

peak

Frogs and ToadsSouthern Leopard FrogLithobates sphenocephalus

peak

Frogs and ToadsSouthern ToadAnaxyrus terrestris

peak

Frogs and ToadsSquirrel Tree FrogDryophytes squirellus

Salamanders

peak

SalamandersCoastal Plain Dwarf SalamanderEurycea quadridigitata

peak

SalamandersEastern NewtNotophthalmus viridescens

peak

SalamandersGreater SirenSiren lacertina

peak

SalamandersSouthern Two-lined SalamanderEurycea cirrigera

peak

SalamandersTwo-toed AmphiumaAmphiuma means

Shoulder season in May 12

Snakes

shoulder

SnakesBurmese PythonPython bivittatus

introduced

shoulder

SnakesStriped SwampsnakeLiodytes alleni

Lizards

shoulder

LizardsAshy GeckoSphaerodactylus elegans

introduced

shoulder

LizardsIndo-Pacific House GeckoHemidactylus garnotii

introduced

shoulder

LizardsVeiled ChameleonChamaeleo calyptratus

introduced

Turtles

shoulder

TurtlesChicken TurtleDeirochelys reticularia

shoulder

TurtlesFlorida Red-bellied CooterPseudemys nelsoni

shoulder

TurtlesPeninsular CooterPseudemys peninsularis

Frogs and Toads

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsGreenhouse FrogEleutherodactylus planirostris

introduced

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsSpring PeeperPseudacris crucifer

Salamanders

shoulder

SalamandersSoutheastern Slimy SalamanderPlethodon grobmani

shoulder

SalamandersThree-lined SalamanderEurycea guttolineata

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.

Florida in May

What reptiles and amphibians are out in Florida in May?

107 reptiles and amphibians are active in Florida in May, and 95 are at peak. Peak species include the Brown Anole, American Alligator, Green Anole, and Cuban Tree Frog.

Are venomous snakes active in Florida in May?

Yes. The Florida Cottonmouth, Pygmy Rattlesnake, Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake, and Eastern Coralsnake can be active in May. Watch where you step and don't handle them.