Snapping Turtle
Chelydra serpentina
Snapping Turtles are known for their aggressive dispositions when out of the water. They possess powerful beak-like jaws. Common habitats of these turtles are shallow ponds, shallow lakes, or streams, and some may inhabit brackish environments, such as estuaries.

Painted Turtle
Chrysemys picta
The painted turtle is one of the wet land's most common reptiles. This animal can be easily identified by its colorful shell, although they can be very shy and reclusive. Like many turtles, it hunts for food in the water.

Blanding's Turtle
Emydoidea blandingii
The Blanding's Turtle is a medium-sized semi-aquatic turtle with an average shell length of approximately seven to nine inches and a maximum length of 10 inches. A distinguishing feature of this turtle is the bright yellow chin and throat, and its domed shell.

False Map Turtle
Graptemys pseudogeographica
The False Map Turtle is highly aquatic, and has a moderately sized olive to brown shell with a saw-tooth edge along the center of the back and rear border. False map turtles are also known as "sawback" turtles because their saw-tooth edges resemble the teeth of a saw blade. These animals are rather shy and skittish, and escape potential danger by entering the water.

Western Box Turtle
Terrapene ornata
The Western box turtle is 4-5 inches long with a dark brown or black flattened-dome shell decorated with bright yellow lines that radiate to form a starburst pattern. Box Turtles can be timid, retreating into their shells for protection, but they can also be aggressive, using their strong beaks to defend themselves.

Smooth Softshell
Apalone mutica
Smooth Softshell Turtles are highly aquatic and are most recognized by the appearance of their outer shell, it is completely smooth, flat, and leathery with very flexible edges; it resembles a pancake. Their nose has no nostril ridge, and tapers to a point, resembling a snorkle. Their feet have extensive webbing.

Spiny Softshell
Apalone spinifera
The outer shell of a Spiny Softshell Turtle feels like sandpaper. In adult females, the shell may be smooth, but there are several large spines or cone-like projections at the front of the shell. Their nose have nostril ridges, and tapers to a point and resembles a snorkle.

Lesser Earless Lizard
Holbrookia maculata
Lesser earless lizards have no external ear openings, which may be an adaptation to this lizard's practice of burrowing headfirst into sand. They can usually be found in sandhills, sandy, or gravel-covered areas along streams, as well as plains, and grassland offering an abundance of open space. They are also fond of prairie-dog towns, and eat only spiders and insects.

Short-horned Lizard
Phrynosoma douglasi
Short-horned lizards live in a vaiety of dry habitats, including sagebrush, grassland, and open woodlands. They are relatively flat, round lizards with short, stubby horns above the eyes and around the back of the head, and have many small, triangular fringes along the sides of the body. When disturbed by predators, horned lizards occasionally squirt blood from the eyes for distances of up to 2-3 feet.

Sagebrush Lizard
Sceloporus graciosus
Named after the sagebrush plants near which it is commonly found, the Sagebrush Lizard is an easily frightened animal that seeks shelter when large animals approach. Due to their skittish nature, these lizards do not typically interact with humans.

Eastern Fence Lizard
Sceloporus undulatus
The Eastern Fence Lizard is a medium sized lizard found along forest edges, rock piles, and rotting logs or stumps. They are sometimes called the Prairie Lizard or Gray Lizard.

Five-lined Skink
Eumeces fasciatus
Five-lined skinks are small lizards (5 – 8.5 inches long) with short legs and a streamlined body. The body is generally gray, brown, or black, in background color with five white or yellowish stripes (two on each side and one down the center of the back). Young have a bright blue tail while adult males often loose their stripes and develop reddish or orange coloration on the head.

Many-lined Skink
Eumeces multivirgatus
The many-lined skink is a skinny long-bodied lizard. As its name implies, most many-lined skinks have dark and light stripes that run lengthwise down the body and tail. The many-lined skink can be found in many types of habitat, but the species prefers moist areas and areas near water.

Prairie Skink
Eumeces septentrionalis
The Prairie Skink is a small lizard, reaching a length of about 5 to nearly 9 inches. Adult Prairie Skinks are brown or tan on the back and darker on the sides and have several thin lighter stripes along the sides and the back. Juveniles have bright blue tails, although this color fades as they mature. They are very secretive and are rarely seen in the open except during their breeding season in spring.

Six-lined Racerunner
Cnemidophorus sexlineatus
The Six-lined Racerunner is a lizard possessing six light stripes that extend from the eye along the sides of its body. These stripes may range in color from pale blue, grey, white or yellow. Females have white bellies, and males have blue.

South Dakota is home to many species of reptiles. We have 8 species of lizards, 7 species of turtles, and 17 species of snakes. Below are some answers to our most frequently asked questions.

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Racer
Coluber constrictor
Racers are nonvenomous slender black snakes. They range in size from 30 to 60 inches in length. They are called "racers" because they are active, fast moving snakes. Usually, these snakes quickly slither to the safety of thick grass or brush when encountered. If cornered or grasped, they will bite viciously in defense.

Ringneck Snake
Diadophis punctatus
The Ringneck is a harmless snake and is named for the yellow band that encircles their neck. The ringneck snake is easy to identify when encountered: its back is either slate gray, black or brown with smooth scales, giving it a satin-like appearance. In addition to the complete yellow ring just behind the head, their bellies can be bright yellow or orange. Ringneck snakes prefer moist woodlands as their habitat.

