Month by month

What Reptiles and Amphibians Are Out in Texas in October

129 reptiles and amphibians are active in Texas in October, and 66 are at peak. Peak species include the Pond Slider, Green Anole, Texas Spiny Lizard, and Mediterranean House Gecko.

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

Full 12-month Texas calendar Pick your ecoregion

Species out across Texas, by group and month

Group
Snakes	17	36	44	56	60	60	58	56	54	50	34	25
Lizards	13	21	30	36	35	35	35	36	35	30	24	17
Turtles	8	11	16	17	16	16	16	16	16	15	12	9
Frogs and Toads	19	21	29	33	35	34	34	33	31	28	23	17
Salamanders	6	6	6	7	5	4	2	2	2	5	7	6

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

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At peak in October 66

Snakes

peak

SnakesBaird's RatsnakePantherophis bairdi

peak

SnakesBig Bend Patch-nosed SnakeSalvadora deserticola

peak

SnakesBlack-necked Garter SnakeThamnophis cyrtopsis

peak

SnakesBlack-striped SnakeConiophanes imperialis

peak

SnakesBrahminy BlindsnakeIndotyphlops braminus

introduced

peak

SnakesCentral American Indigo SnakeDrymarchon melanurus

peak

SnakesCheckered Garter SnakeThamnophis marcianus

peak

SnakesCommon CoachwhipMasticophis flagellum

peak

SnakesDeKay's BrownsnakeStoreria dekayi

peak

SnakesEastern CopperheadAgkistrodon contortrix

venomous

peak

SnakesEastern Hognose SnakeHeterodon platirhinos

peak

SnakesGopher SnakePituophis catenifer

peak

SnakesMountain Patch-nosed SnakeSalvadora grahamiae

peak

SnakesNorth American RacerColuber constrictor

peak

SnakesNorthern CottonmouthAgkistrodon piscivorus

venomous

peak

SnakesRing-necked SnakeDiadophis punctatus

peak

SnakesRough EarthsnakeVirginia striatula

peak

SnakesRough GreensnakeOpheodrys aestivus

peak

SnakesSchott's WhipsnakeMasticophis schotti

peak

SnakesTexas CoralsnakeMicrurus tener

venomous

peak

SnakesTexas Patch-nosed SnakeSalvadora lineata

peak

SnakesTimber RattlesnakeCrotalus horridus

venomous

peak

SnakesWestern Diamond-backed RattlesnakeCrotalus atrox

venomous

peak

SnakesWestern Ribbon SnakeThamnophis proximus

Lizards

peak

LizardsBlue Spiny LizardSceloporus cyanogenys

peak

LizardsBrown AnoleAnolis sagrei

introduced

peak

LizardsCanyon LizardSceloporus merriami

peak

LizardsCommon Side-blotched LizardUta stansburiana

peak

LizardsCrevice Spiny LizardSceloporus poinsettii

peak

LizardsGraphic Spiny LizardSceloporus grammicus

peak

LizardsGreater Earless LizardCophosaurus texanus

peak

LizardsGreen AnoleAnolis carolinensis

peak

LizardsKeeled Earless LizardHolbrookia propinqua

peak

LizardsLittle Brown SkinkScincella lateralis

peak

LizardsMediterranean House GeckoHemidactylus turcicus

introduced

peak

LizardsMoorish GeckoTarentola mauritanica

introduced

peak

LizardsOrnate Tree LizardUrosaurus ornatus

peak

LizardsPrairie LizardSceloporus consobrinus

peak

LizardsRose-bellied LizardSceloporus variabilis

peak

LizardsSpotted House GeckoHemidactylus parvimaculatus

introduced

peak

LizardsTexas Alligator LizardGerrhonotus infernalis

peak

LizardsTexas Spiny LizardSceloporus olivaceus

Turtles

peak

TurtlesEastern Musk TurtleSternotherus odoratus

peak

TurtlesFalse Map TurtleGraptemys pseudogeographica

peak

TurtlesOuachita Map TurtleGraptemys ouachitensis

peak

TurtlesPond SliderTrachemys scripta

peak

TurtlesRazor-backed Musk TurtleSternotherus carinatus

peak

TurtlesRiver CooterPseudemys concinna

peak

TurtlesSabine Map TurtleGraptemys sabinensis

peak

TurtlesSpiny SoftshellApalone spinifera

peak

TurtlesTexas Map TurtleGraptemys versa

Frogs and Toads

peak

Frogs and ToadsAmerican BullfrogLithobates catesbeianus

peak

Frogs and ToadsBlanchard's Cricket FrogAcris blanchardi

peak

Frogs and ToadsFowler's ToadAnaxyrus fowleri

peak

Frogs and ToadsGiant ToadRhinella horribilis

peak

Frogs and ToadsGreen FrogLithobates clamitans

peak

Frogs and ToadsGreen TreefrogDryophytes cinereus

peak

Frogs and ToadsGreenhouse FrogEleutherodactylus planirostris

introduced

peak

Frogs and ToadsMexican TreefrogSmilisca baudinii

peak

Frogs and ToadsPlains Leopard FrogLithobates blairi

peak

Frogs and ToadsRed-spotted ToadAnaxyrus punctatus

peak

Frogs and ToadsRio Grande Chirping FrogEleutherodactylus campi

peak

Frogs and ToadsRio Grande Leopard FrogLithobates berlandieri

peak

Frogs and ToadsSouthern Leopard FrogLithobates sphenocephalus

peak

Frogs and ToadsSquirrel Tree FrogDryophytes squirellus

Salamanders

peak

SalamandersWestern Tiger SalamanderAmbystoma mavortium

Shoulder season in October 63

Snakes

shoulder

SnakesBanded WatersnakeNerodia fasciata

shoulder

SnakesBroad-banded CopperheadAgkistrodon laticinctus

venomous

shoulder

SnakesChihuahuan NightsnakeHypsiglena jani

shoulder

