Month by month

What Reptiles and Amphibians Are Out in North Carolina in October

87 reptiles and amphibians are active in North Carolina in October, and 60 are at peak. Peak species include the Green Anole, Green Treefrog, Cope's Gray Tree Frog, and DeKay's Brownsnake.

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 October 60

Snakes

peak

SnakesCommon Garter SnakeThamnophis sirtalis

peak

SnakesCommon Ribbon SnakeThamnophis saurita

peak

SnakesDeKay's BrownsnakeStoreria dekayi

peak

SnakesEastern CopperheadAgkistrodon contortrix

venomous

peak

SnakesEastern Hognose SnakeHeterodon platirhinos

peak

SnakesEastern MilksnakeLampropeltis triangulum

peak

SnakesMole KingsnakeLampropeltis rhombomaculata

peak

SnakesNorth American RacerColuber constrictor

peak

SnakesNorthern CottonmouthAgkistrodon piscivorus

venomous

peak

SnakesPygmy RattlesnakeSistrurus miliarius

venomous

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

Lizards

peak

LizardsEastern Fence LizardSceloporus undulatus

peak

LizardsEastern Glass LizardOphisaurus ventralis

peak

LizardsGreen AnoleAnolis carolinensis

peak

LizardsLittle Brown SkinkScincella lateralis

peak

LizardsMediterranean House GeckoHemidactylus turcicus

introduced

Turtles

peak

TurtlesEastern Musk TurtleSternotherus odoratus

peak

TurtlesNorthern Red-bellied CooterPseudemys rubriventris

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 ToadsCope's Gray Tree FrogDryophytes chrysoscelis

peak

Frogs and ToadsGreen FrogLithobates clamitans

peak

Frogs and ToadsGreen TreefrogDryophytes cinereus

peak

Frogs and ToadsNorthern Cricket FrogAcris crepitans

peak

Frogs and ToadsPickerel FrogLithobates palustris

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

SalamandersBlue Ridge Two-lined SalamanderEurycea wilderae

peak

SalamandersCarolina Mountain Dusky SalamanderDesmognathus carolinensis

peak

SalamandersChattooga Dusky SalamanderDesmognathus perlapsus

peak

SalamandersEastern NewtNotophthalmus viridescens

peak

SalamandersGreat Balsams Mountain Dusky SalamanderDesmognathus balsameus

peak

SalamandersMarbled SalamanderAmbystoma opacum

peak

SalamandersMud SalamanderPseudotriton montanus

peak

SalamandersNorthern Gray-cheeked SalamanderPlethodon montanus

peak

SalamandersOcoee SalamanderDesmognathus ocoee

peak

SalamandersPiedmont Dusky SalamanderDesmognathus bairdi

peak

SalamandersRavine SalamanderPlethodon richmondi

peak

SalamandersRed SalamanderPseudotriton ruber

peak

SalamandersRed-legged SalamanderPlethodon shermani

peak

SalamandersSeal SalamanderDesmognathus monticola

peak

SalamandersSouthern Appalachian SalamanderPlethodon teyahalee

peak

SalamandersSouthern Blackbelly SalamanderDesmognathus amphileucus

peak

SalamandersSouthern Gray-cheeked SalamanderPlethodon metcalfi

peak

SalamandersSouthern Red-backed SalamanderPlethodon serratus

peak

SalamandersSouthern Two-lined SalamanderEurycea cirrigera

peak

SalamandersThree-lined SalamanderEurycea guttolineata

peak

SalamandersWhite-spotted Slimy SalamanderPlethodon cylindraceus

Shoulder season in October 27

Snakes

shoulder

SnakesBanded WatersnakeNerodia fasciata

shoulder

SnakesBrown WatersnakeNerodia taxispilota

shoulder

SnakesCentral RatsnakePantherophis alleghaniensis

shoulder

SnakesCommon WatersnakeNerodia sipedon

shoulder

SnakesCommon WormsnakeCarphophis amoenus

shoulder

SnakesEastern KingsnakeLampropeltis getula

shoulder

SnakesEastern RatsnakePantherophis quadrivittatus

shoulder

SnakesPlain-bellied WatersnakeNerodia erythrogaster

shoulder

SnakesQueensnakeRegina septemvittata

shoulder

SnakesTimber RattlesnakeCrotalus horridus

venomous

Lizards

shoulder

LizardsCommon Five-lined SkinkPlestiodon fasciatus

shoulder

LizardsSix-lined RacerunnerAspidoscelis sexlineatus

Turtles

shoulder

TurtlesCommon Snapping TurtleChelydra serpentina

shoulder

TurtlesEastern Mud TurtleKinosternon subrubrum

shoulder

TurtlesPainted TurtleChrysemys picta

shoulder

TurtlesPond SliderTrachemys scripta

shoulder

TurtlesRiver CooterPseudemys concinna

Frogs and Toads

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsEastern Narrow-mouthed ToadGastrophryne carolinensis

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsEastern SpadefootScaphiopus holbrookii

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsFowler's ToadAnaxyrus fowleri

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsSpring PeeperPseudacris crucifer

Salamanders

shoulder

SalamandersAtlantic Coast Slimy SalamanderPlethodon chlorobryonis

shoulder

SalamandersEastern Red-backed SalamanderPlethodon cinereus

shoulder

SalamandersRed-cheeked SalamanderPlethodon jordani

shoulder

SalamandersSpring SalamanderGyrinophilus porphyriticus

shoulder

SalamandersWolf Dusky SalamanderDesmognathus lycos

shoulder

SalamandersYonahlossee SalamanderPlethodon yonahlossee

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 October

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

87 reptiles and amphibians are active in North Carolina in October, and 60 are at peak. Peak species include the Green Anole, Green Treefrog, Cope's Gray Tree Frog, and DeKay's Brownsnake.

Are venomous snakes active in North Carolina in October?

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