THE CENTER FOR NORTH AMERICAN HERPETOLOGY

SOCIETY FOR THE STUDY OF AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES
STANDARD ENGLISH NAMES FOR NORTH AMERICAN AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES COMMITTEE

Introduction
Guidelines for forming Standard English Names
Guidelines for selecting scientific names

Committee Chairperson/Editor:
Kirsten E. Nicholson, (Department of Biology, Central Michigan University)

Taxonomic Subcommittees:

Class:
Order:
Family:
Genus:
Origin:

Your search returned 174 species; denotes an update since the 9th edition (2025)

Reptilia Laurenti, 1768 — Reptiles
Squamata (part) Oppel, 1811 — Snakes
Boidae Gray, 1842 — Boas
Charina Gray, 1849 — Rubber Boas
C. bottae (Blainville, 1835) — Rubber Boa
C. b. bottae (Blainville, 1835) — Northern Rubber Boa
C. b. umbratica Klauber, 1943 — Southern Rubber Boa
Lichanura Cope, 1861 — Rosy Boas
L. orcutti Stejneger, 1889 — Northern Rosy Boa
L. trivirgata Cope, 1861 — Three-lined Boa
Colubridae Oppel, 1811 — Harmless Egg-laying Snakes
Arizona Kennicott, in Baird, 1859 — Glossy Snakes
A. elegans Kennicott, in Baird, 1859 — Common Glossy Snake
A. e. arenicola Dixon, 1960 — Texas Glossy Snake
A. e. candida Klauber, 1946 — Mohave Glossy Snake
A. e. eburnata Klauber, 1946 — Desert Glossy Snake
A. e. elegans Kennicott, in Baird, 1859 — Kansas Glossy Snake
A. e. noctivaga Klauber, 1946 — Arizona Glossy Snake
A. e. occidentalis Blanchard, 1924 — California Glossy Snake
A. e. philipi Klauber, 1946 — Painted Desert Glossy Snake
Bogertophis Dowling and Price, 1988 — Desert Ratsnakes
B. rosaliae (Mocquard, 1899) — Baja California Ratsnake
B. subocularis (Brown, 1901) — Trans-Pecos Ratsnake
B. s. subocularis (Brown, 1901) — Northern Trans-Pecos Ratsnake
Cemophora Cope, 1860 — Scarletsnakes
C. coccinea (Blumenbach, 1788) — Common Scarletsnake
C. c. coccinea (Blumenbach, 1788) — Florida Scarletsnake
C. c. copei Jan, 1863 — Northern Scarletsnake
C. lineri Williams, Brown, and Wilson, 1966 — Texas Scarletsnake
Coluber Linnaeus, 1758 — North American Racers
C. constrictor Linnaeus, 1758 — North American Racer
C. c. anthicus (Cope, 1862) — Buttermilk Racer
C. c. constrictor Linnaeus, 1758 — Northern Black Racer
C. c. etheridgei Wilson, 1970 — Tan Racer
C. c. flaviventris Say in James, 1822 — Eastern Yellow-bellied Racer
C. c. foxii (Baird and Girard, 1853) — Blue Racer
C. c. helvigularis Auffenberg, 1955 — Brown-chinned Racer
C. c. latrunculus Wilson, 1970 — Black-masked Racer
C. c. mormon Baird and Girard, 1852 — Western Yellow-bellied Racer
C. c. oaxaca (Jan, 1863) — Mexican Racer
C. c. paludicola Auffenberg and Babbitt, 1953 — Everglades Racer
C. c. priapus Dunn and Wood, 1939 — Southern Black Racer
Drymarchon Fitzinger, 1843 — Indigo Snakes
D. couperi (Holbrook, 1842) — Eastern Indigo Snake
D. melanurus (Duméril, Bibron, and Duméril, 1854) — Central American Indigo Snake
D. m. erebennus (Cope, 1860) — Texas Indigo Snake
Drymobius Fitzinger, 1843 — Neotropical Racers
D. margaritiferus (Schlegel, 1837) — Speckled Racer
D. m. margaritiferus (Schlegel, 1837) — Northern Speckled Racer
Ficimia Gray, 1849 — Eastern Hook-nosed Snakes
F. streckeri Taylor, 1931 — Tamaulipan Hook-nosed Snake
