Photos of Reptiles and Amphibians from the Pacific Northwest

Salamanders

Frogs

Snakes

Lizards

Turtles

These links lead to lists of all of the species of reptiles and amphibians found in Oregon and Washington (including introduced species) with links to photo galleries of most of these species and their habitat. Two salamanders from Idaho and one introduced lizard from British Columbia have also been included, with their origin noted on the list. Some sources of information about reptiles and amphibians of the Pacific Northwest are included at the bottom.

Click on a name link to see more photos.

See This List With
Pictures of the Animals

Scientific Name	Common Name	Original Description	Sounds

Caudata	Salamanders	Scopoli, 1777

*Ambystoma*	Mole Salamanders	Tschudi, 1838
Ambystoma gracile	Northwestern Salamander	(Baird, 1859)
Ambystoma macrodactylum	Long-toed Salamander	Baird, 1849
Ambystoma macrodactylum columbianum	Central Long-toed Salamander	Ferguson, 1961
Ambystoma macrodactylum macrodactylum	Western Long-toed Salamander	Baird, 1849
Ambystoma macrodactylum sigillatum	Southern Long-toed Salamander	Ferguson, 1961
Ambystoma mavortium	Barred Tiger Salamander	Baird, 1850 “1849”
Ambystoma mavortium melanostictum	Blotched Tiger Salamander	(Baird, 1860)

*Aneides*	Climbing Salamanders	Baird, 1851
Aneides ferreus	Clouded Salamander	Cope, 1869
Aneides klamathensis (Aneides flavipunctatus)	Klamath Black Salamander (Black Salamander)	Stebbins 1951 & Dubois and Raffaeli, 2009

*Batrachoseps*	Slender Salamanders	Bonaparte, 1841
Batrachoseps attenuatus	California Slender Salamander	(Eschscholtz, 1833)
Batrachoseps wrighti	Oregon Slender Salamander	(Bishop, 1937)

*Dicamptodon*	Pacific Giant Salamanders	Strauch, 1870
Dicamptodon aterrimus (Idaho)	Idaho Giant Salamander	(Cope, 1868)
Dicamptodon copei	Cope's Giant Salamander	Nussbaum, 1970
Dicamptodon tenebrosus	Coastal Giant Salamander	(Baird and Girard, 1852)

*Ensatina*	Ensatinas	Gray, 1850
Ensatina eschscholtzii	Ensatina	Gray, 1850
Ensatina eschscholtzii oregonensis	Oregon Ensatina	(Girard, 1856)
Ensatina eschscholtzii picta	Painted Ensatina	Wood, 1940

*Plethodon*	Woodland Salamanders	Tschudi, 1838
Plethodon dunni	Dunn's Salamander	Bishop, 1934
Plethodon elongatus	Del Norte Salamander	Van Denburgh, 1916
Plethodon idahoensis (Idaho)	Coeur d'Alene Salamander	Slater and Slipp, 1940
Plethodon larselli	Larch Mountain Salamander	Burns, 1954
Plethodon stormi	Siskiyou Mountains Salamander	Highton and Brame, 1965
Plethodon vandykei	Van Dyke's Salamander	Van Denburgh, 1906
Plethodon vehiculum	Western Red-backed Salamander	(Cooper, 1860)

*Rhyacotriton*	Torrent Salamanders	Dunn, 1920
Rhyacotriton cascadae	Cascade Torrent Salamander	Good and Wake, 1992
Rhyacotriton kezeri	Columbia Torrent Salamander	Good and Wake, 1992
Rhyacotriton olympicus	Olympic Torrent Salamander	(Gaige, 1917)
Rhyacotriton variegatus	Southern Torrent Salamander	Stebbins and Lowe, 1951

*Taricha*	Pacific Newts	Gray, 1850
Taricha granulosa	Rough-skinned Newt	(Skilton, 1849)
Taricha granulosa mazamae (This subspecies is no longer recognized by most herpetologists)	Crater Lake Rough-skinned Newt (No photos available. Please send me one if you have one!)

