THE CENTER FOR NORTH AMERICAN HERPETOLOGY

SOCIETY FOR THE STUDY OF AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES

Scientific and Standard English Names of Amphibians and Reptiles of North America North of Mexico, with Comments Regarding Confidence in Our Understanding, 9th Edition

STANDARD ENGLISH NAMES FOR NORTH AMERICAN AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES COMMITTEE

Introduction

INTRODUCTION

I want to open this introduction by acknowledging the work of all committee members listed throughout this edition. They have worked diligently and collaboratively to produce this edition, and I am proud and humbled to have been able to work with them all. I am especially grateful to them because without them this resource that so many workers in herpetology use would not have continued.

This ninth edition has been produced with several new developments in addition to completely updating the names herein:

Greater diversity in committee membership:
Past efforts were made to increase non-white male participation in this work, and even greater efforts were undertaken with this committee, perhaps aided by cultural changes rippling through the world and our professional societies. However, the search for volunteers was difficult, as this work is not trivial and often requires considerable diplomacy, patience, fortitude, and endurance. We warmly welcome anyone to collaborate on this important work, and current and past members can attest to the collaborative and equitable nature of our work. SSAR takes a strong stance on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, and this committee strives to embody those principles in our work.

Term limits
In an effort to increase transparency across our activities, ensure diverse perspectives are included, and reduce the workload for our members, we have implemented staggered term limits for our members. New members on each taxonomic subcommittee will cycle on with each edition of the list replacing previous members as they cycle off. There will be new chairs of each taxonomic subcommittee as well as a new lead Committee Chair.

Scientific and Standard English name selection guidelines
While guidelines for the selection of Standard English Names were published several issues previously, we developed a second set of guidelines for developing the Standard English names when controversial. Both guidelines will appear in the PDF and online database versions.

New online database hosted by CNAH
A new and vastly improved online database hosted by the Sternberg Museum of Natural History and the Center for North American Herpetology (CNAH) has launched with the publication of this edition of the list. You can find it at CNAH.ORG

Dynamic revisions for database and PDF
Both PDF and database will be updated more frequently. In past, new editions usually published roughly every 5 years. We hope to update more frequently, but will have to beta test our operations before determining a set periodicity.

Expansion on contents of Introduced Species to include more information on the native range, origin of and locations of introductions, notes on established populations with relevant references.

This edition, as with all previous versions, seeks to standardize names to facilitate communication among all working with North American reptiles and amphibians. Committee members work together to recommend the scientific names that correspond to each Standard English Name (“common name”) and that work is relatively seamless when herpetologists are in agreement. Where controversies exist in names, the committee works to summarize the disagreements and it is up to the community to resolve these issues, not this committee. Our work is merely summarizing the status and standardizing the common names. It is important to note that this list is not a ruling body on scientific names; it is up to each author to decide what name to use, and they must perform due diligence in researching the name they feel is most appropriate to use as they have to defend it.

We also very gratefully thank several outside reviewers would provided feedback and edits to all sections of this edition.

Kirsten E. Nicholson, Chair
Standard Names for North American Amphibians and Reptiles Committee
September 2024

Guidelines for selecting scientific names

GUIDELINES FOR SELECTING SCIENTIFIC NAMES

With this edition of the list (and each subsequent revision) we include these guidelines to inform readers about how taxonomic names are selected for inclusion in each species’ entry.

For each edition of the List, the starting point is the previous edition.

For each name, if there have been no published proposed taxonomic changes since the previous edition of the list and the names are not considered to be in flux or debate, the name appears as in the previous edition.

If changes have been proposed in the peer-reviewed published literature since the previous edition of the list or were being debated at the time of publication for the previous edition, the relevant subcommittees will review all pertinent literature and collectively reach a consensus regarding how to present that information. Any debates will be summarized in that taxon’s entry and the alternative names in use will be presented. Here, “published” refers to papers appearing in peer-reviewed journals or other scholarly works that follow the definition used by the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN, 2000, Article 8).