Gyalopion Cope, 1860 — Western Hook-nosed Snakes
G. canum Cope, 1860 — Chihuahuan Hook-nosed Snake
G. quadrangulare (Günther, 1893 in Salvin and Godman, 1885-1902) — Thornscrub Hook-nosed Snake
Lampropeltis Fitzinger, 1843 — Kingsnakes
L. alterna (Brown, 1901) — Gray-banded Kingsnake
L. annulata Kennicott in Cope, 1860 — Mexican Milksnake
L. californiae (Blainville, 1835) — California Kingsnake
L. calligaster (Harlan, 1827) — Prairie Kingsnake
L. elapsoides (Holbrook, 1838) — Scarlet Kingsnake
L. extenuata (Brown, 1890) — Short-tailed Kingsnake
L. floridana Blanchard, 1919 — Florida Kingsnake
L. gentilis (Baird and Girard, 1853) — Western Milksnake
L. getula (Linnaeus, 1766) — Eastern Kingsnake
L. holbrooki Stejneger, 1902 — Speckled Kingsnake
L. knoblochi Taylor, 1940 — Madrean Mountain Kingsnake
L. meansi Krysko and Judd, 2006 — Apalachicola Kingsnake
L. multifasciata (Bocourt, 1886 in Duméril, Mocquard, and Bocourt, 1870-1909) — Coast Mountain Kingsnake
L. nigra (Yarrow, 1882) — Eastern Black Kingsnake
L. nigrita Zweifel and Norris, 1955 — Western Black Kingsnake
L. occipitolineata Price, 1987 — South Florida Mole Kingsnake
L. pyromelana (Cope, 1867) — Arizona Mountain Kingsnake
L. rhombomaculata (Holbrook, 1840) — Northern Mole Kingsnake
L. splendida (Baird and Girard, 1853) — Desert Kingsnake
L. triangulum (Lacépède, 1789) — Eastern Milksnake
L. zonata (Lockington ex Blainville, 1876) — California Mountain Kingsnake
Masticophis Baird and Girard, 1853 — Whipsnakes
M. bilineatus Jan, 1867 — Sonoran Whipsnake
M. flagellum (Shaw, 1802) — Common Coachwhip
M. f. flagellum (Shaw, 1802) — Eastern Coachwhip
M. f. lineatulus Smith, 1941 — Lined Coachwhip
M. f. testaceus (Say in James, 1822) — Western Coachwhip
M. fuliginosus (Cope, 1895) — Baja California Coachwhip
M. lateralis (Hallowell, 1853) — Striped Racer
M. l. euryxanthus Riemer, 1954 — Alameda Striped Racer
M. l. lateralis (Hallowell, 1853) — California Striped Racer
M. piceus (Cope, 1892) — Desert Coachwhip
M. p. cingulum Lowe and Woodin, 1954 — Sonoran Coachwhip
M. p. piceus (Cope, 1892) — Red Racer
M. p. ruddocki Brattstrom and Warren, 1953 — San Joaquin Coachwhip
M. schotti Baird and Girard, 1853 — Schott's Whipsnake
M. s. ruthveni Ortenburger, 1923 — Ruthven's Whipsnake
M. s. schotti Baird and Girard, 1853 — Schott’s Striped Whipsnake
M. taeniatus (Hallowell, 1852) — Striped Whipsnake
M. t. girardi (Stejneger and Barbour, 1917) — Central Texas Whipsnake
M. t. taeniatus (Hallowell, 1852) — Desert Striped Whipsnake
Opheodrys Fitzinger, 1843 — Greensnakes
O. aestivus (Linnaeus, 1766) — Northern Rough Greensnake
O. carinatus Grobman, 1984 — Florida Rough Greensnake
O. vernalis (Harlan, 1827) — Smooth Greensnake
Oxybelis Wagler, 1830 — American Vinesnakes
O. microphthalmus Barbour and Amaral, 1926 — Thornscrub Brown Vinesnake
Pantherophis Fitzinger, 1843 — North American Ratsnakes
P. alleghaniensis (Holbrook, 1836) — Central Ratsnake
P. bairdi (Yarrow in Cope, 1880) — Baird's Ratsnake
P. emoryi (Baird and Girard, 1853) — Great Plains Ratsnake
P. e. emoryi (Baird and Girard, 1853) — Emory’s Ratsnake
P. e. meahllmorum (Smith, Chiszar, Staley and Tepedelen, 1994) — South Texas Ratsnake
P. guttatus (Linnaeus, 1766) — Red Cornsnake
