Month by month

What Reptiles and Amphibians Are Out in North Carolina in March

88 reptiles and amphibians are active in North Carolina in March, and 66 are at peak. Peak species include the Green Anole, Pond Slider, Common Watersnake, and Common Five-lined Skink.

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

Full 12-month North Carolina calendar Pick your ecoregion

Species out across North Carolina, by group and month

Group
Snakes	7	15	24	28	28	28	27	27	27	26	22	11
Lizards	3	6	7	9	9	10	9	10	9	7	5	3
Turtles	3	7	8	9	10	10	9	9	8	7	6	4
Frogs and Toads	11	14	19	19	18	18	17	17	17	17	14	15
Salamanders	14	23	29	37	34	29	28	28	31	29	25	16

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

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At peak in March 66

Snakes

peak

SnakesBanded WatersnakeNerodia fasciata

peak

SnakesBrown WatersnakeNerodia taxispilota

peak

SnakesCommon Garter SnakeThamnophis sirtalis

peak

SnakesCommon Ribbon SnakeThamnophis saurita

peak

SnakesCommon WatersnakeNerodia sipedon

peak

SnakesCommon WormsnakeCarphophis amoenus

peak

SnakesDeKay's BrownsnakeStoreria dekayi

peak

SnakesNorth American RacerColuber constrictor

peak

SnakesQueensnakeRegina septemvittata

peak

SnakesRed CornsnakePantherophis guttatus

peak

SnakesRed-bellied SnakeStoreria occipitomaculata

peak

SnakesRough EarthsnakeVirginia striatula

peak

SnakesSmooth EarthsnakeVirginia valeriae

peak

SnakesSoutheastern Crowned SnakeTantilla coronata

Lizards

peak

LizardsCommon Five-lined SkinkPlestiodon fasciatus

peak

LizardsEastern Fence LizardSceloporus undulatus

peak

LizardsEastern Glass LizardOphisaurus ventralis

peak

LizardsGreen AnoleAnolis carolinensis

peak

LizardsLittle Brown SkinkScincella lateralis

peak

LizardsSoutheastern Five-lined SkinkPlestiodon inexpectatus

Turtles

peak

TurtlesCoastal Plain CooterPseudemys floridana

peak

TurtlesCommon Snapping TurtleChelydra serpentina

peak

TurtlesEastern Mud TurtleKinosternon subrubrum

peak

TurtlesEastern Musk TurtleSternotherus odoratus

peak

TurtlesNorthern Red-bellied CooterPseudemys rubriventris

peak

TurtlesPainted TurtleChrysemys picta

peak

TurtlesPond SliderTrachemys scripta

peak

TurtlesRiver CooterPseudemys concinna

Alligators

peak

AlligatorsAmerican AlligatorAlligator mississippiensis

Frogs and Toads

peak

Frogs and ToadsAmerican BullfrogLithobates catesbeianus

peak

Frogs and ToadsAmerican ToadAnaxyrus americanus

peak

Frogs and ToadsCarpenter FrogLithobates virgatipes

peak

Frogs and ToadsEastern SpadefootScaphiopus holbrookii

peak

Frogs and ToadsGreen FrogLithobates clamitans

peak

Frogs and ToadsNorthern Cricket FrogAcris crepitans

peak

Frogs and ToadsPickerel FrogLithobates palustris

peak

Frogs and ToadsSouthern Cricket FrogAcris gryllus

peak

Frogs and ToadsSouthern Leopard FrogLithobates sphenocephalus

peak

Frogs and ToadsSpring PeeperPseudacris crucifer

peak

Frogs and ToadsUpland Chorus FrogPseudacris feriarum

peak

Frogs and ToadsWood FrogLithobates sylvaticus

Salamanders

peak

SalamandersAtlantic Coast Slimy SalamanderPlethodon chlorobryonis

peak

SalamandersBlue Ridge Blackbelly SalamanderDesmognathus mavrokoilius

peak

SalamandersBlue Ridge Dusky SalamanderDesmognathus orestes

peak

SalamandersCarolina Mountain Dusky SalamanderDesmognathus carolinensis

peak

SalamandersChamberlain's Dwarf SalamanderEurycea chamberlaini