The general process for selecting names that are being debated is as follows: Any taxonomic change(s) published since the last revision must be based upon rigorous analyses of robust data and logically sound interpretations of those data. The new list will feature a brief summary of the published arguments relevant to the debate and the subcommittee will reach a consensus on what appears in the list.

To avoid duplicate entries the committee will select one of the taxonomic names to use for that species in the current list. In selecting a name, a subcommittee may use any published data and/or results, even though the author(s) did not propose a taxonomic change.

The proposal of new taxonomic names (including new combinations) will generally be avoided, although exceptions will be permitted to correct errors and oversights in the published literature.

We encourage any readers that have suggestions for revision to please send those to the Chair of the committee (currently Dr. Kirsten E. Nicholson: nicho2ke@cmich.edu).

How to cite this publication

HOW TO CITE THIS PUBLICATION

Entire document (edited book)
Nicholson, Kirsten E. (Editor) 2025. Scientific and Standard English Names of Amphibians and Reptiles of North America North of Mexico, with Comments Regarding Confidence in Our Understanding, 9th Edition. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, Lawrence, Kansas. 87 pp.

Anura – Frogs (edited book section)
Mendelson, Joseph R., III, Darrel R. Frost, Emily Moriarty Lemmon, and Maureen A. Donnelly. 2025. Anura – Frogs. Pages 1-9 in Kirsten E. Nicholson (Editor), Scientific and Standard English Names of Amphibians and Reptiles of North America North of Mexico, with Comments Regarding Confidence in Our Understanding, 9th Edition. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, Lawrence, Kansas. 87 pp.

Caudata – Salamanders (edited book section)
Pyron, R. Alexander, Christopher K. Beachy, David A. Beamer, and Kenneth M. Kozak. 2025. Caudata – Salamanders. Pages 10-21 in Kirsten E. Nicholson (Editor), Scientific and Standard English Names of Amphibians and Reptiles of North America North of Mexico, with Comments Regarding Confidence in Our Understanding, 9th Edition. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, Lawrence, Kansas. 87 pp.

Crocodilia – Crocodilians (edited book section)
Crother, Brian I. 2025. Crocodilia – Crocodilians. Page 22 in Kirsten E. Nicholson (Editor), Scientific and Standard English Names of Amphibians and Reptiles of North America North of Mexico, with Comments Regarding Confidence in Our Understanding, 9th Edition. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, Lawrence, Kansas. 87 pp.

Squamata (excluding snakes) – Lizards (edited book section)
de Queiroz, Kevin and Lauren M. Chan. 2025. Squamata (excluding snakes) – Lizards. Pages 23-37 in Kirsten E. Nicholson (Editor), Scientific and Standard English Names of Amphibians and Reptiles of North America North of Mexico, with Comments Regarding Confidence in Our Understanding, 9th Edition. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, Lawrence, Kansas. 87 pp.

Squamata (excluding lizards) – Snakes (edited book section)
Boundy, Jeff, Frank T. Burbrink, and Sara Ruane. 2025. Squamata (excluding lizards) – Snakes. Pages 38-54 in Kirsten E. Nicholson (Editor), Scientific and Standard English Names of Amphibians and Reptiles of North America North of Mexico, with Comments Regarding Confidence in Our Understanding, 9th Edition. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, Lawrence, Kansas. 87 pp.

Testudines – Turtles (edited book section)
Taggart, Travis W. and John Carr. 2025. Testudines – Turtles. Pages 55-63 in Kirsten E. Nicholson (Editor), Scientific and Standard English Names of Amphibians and Reptiles of North America North of Mexico, with Comments Regarding Confidence in Our Understanding, 9th Edition. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, Lawrence, Kansas. 87 pp.

Established Exotic Species (edited book section)
Krysko, Kenneth and Travis W. Taggart. 2025. Established Exotic Species. Pages 64-87 in Kirsten E. Nicholson (Editor), Scientific and Standard English Names of Amphibians and Reptiles of North America North of Mexico, with Comments Regarding Confidence in Our Understanding, 9th Edition. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, Lawrence, Kansas. 87 pp.

