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ID Keys:
Frogs Salamanders Turtles Lizards
& Snakes
How to key Glossary
Photos:
Frogs Salamanders Turtles Lizards & Snakes
Links |
Cortland Herpetology Connection
Lizard and Snake Key
See also species
distribution
maps at the
New
York State
Amphibian and Reptile Atlas Project website.
Key to the families of adult lizards and snakes in New
York
Key to the species of Lizards of
New York
1.a. |
Scales smooth, flat, and shiny |
2 |
1.b. |
Scales rough, keeled, and pointed |
Northern
Fence Lizard |
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Sceloporus
undulatus |
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2.a. |
Broad dark brown stripe on each side of body bordered by thin light
stripes above and below it, making four light stripes in total, one
postmental scale, young have blue tails |
Coal Skink |
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Eumeces anthracinus |
2.b. |
Often five light stripes which are wider than in the coal skink,
adult males may have stripes that are faded and a reddish head, two
postmental scales, young have blue tails |
Five-Lined
Skink |
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Eumeces fasciatus |
Key to the species of the family Viperidae
of New York
1.a. |
Body and head copper-colored, on body darker cross bands narrow in the
middle of the back, no rattle on tail |
Copperhead |
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Agkistrodon
contortrix |
1.b. |
Body and head tan, brown, gray, or black, body with dark blotches or cross
bands that do not narrow on the back, rattle often present on tail |
2 |
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2.a. |
Scales are large on center of head between eyes, body grayish with dark
blotches, often with horizontal stripes on head |
Eastern
Massasauga |
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Sistrurus catenatus |
2.b. |
Scales are small on center of head between eyes, body tan, gray, yellowish,
or black with dark cross bands, posterior part of body often darker than rest,
head usually without markings |
Timber
Rattlesnake |
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Crotalus horridus
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Key to the species of the family Colubridae
of New York
1.a. |
Two scales between eye and nostril |
2 |
1.b. |
Three or more scales between eye and nostril |
4 |
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2.a. |
13 scale rows, scales smooth, pointed head |
Eastern
Worm Snake |
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Carphophis amoenus |
2.b. |
15-19 scale rows, scales keeled |
3 |
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3.a. |
Belly is red, back is brown or gray, sometimes with faint lines, light line
or spots on neck |
Redbelly
Snake |
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Storeria
occipitomaculata |
3.b. |
Belly is white or pale pink, back is brown or gray, often with faint lines
or spots, dark line or spots on neck |
Brown
Snake |
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Storeria dekayi
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4.a. |
Scales keeled |
5 |
4.b. |
Scales smooth |
11 |
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5.a. |
Anal plate entire |
6 |
5.b. |
Anal plate divided |
8 |
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6.a. |
Stripes on back, light line on side covering part of scale
rows three and four, tail long, body thin |
Eastern
Ribbon Snake |
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Thamnophis sauritus |
6.b. |
Dorsal pattern with stripes or spots, light line on side
begins on scale row two and does not reach scale row four, tail moderate |
7 |
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7.a. |
Short head, back is brown with light stripes, 17 scale rows at midbody, six
upper labial scales |
Shorthead Garter Snake |
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Thamnophis brachystoma |
7.b. |
Longer head, color variable spots or stripes, 19 scale rows at midbody,
seven upper labial scales |
Eastern
Garter Snake |
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Thamnophis sirtalis |
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8.a. |
Rostral upturned |
Eastern
Hognose Snake |
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Heterodon
platirhinos |
8.b. |
Rostral not upturned |
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9.a. |
Heavily keeled scales, keels reach to tips of dorsal scales |
10 |
9.b. |
Weakly keeled scales, keels not reaching tips of scales, body black with
faint spotting pattern, 200+ ventral scales |
Black
Rat Snake |
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Elaphe obsoleta |
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10.a. |
19 rows of scales, yellowish stripe on
side, four dark stripes along length of belly |
Queen
Snake |
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Regina
septemvittata |
10.b. |
More than 19 rows of scales, head tall,
body banded, blotched, or uniformly dark (in older individuals) |
Northern
Water Snake |
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Nerodia sipedon |
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11.a. |
Anal plate entire, on back reddish brown
or brown blotches on a grey or tan background |
Eastern
Milk Snake |
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Lampropeltis
triangulum |
11.b. |
Anal plate divided |
12 |
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12.a. |
Yellow or orange ring around neck, uniformly gray or black above, yellow or
orange on belly |
Northern
Ringneck Snake |
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Diadophis punctatus |
12.b. |
No neck ring |
13 |
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13.a. |
Brilliant green above when alive, 1 or 2 preocular scales, 15 dorsal
scale rows, 115-144 ventral scales |
Smooth
Green Snake |
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Liochlorophis
vernalis |
13.b. |
Shiny black dorsally and ventrally, 2 preoculars, 17 dorsal
scale rows, 158-193 ventrals |
Northern
Black Racer |
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Coluber constrictor |
Much information for the snake keys was taken from
Reptiles of North America by H. Smith and E. D. Brodie, Jr.
Cortland Herpetology Connection |
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Special thanks to all those who generously loaned images and other
help. See our
credits page for more information.
http://www.cortland.edu/herp/keys/snakekey.htm |