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Checklist of Amphibians and Reptiles
of the El Paso-Juarez Border Region

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Carl S. Lieb, R. G. Webb, and J. D. Johnson, Laboratory for Environmental Biology, Centennial Museum, University of Texas at El Paso

The arbitrary geographic limits of the El Paso-Juarez border region, with El Paso-Juarez at its center, form a rectangular area bounded by Deming and Columbus, New Mexico, to the west; Radium Springs, New Mexico, to the north; and Van Horn, Texas, to the east. This list is conservative. It excludes some species of questionable occurrence and includes those species whose occurrences are well documented.

Pictures are available for some of the amphibians and reptiles; these are marked by §. Links without this symbol have some information, usually the taxonomic context and a distribution map within the Chihuahuan Desert Region.

Since the checklist was completed by Lieb et al., a number of names have changed. These have been updated by A. H. Harris in January of 2011 who also added a number of links to photographs on the Centennial Museum site (use your return button to return to the checklist).

CLASS AMPHIBIA

Order Urodela—Salamanders

Family Ambystomatidae—Mole Salamanders

§ Ambystoma mavortium—Barred Tiger Salamander

Order Anura—Frogs and Toads

Family Bufonidae—True Toads

§ Anaxyrus debilis—Green Toad
§ Anaxyrus punctatus—Red-spotted Toad
§ Anaxyrus speciosus—Texas Toad
§ Anaxyrus cognatus—Great Plains Toad
§ Anaxyrus woodhousei—Woodhouse Toad

Family Craugastoridae—Barking Frogs

§ Craugastor augusti—Barking Frog

Family Microhylidae: Narrow-mouthed Toads

§ Gastrophryne olivacea—Great Plains Narrow-mouthed Toad

Family Scaphiopodidae—Spadefoot Toads


§ Scaphiopus couchii—Couch's Spadefoot
§ Spea bombifrons—Plains Spadefoot
§ Spea multiplicatus—Southern Spadefoot

Family Ranidae—"True Frogs"

§ Lithobates berlandieri—Rio Grande Leopard Frog
§ Lithobates catesbeiana—Bullfrog
§ Lithobates pipiens—Northern Leopard Frog

CLASS REPTILIA

Order Testudines—Turtles

Family Emydidae—Emydid Turtles

§ Terrapene ornata—Western Box Turtle
§ Chrysemys picta—Northern Painted Turtle
§ Trachemys gaigeae—Big Bend Slider
§ Trachemys scripta—Red-eared Slider

Family Kinosternidae—Mud Turtles

§ Kinosternon flavescens—Yellow Mud Turtle

Family Trionychidae—Soft-shelled Turtles

§ Apalone spinifera—Spiny Softshell

Order Squamata—Lizards and Snakes

Suborder Sauria—Lizards

Family Anguidae—Glass Lizards and Alligator Lizards

§ Elgaria kingii—Madrean Alligator Lizard

Family Crotaphytidae—Collared and Leopard Lizards

§ Crotaphytus collaris—Common Collard Lizard
§ Gambelia wislizenii—Long-nosed Leopard Lizard

Family Eublepharidae—Eyelid Geckos

§ Coleonyx brevis—Texas Banded Gecko
§ Hemidactylus turcicus—Mediterranean Gecko

Family Phrynosomatidae—Spiny Lizards

§ Cophosaurus texanus—Greater Earless Lizard
§ Holbrookia maculata—Lesser Earless Lizard
§ Phrynosoma cornutum—Texas Horned Lizard
§
Phrynosoma hernandesi—Mountain Short-horned lizard
§ Phrynosoma modestum—Round-tailed Horned Lizard
§ Sceloporus magister—Desert Spiny Lizard
§ Sceloporus poinsettii—Crevice Spiny Lizard
§ Sceloporus undulatus—Eastern Fence Lizard
§ Urosaurus ornatus—Tree Lizard
§ Uta stansburiana—Side-blotched Lizard

Family Scincidae—Skinks

Plestiodon multivirgatus—Many-lined Skink
§ Plestiodon obsoletus—Great Plains Skink

Family Teiidae—Whiptails, Racerunners & Ameivas

§ Aspidoscelis exsanguis—Chihuahuan Spotted Whiptail
§ Aspidoscelis inornatus—Little Striped Whiptail
§ Aspidoscelis neomexicanus—New Mexican Whiptail
§ Aspidoscelis scalaris (includes C. septemvittatus—Rusty-rumped Whiptail
§ Aspidoscelis tessellatus—Checkered Whiptail
§ Aspidoscelis tigris marmoratus—Marbled Tiger Whiptail
§ Aspidoscelis uniparens—Desert Grassland Whiptail

Suborder Serpentes—Snakes

Family Colubridae—Common Harmless Snakes

§ Arizona elegans—Glossy Snake
§ Bogertophis subocularis—Trans-Pecos Rat Snake
§ Gyalopion canum—Chihuahuan Hook-nosed Snake
§ Lampropeltis alterna—Gray-banded Kingsnake
§ Lampropeltis getula—Common Kingsnake
§ Lampropeltis triangulum—Milk Snake
§ Masticophis flagellum—Coachwhip
§ Masticophis taeniatus—Striped Whipsnake
§ Pantherophis emoryi—Great Plains Rat Snake
§ Pituophis catenifer—Gopher Snake
§ Rhinocheilus lecontei—Long-nosed Snake
Salvadora deserticola—Big Bend Patch-nosed Snake
§ Salvadora grahamiae—Graham Patch-nosed Snake
§ Sonora semiannulata—Ground Snake
§ Tantilla hobartsmithi—Southwestern Black-headed Snake
§ Tantilla nigriceps—Plains Black-headed Snake
§ Trimorphodon vilkinsonii—Chihuahuan Lyre Snake

Family Crotalidae—Pitvipers

§ Crotalus atrox—Western Diamondback Rattlesnake
§ Crotalus lepidus—Rock Rattlesnake
§ Crotalus molossus—Black-tailed Rattlesnake
§ Crotalus scutulatus—Mojave Rattlesnake
§ Crotalus viridis—Prairie Rattlesnake
§ Sistrurus catenatus—Massasauga

Family Dipsadidae—Blind Snakes

§ Diadophis punctatus—Ringneck Snake
§ Heterodon nasicus—Western Hognose Snake
§ Hypsiglena jani—Chihuahuan Night Snake

Family Leptotyphlopidae—Slender Blind Snakes

§ Rena dulcis—Texas Blind Snake
§ Rena humilis—Western Blind Snake

Family Natricidae—Harmless Live-bearing Snakes

§ Thamnophis cyrtopsis—Black-necked Garter Snake
§ Thamnophis marcianus—Checkered Garter Snake
§ Thamnophis sirtalis—Common Garter Snake
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Last Update: 15 Jan 2011.

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