Guidelines for forming Standard English Names

GUIDELINES FOR FORMING STANDARD ENGLISH NAMES

Capitalization

Standard English names of species should be capitalized to distinguish them from descriptions and generalized usage. For example, “I collected a Green Frog (Lithobates clamitans)” versus “I saw a green frog.” When group names (i.e. standard English names for genera and higher categories or as a word or words that applies to one or more species) are used alone (i.e., not as part of the English name of a species) they should not be capitalized. For example, “The Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake is a well known species of rattlesnake.” Or, “I hear that racerunners are difficult to catch.”

Formation of descriptive or modifying word

When a descriptor refers to a feature of an animal, the suffix -ed will be added. The modifying word will be treated as an adjective as opposed to a noun in apposition.
Examples: Black-headed Snake, Red-eared Slider, Long-tailed Salamander.

Hyphenation. The standard grammatical rule for joining two or more words a hyphen is more appropriately used to join the words in lieu of combining the words.
Examples: Black-masked Racer, not Blackmasked Racer; Black-headed Snake, not Blackheaded Snake; Long-tailed Salamander, not Longtailed Salamander.
Exception: When one of the words describes a location, geographic region, or direction, a hyphen is not used.
Examples: Blue Ridge Two-lined Salamander, Southern Red-backed Salamander, Florida Red-bellied Turtle.

Formation and Use of Group Names

Compound names should be spelled as a single word, unhyphenated, if:

The second component is from among the words frog, toad, snake, turtle, tortoise, lizard, salamander, newt, siren. Examples: Ratsnake, Coralsnake, Treefrog

The second component refers to a part of the body. Examples: Cottonmouth, Copperhead, Whiptail, Softshell, Spadefoot

The name describes an activity of the animal. Examples: Racerunner, Pondslider, Bloodsucker

The second component is a misnomer.
Examples: Waterdog, Hellbender, Mudpuppy, Coachwhip
Exceptions: Names that would ordinarily be spelled as single unhyphenated words under the above rules should be spelled as separate words with both capitalized when:

Spelling as a single word would result in an awkward double or triple letter series.
Example: Wall Lizard, not Walllizard

ii.

A single word would be excessively long (over three syllables), or awkward, or imply an incorrect pronunciation.
Examples: Tiger Salamander, not Tigersalamander (any combination with salamander can be ruled as too long); Earless Lizard, not Earlesslizard

Compound names that are not spelled as a single word should have each word capitalized.
Examples: Box Turtle, Rosy Boa, Cricket Frog

A group name may be applied to two or more distantly related groups.

Group names of more than one word should neither be encouraged nor discouraged.

Formation of English Species and Subspecies Names

Long-established names in widespread use should be retained, regardless of any inaccuracy of description, behavior, habitat, location or phylogenetic relationship suggested by the name, unless there is a compelling and special reason.

The English name of every species shall be different from the name of every other species in North America.

The English name of a species need not repeat or reflect its scientific name.

English names will be given to genera, species, and subspecies.

The English name of a subspecies shall not be identical to the English name of the species.
Example: Terrapene carolina and T. c. carolina were both called the Eastern Box Turtle. Now the English name for T. c. carolina is Woodland Box Turtle to avoid conflating the two taxa.

The English name given to a subspecies is not required to have any part of it be the same as the English name of the species to which it belongs.

Each word of a name shall be a word in the English language unless in unusual circumstances the committee finds it appropriate to use a word from a foreign language or directly adopted from scientific nomenclature.

Accepted English names proposed in this list should not be replaced by a local vernacular (but see 7).

Patronyms should neither be encouraged nor discouraged.

10.

A patronym should be used in the possessive case.

11.

Names should be changed if they are offensive to a substantial group of people, but need not be altered merely to reflect a change in the name of a country, region, or island.

12.

Reference to geographical places and names may vary in form (e.g., Chihuahua vs. Chihuahuan) as deemed appropriate with respect to previous usage and clarity.

13.

A name that refers to a small island or group of small islands should include the word “island” or “islands” if to do so brings clarity or avoids being misleading. In all other cases inclusion of “island” or “islands” in a name should depend primarily on prior usage.

14.

Two or more English names may be used within a single genus. For example, under Pituophis there are Pinesnakes, Bullsnakes, and Gophersnakes.

