A Photo CHECKLIST of AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES of KERN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA

by Alison M. Sheehey

NOTE: Individual photos for each species will be added eventually as I encounter them in the field. Nomenclature a mixture of Crother 2000 (with 2003 update) and Collins 2002.  

AMPHIBIANS - Class Amphibia

ORDER Anura    

Family Bufonidae - True Toads

 

 

Western Toad - Anaxyrus (Bufo) boreas

Kern subspecies

California Toad - B. b. halophilus

ORDER Caudata

Ambystomatidae - Mole Salamanders 

California Tiger Salamander  - Ambystoma californiense

(ENDANGERED SPECIES)

Eastern Tiger Salamander [Introduced Kern River canyon (fish bait) reproduction uncertain] Reproducing in Tehachapi ponds and lakes - Ambystoma tigrinum

Family Plethodontidae - Lungless Salamanders

Gregarious Slender Salamander - Batrachoseps gregarius

Blackbelly Slender Salamander - Batrachoseps nigriventris

Family Hylidae - Treefrogs

Pacific Tree Frog - Pseudacris (Hyla) regilla 

 

 

 

 

 

Family Ranidae - True Frogs

Red-legged Frog - Rana aurora

Kern subspecies

California Red-legged Frog - R .a. draytonii   (THREATENED SPECIES)

 

Foothill Yellow-legged Frog - Rana boylii 

Bullfrog (Introduced) - Lithobates (Rana) catesbeiana 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mountain Yellow-legged Frog - Rana muscosa 

(ENDANGERED SPECIES)

 

Northern Leopard Frog (Introduced) - Lithobates (Rana) pipiens

Relictual Slender Salamander - Batrachoseps relictus

Kern Plateau Slender Salamander - Batrachoseps robustus

Kern Canyon Slender Salamander - Batrachoseps simatus

(THREATENED SPECIES)

Tehachapi Slender Salamander - Batrachoseps stebbinsi

(THREATENED SPECIES)

Breckenridge Mountain Slender Salamander - Batrachoseps sp. "Breckenridge"

Ensatina - Ensatina eschscholtzii

Kern subspecies

Yellow-blotched Ensatina - E. e. croceater

Sierra Nevada EnsatinaSierra Nevada Ensatina -  E. e. platensis

 

 

 

 

 

Salamandridae - Newts

 

California Newt - Taricha torosa

Kern subspecies

Sierra Newt - T. t. sierrae 

 

 

Family Scaphiopodidae - Spadefoots

Western Spadefoot - Spea hammondii

(formerly Scaphiopus hammondii)  

 

 

 

 

Reptiles - Class Reptilia

TURTLES -  (Class Chelonia according to J. Collins)

Cryptodeira - Straightneck Turtles

ORDER Testudines 

Family Emydidae - Box and Water Turtles

Slider (Introduced) - Trachemys scripta (formerly) Pseudemys scripta

Kern subspecies

Red-eared Slider (Introduced- T. s. elegans

Yellowbelly Slider (Introduced) - T. s. scripta

Family Testudinidae - Land Tortoises

 

 

 

Desert Tortoise - Gopherus agassizii

Western Pond Turtle - Actinemys marmorata

Kern subspecies

Southwestern Pond Turtle (aka Southern Pacific Pond Turtle) - A. m. pallida

 

ORDER SQUAMATA 

SUBORDER Lacertilia - Lizards

Family Anniellidae - Legless Lizards

 

California Legless Lizard - A. pulchra

SUBORDER Serpentes - Snakes

Family Boidae - Boas 

 

 

 

Northern Rubber Boa - Charina bottae

 

Family Gekkonidae - Geckos

 

 

 

Western Banded Gecko - Coleonyx variegatus

Kern subspecies

Desert Banded Gecko - C. v. variegatus

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mediterranean House Gecko - Hemidactylus turcicus (introduced)

 

Rosy Boa - Lichanura  trivirgata

 

Kern subspecies

Desert Rosy Boa  - C. t. gracia

Family Colubridae - Harmless Egg-laying Snakes

 

Western Racer - Coluber mormon

(Western Yellow-bellied Racer - C. constrictor mormon)

 

Western Shovel-nosed Snake - Chionactus occipitalis

Kern subspecies

Mojave Shovel-nosed Snake - C. o. occipitalis 

 

Family Anguidae - Alligator Lizards

Northern Alligator Lizard - Elgaria coerulea

Kern subspecies

Sierra Alligator Lizard - E. c. palmeri 

Glossy Snake - Arizona occidentalis

Kern subspecies

Mojave Glossy Snake - A. o. candida

Desert Glossy Snake - A. o. eburnata

California Glossy Snake - A. o. occidentalis

 

 

 

Southern Alligator Lizard - Elgaria multicarinata

Kern subspecies

California Alligator Lizard - E. m. multicarinata

San Diego Alligator Lizard - E. m. webbii

 

 

 

 

Family Iguanidae - Iguanas

 

Chuckwalla - Sauromalus ater

 

