# List of reptiles of California

This list of reptiles of California includes the snakes, turtles and lizards found in the US state of California.
* Endemic species.
* Introduced species.

## Lizards
### Family Anguidae

| Species | Common name | Occurrence |
| Elgaria coerulia | Northern alligator lizard | North of Monterey Bay and in the Sierra Nevada |
| Elgaria multicarinata | Southern alligator lizard | Throughout the state, excluding the deserts and most of the Central Valley |
| Elgaria panamintina | Panamint alligator lizard | Inyo and Mono Counties |

### Family Anniellidae

| Species | Common name | Occurrence |
| Anniella alexanderae | Temblor legless lizard | Between California State Highway 33 and southeast base of Temblor Range, Kern County |
| Anniella campi | Southern Sierra legless lizard | Western Mojave Desert in Kern and Inyo Counties |
| Anniella grinnelli | Bakersfield legless lizard | Southern San Joaquin Valley and the east side of the Carrizo Plain |
| Anniella pulchra | Northern California legless lizard | Contra Costa County south to Ventura County |
| Anniella stebbinsi | Southern California legless lizard | Southern California south of the Transverse Ranges into northern Baja California |

### Family Chamaeleonidae

| Species | Common name | Occurrence | Photo |
| Trioceros jacksonii | Jackson's chameleon | San Luis Obispo, Los Angeles, and San Diego Counties | |

### Family Crotaphytidae

| Species | Common name | Occurrence |
| Crotaphytus bicinctores | Great Basin collared lizard | East of the Sierra Nevada |
| Crotaphytus vestigium | Baja California collared lizard | East of Peninsular Ranges south of Mount San Jacinto |
| Gambelia copeii | Cope's leopard lizard | Barely extends into CA, around Campo, San Diego County. |
| Gambelia sila | Blunt-nosed leopard lizard | San Joaquin Valley |
| Gambelia wislizenii | Long-nosed leopard lizard | Mojave and Sonoran Deserts |

### Family Dactyloidae

| Species | Common name | Occurrence | Photo |
| Anolis carolinensis | Green anole | Coastal Southern California | |
| Anolis sagrei | Brown anole | Small isolated populations in San Diego County | |

### Family Eublepharidae

| Species | Common name | Occurrence | Photo |
| Coleonyx switaki | Switak's banded gecko | Borrego Springs south to Baja California | |
| Coleonyx variegatus | Western banded gecko | Most of inland Southern California | |

### Family Gekkonidae

| Species | Common name | Occurrence |
| Cyrtopodion scabrum | Rough-tailed gecko | Inyo County near Death Valley |
| Hemidactylus garnotii | Indo-Pacific gecko | Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego Counties |
| Hemidactylus mabouia | Tropical house gecko | Orange and San Diego Counties |
| Hemidactylus turcicus | Mediterranean house gecko | Southern California and San Joaquin Valley, scattered throughout the rest of the state |
| Tarentola annularis | Ringed wall gecko | Redlands, San Bernardino County |
| Tarentola mauritanica | Moorish gecko | San Diego County |

### Family Helodermatidae

| Species | Common name | Occurrence | Photo |
| Heloderma suspectum | Gila monster | Scattered populations in Inyo, San Bernardino, Riverside, and Imperial Counties | |

### Family Iguanidae

| Species | Common name | Occurrence | Photo |
| Dipsosaurus dorsalis | Desert iguana | Mojave and Sonoran Deserts | |
| Sauromalus ater | Common chuckwalla | Mojave and Sonoran Deserts excluding Algodones Dunes | |

### Family Lacertidae

| Species | Common name | Occurrence | Photo |
| Acanthodactylus boskianus | Bosc's fringe-toed lizard | Coastal Ventura County | |
| Podarcis siculus | Italian wall lizard | San Pedro, Los Angeles County | |