15.

Words should be spelled consistently throughout the list, for example Mohave versus Mojave.

16.

Words with accent marks in the language of their origin should be spelled with those marks only if reasonably necessary to indicate correct pronunciation in English.

17.

Excessively long names should be avoided. Names should be as short as possible.

18.

The full name of one species or subspecies should not be included in the longer name of a different species or subspecies. For example, if Anaxyrus debilis were called the Green Toad and A. retiformis were called the Sonoran Green Toad.

Acknowledgments

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Thank you to the following individuals for their contributions to compiling these lists.

Anura – Frogs
Brad Glorioso, Robert W. Hansen, Jackson D. Shedd

Caudata – Salamanders
Brad Glorioso, Robert W. Hansen, Jackson D. Shedd

Crocodilia – Crocodilians
Robert W. Hansen, Jackson D. Shedd

Squamata (excluding snakes) – Lizards
Brad Glorioso, Robert W. Hansen, Jackson D. Shedd

Squamata (excluding lizards) – Snakes
Brad Glorioso, Robert W. Hansen, Jackson D. Shedd

Testudines – Turtles
R. Bruce Bury, Brad Glorioso, Robert W. Hansen, John B. Iverson, Stephen Mullin, Anders G.J. Rhodin, J. Daren Riedle, Jackson D. Shedd, Peter Uetz

Established Exotic Species
Kevin Enge, Robert N. Fisher, Brad Glorioso, Robert W. Hansen, Jackson Roberts, Michael R. Rochford, Coleman M. Sheehy, Jackson D. Shedd, Louis A. Somma

Errata and other changes since the 9th edition

ERRATA AND OTHER CHANGES SINCE THE 9TH EDITION

This is a live summary of errata and other changes that been reported or discovered since the last fixed version of this list (9th Edition). These changes will be incorporated into the next edition.

Anura – Frogs

	Anaxyrus microscaphus — Page 2: Authority should be (Cope, 1867), not (Cope, 1866). — (9/11/2025)
	Gastrophryne carolinensis — Page 4: Authority should be (Holbrook, 1835), not (Holbrook, 1836). — (9/11/2025)
	Incilius nebulifer — Page 5: Missing the period at the end of the comment. — (4/10/2025)
	Lithobates — Page 4: Authority is misspelled, it should be "Fitzinger". — (9/11/2025)
	Lithobates catesbeianus — Page 6: "R. catesbeiana" should be "L. catesbeianus". — (6/24/2025)
	Lithobates clamitans — Page 6: In the third sentence, MacGuigan et al. year of publication should read "2022" and not "2002". — (12/28/2025) Page 6: In the fourth sentence, "Austin et al. (2003," should be "Austin et al., 2003,". — (4/10/2025)
	Pseudacris ocularis — Page 7: The authority should be (Holbrook, 1838), not (Bosc and Daudin, 1801). — (9/11/2025)

Caudata – Salamanders

	Amphiuma means — Page 11: Authority for A. means, should be "Garden in Smithy, 1821". — (6/24/2025)
	Aneides vagrans — Page 11: Authority/publication date should not be in parentheses. — (9/14/2025)
	Batrachoseps altasierrae — Page 11: Authority "Jockush" is misspelled, should be "Jockusch". — (9/14/2025)
	Batrachoseps bramei — Page 11: Authority "Jockush" is misspelled, should be "Jockusch". — (9/14/2025)
	Phaeognathus — Page 18: Standard English name should be "Red Hills Salamander". — (9/14/2025)

Crocodilia – Crocodilians

No errata or other changes have been reported in this list section.

