Month by month

What Reptiles and Amphibians Are Out in North Carolina in May

100 reptiles and amphibians are active in North Carolina in May, and 85 are at peak. Peak species include the Pond Slider, Green Treefrog, Common Watersnake, and Cope's Gray Tree Frog.

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 May 85

Snakes

peak

SnakesBanded WatersnakeNerodia fasciata

peak

SnakesBrown WatersnakeNerodia taxispilota

peak

SnakesCentral RatsnakePantherophis alleghaniensis

peak

SnakesCommon Garter SnakeThamnophis sirtalis

peak

SnakesCommon Ribbon SnakeThamnophis saurita

peak

SnakesCommon WatersnakeNerodia sipedon

peak

SnakesCommon WormsnakeCarphophis amoenus

peak

SnakesDeKay's BrownsnakeStoreria dekayi

peak

SnakesEastern CopperheadAgkistrodon contortrix

venomous

peak

SnakesEastern Hognose SnakeHeterodon platirhinos

peak

SnakesEastern KingsnakeLampropeltis getula

peak

SnakesEastern MilksnakeLampropeltis triangulum

peak

SnakesEastern RatsnakePantherophis quadrivittatus

peak

SnakesMole KingsnakeLampropeltis rhombomaculata

peak

SnakesMudsnakeFarancia abacura

peak

SnakesNorth American RacerColuber constrictor

peak

SnakesNorthern CottonmouthAgkistrodon piscivorus

venomous

peak

SnakesPlain-bellied WatersnakeNerodia erythrogaster

peak

SnakesQueensnakeRegina septemvittata

peak

SnakesRed CornsnakePantherophis guttatus

peak

SnakesRed-bellied SnakeStoreria occipitomaculata

peak

SnakesRing-necked SnakeDiadophis punctatus

peak

SnakesRough EarthsnakeVirginia striatula

peak

SnakesRough GreensnakeOpheodrys aestivus

peak

SnakesSmooth EarthsnakeVirginia valeriae

peak

SnakesSoutheastern Crowned SnakeTantilla coronata

peak

SnakesTimber RattlesnakeCrotalus horridus

venomous

Lizards

peak

LizardsBroad-headed SkinkPlestiodon laticeps

peak

LizardsBrown AnoleAnolis sagrei

introduced

peak

LizardsCommon Five-lined SkinkPlestiodon fasciatus

peak

LizardsEastern Fence LizardSceloporus undulatus

peak

LizardsEastern Glass LizardOphisaurus ventralis

peak

LizardsLittle Brown SkinkScincella lateralis

peak

LizardsSix-lined RacerunnerAspidoscelis sexlineatus

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

peak

TurtlesSpiny SoftshellApalone spinifera

peak

TurtlesStriped Mud TurtleKinosternon baurii

Alligators

peak

AlligatorsAmerican AlligatorAlligator mississippiensis

Frogs and Toads

peak

Frogs and ToadsAmerican BullfrogLithobates catesbeianus

peak

Frogs and ToadsAmerican ToadAnaxyrus americanus

peak

Frogs and ToadsBarking Tree FrogDryophytes gratiosus

peak

Frogs and ToadsCarpenter FrogLithobates virgatipes

peak

Frogs and ToadsCope's Gray Tree FrogDryophytes chrysoscelis

peak

Frogs and ToadsEastern Narrow-mouthed ToadGastrophryne carolinensis

peak

Frogs and ToadsFowler's ToadAnaxyrus fowleri

peak

Frogs and ToadsGreen FrogLithobates clamitans

peak

Frogs and ToadsGreen TreefrogDryophytes cinereus

peak

Frogs and ToadsPine Woods Tree FrogDryophytes femoralis

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

SalamandersBlue Ridge Blackbelly SalamanderDesmognathus mavrokoilius

peak

SalamandersBlue Ridge Dusky SalamanderDesmognathus orestes

peak

SalamandersCarolina Mountain Dusky SalamanderDesmognathus carolinensis

peak

SalamandersChattooga Dusky SalamanderDesmognathus perlapsus

peak

SalamandersCherokee Blackbelly SalamanderDesmognathus gvnigeusgwotli

peak

SalamandersCherokee Mountain Dusky SalamanderDesmognathus adatsihi

peak

SalamandersEastern NewtNotophthalmus viridescens

peak

SalamandersGreat Balsams Mountain Dusky SalamanderDesmognathus balsameus

peak

SalamandersImitator SalamanderDesmognathus imitator

peak

SalamandersMole SalamanderAmbystoma talpoideum

peak

SalamandersNorthern Gray-cheeked SalamanderPlethodon montanus

peak

SalamandersOcoee SalamanderDesmognathus ocoee

peak

SalamandersPygmy SalamanderDesmognathus wrighti

peak

SalamandersRed SalamanderPseudotriton ruber

peak

SalamandersRed-cheeked SalamanderPlethodon jordani

peak

SalamandersRed-legged SalamanderPlethodon shermani

peak

SalamandersSanteetlah Dusky SalamanderDesmognathus santeetlah

peak

SalamandersSeal SalamanderDesmognathus monticola

peak

SalamandersSouthern Appalachian SalamanderPlethodon teyahalee

peak

SalamandersSouthern Blackbelly SalamanderDesmognathus amphileucus

peak

SalamandersSouthern Gray-cheeked SalamanderPlethodon metcalfi

peak

SalamandersSpring SalamanderGyrinophilus porphyriticus

peak

SalamandersThree-lined SalamanderEurycea guttolineata

peak

SalamandersWhite-spotted Slimy SalamanderPlethodon cylindraceus

peak

SalamandersYonahlossee SalamanderPlethodon yonahlossee

Shoulder season in May 15

Snakes

shoulder

SnakesPygmy RattlesnakeSistrurus miliarius

venomous

Lizards

shoulder

LizardsGreen AnoleAnolis carolinensis

Frogs and Toads

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsEastern SpadefootScaphiopus holbrookii

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsNorthern Cricket FrogAcris crepitans

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsPickerel FrogLithobates palustris

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsSpring PeeperPseudacris crucifer

Salamanders

shoulder

SalamandersAtlantic Coast Slimy SalamanderPlethodon chlorobryonis

shoulder

SalamandersBlue Ridge Two-lined SalamanderEurycea wilderae

shoulder

SalamandersMarbled SalamanderAmbystoma opacum

shoulder

SalamandersMud SalamanderPseudotriton montanus

shoulder

SalamandersPiedmont Dusky SalamanderDesmognathus bairdi

shoulder

SalamandersRavine SalamanderPlethodon richmondi

shoulder

SalamandersSouthern Red-backed SalamanderPlethodon serratus

shoulder

SalamandersSouthern Two-lined SalamanderEurycea cirrigera

shoulder

SalamandersWolf Dusky SalamanderDesmognathus lycos

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 May

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

100 reptiles and amphibians are active in North Carolina in May, and 85 are at peak. Peak species include the Pond Slider, Green Treefrog, Common Watersnake, and Cope's Gray Tree Frog.

Are venomous snakes active in North Carolina in May?

Yes. The Eastern Copperhead, Timber Rattlesnake, Northern Cottonmouth, and Pygmy Rattlesnake can be active in May. Watch where you step and don't handle them.