Anura	Frogs	Duméril, 1806 (as Anoures)

*Anaxyrus*	North American Toads	Tschudi, 1845
Anaxyrus boreas	Western Toad	(Baird and Girard, 1852)
Anaxyrus boreas boreas (=Bufo boreas boreas)	Boreal Toad	(Baird and Girard, 1852)	Sounds
Anaxyrus woodhousii	Woodhouse's Toad	(Girard, 1854)
Anaxyrus woodhousii woodhousii (=Bufo woodhousii woodhousii)	Rocky Mountain Toad	(Girard, 1854)	Sounds

*Ascaphus*	Tailed Frogs	Stejneger, 1899
Ascaphus montanus	Rocky Mountain Tailed Frog	Mittleman and Myers, 1949
Ascaphus truei	Coastal Tailed Frog	Stejneger, 1899

*Lithobates*	American Water Frogs	Fitzinger, 1843
Lithobates catesbeianus (=Rana catesbeiana) (Introduced)	American Bullfrog	(Shaw, 1802)	Sounds
Lithobates clamitans (=Rana clamitansi (Introduced)	Green Frog	(Rafinesque, 1820)	Sounds
Lithobates pipiens (=Rana pipiens)	Northern Leopard Frog	(Schreber, 1782)	Sounds

*Pseudacris*	Chorus Frogs	Fitzinger, 1843
Pseudacris regilla (=Hyla regilla)	Pacific Treefrog = Pacific Chorus Frog = Northern Pacific Treefrog	(Baird and Girard, 1852)	Sounds

*Rana*	Brown Frogs	Linnaeus, 1758
Rana aurora	Northern Red-legged Frog	Baird and Girard, 1852	Sounds
Rana boylii	Foothill Yellow-legged Frog	Baird, 1854	Sounds
Rana cascadae	Cascades Frog	Slater, 1939	Sounds
Rana luteiventris	Columbia Spotted Frog	Thompson, 1913
Rana pretiosa	Oregon Spotted Frog	Baird and Girard, 1853	Sounds

*Spea*	Western Spadefoots	Cope, 1866
Spea intermontana	Great Basin Spadefoot	(Cope, 1883)	Sounds

Squamata	Snakes	Oppel, 1811

*Charina*	Rubber Boas	(Gray 1849)
Charina bottae	Northern Rubber Boa	(Blainville, 1835)

*Coluber*	North American Racers, Coachwhips and Whipsnakes	Linnaeus, 1758
Coluber constrictor	North American Racer	Linnaeus, 1758
Coluber constrictor mormon (=Coluber mormon)	Western Yellow-bellied Racer	Baird and Girard, 1852

*Contia*	Sharp-tailed Snakes	Baird and Girard, 1853
Contia longicaudae	Forest Sharp-tailed Snake	Feldman and Hoyer, 2010
Contia tenuis	Common Sharp-tailed Snake	(Baird and Girard, 1852)

*Crotalus*	Rattlesnakes	Linnaeus, 1758
Crotalus oreganus	Western Rattlesnake	Holbrook, 1840
Crotalus oreganus lutosus	Great Basin Rattlesnake	Klauber, 1930
Crotalus oreganus oreganus	Northern Pacific Rattlesnake	Holbrook, 1840	Sounds

*Diadophis*	Ring-necked Snakes	Baird and Girard, 1853
Diadophis punctatus	Ring-necked Snake	(Linnaeus, 1766)
Diadophis punctatus occidentalis	Northwestern Ring-necked Snake	Blanchard, 1923

*Hypsiglena*	North American Nightsnakes	Cope, 1860
Hypsiglena chlorophaea	Desert Nightsnake	Cope, 1860
Hypsiglena chlorophaea deserticola (=Hypsiglena torquata deserticola)	Northern Desert Nightsnake	(Tanner, 1944)

*Lampropeltis*	Kingsnakes	Fitzinger, 1843
Lampropeltis californiae	California Kingsnake	(Blainville, 1835)
Lampropeltis zonata	Caifornia Mountain Kingsnake	(Lockington ex Blainville, 1876)