Squamata (excluding snakes) – Lizards

	Aspidoscelis marmoratus — Page 25: Aspidoscelis marmorta marmorata and A. m. retiuloriens were inadvertently left in the list. Disregard these entries. — (9/11/2025)
	Coleonyx variegatus variegatus — Page 27: Publication year should be 1859. — (9/14/2025)
	Elgaria coerulea — Page 27: Missing a period after "(op. cit.)" in the last line of the page. — (4/10/2025)
	Phrynosoma goodei — Page 30: Authority is misspelled, should be "Stejnejer". — (9/14/2025)
	Plestiodon anthracinus — Page 32: Publication year should be 1850. — (9/14/2025)
	Plestiodon anthracinus anthracinus — Page 32: Publication year should be 1850. — (9/14/2025)
	Plestiodon anthracinus pluvialis — Page 32: Authority/publication year should be in parentheses. — (9/14/2025)
	Plestiodon callicephalus — Page 32: Authority/publication year should be in parentheses. — (9/14/2025)
	Sceloporus occidentalis ssp. — Page 35: The scientific name of this second undescribed subspecies of Sceloporus occidentalis (named Southern California Fence Lizard) should be written "S. o. ssp." not "S. o. s.". — (4/10/2025

Squamata (excluding lizards) – Snakes

	Arizona — Various studies using Sanger loci and genome-scale data, Myers et al. (2017, Journal of Biogeography 44: 461–474; Myers et al., 2019, Molecular Ecology 28: 4535–4548) and Dahn et al. (2018, Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 129: 214–225) confirmed that eastern and western populations formed distinct lineages, as predicted by Collins (1991, Herpetological Review 22: 42–43), but did not recommend taxonomic changes. Using rangewide ddRAD (genome-scale data) and mitochondrial data, Wood et al. (2025, Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 213: 108441) further confirmed this division and recognized the western lineage as A. occidentalis, distinct from A. elegans.
	Arizona elegans — Using rangewide ddRAD (genome-scale data) and mitochondrial data, Wood et al. (2025, Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 213: 108441) confirmed deeply divergent eastern and western lineages within the former A. elegans complex, with an abrupt transition near the Cochise Filter in southeastern Arizona. They restricted A. elegans to the eastern, long-tailed lineage and recognized the western, short-tailed lineage as A. occidentalis. Within A. elegans, they found strong support for A. e. philipi, whereas genomic and morphological variation between A. e. elegans and A. e. arenicola was clinal. Pending denser, systematic sampling of the intergrade zones, the authors retained the traditional subspecific taxonomy of the eastern lineage. See comments under A. occidentalis.
	Arizona occidentalis — Wood et al. (2025, Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 213: 108441) recognized the western, short-tailed lineage of the former A. elegans complex as A. occidentalis. The former A. e. occidentalis did not constitute a genetically cohesive lineage, and the traditional western subspecies A. e. candida, A. e. eburnata, and A. e. noctivaga were placed in the synonymy of A. occidentalis. Genetic structure within A. occidentalis corresponded more closely to the San Joaquin, Mojave, and Sonoran Desert biomes than to the former subspecies, and the authors recommended that these lineages be treated as evolutionary significant units rather than subspecies.
	Hypsiglena — Page 43: In the second sentence, "or" should be "of". — (4/10/2025)
	Salvadora grahamiae — Page 50: In the second sentence, "S. g. grahamiae" should be italicized. — (4/10/2025)
	Tantilla relicta — Page 52: "north-South" should be "north-south". — (4/10/2025)
	Virginia striatula — Page 54: The "U" in "Using" to start the first sentence should not be italicized. — (4/10/2025)