P. obsoletus (Say in James, 1822) — Western Ratsnake
P. quadrivittatus (Holbrook, 1836) — Yellow Ratsnake
P. ramspotti (Crother, White, Savage, Eckstut, Graham and Gardner, 2011) — Western Foxsnake
P. slowinskii (Burbrink, 2002) — Slowinski's Cornsnake
P. vulpinus (Baird and Girard, 1853) — Eastern Foxsnake
Phyllorhynchus Stejneger, 1890 — Leaf-nosed Snakes
P. browni Stejneger, 1890 — Saddled Leaf-nosed Snake
P. decurtatus (Cope, 1868) — Spotted Leaf-nosed Snake
Pituophis Holbrook, 1842 — Bullsnakes
P. catenifer (Blainville, 1835) — Gophersnake
P. c. affinis Hallowell, 1852 — Sonoran Gophersnake
P. c. annectens Baird and Girard, 1853 — San Diego Gophersnake
P. c. catenifer (Blainville, 1835) — Pacific Gophersnake
P. c. deserticola Stejneger, 1893 — Great Basin Gophersnake
P. c. pumilus Klauber, 1946 — Santa Cruz Island Gophersnake
P. c. sayi (Schlegel, 1837) — Bullsnake
P. melanoleucus (Daudin, 1803) — Eastern Pinesnake
P. ruthveni Stull, 1929 — Louisiana Pinesnake
Rhinocheilus Baird and Girard, 1853 — Long-nosed Snakes
R. lecontei Baird and Girard, 1853 — Long-nosed Snake
Salvadora Baird and Girard, 1853 — Patch-nosed Snakes
S. deserticola Schmidt, 1940 — Big Bend Patch-nosed Snake
S. grahamiae Baird and Girard, 1853 — Mountain Patch-nosed Snake
S. hexalepis (Cope, 1866) — Western Patch-nosed Snake
S. h. hexalepis (Cope, 1866) — Desert Patch-nosed Snake
S. h. mojavensis Bogert, 1945 — Mohave Patch-nosed Snake
S. h. virgultea Bogert, 1935 — Coast Patch-nosed Snake
S. lineata Schmidt, 1940 — Texas Patch-nosed Snake
Senticolis Dowling and Fries, 1987 — Green Ratsnakes
S. triaspis (Cope, 1866) — Green Ratsnake
S. t. intermedia (Boettger, 1883) — Northern Green Ratsnake
Sonora Baird and Girard, 1853 — North American Groundsnakes
S. annulata (Baird, 1859) — Tricolor Shovel-nosed Snake
S. a. annulata (Baird, 1859) — Colorado Desert Shovel-nosed Snake
S. a. klauberi Stickel, 1941 — Tucson Shovel-nosed Snake
S. cincta (Cope, 1861) — Banded Sandsnake
S. episcopa (Kennicott in Baird, 1859) — Great Plains Groundsnake
S. occipitalis (Hallowell, 1854) — Mohave Shovel-nosed Snake
S. palarostris Klauber, 1937 — Sonoran Shovel-nosed Snake
S. p. organica (Klauber, 1951) — Organ Pipe Shovel-nosed Snake
S. semiannulata Baird and Girard, 1853 — Western Groundsnake
S. taylori (Boulenger, 1894) — South Texas Groundsnake
Tantilla Baird and Girard, 1853 — Black-headed Snakes
T. atriceps (Günther, 1895 in Salvin and Godman, 1885-1902) — Mexican Black-headed Snake
T. coronata Baird and Girard, 1853 — Southeastern Crowned Snake
T. cucullata Minton, 1956 — Trans-Pecos Black-headed Snake
T. gracilis Baird and Girard, 1853 — Flat-headed Snake
T. hobartsmithi Taylor, 1937 — Southwestern Black-headed Snake
T. nigriceps Kennicott, 1860 — Plains Black-headed Snake
T. oolitica Telford, 1966 — Rim Rock Crowned Snake
T. planiceps (Blainville, 1835) — California Black-headed Snake
T. relicta Telford, 1966 — Florida Crowned Snake
T. r. neilli Telford, 1966 — Central Florida Crowned Snake
T. r. pamlica Telford, 1966 — Coastal Dunes Crowned Snake
T. r. relicta Telford, 1966 — Peninsula Crowned Snake
T. wilcoxi Stejneger, 1902 — Chihuahuan Black-headed Snake
T. yaquia Smith, 1942 — Yaqui Black-headed Snake
Trimorphodon Cope, 1861 — Lyresnakes