peak

SalamandersEastern NewtNotophthalmus viridescens

peak

SalamandersEastern Red-backed SalamanderPlethodon cinereus

peak

SalamandersFour-toed SalamanderHemidactylium scutatum

peak

SalamandersMarbled SalamanderAmbystoma opacum

peak

SalamandersMole SalamanderAmbystoma talpoideum

peak

SalamandersOcoee SalamanderDesmognathus ocoee

peak

SalamandersPiedmont Dusky SalamanderDesmognathus bairdi

peak

SalamandersRavine SalamanderPlethodon richmondi

peak

SalamandersRed SalamanderPseudotriton ruber

peak

SalamandersSanteetlah Dusky SalamanderDesmognathus santeetlah

peak

SalamandersSeal SalamanderDesmognathus monticola

peak

SalamandersSouthern Appalachian SalamanderPlethodon teyahalee

peak

SalamandersSouthern Blackbelly SalamanderDesmognathus amphileucus

peak

SalamandersSouthern Red-backed SalamanderPlethodon serratus

peak

SalamandersSouthern Two-lined SalamanderEurycea cirrigera

peak

SalamandersSpotted SalamanderAmbystoma maculatum

peak

SalamandersSpring SalamanderGyrinophilus porphyriticus

peak

SalamandersThree-lined SalamanderEurycea guttolineata

peak

SalamandersWhite-spotted Slimy SalamanderPlethodon cylindraceus

peak

SalamandersWolf Dusky SalamanderDesmognathus lycos

Shoulder season in March 22

Snakes

shoulder

SnakesCentral RatsnakePantherophis alleghaniensis

shoulder

SnakesEastern CopperheadAgkistrodon contortrix

venomous

shoulder

SnakesEastern Hognose SnakeHeterodon platirhinos

shoulder

SnakesEastern KingsnakeLampropeltis getula

shoulder

SnakesEastern RatsnakePantherophis quadrivittatus

shoulder

SnakesMole KingsnakeLampropeltis rhombomaculata

shoulder

SnakesNorthern CottonmouthAgkistrodon piscivorus

venomous

shoulder

SnakesPlain-bellied WatersnakeNerodia erythrogaster

shoulder

SnakesRing-necked SnakeDiadophis punctatus

shoulder

SnakesRough GreensnakeOpheodrys aestivus

Lizards

shoulder

LizardsBroad-headed SkinkPlestiodon laticeps

Frogs and Toads

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsCope's Gray Tree FrogDryophytes chrysoscelis

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsEastern Narrow-mouthed ToadGastrophryne carolinensis

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsFowler's ToadAnaxyrus fowleri

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsGreen TreefrogDryophytes cinereus

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsPine Woods Tree FrogDryophytes femoralis

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsSouthern ToadAnaxyrus terrestris

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsSquirrel Tree FrogDryophytes squirellus

Salamanders

shoulder

SalamandersBlue Ridge Two-lined SalamanderEurycea wilderae

shoulder

SalamandersNorthern Gray-cheeked SalamanderPlethodon montanus

shoulder

SalamandersPygmy SalamanderDesmognathus wrighti

shoulder

SalamandersRed-legged SalamanderPlethodon shermani

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.

North Carolina in March

What reptiles and amphibians are out in North Carolina in March?

88 reptiles and amphibians are active in North Carolina in March, and 66 are at peak. Peak species include the Green Anole, Pond Slider, Common Watersnake, and Common Five-lined Skink.

Are venomous snakes active in North Carolina in March?

Yes. The Eastern Copperhead and Northern Cottonmouth can be active in March. Watch where you step and don't handle them.