Testudines – Turtles

	Gopherus flavomarginatus — Page 57: The reference "Morafka, 1982, North American tortoises: Conservation and ecology. Wildlife Research Report 12. United States Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington, D.C." should be "Morafka. Pages 71-94 in Bury, R. Bruce (Editor). North American tortoises: Conservation and ecology. Wildlife Research Report 12. United States Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington, D.C.". — (4/1/2025)
	Graptemys — Page 58: Remove the phrase fragment "While Praschag et al. (op. cit.)." — (4/9/2025)
	Kinosternon hippocrepis — “Gray, 1855” [Catalogue of shield reptiles in the collection of the British Museum. Part I. Testudinata (Tortoises). Taylor and Francis, London, England] was listed as the authority in previous editions of this list. That publication did not appear until 8 March 1856 (Webb, 1995, Chelonian Conservation and Biology 1: 322–332). Gray (1856, Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1855: 197–202) was published on 5 February 1856 (Webb, op. cit.) and therefore has priority. Iverson et al. (2013, Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 69: 929–939) supported species-level recognition of K. hippocrepis, and Bourque (2016, Journal of Paleontology 89: 821–844) elevated it to species status. Hurtado-Gómez et al. (2024, Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 197: 1–19) reported more than 11 million years of divergence and paraphyly within K. subrubrum sensu lato, supporting the recognition of K. hippocrepis as a distinct species but stopping short of formally proposing the change. Reid et al. (2025, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 205: zlaf156), using genomic and morphological data, confirmed a deep divergence corresponding with the Mississippi River Basin and found the western group distinguishable from taxa east of the Mississippi based on multiple morphological characters. They proposed restoring K. hippocrepis to species status, a treatment followed here. — (8/3/2026)
	Kinosternon subrubrum — (Lacépède, 1788) was listed as the authority in previous editions of this list. That work was suppressed for nomenclatural purposes by ICZN (2005, Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature 62: 55) because it was published in a rejected and invalid non-binomial work, and (Bonnaterre, 1789) is used instead. Turtle Taxonomy Working Group (2021, Chelonian Research Monographs (8): 1–472) agreed. Reid et al. (2025, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 205: zlaf156) proposed restoring K. hippocrepis to species status based on deep genomic divergence and morphological differentiation. We follow that recommendation. With K. steindachneri and K. hippocrepis recognized as a distinct species; no subspecies are recognized within K. subrubrum. — (8/3/2026)
	Terrapene carolina carolina — Page 62: Rewrite the comment as "Kimble et al. (2014, PLoS One 9: e92274) found little range-wide genetic structure. The Appalachian Mountains present a modest barrier to gene flow as evidenced among the 11 microsatellite loci they examined." — (4/9/2025)

