List of reptiles of Canada

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This is a list of the **reptiles species recorded in Canada**. Most species are confined to the southernmost parts of the country[*citation needed*]. Canadian reptiles are composed of squamates and testudines.

Conservation status - IUCN Red List of Threatened Species:

**EX** - Extinct, **EW** - Extinct in the Wild
**CR** - Critically Endangered, **EN** - Endangered, **VU** - Vulnerable
**NT** - Near Threatened, **LC** - Least Concern
**DD** - Data Deficient, **NE** - Not Evaluated
(v. 2013.2, the data is current as of March 5, 2014)

## Order Squamata

Of the order **Squamata**, lizards and snakes are represented. There are no known amphisbaenids native to Canada.

### Snakes (Suborder Serpentes)

Snakes are the best-represented group of reptiles in Canada, with 35 varieties in three families. They can be found in all provinces and territories except Yukon, Nunavut, and Newfoundland and Labrador.

* *Charina bottae* (Rubber boa) **LC** – southern British Columbia, but not Vancouver Island
* *Coluber constrictor foxii* (Blue racer) **LC** – Pelee Island in Ontario
* *Coluber constrictor flaviventris* (Eastern yellow-bellied racer) **LC** – southern Saskatchewan
* *Coluber constrictor mormon* (Western yellow-bellied racer) **LC** – south-central British Columbia
* *Contia tenuis* (Common sharp-tailed snake) **LC** – southern Vancouver Island in British Columbia
* *Crotalus horridus* (Timber rattlesnake) **LC** – once present in southern Ontario and southern Quebec; extirpated
* *Crotalus oreganus oreganus* (Northern Pacific rattlesnake) **LC** – south-central British Columbia
* *Crotalus viridis viridis* (Prairie rattlesnake) **LC** – southern Alberta, southwestern Saskatchewan
* *Diadophis punctatus edwardsii* (Northern ring-necked snake) **LC** – southeastern Ontario, southern Quebec, most of New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia
* *Hypsiglena torquata* (Desert night snake) **LC** – extreme south-central British Columbia
* *Heterodon nasicus nasicus* (Western hog-nosed snake) **LC** – southeastern Alberta. southern Saskatchewan and southwestern Manitoba
* *Heterodon platirhinos* (Eastern hog-nosed snake) **LC** – southwestern Ontario
* *Lampropeltis triangulum* (Eastern milk snake) – southern Ontario southern Quebec
* *Nerodia sipedon insularum* (Lake Erie watersnake) **LC** – islands in western Lake Erie
* *Nerodia sipedon sipedon* (Northern watersnake) **LC** – southern and central Ontario, southern Quebec
* *Opheodrys vernalis* (Smooth green snake) **LC** – southeast Saskatchewan, southern Manitoba, central and southern Ontario, southern Quebec, most of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island
* *Pantherophis gloydi* (Eastern foxsnake) **NT** – southwestern Ontario
* *Pantherophis obsoleta obsoleta* (Black ratsnake) **LC** – southern Ontario
* *Pantherophis spiloides* (Gray ratsnake) – southeastern Ontario
* *Pituophis catenifer deserticola* (Great Basin gophersnake) **LC** – south-central British Columbia
* *Pituophis catenifer sayi* (Bullsnake) **LC** – southern Alberta and southern Saskatchewan
* *Regina septemvittata* (Queen snake) **LC** – southwestern Ontario
* *Sistrurus catenatus* (Eastern massasauga) **LC** – Bruce Peninsula and some parts of southwestern Ontario
* *Storeria dekayi* (Dekay's brownsnake) **LC** – southern Ontario, southern Quebec
* *Storeria occipitomaculata occipitomaculata* (Northern Red-bellied Snake) **LC** - southeastern Saskatchewan, southern Manitoba, southwestern and southeastern Ontario, southern Quebec, most of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island
* *Thamnophis butleri* (Butler's gartersnake) **LC** – southwestern Ontario
* *Thamnophis elegans vagrans* (Wandering gartersnake) **LC** – most of British Columbia, most of Alberta, southwestern Saskatchewan, and possibly the Liard River Valley in southwestern Northwest Territories
* *Thamnophis ordinoides* (Northwestern gartersnake) **LC** – southwestern British Columbia, including Vancouver Island
* *Thamnophis radix haydeni* (Plains gartersnake) **LC** – eastern Alberta, southern Saskatchewan and southwestern Manitoba
* *Thamnophis sauritus septentrionalis* (Northern ribbonsnake) **LC** – southern Ontario and southwestern Nova Scotia
* *Thamnophis sirtalis fitchi* (Valley garter snake) **LC** – central mainland British Columbia almost up to the Yukon border, and northern Vancouver Island
* *Thamnophis sirtalis pallidulus* (Maritime garter snake) **LC** – southern half of Quebec, most of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island
* *Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis* (Red-sided gartersnake) **LC** – eastern plains of British Columbia, most of Alberta, extreme southern Northwest Territories around the Fort Smith region, most of Saskatchewan, southern half of Manitoba, and northwestern Ontario
* *Thamnophis sirtalis pickeringi* (Puget Sound gartersnake) **LC** – southwest corner of British Columbia, including southern Vancouver Island
* *Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis* (Eastern gartersnake) **LC** – most of Ontario and Quebec, and the southeast corner of Manitoba