*Masticophis*	Coachwhips / Whipsnakes	Baird & Girard, 1853	Coluber
Masticophis taeniatus	Striped Whipsnake	(Hallowell, 1852)
Masticophis taeniatus taeniatus (= Coluber taeniatus taeniatus)	Desert Striped Whipsnake	(Hallowell, 1852)

*Pituophis*	Bullsnakes, Pinesnakes, and Gophersnakes	Holbrook, 1842
Pituophis catenifer	Gophersnake	(Blainville, 1835)
Pituophis catenifer catenifer	Pacific Gophersnake	(Blainville, 1835)	Sounds
Pituophis catenifer deserticola	Great Basin Gophersnake	Stejneger, 1893

*Sonora*	North American Groundsnakes	Baird and Girard, 1853
Sonora semiannulata	Western Groundsnake	Baird and Girard, 1853
Sonora semiannulata semiannulata	Variable Groundsnake	Baird and Girard, 1853

*Thamnophis*	North American Gartersnakes	Fitzinger, 1843
Thamnophis atratus	Aquatic Gartersnake	(Kennicott, 1860)
Thamnophis atratus hydrophilus	Oregon Gartersnake	Fitch, 1936
Thamnophis elegans	Western Terrestrial Gartersnake	(Baird and Girard, 1853)
Thamnophis elegans terrestris	Coast Gartersnake	Fox, 1951
Thamnophis elegans vagrans	Wandering Gartersnake	(Baird and Girard, 1853)
Thamnophis ordinoides	Northwestern Gartersnake	(Baird and Girard, 1852)
Thamnophis sirtalis	Common Gartersnake	(Linnaeus, 1758)
Thamnophis sirtalis concinnus	Red-spotted Gartersnake	(Hallowell, 1852)
Thamnophis sirtalis fitchi	Valley Gartersnake	Fox, 1951
Thamnophis sirtalis pickeringii	Puget Sound Gartersnake	(Baird and Girard, 1853)

Squamata	Lizards	Oppel, 1811

*Aspidoscelis*	Whiptails	Fitzinger, 1843
Aspidoscelis tigris	Tiger Whiptail	(Baird and Girard, 1852)
Aspidoscelis tigris tigris	Great Basin Whiptail	(Baird and Girard, 1852)
Aspidoscelis velox (=Cnemidophorus velox) (Introduced in Oregon)	Plateau Striped Whiptail	(Springer, 1928)

*Crotaphytus*	Collared Lizards	Holbrook, 1842
Crotaphytus bicinctores	Great Basin Collared Lizard	Smith and Tanner, 1972

*Elgaria*	Western Alligator Lizards	Gray, 1838
Elgaria coerulea	Northern Alligator Lizard	(Wiegmann, 1828)
Elgaria coerulea principis	Northwestern Alligator Lizard	(Baird and Girard, 1852)
Elgaria coerulea shastensis	Shasta Alligator Lizard	(Fitch, 1934)
Elgaria multicarinata	Southern Alligator Lizard	(Blainville, 1835)
Elgaria multicarinata multicarinata	California Alligator Lizard	(Skilton, 1849)

*Gambelia*	Leopard Lizards	Baird 1859 “1858”
Gambelia wislizenii	Long-nosed Leopard Lizard	(Baird and Girard, 1852)

*Phrynosoma*	Horned Lizards	Wiegmann, 1828
Phrynosoma douglasii	Pygmy Short-horned Lizard	(Bell, 1829)
Phrynosoma hernandesi	Greater Short-horned Lizard	Girard, 1858
Phrynosoma hernandesi ornatum	Salt Lake Valley Short-horned Lizard	Girard 1858b, comb. nov.
Phrynosoma platyrhinos	Desert Horned Lizard	Girard, 1852
Phrynosoma platyrhinos platyrhinos	Northern Desert Horned Lizard	Girard, 1852

*Plestiodon*	Toothy Skinks	Duméril and Bibron, 1839
Plestiodon skiltonianus	Western Skink	Baird and Girard, 1852
Plestiodon skiltonianus skiltonianus	Skilton's Skink	Baird and Girard, 1852