Fox Snake
Elaphe vulpina
Measuring 36 to 56 inches in length, this is one of South Dakota's larger nonvenomous species of snake. Their color ranges from a dark straw yellow to a dark brown. They have large, distinct dark brown or black body blotches that also become rings on the tail. The head of a Fox Snake is usually unmarked except for a small design on top and may be light brown with yellow, orange, or reddish highlights.

Western Hognose Snake
Heterodon nasicus
Hognose Snakes are considered to be a rear-fanged venomous snake, but are not considered to pose any danger to humans. The Western Hognose Snake has a funny (upturned) nose or snout that they use for digging. These snakes average between 36 – 48 inches long, their bodies are chunky, and much heavier than most other snakes of comparable length.

Eastern Hognose Snake
Heterodon platirhinos
The Eastern Hognose Snake is considered to be rear-fanged, but any venom they excrete is not considered dangerous to humans and they are not inclined to bite. This is a medium to large snake, ranging from 24 to 46 inches long with a very stout body.

Milk Snake
Lampropeltis triangulum
The milk snake is nonvenomous. It is a medium sized snake (24 to 52 inches in length) with a slender build. Its general coloration is quite variable, some specimens can be beautifully light colored, having a light gray or brown ground color and bright to rusty red body blotches. Others can look a lot like fox snakes having an overall brown coloration. Still, others can be a dark gray with little or no difference in color between the ground color and blotches.

Northern Water Snake
Nerodia sipedon
Northern Water Snakes are non-venomous. They grow over four feet long, and can be brown, gray, reddish, or brownish-black with dark crossbands on their necks and dark blotches on the rest of their bodies. Northern Water Snakes are often mistaken for Cottonmouths or Copperheads by novices.

Smooth Green Snake
Opheodrys vernalis
Smooth Green Snakes are non venomous, they rarely bite when handled and when they do, rarely break the skin. They are 12-22 inches in length, are a bright, brilliant green, and have smooth scales. They prefer areas with thick green vegetation like fields, wet meadows, bogs, marsh edges and open woodlands.

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Pine (Gopher) Snake
Pituophis melanoleucus
Pine Snakes are nonvenomous, but are sometimes mistaken for rattlesnakes, because they are able to hiss quite loudly and will shake their tails when threatened. Pine snakes are large and powerfully built with a small head. They are light-colored with black or brown blotches on back and sides, or all black.

Brown Snake
Storeria dekayi
The Brown Snake is a nonvenomous snake, and is dark brown to grayish brown in color. They can be found in a variety of wild habitats such as wetlands, grasslands and forests, and are most often encountered in urban or residential areas. It is not uncommon to find Brown Snakes under debris in vacant lots, parks and cemeteries. This snake rarely bites.

Northern Redbelly Snake
Storeria occipitomaculata occipitomaculata
Northern Redbelly Snakes are nonvenomous. They are small, measuring 7-10 inches long . They are easily identified by their red or orange belly. The top surface of a Northern Redbelly Snake is usually reddish-brown to steel gray with a broad light band down the middle of its back. They live in a variety of habitats: boreal forests, sphagnum bogs, and northern and southern hardwood forests and adjacent fields.

Black Hills Redbelly Snake
Storeris occipitomaculata pahasapae
The Black Hills Redbelly Snakes are a subspecies of the Northern Redbelly Snake, and are also nonvenomous. Most Black Hills records of these snakes are from the northern hills or in the granitic/schist formations such as the Harney Peak area. Black Hills Redbelly Snakes prefer moist habitats like forests or grasslands with an abundance of shelter, such as logs, rocks, and thick ground vegetation.

Western Terrestrial Garter Snake
Thamnophis elegans
Western Terrestrial Garter Snakes are nonvenomous. This is a medium-sized snake with a robust body and long tail, measuring between 18 – 38 inches in lenth.
The head of the western garter snake is large and distinct from its neck. The snake’s upper lip, chin and throat are white or yellow and its eyes are moderately large with a round pupil.

Plains Garter Snake
Thamnophis radix
The Plains Garter Snake is non venomous and can be more docile than other garter snakes. The ground color is light brown to black with two alternating rows of black spots. Some have an olive green surface color in which the spots stand out especially well.

Common Garter Snake
Thamnophis sirtalis
The Common Garter Snake is non-venomous, and is the most common snake in North America. Most garter snakes have a pattern of yellow stripes on a brown background and their average length is about 24 – 42 inches. The habitat of Garter Snakes range from forests, fields and prairies to streams, wetlands, meadows, marshes and ponds, and they are often found near water.

Lined Snake
Tropidoclonion lineatum
The Lined Snake is nonvenomous, can be 8 – 10 inches long, and resembles a small colorless garter snake. They normally will not bite if handled gently. Their usual habitat is open grassland areas where surface cover is present, but they may also be found in semi-suburban environments, such as abandoned lots, cemeteries.

Bull Snake
Pituophis catenifer sayi
The Bull Snake is nonvenomous, and is the largest snake in South Dakota. This is a heavy-bodied snake, and ranges in length from 37 to 72 inches. Bullsnakes vary in temperament, some are docile while others react very defensively toward anyone who attempts to handle them, but despite their menacing attitude, they will not strike unless severely provoked.

Western Rattlesnake
Crotalus viridis
Western Rattlesnakes are large, venomous snakes. They are heavy bodied and measure from 35 to 45 inches in length. These Rattlesnakes have a diamond shaped head which is set off from the relatively thin neck. The tail is ringed with a tan rattle at the end, distinguishing this snake from all others in its South Dakota range.