### Family Phrynosomatidae

| Species | Common name | Occurrence |
| Callisaurus draconoides | Zebra-tailed lizard | Mojave and Sonoran Deserts |
| Petrosaurus mearnsi | Banded rock lizard | East of Peninsular Ranges south of San Gorgonio Pass |
| Phrynosoma blainvilli | Coast horned lizard | West of Sierra Nevada and deserts, north to the Bay Area, and inland as far north as Shasta Reservoir |
| Phrynosoma douglasii | Pygmy short-horned lizard | Far northeast near Oregon |
| Phrynosoma mcallii | Flat-tail horned lizard | Most of Colorado Desert, excluding Algodones Dunes |
| Phrynosoma platyrhinos | Desert horned lizard | Sonoran and Mojave Deserts and far northeast in Great Basin Desert |
| Sceloporus becki | Island fence lizard | Channel Islands |
| Sceloporus graciosus | Common sagebrush lizard | Mountains surrounding Central Valley north to Oregon and east to Nevada |
| Sceloporus magister | Desert spiny lizard | Sonoran Desert |
| Sceloporus occidentalis | Western fence lizard | Throughout California excluding most of Sonoran and Mojave Deserts |
| Sceloporus orcutti | Granite spiny lizard | Lower slopes of Peninsular Ranges south of San Gorgonio Pass |
| Sceloporus uniformis | Yellow-backed spiny lizard | Mojave Desert with scattered populations in Coast Ranges. |
| Sceloporus vandenburgianus | Southern sagebrush lizard | Transverse and Peninsular Ranges |
| Uma inornata | Coachella Valley fringe-toed lizard | Coachella Valley |
| Uma notata | Colorado Desert fringe-toed lizard | Colorado Desert |
| Uma scoparia | Mojave fringe-toed lizard | Mojave Desert between Death Valley and Colorado River |
| Urosaurus graciosus | Long-tailed brush lizard | Sonoran and Mojave Deserts |
| Urosaurus microscutatus | Small-scaled lizard | East side of Peninsular Ranges south of Borrego Palm Canyon, Marron Valley, Cottonwood, and Deerhorn Flat areas on the west side. |
| Urosaurus ornatus | Ornate tree lizard | Native along Colorado River, introduced in San Bernardino County and El Centro |
| Uta stansburiana | Common side-blotched lizard | Southern California north to Bay Area, excluding the Central Valley and including Great Basin Desert near Nevada |

### Family Phyllodactylidae

| Species | Common name | Occurrences | Photo |
| Phyllodactylus nocticolus | Peninsular leaf-toed gecko | East of Peninsular Ranges, south of Palm Springs | |

### Family Scincidae

| Species | Common name | Occurrences |
| Chalcides ocellatus | Ocelated skink | Small populations in San Bernardino and San Diego Counties |
| Plestiodon gilberti | Gilbert's skink | Sierra Nevada, Coast, Transverse, and Peninsular Ranges, with populations in Mojave Desert |
| Plestiodon skiltonianus | Western skink | Coastal and Northern California, with populations in Sierra Nevada and Great Basin Desert |
| Trachylepis Quinquetaeniata | African five-lined skink | Glendora, Los Angeles County |

### Family Teiidae

| Species | Common name | Occurrences |
| Aspidoscelis hyperythrus | Orange-throated whiptail | Coastal Southern California west of Peninsular Ranges |
| Aspidoscelis tigris | Tiger whiptail | Desert regions, Central Valley, Coast, Transverse, and Peninsular Ranges |
| Aspidoscelis sonorae | Sonoran spotted whiptail | Orange and northern San Diego Counties |

### Family Xantusiidae

| Species | Common name | Occurrence |
| Xantusia gracilis | Sandstone night lizard | Anza-Borrego State Park |
| Xantusia henshawi | Granite night lizard | Peninsular Ranges south of San Gorgonio Pass |
| Xantusia riversiana | Island night lizard | Santa Barbara Island, Sutil Islet, San Clemente Island, and San Nicolas Island |
| Xantusia sierrae | Sierra night lizard | Southwestern foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains along the western edge of the Greenhorn mountains in Kern County |
| Xantusia vigilis | Desert night lizard | Throughout the Mojave Desert, Transverse and Coast Ranges, and southern Sierra Nevada, Santa Catalina Island population may be introduced |
| Xantusia wigginsi | Baja California night lizard | Scissor's Crossing, San Diego County and east of Jacumba |