T. lambda Cope, 1886 — Sonoran Lyresnake
T. lyrophanes (Cope, 1860) — California Lyresnake
T. vilkinsonii Cope, 1886 — Texas Lyresnake
Crotalidae Oppel, 1811 — Pit Vipers
Agkistrodon Palisot de Beauvois, 1799 — American Moccasins
A. conanti Gloyd, 1969 — Florida Cottonmouth
A. contortrix (Linnaeus, 1766) — Eastern Copperhead
A. laticinctus Gloyd and Conant, 1934 — Broad-banded Copperhead
A. piscivorus (Lacépède, 1789) — Northern Cottonmouth
Crotalus Linnaeus, 1758 — Rattlesnakes
C. adamanteus Palisot de Beauvois, 1799 — Eastern Diamond-backed Rattlesnake
C. atrox Baird and Girard, 1853 — Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake
C. cerastes Hallowell, 1854 — Sidewinder
C. c. cerastes Hallowell, 1854 — Mohave Desert Sidewinder
C. c. cercobombus Savage and Cliff, 1953 — Sonoran Sidewinder
C. c. laterorepens Klauber, 1944 — Colorado Desert Sidewinder
C. cerberus (Coues, 1875) — Arizona Black Rattlesnake
C. horridus Linnaeus, 1758 — Timber Rattlesnake
C. lepidus (Kennicott, 1861) — Rock Rattlesnake
C. l. klauberi Gloyd, 1936 — Banded Rock Rattlesnake
C. l. lepidus (Kennicott, 1861) — Mottled Rock Rattlesnake
C. molossus Baird and Girard, 1853 — Black-tailed Rattlesnake
C. m. molossus Baird and Girard, 1853 — Northern Black-tailed Rattlesnake
C. oreganus Holbrook, 1840 — Western Rattlesnake
C. o. abyssus Klauber, 1930 — Grand Canyon Rattlesnake
C. o. concolor Woodbury, 1929 — Midget Faded Rattlesnake
C. o. helleri Meek, 1906 — Southern Pacific Rattlesnake
C. o. lutosus Klauber, 1930 — Great Basin Rattlesnake
C. o. oreganus Holbrook, 1840 — Northern Pacific Rattlesnake
C. ornatus Hallowell, 1854 — Eastern Black-tailed Rattlesnake
C. pricei Van Denburgh, 1895 — Twin-spotted Rattlesnake
C. p. pricei Van Denburgh, 1895 — Western Twin-spotted Rattlesnake
C. pyrrhus (Cope, 1867) — Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake
C. ruber Cope, 1892 — Red Diamond Rattlesnake
C. scutulatus (Kennicott, 1861) — Mohave Rattlesnake
C. s. scutulatus (Kennicott, 1861) — Northern Mohave Rattlesnake
C. stephensi Klauber, 1930 — Panamint Rattlesnake
C. tigris Kennicott, in Baird, 1859 — Tiger Rattlesnake
C. viridis (Rafinesque, 1818) — Prairie Rattlesnake
C. willardi Meek, 1906 — Ridge-nosed Rattlesnake
C. w. obscurus Harris and Simmons, 1976 — New Mexico Ridge-nosed Rattlesnake
C. w. willardi Meek, 1906 — Arizona Ridge-nosed Rattlesnake
Sistrurus Garman, 1883 — Pygmy Rattlesnakes
S. catenatus (Rafinesque, 1818) — Eastern Massasauga
S. miliarius (Linnaeus, 1766) — Pygmy Rattlesnake
S. m. barbouri Gloyd, 1935 — Dusky Pygmy Rattlesnake
S. m. miliarius (Linnaeus, 1766) — Carolina Pygmy Rattlesnake
S. m. streckeri Gloyd, 1935 — Western Pygmy Rattlesnake
S. tergeminus (Say, in James, 1822) — Western Massasauga
S. t. edwardsii (Baird and Girard, 1853) — Desert Massasauga
S. t. tergeminus (Say, in James, 1822) — Prairie Massasauga
Dipsadidae Bonaparte, 1838 — Harmless Rear-Fanged Snakes
Carphophis Gervais, in D’Orbigny, 1843 — North American Wormsnakes
C. amoenus (Say, 1825) — Common Wormsnake
C. a. amoenus (Say, 1825) — Eastern Wormsnake
C. a. helenae (Kennicott, 1859) — Midwestern Wormsnake
C. vermis (Kennicott, 1859) — Western Wormsnake