Established Exotic Species

	Anolis distichus — Page 70: The (Kraus, 2009) reference should be "Kraus, 2009, Alien Reptiles and Amphibians: A Scientific Compendium and Analysis. Springer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands". — (06/11/2025)
	Anolis sagrei — Page 72: The (Kraus, 2009) reference should be "Kraus, 2009, Alien Reptiles and Amphibians: A Scientific Compendium and Analysis. Springer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands". — (06/11/2025)
	Aspidoscelis motaguae — Page 73: The authority "Sackett, 1941" should be in parentheses since this taxon was originally described in the genus Cnemidophorus. — (4/9/2025)
	Boa constrictor — Page 85: “Python molurus bivittatus” should be italicized. — (4/9/2025)
	Chamaeleo calyptratus — Page 74: The Krause and Duvall (2004) reference lacks its closing parenthesis. — (4/9/2025)
	Ctenosaura pectinata — Page 75: The (Locey et al., 2008) reference should list the pages "348-439". — (06/12/2025)
	Cyrtopodion scabrum — Page 76: The (Kraus, 2009) reference should be "Kraus, 2009, Alien Reptiles and Amphibians: A Scientific Compendium and Analysis. Springer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands". — (06/11/2025)
	Eleutherodactylus coqui — Page 64: The (Kraus, 2009) reference should be "Kraus, 2009, Alien Reptiles and Amphibians: A Scientific Compendium and Analysis. Springer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands". — (06/11/2025)
	Eleutherodactylus planirostris — Page 65: The (Kraus, 2009) reference should be "Kraus, 2009, Alien Reptiles and Amphibians: A Scientific Compendium and Analysis. Springer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands". — (06/11/2025)
	Emoia impar — Page 76: Native to the Pacific islands. It was introduced to numerous Hawaiian islands (Fisher and Ineich, 2012, Oryx 46: 187–195) but is now established on Hawai’i (Mautz, 2021, Herpetological Review 52: 717–719) and Mōkapu Island (Wood et al., 2013, Oryx 47: 328). — (07/30/2025)
	Gehyra mutilata — Page 77: The (Kraus, 2009) reference should be "Kraus, 2009, Alien Reptiles and Amphibians: A Scientific Compendium and Analysis. Springer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands". — (06/11/2025)
	Gekko gecko — Page 77: The (Kraus, 2009) reference should be "Kraus, 2009, Alien Reptiles and Amphibians: A Scientific Compendium and Analysis. Springer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands". — (06/11/2025)
	Hemidactylus garnotii — Page 78: Add Tennessee (Niemiller and Glorioso. Tennessee Herpetological Society Newsletter 2010(Fall):8) to the states H. garnotii is established. — (4/9/2025); The (Kraus, 2009) reference should be "Kraus, 2009, Alien Reptiles and Amphibians: A Scientific Compendium and Analysis. Springer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands". — (06/11/2025)
	Hemidactylus turcicus — Page 79: The (Kraus, 2009) reference should be "Kraus, 2009, Alien Reptiles and Amphibians: A Scientific Compendium and Analysis. Springer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands". — (06/11/2025)
	Hemiphyllodactylus typus — Page 79: The (Kraus, 2009) reference should be "Kraus, 2009, Alien Reptiles and Amphibians: A Scientific Compendium and Analysis. Springer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands". — (06/11/2025)
	Indotyphlops braminus — Page 86: The (Kraus, 2009) reference should be "Kraus, 2009, Alien Reptiles and Amphibians: A Scientific Compendium and Analysis. Springer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands". — (06/11/2025)
	Lacerta bilineata — Page 80: The (Kraus, 2009) reference should be "Kraus, 2009, Alien Reptiles and Amphibians: A Scientific Compendium and Analysis. Springer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands". — (06/11/2025)
	Osteopilus septentrionalis — Page 65: The page range for the Glorioso et al., (2018) reference should be 2707-2713. — (4/9/2025)
	Pelodiscus sinensis — Page 87: The (Kraus, 2009) reference should be "Kraus, 2009, Alien Reptiles and Amphibians: A Scientific Compendium and Analysis. Springer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands". — (06/11/2025)
	Podarcis muralis — Page 82: The (Kraus, 2009) reference should be "Kraus, 2009, Alien Reptiles and Amphibians: A Scientific Compendium and Analysis. Springer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands". — (06/11/2025)
	Python bivittatus — Page 86: The (Kraus, 2009) reference should be "Kraus, 2009, Alien Reptiles and Amphibians: A Scientific Compendium and Analysis. Springer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands". — (06/11/2025)
	Salvator merianae — Page 83: Update the second sentence to include California and New York introductions. "It was introduced via the pet trade in California (2025, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-large-invasive-lizard-was-spotted-in-a-california-park-180986763/), New York (2025, https://wpdh.com/giant-lizard-hyde-park-ny/), and Washington (Freeman, 2024, The Seattle Times. 21 July) and is established in Florida…" — (7/18/2025)
	Trioceros jacksonii — Page 84: The (Kraus, 2009) reference should be "Kraus, 2009, Alien Reptiles and Amphibians: A Scientific Compendium and Analysis. Springer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands". — (06/11/2025)
	Tupinambis teguixin — Page 84: Add the following to end of the taxon comment. "Murphy et al. (2016, PLoS ONE 11: 1–30, e0158542) revised the T. teguixin group, recognizing four species from South America. Based on this revision, Pyron et al. (2019, BioInvasions Records 8: 465–470) identified three specimens collected in Miami-Dade County as Cryptic Golden Tegus (T. cryptus), likely originating from mainland Guyana or Venezuela." — (6/11/2025)
	Typhlonectes natans — Page 67: Updated the account to include the most recent publication detailing their status and distribution in Florida. "Newly listed species. This species is native to the Cauca and Magdalena River drainage systems in western and northern Colombia, as well as the Maracaibo River Basin in northwestern Venezuela. It has been introduced to the United States via the pet trade and is now established in portions of Miami, Miami-Dade County, Florida. The first known specimen was documented in 2019 from the extensive waterways of the Tamiami Canal (C–4), just south of the Miami International Airport (Sheehy et al. 2021. Reptiles & Amphibians 28: 355–357). More recently, Sheehy et al. (2025. Reptiles & Amphibians 32(e23352):12) reported that the species now occupies approximately 28.7 km of canals in western Miami, indicating a notable expansion of its non-native range. — (8/26/2025)