*Podarcis*	Wall Lizards	Wagler, 1830
Podarcis muralis (Introduced on Vancouver Island, Canada)	Common Wall Lizard	(Laurenti, 1768)
Podarcis siculus (Introduced on Orcas Island, WA)	Italian Wall Lizard	(Rafinesque, 1810)


*Sceloporus*	Spiny Lizards	Wiegmann, 1828
Sceloporus graciosus	Common Sagebrush Lizard	Baird and Girard, 1852
Sceloporus graciosus gracilis	Western Sagebrush Lizard	Baird and Girard, 1852
Sceloporus graciosus graciosus	Northern Sagebrush Lizard	Baird and Girard, 1852
Sceloporus occidentalis	Western Fence Lizard	Baird and Girard, 1852
Sceloporus occidentalis occidentalis	Northwestern Fence Lizard	Baird and Girard, 1852

*Uta*	Side-blotched Lizards	Baird and Girard in Stansbury 1852
Uta stansburiana	Side-blotched Lizards	Baird and Girard, 1852
Uta stansburiana nevadensis	Nevada Side-blotched Lizard	Ruthven, 1913

Testudines	Turtles	Linnaeus, 1758

*Actinemys*	Western Pond Turtle	Agassiz, 1857
Actinemys marmorata	Northwestern Pond Turtle	(Baird and Girard, 1852)

*Caretta*	Loggerhead Sea Turtles	Rafinesque, 1814
Caretta caretta	Loggerhead Seaturtle	(Linnaeus, 1758)

*Chelonia*	Green Sea Turtles	Brongniart, 1800
Chelonia mydas	Green Seaturtle	(Linnaeus, 1758)

*Chelydra*	Snapping Turtles	Schweigger, 1812
Chelydra serpentina	Snapping Turtle	Schweigger, 1812
Chelydra serpentina serpentina (Introduced)	Eastern Snapping Turtle	(Linnaeus, 1758)

*Chrysemys*	Painted Turtles	Gray, 1844
Chrysemys picta	Painted Turtle	(Schneider, 1783)
Chrysemys picta bellii	Western Painted Turtle	(Gray, 1831)

*Dermochelys*	Leatherback Sea Turtles	Blainville, 1816
Dermochelys coriacea	Leatherback Seaturtle	(Vandelli, 1761)

*Lepidochelys*	Ridley Sea Turtles	Fitzinger, 1843
Lepidochelys olivacea	Olive Ridley Seaturtle	(Eschscholtz, 1829)

*Trachemys*	Sliders	Agassiz, 1857
Trachemys scripta	Pond Slider	(Schoepff, 1792)
Trachemys scripta elegans (Introduced)	Red-eared Slider	(Wied-Neuwied, 1838)