 

Common Kingsnake - Lampropeltis getula

Kern subspecies

California Kingsnake - L. g. californiae 

 

 

 

 

 

California Mountain Kingsnake - Lampropeltis zonata

 

Desert Iguana  - Dipsosaurus dorsalis

Kern subspecies

Northern Desert Iguana - D. d. dorsalis

 

 

 

Coachwhip - Masticophis flagellum

 

Kern subspecies

Red Racer (Coachwhip) - M. f. piceus

Family Crotaphytidae - Collared and Leopard Lizards

Great Basin Collared Lizard - Crotaphytus bicinctores

 

 

San Joaquin Coachwhip - M. f. ruddocki

 

Striped Racer - Masticophis lateralis

Kern subspecies

California Striped Racer - M. l. lateralis

 

Blunt-nosed Leopard Lizard  - Gambelia sila - Blunt-nosed Leopard Lizard

 

 

Spotted Leaf-nosed Snake - Phyllorhynchus decurtatus

 

 

 

Gopher Snake - Pituophis catenifer (formerly P. melanoleucus)

Kern subspecies

San Diego Gopher Snake  - P. c. annectens

 

Long-nosed Leopard Lizard - Gambelia wislizenii

 

Pacific Gopher Snake  - P. c. catenifer

 

 

Great Basin Gopher Snake -

P. c. deserticola

Family Phrynosomatidae - Spiny Lizards

Zebra-tailed Lizard - Callisaurus draconoides

Kern subspecies

Mojave Zebra-tailed Lizard - C. d. rhodostictus

 

Long-nosed Snake - Rhinocheilus lecontei

Kern subspecies

Western Long-nosed Snake - R. l. lecontei

 

 

Coast Horned Lizard - Phrynosoma coronatum

 

 

Western Patch-nosed Snake - Salvadora hexalepis

Kern subspecies

Desert Patch-nosed Snake - S. h. hexalepis

Coast Patch-nosed Snake - S. h. virgultea 

 

Desert Horned Lizard - Phrynosoma platyrhinos

Kern subspecies

Southern Desert Horned Lizard - P. p. calidiarum 

 

 

Ground Snake - Sonora semiannulata 

Smith's Black-headed Snake - Tantilla hobartsmithi

 

Family Leptotyphlopidae - Slender Blind Snakes


Western Blind Snake
- Leptotyphlops humilis

Kern subspecies

Desert Blind Snake -  L. h. humilis

 

 

 

Common Sagebrush Lizard - Sceloporus graciosus

Kern subspecies

Western Sagebrush Lizard - S. g. gracilis

Family Natricidae - Harmless Live-Bearing Snakes

 

 

Western Aquatic Garter Snake - Thamnophis couchii 

 

 

 

 

 

Yellow-backed Spiny Lizard - Sceloporus magister uniformis

Terrestrial Garter Snake - Thamnophis elegans

Kern subspecies Intermountain Wandering Garter Snake -  T. e. vagrans 

Giant Garter Snake - Thamnophis gigas (formerly T. couchii gigas) most likely extirpated from county.

Two-striped Garter Snake - Thamnophis hammondii

 

Western Fence Lizard - Sceloporus occidentalis 

Kern subspecies

San Joaquin Fence Lizard - S. o. biseriatus

Northwestern Fence Lizard - S. o. occidentalis 

 

 

 

 

Common Garter Snake - Thamnophis sirtalis

Kern subspecies

Valley Garter Snake - T. s. fitchi 

 

 

Side-blotched Lizard - Uta stansburiana

Kern subspecies

California Side-blotched Lizard - U. s. elegans

Desert Side-blotched Lizard - U. s. nevadensis

Family Xenodontidae - Harmless Rear-Fanged Snakes

 

Night Snake - Hypsiglena torquata

Kern subspecies

Spotted Night Snake - H. t. ochrorhynchus

California Night Snake - H. t. nuchalata

Family Scincidae - Skinks

 

Gilbert's Skink - Plestiodon (Eumeces) "gilberti"

Kern subspecies

Western Red-tailed Skink - E. g. rubricaudatus

 

 

Western Lyre Snake - Trimorphodon biscutatus

Kern subspecies

California Lyre Snake - T. b. lyrophanes

Western Skink  - Plestiodon (Eumeces) skiltonianus

Kern subspecies

Western Skink - E. s. skiltonianus

Ring-necked Snake - Diadophis punctatus

Kern subspecies

Coral-bellied Ring-necked Snake - D. p. pulchellus

Monterey Ring-necked Snake - D. p. vandenburghii

Family Teiidae - Whiptails

Western Whiptail - Aspidoscelis tigris 

Kern subspecies

California Whiptail - A. t. munda 

Great Basin Whiptail - A. t. tigris 

 

Family Xantusiidae - Night Lizards

Desert Night Lizard - Xantusia vigilis

Kern subspecies

Sierra Night Lizard - X. v. sierrae

Desert Night Lizard - X. v. vigilis

Family Viperidae - subfamily Crotalinae - Vipers and Pitvipers

 

