Aims of this website

Our aim with this project is to provide an easily available source of information about the turtles, lizards, snakes, and crocodilians that occur in North Carolina. Working in partnership with scientists, naturalists, conservationists, and the general public we also use this website to track changes in the abundance, distribution, and status of these species across the state.

The species accounts are continually being updated for all reptile taxa. Those included in this website have several key parts:

Stats

Number of species: 75 = 70 native and 5 established non-native

Number of records: 17,600

The Reptiles of North Carolina Website is being developed through a partnership between the North Carolina State Parks System (NC DPR) and the North Carolina Biodiversity Project (NCBP), a non-profit, education- and conservation-oriented association composed of field biologists specializing in taxonomy, ecology, and conservation of the state’s native species and ecosystems. This partnership serves NC DPR’s mission of providing "environmental education opportunities that promote stewardship of the state's natural heritage". It is also serves NCBP core interests in promoting awareness and interest in the general public concerning the state’s rich variety of native species, and in generating a wide base of support for the conservation of these resources.

The authors of the Reptiles of North Carolina Website are:

Erich P. Hofmann (Instructor, Science Department, Cape Fear Community College)
Steve Hall (Landcape ecologist and conservation zoologist, North Carolina Natural Heritage Program, retired)
Tom Howard (Webmaster, NC Division of Parks and Recreation)

Major contributors include:

Harry LeGrand (Vertebrate Biologist, NC Natural Heritage Program, retired)


The authors may be contacted at: admin@nc-biodiversity.com

How to Get Involved

The mission of the NCBP is to gather information on the biodiversity of North Carolina and to then disseminate it as widely as possible. As a key part of that process, we want to involve the public as much as possible, not only as recipients of this information, but as active partners in its acquisition. For that reason, we have created an online submission form that can be used by anyone -- expert or novice -- to send records to this website. We also need to ensure that the data we accept and subsequently publish on this website is as scientifically accurate as we can make it. The following description provides information on the types of data we are looking for and the steps we follow in processing records that are submitted to us.

Submitting a Record

Before submitting a record, read Terms of Use/Privacy Statement. Our intention is to make the information gathered in the website as widely available as we can make it. We therefore follow the guidelines established for Fair Use of published materials. However, for anyone who would like to have stronger copyright recognition for the photographs they submit, we accept photographs that contain the copyright symbol, indicating the need for the photographer to be contacted for any third party use.

To send us a record, click on Submit a Public Record on the menu located on the left side of the Home Page. Only records of reliably identified species serve our interests to document the distribution, natural history, and conservation status of the reptiles of North Carolina. To make the record most useful for these purposes, therefore, we require that certain information be filled in, as indicated in red text on the form.

Species Name

The submitters themselves need to take the initial step in trying to identify the species the record represents; a provisional scientific or common name must be entered in order to open the main submission form. This requirement helps the submitter learn more about the identification process (and its problems). It also helps us process the records more quickly. For help in establishing this preliminary identification, click on the Identification Guide located on the menu at the top of the Home Page. There are several web sites that will help with the identification. Although your initial identification does not have to be completely accurate – we will vet the photograph or other evidence as part of the acceptance process – the more precise it is, the faster we can process the submission. Conversely, records that require more time and effort on the part of our reviewers are likely to be delayed in acceptance, sometimes (we regret to say) indefinitely. If you are unable to identify your individual—especially in the case of a possible introduced species—you may use the "Unidentified Turtle/Lizard/Snake" buttons instead; however, it is greatly preferred that submissions include a more precise identification when possible.

Identity of the Observer

The name of the person must be included and an email address where the submitter can be reached; we do not accept any records from anonymous or otherwise unverifiable sources. Only the observer’s name will show up in the species accounts, not the email address, which will be used only to notify the submitter concerning the status of their record (see Vetting Process below); it will not be shared with anyone outside of the website group without permission from the submitter.