## Snakes
### Family Boidae

| Species | Common name | Occurrence |
| Charina bottae | Northern rubber boa | Sierra Nevada and Coast Ranges north of Monterey County, north of Central Valley |
| Charina umbratica | Southern rubber boa | Disjunct areas in the San Bernardino and San Jacinto Mountains |
| Lichanura orcutti | Coastal rosy boa | San Diego County north and east into Mojave and Sonoran Deserts, excluding Imperial Valley |

### Family Colubridae

| Species | Common name | Occurrence |
| Arizona elegans | Glossy snake | Southern California, north up the Coast Ranges to Bay Area. |
| Bogertophis rosaliae | Baja California rat snake | May exist near Mexico border in Imperial County |
| Chionactis occipitalis | Western shovelnose snake | Mojave Desert |
| Coluber constrictor | North American Racer | Throughout California excluding San Joaquin Valley and desert regions |
| Contia longicaudae | Forest sharp-tailed snake | Del Norte, Humboldt, Mendocino, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Sonoma, and Trinity Counties, hugging the coast. |
| Contia tenuis | Sharp-tailed snake | Sierra Nevada and Coast Ranges north of Tulare County |
| Diadophis punctatus | Ringneck snake | Mountainous regions and near Nevada |
| Hypsiglena chlorophaea | Desert nightsnake | Mojave, Sonoran, and Great Basin Deserts |
| Hypsiglena ochrorhynchus | Coast night snake | Sierra Nevada and Coast Ranges, coastal Southern California |
| Lampropeltis californiae | California kingsnake | Entire state excluding extreme NW coast, NE Great Basin Desert, and high elevations |
| Lampropeltis multifasciata | Coast mountain kingsnake | Coast, Transverse, and Peninsular Ranges from Monterey County south |
| Lampropeltis zonata | California mountain kingsnake | Coast Ranges north of Monterey County, and Sierra Nevada |
| Masticophis flagellum | Coachwhip | Southern California, San Joaquin Valley, inner Coast Ranges north to Bay Area |
| Masticophis fuliginosus | Baja California coachwhip | San Diego County near Mexico |
| Masticophis lateralis | California striped whipsnake | Mountainous regions in ring around Central Valley south to Mexico |
| Masticophis taeniatus | Striped whipsnake | Great Basin Desert |
| Nerodia fasciata | Banded water snake | Colorado River, Lake Natoma, and Lake Machado |
| Neroida sipedon | Common water snake | Roseville, Placer County |
| Phyllorhynchus decurtatus | Western leaf-nosed snake | Sonoran and Mojave Deserts |
| Pituophis catenifer | Gopher snake | All of California excluding high Sierras |
| Rhinocheilus lecontei | Long-nosed snake | Inner Coast Ranges, Mojave, Sonoran and Great Basin Deserts, and the Sierra Nevada foothills |
| Salvadora hexalepis | Western patch-nosed snake | Southern California and Great Basin Desert |
| Sonora annulata | Colorado Desert shovelnose snake | Sonoran (Colorado) Desert |
| Sonora semiannulata | Western ground snake | Eastern Mojave, Sonoran, and Great Basin Deserts |
| Tantilla hobartsmithi | Southwestern blackhead snake | Southern Sierra foothills and Mojave Desert |
| Tantilla planiceps | Western black-headed snake | Inner Coast Ranges south from Bay Area, Transverse and Peninsular Ranges |
| Thamnophis atratus | Aquatic garter snake | Coast Ranges north from Santa Barbara County to Oregon |
| Thamnophis couchii | Sierra garter snake | Sierra Nevada |
| Thamnophis elegans | Terrestrial garter snake | Northern California, Sierra Nevada, and Coast Ranges south to Santa Barbara County. Isolated population in San Bernardino Mountains |
| Thamnophis gigas | Giant garter snake | Central Valley |
| Thamnophis hammondii | Two-striped garter snake | Coastal California south of Monterey Bay |
| Thamnophis marcianus | Checkered garter snake | Colorado River and Imperial Valley as north as Mecca |
| Thamnophis ordinoides | Northwestern garter snake | Extreme northwest corner of state |
| Thamnophis sirtalis | Common garter snake | Most of state excluding desert regions, San Joaquin Valley and high Sierras |
| Trimorphodon lambda | Sonoran lyre snake | Near Colorado River |
| Trimorphodon lyrophanes | California lyresnake | Southern California, southeast of a line between Inyo and Santa Barbara Counties, but absent from large parts of the Mojave and Colorado Deserts. |