SnakesDesert KingsnakeLampropeltis splendida

shoulder

SnakesDiamondback WatersnakeNerodia rhombifer

shoulder

SnakesEastern Black-tailed RattlesnakeCrotalus ornatus

venomous

shoulder

SnakesFlat-headed SnakeTantilla gracilis

shoulder

SnakesGlossy SnakeArizona elegans

shoulder

SnakesGraham's Crawfish SnakeRegina grahamii

shoulder

SnakesGreat Plains Ground SnakeSonora episcopa

shoulder

SnakesGreat Plains RatsnakePantherophis emoryi

shoulder

SnakesLong-nosed SnakeRhinocheilus lecontei

shoulder

SnakesMexican Hognose SnakeHeterodon kennerlyi

shoulder

SnakesMississippi Green WatersnakeNerodia cyclopion

shoulder

SnakesMojave RattlesnakeCrotalus scutulatus

venomous

shoulder

SnakesPlain-bellied WatersnakeNerodia erythrogaster

shoulder

SnakesPlains Hognose SnakeHeterodon nasicus

shoulder

SnakesPrairie KingsnakeLampropeltis calligaster

shoulder

SnakesPrairie RattlesnakeCrotalus viridis

venomous

shoulder

SnakesRock RattlesnakeCrotalus lepidus

venomous

shoulder

SnakesSaltmarsh SnakeNerodia clarkii

shoulder

SnakesSpeckled KingsnakeLampropeltis holbrooki

shoulder

SnakesStriped WhipsnakeMasticophis taeniatus

shoulder

SnakesTrans-pecos RatsnakeBogertophis subocularis

shoulder

SnakesWestern MassasaugaSistrurus tergeminus

venomous

shoulder

SnakesWestern RatsnakePantherophis obsoletus

Lizards

shoulder

LizardsArizona Striped WhiptailAspidoscelis arizonae

shoulder

LizardsCommon Checkered WhiptailAspidoscelis tesselatus

shoulder

LizardsCommon Five-lined SkinkPlestiodon fasciatus

shoulder

LizardsCommon Spotted WhiptailAspidoscelis gularis

shoulder

LizardsEastern Collared LizardCrotaphytus collaris

shoulder

LizardsFour-lined SkinkPlestiodon tetragrammus

shoulder

LizardsMarbled WhiptailAspidoscelis marmoratus

shoulder

LizardsRoundtail Horned LizardPhrynosoma modestum

shoulder

LizardsRusty-rumped WhiptailAspidoscelis scalaris

shoulder

LizardsSix-lined RacerunnerAspidoscelis sexlineatus

shoulder

LizardsSouthwestern Fence LizardSceloporus cowlesi

shoulder

LizardsTexas Banded GeckoColeonyx brevis

Turtles

shoulder

TurtlesCommon Snapping TurtleChelydra serpentina

shoulder

TurtlesEastern Mud TurtleKinosternon subrubrum

shoulder

TurtlesOrnate Box TurtleTerrapene ornata

shoulder

TurtlesTexas CooterPseudemys texana

shoulder

TurtlesThree-toed Box TurtleTerrapene triunguis

shoulder

TurtlesYellow Mud TurtleKinosternon flavescens

Alligators

shoulder

AlligatorsAmerican AlligatorAlligator mississippiensis

Frogs and Toads

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsCanyon Tree FrogDryophytes arenicolor

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsChihuahuan Green ToadAnaxyrus debilis

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsCliff Chirping FrogEleutherodactylus marnockii

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsCope's Gray Tree FrogDryophytes chrysoscelis

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsCouch's SpadefootScaphiopus couchii

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsEastern Narrow-mouthed ToadGastrophryne carolinensis

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsGray TreefrogDryophytes versicolor

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsGulf Coast ToadIncilius nebulifer

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsHurter's SpadefootScaphiopus hurterii

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsSheep FrogHypopachus variolosus

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsSpotted Chorus FrogPseudacris clarkii

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsTexas ToadAnaxyrus speciosus

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsWestern Narrow-mouthed ToadGastrophryne olivacea

shoulder

Frogs and ToadsWoodhouse's ToadAnaxyrus woodhousii

Salamanders

shoulder

SalamandersEastern NewtNotophthalmus viridescens

shoulder

SalamandersWestern Dwarf SalamanderEurycea paludicola

shoulder

SalamandersWestern Lesser SirenSiren nettingi

shoulder

SalamandersWestern Slimy SalamanderPlethodon albagula

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.

Texas in October

What reptiles and amphibians are out in Texas in October?

129 reptiles and amphibians are active in Texas in October, and 66 are at peak. Peak species include the Pond Slider, Green Anole, Texas Spiny Lizard, and Mediterranean House Gecko.

Are venomous snakes active in Texas in October?

Yes. The Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake, Northern Cottonmouth, Eastern Copperhead, Broad-banded Copperhead, Texas Coralsnake, Eastern Black-tailed Rattlesnake, Timber Rattlesnake, Mojave Rattlesnake, Rock Rattlesnake, Prairie Rattlesnake, and Western Massasauga can be active in October. Watch where you step and don't handle them.