Date and Location of the Record

For the record to be useful to us, we require information on the date and location of the observation. The dates will be used to compile phenology charts, with separate charts used for reproductive activity and general above-ground activity by the adults. Locations for all records – adults or juveniles – will be used to fill in the distribution maps displayed for the species. Although only the counties will show up in the public display on the website, we need more accurate locational information to help identify sites of particular conservation interest, as well as to help identity the habitat and landscape context where the record was made. In some cases the location where the observation was made can be important in the identification of the species. The coordinates of the location – in decimal degrees -- can be entered using either data from a personal GPS or using Map It, the mapping tool included on the form. We would also like the name of the site to be included, if identifiable (e.g., a town or nature preserve), along with any descriptive subsite information that can be provided (e.g., neighborhood name, street address or location along a road, or topographic location – e.g., floodplain or ridgetop).

Number of Individuals; Methods of Observation; Life Stages

The abundance of a species is usually one of the main factors determining its conservation status – the less abundant the species, the higher its presumed risk and hence the higher its priority for protection. However, the number of reptiles seen at a particular time and place varies widely, depending on weather conditions, timing of the life cycle of the particular species, and the methods used to make the observations. While not required -- we will enter a single individual as a default if no estimates of numbers are recorded -- either exact counts of the individuals seen at a given time or estimates (for observations above 5 individuals) provide useful information on population sizes and trends.

Habitat

Gathering information on the habitats used by the species is one of the most important goals of this project -- we use this information to help determine the ecological and conservation needs of the species. One of our main missions of the NCBP overall is to acquaint the public about the diversity of habitats we have in North Carolina and how each one plays a role in sustaining our native biodiversity. The habitats listed on the entry form are fairly simplified, our hope being that most people will be able to use them to describe the general environment where the record was obtained. A description of each habitat type is also provided that can be pulled up by clicking on the name of the habitat. Note that more than one habitat type can be selected. Since some reptiles will move great distances in pursuit of prey or a reproductive partner, we ask that all habitat types within a radius of 100 yards be recorded.

Comments

The Comments section is optional but can be used to record information about habitat, mating behavior, predator-prey interactions, or other behavioral or ecological observations of interest. Inclusion of this information makes a record far more valuable than just a dot on the map or bar on the phenology chart (as valuable as those pieces of information are). Predator-prey interactions are of particular interest.

Adding a Photograph

Photographs provide the basis for documenting a record and must be included as part of all submissions (records from specimens obtained from surveys conducted by expert herpetologists are recorded through a separate process). For photographs stored on your computer, use your file browser to locate the file; open the file by clicking on the name or image, and then click on the Open button shown at the bottom of the form. Usually only one photograph should be entered per species per site per date, but up to three shots can be entered, showing a given individual from different angles or several individuals displaying a range of variation in pattern or other features. Add additional information in the comment box that will help confirm the identity of the species (e.g., "keeled carpace; pair of pale stripes on the sides of the head")

Completion of the Form

Following the Security Check and acceptance of the Terms of Use at the bottom of the form, click on the Submit button to enter the completed record.

Vetting Process

Once a record has been submitted, the proposed identification is reviewed by our team of experts to confirm its accuracy. Accepted records will be displayed for a short time on the Recent Entries table and will be entered at the same time to the appropriate Species Account. Note that in some cases, we may not be able to identify the specimen to species and may decide to place them in accounts we have set up for unidentified species belonging to a given genus. Where the record is not accepted or where we have identified it as a a different species, or where additional information is required, a message may be sent to the submitter via email.

Currently, we are able to process the records within a two week period (usually less).

How to Identify a Reptile

The identifying features of each of the snakes, lizards, turtles, and crocodilians that occur in North Carolina are described in the species accounts. These descriptions emphasize the features that we ourselves use in vetting records that are submitted to this website. Our website is not intended, however, to be used primarily an identification resource. Instead, there are many other sources of information on that aspect of reptile studies that we highly recommend in that regard.

FIELD GUIDES

Three that we recommend are:

Amphibians and Reptiles of the Carolinas and Virginia, 2nd Ed , by J.C. Beane, A.L. Braswell, J.C. Mitchell, W.M. Palmer, and J.R. Harrison III; Universtiy of North Carolina Press, 2010. This book covers most of the reptile species found in our area, providing identification information, range maps, and details about habitats and life histories. Note that several taxonomic changes have occurred since this book's publication.

