Herpetology

Reptiles

Order: Testudines Family: Chelydridae

Genus: Chelydra Family: Kinosternidae

Genus: Sternotherus Family: Emydidae

Genus: Clemmys Genus: Glyptemys Genus: Graptemys Genus: Pseudemys Genus: Chrysemys Genus: Terrapene Genus: Trachemys

Family: Trionychidae Genus: Apalone

Family: Chelydridae

Eastern Snapping Turtle

Carapace with large tubercles

Plastron with less than 8 plates

Tail long Body spiny

Chelydra s. serpentina

Family: Kinosternidae

Stinkpot

11 plastron shields Spines covering the

body Dome shaped

carapace

Sternotherus odoratus

Family: Emydidae

Spotted Turtle

Spots on each carapace scute

Head is spotted Dome shaped

carapace

Clemmys guttata

Wood Turtle

Sculptured carapace No longitudinal

stripes on head Notched scutes

Glyptemys insculpta

Northern Map Turtle

Longitudinal stripes on head

Keeled carapace Somewhat flattened Triangular spots

behind eyes

Graptemys geographica

Ouachita Map Turtle

Very keeled carapace Somewhat flattened Longitudinal stripes

on head Square spots behind

eyes

Graptemys o. ouachitensis

Eastern Painted Turtle

Boarder around outer part of shell

Head with longitudinal stripes

Smooth carapace First row of costals

and vertebrals line up

Chrysemys p. picta

Midland Painted Turtle

First line of vertebrals and costals don’t line up

Smooth carapace Head with

longitudinal stripes

Chrysemys p. marginata

Eastern River Cooter

Cusps not prominent Longitudinal stripes

on head Longitudinal grooves

on carapace

Pseudemys c. concinna

Northern Red-bellied Cooter

Prominent cusp on upper jaw

Plastron might have pink/red color

Pseudemys rubriventris

Eastern Box Turtle

Dome shaped carapace

Orange and red-ish Plastron with

movable hinge

Terrapene c. carolina

Red-eared Turtle

Spot on each scute of the plastron

Longitudinal grooves on the carapace

Longitudinal stripes on head

Trachemys scripta elegans

Family: Trionychidae

Eastern Spiny Softshell

Spines on the anterior part of the shell

Shell is covered with skin

Snout projected Pancake like Feet mottled

Apalone s. spinifera

Midland Smooth Softshell

No spines to the anterior of the shell

Feet not mottled Nostril rounded Pancake like

Apalone m. mutica

Order: Squamata

Suborder: Lacertilia

Order: Squamata Family: Phrynosomatidae

Genus: Sceloporus Family: Teiidae

Genus: Cnemidophorus Family: Scincidae

Genus: Eumeces Genus: Scincella

Family: Phrynosomatidae

Northern Fence Lizard

Keeled and pointed scales

Sceloporus undulatus

hyacinthinus

Family: Teiidae

Eastern Six-lined Racerunner

Scales are glossy Ventral scales are

larger than dorsal 6 lines Black and white

Cnemidophorus s.

sexlineatus

Family: Scincidae

Northern Coal Skink

Smooth and glossy scales

Ventral and dorsal scales the same size

2 lines dark on the sides

Lighter in the middle

Eumeces a. anthracinus

Broad-headed Skink

Scales smooth and glossy

Big Broad head 5 labials No large postlabials

Eumeces laticeps

Common Five-lined Skink

Smooth glossy scales Scales same on dorsal

and ventral 2 postlabials 4 labials Black or brown with

five stripes

Eumeces fasciatus

Little Brown Skink

Smooth glossy scales Clear window like

scale in lower eyelid Brown and black

stripes on dorsal

Scincella lateralis