This list of Kansas reptiles includes the snakes, turtles and lizards found in the US state of Kansas.

This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. (October 2010)

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (January 2011)

Turtles

Kansas is home to 15 species of turtles.[1]

Family Chelydridae – snapping turtles

• Alligator snapping turtle
• Common snapping turtle

Family Kinosternidae – mud and musk turtles

• Common musk turtle (stinkpot)
• Yellow mud turtle

Family Emydidae – basking and box turtles

• Painted turtle
• Common map turtle
• Ouachita map turtle
• False map turtle
• River cooter
• Ornate box turtle
• Eastern box turtle
• Pond slider turtle

Family Trionychidae – softshell turtles

• Spiny softshell turtle
• Smooth softshell turtle

Lizards

There are 16 species of lizards in Kansas.[2]

Anguidae – lateral fold lizards

• Slender glass lizard

Crotaphytidae – collared and leopard lizards

• Eastern collared lizard

Gekkonidae – geckos

• Mediterranean gecko (introduced)

Lacertidae – lacertas (wall and true lizards)

• Western green lizard (introduced)
• Italian wall lizard (introduced)

Phrynosomatidae – spiny lizards

• Lesser earless lizard
• Texas horned lizard
• Prairie lizard (Sceloporus consobrinus)

Scincidae – skinks

• Coal skink
• Skin colored black dotted skink
• Five-lined skink
• Broadhead skink
• Great Plains skink
• Southern prairie skink (Plestiodon obtusirostris)
• Northern prairie skink (Plestiodon septentrionalis)
• Ground skink

Teiidae – whiptails

• Six-lined racerunner

Venomous species

• Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus)
• Copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix)
• Western diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox) (very rare)
• Timber rattlesnake species in need of conservation (Crotalus horridus)
• Prairie rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis)
• Massasauga (Sistrurus catenatus)

Non-venomous species

• Eastern glossy snake (Arizona elegans)
• Western worm snake (Carphophis vermis)
• Eastern racer (Coluber constrictor)
• Ringneck snake (Diadophis punctatus)
• Western hognose snake (Heterodon nasicus)
• Eastern hognose snake (Heterodon platirhinos)
• Night snake (Hypsiglena torquata)^MT
• Prairie kingsnake (Lampropeltis calligaster)
• Common kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula)
• Milk snake (Lampropeltis triangulum)
• New Mexico blind snake (Leptotyphlops dissectus)
• Coachwhip (Masticophis flagellum)
• Plainbelly water snake (Nerodia erythrogaster)
• Diamondback water snake (Nerodia rhombifer)
• Northern water snake (Nerodia sipedon)
• Rough green snake (Opheodrys aestivus)
• Great Plains rat snake (Pantherophis emoryi)
• Western rat snake (Elaphe obsoleta)
• Gopher snake (Pituophis catenifer)
• Graham's crayfish snake (Regina grahamii)
• Longnose snake (Rhinocheilus lecontei)
• Ground snake (Sonora semiannulata)
• Brown snake (Storeria dekayi)
• Redbelly snake species in need of conservation (Storeria occipitomaculata)
• Flathead snake (Tantilla gracilis)
• Plains blackhead snake (Tantilla nigriceps)
• Checkered garter snake (Thamnophis marcianus)
• Western ribbon snake (Thamnophis proximus)
• Plains garter snake (Thamnophis radix)
• Common garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis)
• Lined snake (Tropidoclonion lineatum)
• Rough earth snake (Virginia striatula)
• Smooth earth snake (Virginia valeriae)

^MT This snake has enlarged grooved teeth near the back of the upper jaw and secretes a mildly toxic saliva to incapacitate its prey. However, it is not considered dangerous to humans.

References