Reptiles and Amphibians of the Smokies, by S.G. Tilley and J.E. Huheey; Great Smoky Mountains Association.

Peterson Field Guide To Reptiles And Amphibians Eastern and Central North America, 4th Edition, R. Powell, R. Conant, and J.T. Collins; Mariner Books.

WEBSITES

There are now several websites that specialize in providing help with identifying reptiles:

NC Museum of Natural Sciences, Herpetology Collection

Amphibians and Reptiles of North Carolina

HerpMapper

iNaturalist

TECHNICAL LITERATURE

A vast amount of technical information on reptiles can now be searched for online. An incredibly useful resource is the Reptile Database. For older literature, an important resource is the Biodiversity Heritage Library. For more recent references, Google Scholar provides a way to locate articles on particular species or subjects.

The primary technical reference for reptiles in North Carolina is:

Reptiles of North Carolina, by William M. Palmer and Alvin L. Braswell; UNC Press, 1995 (reprinted in paperback 2013). This is the ultimate resource for complete information on the natural history and identification of North Carolina's reptiles. Although the taxonomy is out of date now for some taxa, it can be linked to updated taxonomy through our site. Much of the information on natural history and scalation comes from Palmer & Braswell's work.

A number of major compilations have been written on the reptiles of North America. These include:

Turtles of the United States and Canada. 2nd ed., by Carl Ernst and Jeffrey Lovich; Smithsonian Books, 2009. This book provides the most complete information on the snakes of North America, including their identification and taxonomy, distribution, and details about habitats and life histories.

Snakes of the United States and Canada, by Carl Ernst and Evelyn Ernst; Johns Hopkins University Press, 2003. Like the Turtles of the United States and Canada, this book provides comprehensive information on the snakes of North America, including their identification and taxonomy, distribution, and details about habitats and life histories.

SPECIMEN-BASED IDENTIFICATION

If you are fortunate enough to live near a large reference collection, such as the Herpetology Collection at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh, direct comparison of a specimen to those identified in the collection offers one of the most traditional means of determining an unknown species.

NORTH CAROLINA HERPETOLOGICAL SOCIETY

Joining the NC Herp Society is a great way to get involved with others interested in our state's amphibians and reptiles, and learning from them.

General Reptile Ecology

As reptiles primarily rely on external environmental temperatures to regulate their body temperatures, native reptile diversity in North Carolina increases as you move west to east. Despite its relatively low diversity, the Mountain region serves as an important habitat for a variety of reptiles, among them Coal Skinks and Bog Turtles that are most commonly found in the Mountain region and western Piedmont. Milder temperatures in the Piedmont allow for a greater diversity of reptiles across their habitats, and though no reptiles are entirely restricted to this physiographic province, some are found more readily there either due to ecological requirements or degradation of habitat elsewhere. Where the Piedmont and Coastal Plain meets, the Sandhills serves as an ecological shelter for several reptiles in this way, as Pine Snakes, Southern Hog-nosed Snakes, and others are found in greatest abundance there. Meanwhile, the Coastal Plain houses the greatest reptile diversity in the state thanks to relatively warm temperatures and diversity of habitats. Many species reach the northern limits of their distribution in this region, and several unique populations appear here and nowhere else, including highly photogenic red-phase Pygmy Rattlesnakes. Ocean-facing beaches are critical nesting sites for sea turtles, and Carolina bays, rivers, and streams are important sites for numerous freshwater turtle and poorly known semi-aquatic snake species.

