Herpetology Reptile Quiz Flashcards
Common Snapping Turtle
Order: Testudines
Family: Chelydridae
SCI: Chelydra serpentina
ID: small, big head, bright orange, spiny/spikey like a dinosaur, long nose
Eastern Musk Turtle
Order: Testudines
Family: Kinosternidae
SCI: Sternotherus odoratus
ID: small, ovate shell, triangular face, bumpy neck skin
Wood Turtle
Order: Testudines
Family: Emydidae
SCI: Glyptemys insculpta
ID: shell with ringed domes, plastron light with black squares patterned on edges
Eastern Box Turtle
Order: Testudines
Family: Emydidae
SCI: Terrapene carolina
ID: yellow mirrored shell markings, reminds me of cave painting
Spotted Turtle
Order: Testudines
Family: Emydidae
SCI: Clemmys guttata
ID: one dot on each plate of the shell
Painted Turtle
Order: Testudines
Family: Emydidae
SCI: Chrysemys picta
ID: reddish color, two yellowish lines behind eye, smooth shell
Eastern River Cooter
Order: Testudines
Family: Emydidae
SCI: Pseudemys concinna
ID: large, water like yellow ripples on shell
Diamond-backed terrapin
Order: Testudines
Family: Emydidae
SCI: Malaclemys terrapin
ID: smooth shell plates, each plate has bold spiral pattern, plates in middle have black spot, ridged spine, white skin with black spots littered throughout
Yellow-bellied slider
Order: Testudines
Family: Emydidae
SCI: Trachemys scripta
ID: white/beige variable line going through sides of head through eyes, medium sized, raised shell plates
Leatherback Sea Turtle
Order: Testudines
Family: Dermochelyidae
SCI: Dermochelys coriacea
ID: scaleless, leathery, bumpy lines/ridges on back, small
Eastern Fence Lizard
Order: Squamata
Family: Phrynosomatidae
SCI: Sceloporus undulatus
ID: wide frame, rough skinned, dark dorsal crossbars
Six-lined racerunner
Order: Squamata
Family: Teiidae
SCI: Aspidoscelis sexlineatus
ID: six lines on back (three on each side of back), long tail
Common five-lined skink
Order: Squamata
Family: Scincidae
SCI: Plestiodon fasciatus
ID: smooth, five lines, middle scales wider than side scales
Southeastern five-lined skink
Order: Squamata
Family: Scincidae
SCI: Plestiodon inexpectatus
ID: smooth, five lines, middle tail scales same as side scales
little brown skink
Order: Squamata
Family: Scincidae
SCI: Scincella lateralis
ID: small with long tail, brown/tan, two lines down side
Green anole
Order: Squamata
Family: Dactyloidae
SCI: Anolis carolinensis
ID: long tail more than half of body, red spot on neck, green
Mediterranean gecko
Order: Squamata
Family: Gekkonidae
SCI: Hemidactylus turcicus
ID: short thick tail, long toes, beige, brown spotting, big eyes, spikey
Northern water snake
Order: Squamata
Family: Colubridae
SCI: Nerodia sipedon
ID: dark tight bands hourglass shaped, slender head, round pupils, no black tipped tail
plain-bellied water snake
Order: Squamata
Family: Colubridae
SCI: Nerodia erythrogaster
ID: plain belly yellow/beige-ish, strongly keeled scales, gray/green top
Queen Snake
Order: Squamata
Family: Colubridae
SCI: Regina septemvittata
ID: graybrown, white under chin extending as a line throughout body (not belly color), keeled scales, black and white striped belly, yellow lips
Eastern Wormsnake
Order: Squamata
Family: Colubridae
SCI: Carphophis amoenus
ID: worm, very small
Mudsnake
Order: Squamata
Family: Colubridae
SCI: Farancia abacura
ID: dark on top, checkerboard belly
Eastern gartersnake
Order: Squamata
Family: Colubridae
SCI: Thamnophis sirtalis
ID: gray black checkered dorsal with two bright yellow lines
Ribbon snake
Order: Squamata
Family: Colubridae
SCI: Thamnophis saurita
ID: like garter but skinny and long, white patch next to eye unlike garter
Eastern hog-nosed snake
Order: Squamata
Family: Colubridae
SCI: Heterodon platirhinos
ID: eyes close together, angry appearance, hog nose
Ring-necked snake
Order: Squamata
Family: Colubridae
SCI: Diadophis punctatus
ID: ring around neck, small
Black racer
Order: Squamata
Family: Colubridae
SCI: Coluber constrictor
ID: dark gray color entire body besides white chin, eyebrow bone, smooth scales, pale ringed stomach
Rough green snake
Order: Squamata
Family: Colubridae
SCI: Opheodrys aestivus
ID: skinny, very long, rough keeled scales, large eyes
Eastern ratsnake
Order: Squamata
Family: Colubridae
SCI: Pantherophis alleghaniensis
ID: black dorsal, white checkered ventral, speckled black spots and no eyebrow bone unlike racer
Corn snake
Order: Squamata
Family: Colubridae
SCI: Pantherophis guttatus
ID: small, corn shaped orange blotches outlined with black, white beige, checkered belly
Eastern kingsnake
Order: Squamata
Family: Colubridae
SCI: Lampropeltis getula
ID: dark base, thin curved white bands, belly light to checkered
Eastern milksnake
Order: Squamata
Family: Colubridae
SCI: Lampropeltis triangulum
ID: beige, white stripes outlined with black, little heart or Y on its head, belly checkered
Scarlet kingsnake
Order: Squamata
Family: Colubridae
SCI: Lampropeltis elapsoides
ID: thicker black bands outlining beigey bands than milksnake, small head barely distinct from neck
Eastern Copperhead
Order: Squamata
Family: Viperidae
SCI: Agkistrodon contortrix
ID: heavy bodied, tan, brown saddle pattern lighter in the center, small triangular head, narrow neck
Northern cottonmouth
Order: Squamata
Family: Viperidae
SCI: Agkistrodon piscivorus
ID: heavy bodied, beige with very dark sharp edged blotches look like pixels
Timber rattlesnake
Order: Squamata
Family: Viperidae
SCI: Crotalus horridus
ID: large, rattle, zig zag blotches
American alligator
Order: Crocodilia
Family: Alligatoridae
SCI: Alligator mississippiensis
ID: alligator tf
