State herp calendar
Reptiles and Amphibians of Virginia
Virginia runs from Appalachian mountains to the Chesapeake Bay. Salamanders are the biggest group, and Eastern Red-backed Salamanders are the most-reported herp. American Toads and Painted Turtles are common. May is the busiest month. The Eastern Copperhead, Northern Cottonmouth and Timber Rattlesnake live here.
86 species5 ecoregions3 venomous
Search entire stateSpecies out across Virginia, by group and month
| Group | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snakes | 4 | 12 | 21 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 16 | 7 |
| Lizards | 3 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 3 | ||
| Turtles | 3 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 3 |
| Frogs and Toads | 8 | 9 | 15 | 20 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 4 |
| Salamanders | 8 | 16 | 19 | 25 | 23 | 21 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 13 | 7 |
Numbers = species active that month (at peak or just starting / winding down).
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Hi, I'm Nick. I built Herp Calendar on my own and I keep it free, with no ads. If it has helped you find a herp this season, a small tip goes straight into the hosting and the data work. Only if you can spare it. Either way, I'm glad you're here.
Pick your ecoregion
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Tap a region to see what's out
Ecoregions of Virginia
Seasons shift a lot between Virginia's ecoregions. Pick the one nearest you for a 12-month calendar of what's out.
Piedmont
68 speciesRolling hills and suburbs where toads, anoles and ratsnakes are part of daily life.
View calendar →Blue Ridge Mountains
61 speciesSalamander country: wet coves, cold streams, and more salamanders than anything else.
View calendar →Central Appalachians
54 speciesForested ridges and hollows full of salamanders, with ratsnakes on the rocks.
View calendar →Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain
55 speciesLow pine woods, swamps and bays with treefrogs, toads and turtles.
View calendar →Southeastern Plains
86 speciesLongleaf pine, swamps and farmland with the biggest species list on the site.
View calendar →Venomous here: Eastern Copperhead, Northern Cottonmouth, Timber Rattlesnake. Don't handle any snake you can't identify.
About Virginia
When are reptiles and amphibians most active in Virginia?
May is the busiest month in Virginia, with 68 species at peak activity. At least half of the area's species are active from February through November.
What reptiles and amphibians live in Virginia?
86 species have enough iNaturalist records to show here: 25 salamanders, 24 snakes, 20 frogs and toads, 9 turtles, and 8 lizards. The most-reported are the Eastern Red-backed Salamander, American Toad, and Painted Turtle.
Are there venomous snakes in Virginia?
Yes. The Eastern Copperhead, Northern Cottonmouth, and Timber Rattlesnake live here. Don't handle them.
Which reptiles and amphibians in Virginia are introduced?
The Mediterranean House Gecko and Green 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.