The Need to Conserve Our Native Reptiles

All of our native reptiles are critical components of their natural ecosystems. As predators, they consume a variety of prey, including insects and small rodents often considered pests, and serve important “clean-up” functions in habitats by scavenging smaller remains of dead organisms and eating diseased individuals. Thanks to their lower body temperatures, diseases such as rabies cannot survive in reptiles when consumed. Reptiles also serve as important prey items for birds, mammals, and other reptiles. Sea turtles serve as ecosystem engineers in coastal environments where they nest. Native reptiles also serve important ecosystem functions with direct impacts on humans. In southern states like North Carolina reptiles are the primary host for ticks, in contrast to northern states where mammals serve as the primary hosts. Because reptiles are inefficient Lyme spirochete reservoirs, reptiles are one of the reasons Lyme disease is not prevalent in North Carolina (Ginsberg et al., 2021). Venomous snakes—in addition to predating many pest species—are the subject of much proteomic and molecular research, and several pharmaceuticals on the market today were first derived from components of snake venoms; this includes eptifibatide, used in some anticoagulation therapies and originally derived from pygmy rattlesnake venom components.

Like most organisms worldwide, reptiles face global threats in the form of habitat destruction, invasive species, urban development, climate change, and disease. A recent study suggested more than 1 in 5 species of reptiles (21.1%) are threatened, a number similar to mammals (25.4%) and higher than birds (13.6%)—taxa more commonly associated with targeted conservation efforts (Cox et al., 2022).

In addition to habitat destruction and overdevelopment, reptiles locally are under threat from pollution, and emerging diseases and invasive species spreading due in part to the climate crisis. For example, the fungal disease Ophidiomycosis (often called Snake Fungal Disease, SFD) is spreading rapidly in North America, and has been detected in North Carolina. This fungal infection causes lesions on scales, including severe facial scale disfigurations which can prevent snakes from feeding, leading to emaciation and death (Allender et al., 2020). American Alligators in southeastern North Carolina exposed to PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) pollution in the Cape Fear rivers are now known to have disrupted immune function and autoimmune-like pathologies (Guillette et al., 2022), leading to ulcerated sores that fail to heal properly. Our native freshwater and sea turtles are both threatened by poaching and hunting, and our native snakes are often wantonly killed due to fear and ignorance.

In North Carolina, six of our native species are considered endangered, including three federally endangered sea turtles (Atlantic Hawksbill, Kemp’s Ridley, and Leatherback); the other state-endangered species are the Eastern Coral Snake, Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake, and Mimic Glass Lizard. Another six species are considered state-threatened, four of which—the Bog Turtle, American Alligator, Green Sea Turtle, and Loggerhead Sea Turtle—are considered federally threatened; the other state-threatened species are the Northern Pine Snake and Southern Hog-nosed Snake. Finally, reflecting both declining statuses and deficiency of data, an additional 13 native species are considered “Special Concern” in the state, including six populations of snakes, six turtles, and one lizard. Many other species, especially inconspicuous semi-fossorial taxa, are in need of more detailed population surveys statewide.

Continued overdevelopment and degradation of primary habitat, pollution, and introductions of non-native species will further exacerbate threats to North Carolina’s native fauna. We already have seen near-total extirpation of Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnakes (Crotalus adamanteus) from North Carolina due to persecution and habitat destruction. Introduced species such as fire ants, armadillos, and feral hogs kill numerous reptiles every year, and the state is now home to several breeding populations of nonnative lizards, including Hemidactylus geckos and the Brown Anole (Anolis sagrei), which may outcompete native Green Anoles (A. carolinensis); how their presence may impact native species in North Carolina is in need of further study. Roads through fragmented habitats create death traps for reptiles as they attempt to cross to find food, mates, or new habitat; drive down nearly any highway in the spring and summer and you’ll see the remains of dozens of turtles and snakes too slow to escape passing cars. These “dead-on-road” specimens are not wasted by researchers, however, as they can provide important natural history data and genetic samples when properly preserved by the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences Herpetology Unit.

Protection of habitat in North Carolina is of the utmost importance for our native reptiles, as is a better understanding of microhabitat requirements and other aspects of species ecology and natural history. Landowners can also play a part by leaving local species they find on their property undisturbed, and areas of healthy habitat on their properties (rather than keeping solely a non-native grass lawn). Similarly, educating family members and friends on the importance of reptiles and habitat preservation can help spare populations from local extirpation or extinction.