Coniophanes Hallowell, in Cope, 1860 — Black-striped Snakes
C. imperialis (Baird and Girard, 1859) — Regal Black-striped Snake
C. i. imperialis (Baird and Girard, 1859) — Tamaulipan Black-striped Snake
Contia Baird and Girard, 1853 — Sharp-tailed Snakes
C. longicauda Feldman and Hoyer, 2010 — Forest Sharp-tailed Snake
C. tenuis (Baird and Girard, 1852) — Common Sharp-tailed Snake
Diadophis Baird and Girard, 1853 — Ring-necked Snakes
D. punctatus (Linnaeus, 1766) — Ring-necked Snake
D. p. acricus Paulson, 1968 — Key Ring-necked Snake
D. p. amabilis Baird and Girard, 1853 — Pacific Ring-necked Snake
D. p. arnyi Kennicott, 1859 — Prairie Ring-necked Snake
D. p. edwardsii (Merrem, 1820) — Northern Ring-necked Snake
D. p. modestus Bocourt, 1886 in Duméril, Mocquard, and Bocourt, 1870-1909 — San Bernardino Ring-necked Snake
D. p. pulchellus Baird and Girard, 1853 — Coral-bellied Ring-necked Snake
D. p. punctatus (Linnaeus, 1766) — Southern Ring-necked Snake
D. p. regalis Baird and Girard, 1853 — Regal Ring-necked Snake
D. p. stictogenys Cope, 1860 — Mississippi Ring-necked Snake
Farancia Gray, 1842 — North American Mudsnakes
F. abacura (Holbrook, 1836) — Red-bellied Mudsnake
F. a. abacura (Holbrook, 1836) — Eastern Mudsnake
F. a. reinwardtii Schlegel, 1837 — Western Mudsnake
F. erytrogramma (Palisot de Beauvois in Sonnini de Manoncourt and Latreille, 1801) — Rainbow Snake
F. e. erytrogramma (Palisot de Beauvois in Sonnini de Manoncourt and Latreille, 1801) — Common Rainbow Snake
F. e. seminola Neill, 1964 — South Florida Rainbow Snake
Heterodon Latreille in Sonnini de Manoncourt and Latreille, 1801 — North American Hog-nosed Snakes
H. kennerlyi Kennicott, 1860 — Mexican Hog-nosed Snake
H. nasicus Baird and Girard, 1852 — Western Hog-nosed Snake
H. n. gloydi Edgren, 1952 — Dusty Hog-nosed Snake
H. n. nasicus Baird and Girard, 1852 — Plains Hog-nosed Snake
H. platirhinos Palisot de Beauvois in Sonnini de Manoncourt and Latreille, 1801 — Eastern Hog-nosed Snake
H. simus (Linnaeus, 1766) — Southern Hog-nosed Snake
Hypsiglena Cope, 1860 — North American Nightsnakes
H. chlorophaea Cope, 1860 — Desert Nightsnake
H. c. chlorophaea Cope, 1860 — Sonoran Nightsnake
H. c. deserticola Tanner, 1944 — Northern Desert Nightsnake
H. c. loreala Tanner, 1944 — Mesa Verde Nightsnake
H. jani (Dugès, 1865) — Chihuahuan Nightsnake
H. j. texana Stejneger, 1893 — Texas Nightsnake
H. ochrorhyncha Cope, 1860 — Coast Nightsnake
H. o. klauberi Tanner, 1944 — San Diego Nightsnake
H. o. nuchalata Tanner, 1943 — California Nightsnake
Leptodeira Fitzinger, 1843 — Cat-eyed Snakes
L. septentrionalis (Kennicott, in Baird, 1859) — Northern Cat-eyed Snake
Rhadinaea Cope, 1863 — Littersnakes
R. flavilata (Cope, 1871) — Pine Woods Littersnake
Elapidae Boie, 1827 — Coral Snakes, Cobras, and Kraits
Micruroides Schmidt, 1928 — Sonoran Coralsnakes
M. euryxanthus (Kennicott, 1860) — Sonoran Coralsnake
M. e. euryxanthus (Kennicott, 1860) — Arizona Coralsnake
Micrurus Wagler, in Spix, 1824 — American Coralsnakes
M. fulvius (Linnaeus, 1766) — Harlequin Coralsnake
M. tener (Baird and Girard, 1853) — Texas Coralsnake
Hydrophiidae Fitzinger, 1843 — Sea Snakes and Allies
Hydrophis Latreille in Sonnini de Manoncourt and Latreille, 1801 — Circum-tropical Seasnakes