 

 

Sidewinder - Crotalus cerastes

Kern subspecies

Mojave Desert Sidewinder - C. c. cerastes

 

 

 

 

Speckled Rattlesnake - Crotalus mitchellii

Kern subspecies

Panamint Rattlesnake - C. m. stephensi

 

 

 

Mojave Rattlesnake - Crotalus scutulatus

Kern subspecies

C. s. scutulatus

 

Western Rattlesnake - Crotalus oreganus (formerly C. viridus)

Southern Pacific Rattlesnake - Crotalus o. helleri

 

Northern Pacific Rattlesnake - Crotalus o. oreganus

Acknowledgements: This project would not have flown without the encouragement of H.F. 'Buz' Lunsford, who captured many of the specimens for me to photograph. It is Buz's enthusiasm that has made me strive to learn more about reptiles and has made me comfortable in the company of herps. I would also like to thank Dr. David Germano, a friend and teacher, his knowledge about many of Kern County's creatures has made it infinitely easier to identify mystery animals. I would like to thank Bob Hansen for his initial review of this list and providing critical commentary on species distribution and nomenclature. I would also like to thank Joseph T. Collins for sending me his checklist of North American herps.

References Cited:

Behler, J.L., and F.W. King. 1998. National Audubon Society field guide to North American reptiles and amphibians. Knopf: New York.

Collins, J.T. and T. W. Taggart. 2002. Standard Common and Current Scientific Names for North American Amphibians, Turtles, Reptiles, and Crocodilians. Fifth Edition. The Center for North American Herpetology, Lawrence, KS.

Crother, B. I. 2000. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico, with comments regarding confidence in our understanding. Soc. Stud. Amph. Rept: St. Louis. Circular 29.

Crother, B. I., et al. 2003. Scientific and Standard English Names of Amphibians and Reptiles of North America North of Mexico: Update. Herpetological Review, 2003, 34(3), 196–203.

Hansen, R. W. 1997. Salamander diversity in the Kern Valley region. Fieldnotes. 6:2. Kern River Research Center: Weldon, CA
Smith, H. M. and E. D. Brodie. 1982. A guide to field identification of reptiles of North America. Golden: New York.

Stebbins, R. C. 1972. California amphibians and reptiles. UC Press: Berkeley.

Stebbins, R. C. 1985. A field guide to western reptiles and amphibians. Houghton Mifflin: New York.

Wake, D.B., K.P. Yanev, and R.W. Hansen. 2002. New species of slender salamander, Genus Batrachoseps, from the southern Sierra Nevada of California. Copeia 2002(4): 1016-1028.

NATURE ALLEY AMPHIBIAN & REPTILE PAGES

Kern County Reptile and Amphibian Photo Checklist

Kern Amphibian Checklist

Kern Reptile Checklist

Photo Checklist of KRP Amphibians & Reptiles

Checklist of Kern River Valley Amphibians plus article on Salamander diversity

Simple Checklist of Reptiles of the Kern River Valley

Bullfrog

Western Pond Turtle

BIRDS OF KERN COUNTY

MAMMALS OF KERN COUNTY

KERN COUNTY BIOGEOGRAPHY

GEOLOGY OF KERN COUNTY

Declining Amphibian Task Force

1852 - Mississippi to Pacific Railroad Surveys

Tree of Life - worldwide catalogue of all life forms

AmphibiaWeb

Center for North American Herpetology

Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles

California Herps - this is a great comprehensive site with range maps, photos, and species descriptions


Recommended Reading / LISTENING

Frog and Toad Calls of the Pacific Coast (CD) -- Cornell Lab of Ornithology

A Natural History of Amphibians -- by Robert C. Stebbins & Nathan W. Cohen, Princeton University Press

Handbook of Frogs and Toads of the United States and Canada, Third Edition -- by Albert Hazen Wright & Anna Allen Wright, Cornell University Press

Salamanders of the United States and Canada -- by James W. Petranka

A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians -- by Robert C. Stebbins (Author), Roger Tory Peterson (Editor)

The National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians -- by John L. Behler, F. Wayne King

A Key to Amphibians & Reptiles of the Continental United States and Canada  -- by Robert Powell, Joseph T. Collins, Errol D., Jr. Hooper

Reptiles and Amphibians, Peterson First Guides -- Houghton Mifflin Co.

Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians Coloring Book -- by Roger Tory Peterson, Robert C. Stebbins, Roger Conant

Reptiles (National Audubon Society First Field Guide) -- by John L. Behler

North American Reptiles, Mac's Field Guides -- The Mountaineers

Venomous Reptiles of North America -- Carl H. Ernst, Smithsonian Institution

The Lizard Watching Guide : To the Common Lizards of Southern California's Mojave and Colorado Deserts --
by Sherburn R. Sanborn

Turtles of the United States and Canada  -- by Carl H. Ernst, Jeffrey E. Lovich, Roger W. Barbour


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