Statewide

North Carolina Reptiles and Amphibians by Month

Every reptile and amphibian with enough records anywhere in North Carolina, 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 North Carolina page.

107 species4 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 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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93 species at peak or shoulder in September

peak

AlligatorsAmerican AlligatorAlligator mississippiensis

peak

Frogs and ToadsAmerican BullfrogLithobates catesbeianus

peak

Frogs and ToadsAmerican ToadAnaxyrus americanus

peak

SnakesBanded WatersnakeNerodia fasciata

peak

Frogs and ToadsBarking Tree FrogDryophytes gratiosus

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

SnakesCommon Garter SnakeThamnophis sirtalis

peak

SnakesCommon Ribbon SnakeThamnophis saurita

peak

Frogs and ToadsCope's Gray Tree FrogDryophytes chrysoscelis

peak

SnakesDeKay's BrownsnakeStoreria dekayi

peak

SnakesEastern CopperheadAgkistrodon contortrix

venomous

peak

LizardsEastern Fence LizardSceloporus undulatus

peak

LizardsEastern Glass LizardOphisaurus ventralis

peak

SnakesEastern Hognose SnakeHeterodon platirhinos

peak

SnakesEastern MilksnakeLampropeltis triangulum

peak

TurtlesEastern Musk TurtleSternotherus odoratus

peak

SalamandersEastern NewtNotophthalmus viridescens

peak

SalamandersGreat Balsams Mountain Dusky SalamanderDesmognathus balsameus

peak

LizardsGreen AnoleAnolis carolinensis

peak

Frogs and ToadsGreen FrogLithobates clamitans

peak

Frogs and ToadsGreen TreefrogDryophytes cinereus

peak

SalamandersImitator SalamanderDesmognathus imitator

peak

LizardsLittle Brown SkinkScincella lateralis

peak

LizardsMediterranean House GeckoHemidactylus turcicus

introduced

peak

SnakesMole KingsnakeLampropeltis rhombomaculata

peak

SnakesMudsnakeFarancia abacura

peak

SnakesNorth American RacerColuber constrictor

peak

SnakesNorthern CottonmouthAgkistrodon piscivorus

venomous

peak

SalamandersNorthern Gray-cheeked SalamanderPlethodon montanus

peak

TurtlesNorthern Red-bellied CooterPseudemys rubriventris

peak

SalamandersOcoee SalamanderDesmognathus ocoee

peak

Frogs and ToadsPickerel FrogLithobates palustris

peak

Frogs and ToadsPine Woods Tree FrogDryophytes femoralis

peak

SnakesPygmy RattlesnakeSistrurus miliarius

venomous

peak

SalamandersRavine SalamanderPlethodon richmondi

peak

SnakesRed-bellied SnakeStoreria occipitomaculata

peak

SalamandersRed-legged SalamanderPlethodon shermani

peak

SnakesRing-necked SnakeDiadophis punctatus

peak

SnakesRough GreensnakeOpheodrys aestivus

peak

SalamandersSanteetlah Dusky SalamanderDesmognathus santeetlah

peak

SalamandersSeal SalamanderDesmognathus monticola

peak

SnakesSmooth EarthsnakeVirginia valeriae

peak

SalamandersSouthern Appalachian SalamanderPlethodon teyahalee

peak

SalamandersSouthern Blackbelly SalamanderDesmognathus amphileucus

peak

SalamandersSouthern Gray-cheeked SalamanderPlethodon metcalfi

peak

Frogs and ToadsSouthern Leopard FrogLithobates sphenocephalus

peak

Frogs and ToadsSouthern ToadAnaxyrus terrestris

peak

TurtlesSpiny SoftshellApalone spinifera

peak

Frogs and ToadsSquirrel Tree FrogDryophytes squirellus

peak

SalamandersThree-lined SalamanderEurycea guttolineata

peak

SnakesTimber RattlesnakeCrotalus horridus

venomous

peak

SalamandersWhite-spotted Slimy SalamanderPlethodon cylindraceus

peak

SalamandersYonahlossee SalamanderPlethodon yonahlossee

shoulder

LizardsBroad-headed SkinkPlestiodon laticeps

shoulder

SnakesBrown WatersnakeNerodia taxispilota

shoulder

SnakesCentral RatsnakePantherophis alleghaniensis

shoulder

SalamandersCherokee Mountain Dusky SalamanderDesmognathus adatsihi

shoulder

LizardsCommon Five-lined SkinkPlestiodon fasciatus

shoulder

TurtlesCommon Snapping TurtleChelydra serpentina

shoulder

SnakesCommon WatersnakeNerodia sipedon

shoulder

SnakesCommon WormsnakeCarphophis amoenus

shoulder

SnakesEastern KingsnakeLampropeltis getula

shoulder

TurtlesEastern Mud TurtleKinosternon subrubrum

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsEastern Narrow-mouthed ToadGastrophryne carolinensis

shoulder

SnakesEastern RatsnakePantherophis quadrivittatus

shoulder

SalamandersEastern Red-backed SalamanderPlethodon cinereus

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsEastern SpadefootScaphiopus holbrookii

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsFowler's ToadAnaxyrus fowleri

shoulder

SalamandersMarbled SalamanderAmbystoma opacum

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsNorthern Cricket FrogAcris crepitans

shoulder

TurtlesPainted TurtleChrysemys picta

shoulder

SalamandersPiedmont Dusky SalamanderDesmognathus bairdi

shoulder

SnakesPlain-bellied WatersnakeNerodia erythrogaster

shoulder

TurtlesPond SliderTrachemys scripta

shoulder

SalamandersPygmy SalamanderDesmognathus wrighti

shoulder

SnakesQueensnakeRegina septemvittata

shoulder

SnakesRed CornsnakePantherophis guttatus

shoulder

SalamandersRed SalamanderPseudotriton ruber

shoulder

SalamandersRed-cheeked SalamanderPlethodon jordani

shoulder

TurtlesRiver CooterPseudemys concinna

shoulder

SnakesRough EarthsnakeVirginia striatula

shoulder

LizardsSix-lined RacerunnerAspidoscelis sexlineatus

shoulder

LizardsSoutheastern Five-lined SkinkPlestiodon inexpectatus

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsSouthern Cricket FrogAcris gryllus

shoulder

SalamandersSouthern Red-backed SalamanderPlethodon serratus

shoulder

SalamandersSouthern Two-lined SalamanderEurycea cirrigera

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsSpring PeeperPseudacris crucifer

shoulder

SalamandersSpring SalamanderGyrinophilus porphyriticus

shoulder

SalamandersWolf Dusky SalamanderDesmognathus lycos

About North Carolina

When are reptiles and amphibians most active in North Carolina?

May is the busiest month in North Carolina, with 85 species at peak activity. At least half of the area's species are active from February through November.

What reptiles and amphibians live in North Carolina?

107 species have enough iNaturalist records to show here: 38 salamanders, 28 snakes, 20 frogs and toads, 10 lizards, 10 turtles, and 1 alligator. The most-reported are the Green Anole, Pond Slider, and Green Treefrog.

Are there venomous snakes in North Carolina?

Yes. The Eastern Copperhead, Timber Rattlesnake, Northern Cottonmouth, and Pygmy Rattlesnake live here. Don't handle them.

Which reptiles and amphibians in North Carolina are introduced?

The Mediterranean House Gecko and Brown Anole 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.