Books With Information About Northwest Reptiles and Amphibians
Northwest Amphibians Corkran, Charlotte & Chris Thoms. Amphibians of Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. Lone Pine Publishing, 1996. Jones, Lawrence L. C. , William P. Leonard, Deanna H. Olson, editors. Amphibians of the Pacific Northwest. Seattle Audubon Society, 2005. Leonard et. al. Amphibians of Washington and Oregon. Seattle Audubon Society, 1993. Nussbaum, R. A., E. D. Brodie Jr., and R. M. Storm. Amphibians and Reptiles of the Pacific Northwest. Moscow, Idaho: University Press of Idaho, 1983. Northwest Reptiles Brown et. al. Reptiles of Washington and Oregon. Seattle Audubon Society,1995. Nussbaum, R. A., E. D. Brodie Jr., and R. M. Storm. Amphibians and Reptiles of the Pacific Northwest. Moscow, Idaho: University Press of Idaho, 1983. St. John, Alan D. Reptiles of the Northwest: Alaska to California; Rockies to the Coast. 2nd Edition - Revised & Updated. Lone Pine Publishing, 2021. Western Herps Samuel M. McGinnis and Robert C. Stebbins. Peterson Field Guide to Western Reptiles & Amphibians. 4th Edition. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 2018. Stebbins, Robert C. A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians. 3rd Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2003. Behler, John L., and F. Wayne King. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians. Alfred A. Knopf, 1992. Powell, Robert., Joseph T. Collins, and Errol D. Hooper Jr. A Key to Amphibians and Reptiles of the Continental United States and Canada. The University Press of Kansas, 1998. North American Frogs American Museum of Natural History - Amphibian Species of the World 6.2 Bartlett, R. D. & Patricia P. Bartlett. Guide and Reference to the Amphibians of Western North America (North of Mexico) and Hawaii. University Press of Florida, 2009. Elliott, Lang, Carl Gerhardt, and Carlos Davidson. Frogs and Toads of North America, a Comprehensive Guide to their Identification, Behavior, and Calls. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009. Lannoo, Michael (Editor). Amphibian Declines: The Conservation Status of United States Species. University of California Press, June 2005. Storer, Tracy I. A Synopsis of the Amphibia of California. University of California Press Berkeley, California 1925. Wright, Albert Hazen and Anna Wright. Handbook of Frogs and Toads of the United States and Canada. Cornell University Press, 1949. North American Lizards Bartlett, R. D. & Patricia P. Bartlett. Guide and Reference to the Turtles and Lizards of Western North America (North of Mexico) and Hawaii. University Press of Florida, 2009. Jones, Lawrence, Rob Lovich, editors. Lizards of the American Southwest: A Photographic Field Guide. Rio Nuevo Publishers, 2009. Smith, Hobart M. Handbook of Lizards, Lizards of the United States and of Canada. Cornell University Press, 1946. North American Salamanders American Museum of Natural History - Amphibian Species of the World 6.2 Bartlett, R. D. & Patricia P. Bartlett. Guide and Reference to the Amphibians of Western North America (North of Mexico) and Hawaii. University Press of Florida, 2009. Bishop, Sherman C. Handbook of Salamanders. Cornell University Press, 1943. Lannoo, Michael (Editor). Amphibian Declines: The Conservation Status of United States Species. University of California Press, June 2005. Petranka, James W. Salamanders of the United States and Canada. Smithsonian Institution, 1998. North American Snakes Bartlett, R. D. & Patricia P. Bartlett. Guide and Reference to the Snakes of Western North America (North of Mexico) and Hawaii. University Press of Florida, 2009. Bartlett, R. D. & Alan Tennant. Snakes of North America - Western Region. Gulf Publishing Co., 2000. Brown, Philip R. A Field Guide to Snakes of California. Gulf Publishing Co., 1997. Ernst, Carl H., Evelyn M. Ernst, & Robert M. Corker. Snakes of the United States and Canada. Smithsonian Institution Press, 2003. Taylor, Emily. California Snakes and How to Find Them. Heyday, Berkeley, California. 2024. Wright, Albert Hazen & Anna Allen Wright. Handbook of Snakes of the United States and Canada. Cornell University Press, 1957. North American Turtles Bartlett, R. D. & Patricia P. Bartlett. Guide and Reference to the Turtles and Lizards of Western North America (North of Mexico) and Hawaii. University Press of Florida, 2009. Carr, Archie. Handbook of Turtles: The Turtles of the United States, Canada, and Baja California. Cornell University Press, 1969. Ernst, Carl H., Roger W. Barbour, & Jeffrey E. Lovich. Turtles of the United States and Canada. Smithsonian Institution 1994. (2nd Edition published 2009) North American Rattlesnakes Ernst, Carl. H. Venomous Reptiles of North America. Smithsonian Institution Press, 1999. Hayes, William K., Kent R. Beaman, Michael D. Cardwell, and Sean P. Bush, editors. The Biology of Rattlesnakes. Loma Linda University Press, 2009. Hubbs, Brian R., & Brendan O'Connor. A Guide to the Rattlesnakes and other Venomous Serpents of the United States. Tricolor Books, 2011. Klauber, Laurence M. Rattlesnakes. University of California Press. (Abridged from the 1956 two volume Rattlesnakes: Their Habits, Life Histories, and Influence on Mankind.) University of California Press, 1982. Rubio, Manny. Rattlesnake - Portrait of a Predator. Smithsonian Institution Press, 1998. Walls, Jerry G. Rattlesnakes: Their Natural History and Care. T. F. H. Publications, Inc., 1996.

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