### Lizards (Suborder Lacertilia)

Lizard diversity is low in Canada, with six native species and one introduced species:

* *Elgaria coerulea principis* (Northwestern alligator lizard) **LC** – southern British Columbia, including most of Vancouver Island
* *Plestiodon skiltonianus* (Western skink) **LC** - southern interior of British Columbia
* *Plestiodon fasciatus* (Five-lined skink) **LC** – southern Ontario
* *Plestiodon septentrionalis septentrionalis* (Northern prairie skink) **LC** – southwestern Manitoba
* *Phrynosoma douglasii* (Pygmy horned lizard) **LC** – extreme south-central British Columbia
* *Phrynosoma hernandesi* (Short-horned lizard) **LC** – extreme southeastern Alberta and southern Saskatchewan
* *Podarcis muralis* (Common wall lizard) - introduced - southeastern Vancouver Island, Denman Island, single records in Vancouver, Summerland and Osoyoos but no populations on BC mainland.

## Order Testudines

Of the order **Testudines**, pond turtles are common in all of Canada's provinces, with the exception of Newfoundland and Labrador, which has sea turtles off its shores as does British Columbia.

### Land and pond turtles

* *Actinemys marmorata* (Pacific pond turtle) **VU** extirpated
* *Apalone spinifera* (Spiny softshell turtle) **LC**
* *Chelydra serpentina* (Common snapping turtle) **LC**
* *Chrysemys picta* (Painted turtle) **LC**
* *Clemmys guttata* (Spotted turtle) **EN**
* *Emydoidea blandingii* (Blanding's turtle) **EN**
* *Glyptemys insculpta* (Wood turtle) **EN**
* *Graptemys geographica* (Northern map turtle) **LC**
* *Sternotherus odoratus* (Stinkpot turtle) **LC**
* *Terrapene carolina* (Eastern box turtle) **VU** (probably escapes)

### Sea turtles

* *Caretta caretta* (Loggerhead sea turtle) **EN**
* *Chelonia mydas* (Green sea turtle) **EN**
* *Dermochelys coriacea* (Leatherback sea turtle) **VU**
* *Lepidochelys kempii* (Kemp's ridley sea turtle) **CR**
* *Lepidochelys olivacea* (Olive ridley sea turtle) **VU**

## See also

* Amphibians and Reptiles portal

* Lists of reptiles by region

## References

1. ↑ "The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species". International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. Retrieved 21 June 2012.
2. ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 "Reptiles of BC : - Reptiles and amphibians, snakes, lizards, turtles".
3. ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 3.18 3.19 "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-07-06. Retrieved 2011-03-26.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 4.9 "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-03-18. Retrieved 2011-03-26.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 http://www.biology.ualberta.ca/courses.hp/zoo301.hp/altaherps.html
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 "CARCNET - Canadian Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Network".
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 "The Manitoba Herps Atlas".
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 http://redpath-museum.mcgill.ca/Qbp/herps/herps.html
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-01-26. Retrieved 2011-03-26.
10. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-02-13. Retrieved 2011-03-26.
11. ↑ Turtle, Canadian Encyclopedia

## Further reading

* Bumstead, Pat; Norman H. Worsley (2003), *Canadian skin and scales*, Simply Wild Publications, ISBN 0-9689278-1-5

## External links

* JCVI Reptiles Database: Canada
* IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

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