Reptiles are vertebrates (they have backbones) that cannot generate their own body heat (they are “cold-blooded”), possess skin with scales, and with a few exceptions they lay shelled eggs. When hatched or born, they do not go through a larval stage like the amphibians. Traditionally, reptiles have included the turtles, lizards, snakes, crocodilians, and the tuatara of New Zealand.  Texas has 210 “kinds” of reptiles (counting species and subspecies), according to the second edition of Dixon’s Amphibians and Reptiles of Texas.

Amphibians are also vertebrates that cannot generate their own body heat. They have smooth, slimy, or warty skin and they lay eggs without shells that hatch into an aquatic larval stage (with a few exceptions that do not occur in the U.S.). These tadpoles or larval salamanders grow and most of them change from aquatic, gill-breathing animals to animals that breathe air with lungs.  In the U.S., amphibians include frogs, toads, and salamanders.  Texas has 69 species and sub-species of amphibians, according to Dixon’s book, which was published in 2000.

Each of the files here can be clicked to download the article, which includes photos and natural history information.  The initial set of profiles we will provide were written by us and originally appeared in the Cross Timbers Herpetologist, newsletter of the DFW Herpetological Society.

Bullsnake - Pituophis catenifer sayi

In much of Texas and the American Midwest, one of our largest nonvenomous snakes can be found on warm days and summer nights. The Bullsnake is a handsome animal whose size, strength, and behavior command respect.  Some of them are gentle, but when they are belligerent, ... (click photo to read more)

Desert Kingsnake - Lampropeltis getula splendida

One of the prettiest snakes to be found in south and west Texas is the desert kingsnake.  A secretive and nocturnal snake, it is not as commonly seen as some species ... (click photo to read more)

Texas Long-nosed Snake - Rhinocheilus lecontei tesselatus

The Texas long-nosed snake is a beautiful animal with interesting variations in pattern, but it does not get much attention from hobbyists ... (click photo to read more)

Three-toed Box Turtle - Terrapene carolina triunguis

In Texas, we have three subspecies of box turtles, one of which can sport a variety of brilliant colors, adding yet another way that they are attractive to humans.  That subspecies is the three-toed box turtle ...

(click photo to read more)

Ornate Box Turtle - Terrapene ornata ornata

The ornate box turtle is a species that is so familiar that many people take it for granted.  These turtles have been common along the roadsides and common in the pet trade ...  (click photo to read more)

Spotted Chorus Frog - Pseudacris clarkii

As the days get a little longer and the land gets wetter, the prairie night gets a new voice.  Where there are a few inches of collected water, spotted chorus frogs gather in the darkness and call ...  (click photo to read more)

Southern Leopard Frog - Lithobates sphenocephalus utricularius

...except during the driest or coldest months, our leopard frogs can sometimes be seen on the roads at night, particularly after rains.  ...  (click photo to read more)

Hikers, naturalists, and others need to be able to recognize which snakes are venomous.  We offer a free illustrated guide to the venomous snakes of north Texas (anywhere east of Palo Pinto).  We hope you will find it useful.  Click the photo to the left to open the guide.