Committee Chairperson/Editor:

Kirsten E. Nicholson , (Department of Biology, Central Michigan University)

Taxonomic Subcommittees:

View subcommittees, members, and section introductions

SUBCOMMITTEES, MEMBERS, AND SECTION INTRODUCTIONS

FROGS:

Joseph R. Mendelson III (Chairperson; Zoo Atlanta, Georgia Institute of Technology), Darrel R. Frost (Division of Vertebrate Zoology (Herpetology), American Museum of Natural History), Emily Moriarty Lemmon (Department of Biological Science, Florida State University), and Maureen A. Donnelly (Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University)

SALAMANDERS:

R. Alexander Pyron (Chairperson, Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University), Christopher K. Beachy (Department of Biological Sciences, Southeastern Louisiana University), David A. Beamer (Office of Research, Economic Development, and Engagement, East Carolina University), and Kenneth M. Kozak (Bell Museum and Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota)

SQUAMATA (snakes):

Jeff Boundy (Chairperson, Museum of Natural Science, Louisiana State University), Frank T. Burbrink (Department of Herpetology, American Museum of Natural History), and Sara Ruane (Life Sciences Section, Negaunee Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History)

SQUAMATA (other lizards):

Kevin de Queiroz (Chairperson, Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution) and Lauren M. Chan (Biological Sciences Department, California Polytechnic State University)

We have used parenthetical annotations to designate several noteworthy categories of species and subspecies taxa: species that are composed of organisms of a single sex (unisexual), species that were created in laboratory setting rather than having arisen in nature (laboratory-generated), species for which current evidence suggests that they may not be valid (questionable), species that are only partially separated from other species as evidenced by a hybrid zone, not merely occasional hybridization (incompletely separated from [name of species]), and subspecies based on phenotypic data, usually proposed prior to 2000 (the date of the 5th edition of this list), that have not been evaluated with genetic data (legacy).

CROCODILIANS:

Brian I. Crother (Chairperson; Assistant to the Editor, Department of Biological Sciences, Southeastern Louisiana University)

TURTLES:

Travis W. Taggart (Chairperson, Sternberg Museum of Natural History, Fort Hays State University) and John Carr (Department of Biology, The University of Louisiana at Monroe)

ESTABLISHED EXOTICS:

Kenneth L. Krysko (Chairperson, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida; Department of Natural Science, St. Petersburg College, Clearwater Campus) and Travis W. Taggart (Sternberg Museum of Natural History, Fort Hays State University)

Introduced species are organisms that are, with the aid of humans, transported or travel to new areas where they are not native. Once an introduced species begins to reproduce in its nonnative environment, it is considered established. Most introduced species do not become established nor invasive. Although some researchers prefer not to use the term invasive (Colautti and MacIsaac. 2004. Diversity and Distributions 10: 135- 141), an invasive species is defined as an established introduced species that has 1) invaded or spread a considerable distance from its original introduction site, or 2) caused harm to either the environment, economy, or human health (Executive Order 13112, Invasive Species Advisory Committee. 2006. Available at https://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/invasive-species-definition-clarification-and-guidance; Kraus. 2009. Alien Reptiles and Amphibians: A Scientific Compendium and Analysis. SpringerVerlag, Heidelberg, Germany; Krysko et al. 2011. Zootaxa (3028): 1-64).
In this edition, we provide a list of established introduced species in the United States. It is beyond the scope of this work to include native species in the United States that have also established nonnative populations in the United States; a more extensive list has been provided by Kraus (2009. op. cit.) and Krysko et al. (2016. Reptiles and Amphibians. 23: 110-143).

Class:

Order:

Family:

Genus:

Origin:

Please select from the dropdownlists above.

THE CENTER FOR NORTH AMERICAN HERPETOLOGY — Accessed: Wednesday 07 October 2026 10:12 CT

Site concept, design, and programming: Travis W. Taggart (CNAH President/Executive Director).

CNAH usage since 31 August 2026: 233,948 human page views • 126,845 visitors • 121,918 file accesses