### Family Hydrophiinae

| Species | Common name | Occurrences | Photo |
| Hydrophis platurus | Yellow-bellied sea snake | Occasionally beaches in Southern California | |

### Family Leptotyphlopidae

| Species | Common name | Occurrences | Photo |
| Rena humilis | Western threadsnake | Southern California north to southern Great Basin Desert | |

### Family Typhlopidae

| Species | Common name | Occurrence | Photo |
| Indotyphlops braminus | Brahminy blind snake | Southern California | |

### Family Viperidae

| Species | Common name | Occurrences |
| Crotalus atrox | Western diamondback rattlesnake | Sonoran Desert |
| Crotalus cerastes | Sidewinder | Mojave and Sonoran Deserts |
| Crotalus helleri | Southern Pacific rattlesnake | Transverse and Peninsular Ranges north to Santa Barbara County |
| Crotalus lutosus | Great Basin rattlesnake | Great Basin Desert |
| Crotalus oreganus | Northern Pacific rattlesnake | North of Santa Barbara County, excluding deserts |
| Crotalus ruber | Red diamond rattlesnake | South of San Bernardino County, west of desert region. |
| Crotalus pyrrhus | Southwestern speckled rattlesnake | Peninsular Ranges, Sonoran and southern Mojave Deserts, excluding Imperial Valley |
| Crotalus scutulatus | Mojave rattlesnake | Mojave Desert |
| Crotalus stephensi | Panamint rattlesnake | Northern Mojave Desert |

## Turtles
### Family Cheloniidae

| Species | Common name | Occurrences |
| Caretta caretta | Loggerhead sea turtle | Southern California waters, does not nest |
| Chelonia mydas | Green sea turtle | California waters, does not nest |
| Eretmochelys imbricata | Hawksbill sea turtle | Southern California waters, does not nest |
| Lepidochelys olivacea | Olive ridley sea turtle | Southern California waters, does not nest |

### Family Chelydridae

| Species | Common name | Occurrences | Photo |
| Chelydra serpentina | Common snapping turtle | Populations scattered throughout the state | |

### Family Dermochelyidae

| Species | Common name | Occurrences | Photo |
| Dermochelys coriacea | Leatherback sea turtle | California waters, does not nest | |

### Family Emydidae

| Species | Common name | Occurrences |
| Chrysemys picta | Western painted turtle | Mostly Bay Area and coastal Southern California |
| Actinemys marmorata | Northwestern pond turtle | Central Valley north to Oregon |
| Actinemys pallida | Southwestern pond turtle | Peninsular, Transverse, and Coast Ranges north to Bay Area |
| Trachemys scripta | Red-eared slider | Populations scattered throughout the state |

### Family Kinosternidae

| Species | Common name | Occurrences | Photo |
| Kinosternon sonoriense | Sonoran mud turtle | Along Colorado River, probably extirpated | |

### Family Testudinidae

| Species | Common name | Occurrences | Photo |
| Gopherus agassizii | Mojave desert tortoise | Mojave and eastern Sonoran Desert | |

### Family Trionychidae

| Species | Common name | Occurrences | Photo |
| Apalone ferox | Florida softshell | Bay Area and Los Angeles Basin | |
| Apalone spinifera | Spiny softshell | Colorado River and in scattered populations across the state | |