• Guides
  • Southern California Reptiles and Amphibians

Southern California Reptiles and Amphibians

Southern California is a very diverse place. Because of this many reptile and amphibian species live and depend on the various habitats. This is a list of all native and invasive species found in Southern California.

Long-tailed Brush Lizard 1
Urosaurus graciosus
Baja California Brush Lizard
Urosaurus lahtelai
Colorado River Tree Lizard 2
Urosaurus ornatus symmetricus
Western Side-blotched Lizard 3
Uta stansburiana elegans
Western Red-tailed Skink 4
Plestiodon gilberti rubricaudatus
Skilton's Skink 5
Plestiodon skiltonianus skiltonianus
Coronado Island Skink 6
Plestiodon skiltonianus interparietalis
Belding’s Orange-throated Whiptail 7
Aspidoscelis hyperythra beldingi
Coastal Whiptail 8
Aspidoscelis tigris stejnegeri
California whiptail 9
Aspidoscelis tigris mundus
Great Basin Whiptail 10
Aspidoscelis tigris tigris
Sandstone Night Lizard 11
Xantusia gracilis
Granite Night Lizard
Xantusia henshawi
San Clemente Night Lizard 2
Xantusia riversiana reticulata
San Nicolas Night Lizard
Xantusia riversiana riversiana
Sierra Night Lizard
Xantusia sierrae
Desert Night Lizard 12
Xantusia vigilis
Baja California Night Lizard 13
Xantusia wigginsi
Green Anole 14
Anolis carolinensis
Brown Anole 15
Anolis sagrei
Jackson's Chameleon 16
Trioceros jacksonii
Mediterranean House Gecko 17
Hemidactylus turcicus
Southern Italian Wall Lizard 18
Podarcis sicula sicula
Ringed Wall Gecko 19
Tarentola annularis
Moorish Gecko 20
Tarentola mauritanica
Northern Pacific Pond Turtle 21
Actinemys marmorata marmorata
Southern Pacific Pond Turtle 22
Actinemys marmorata pallida
Sonoran Mud Turtle 23
Kinosternon sonoriense sonoriense
Desert Tortoise 24
Gopherus agassizii
Loggerhead Sea Turtle 25
Caretta caretta
Green Turtle 26
Chelonia mydas
Leatherback Sea Turtle 27
Dermochelys coriacea
Pacific Hawksbill 28
Eretmochelys imbricata bissa
Pacific Ridley 29
Lepidochelys olivacea
Snapping Turtle 30
Chelydra serpentina
Western Painted Turtle 31
Chrysemys picta bellii
Red-eared Slider 32
Trachemys scripta elegans
Texas Spiny Softshell 33
Apalone spinifera emoryi
Southern California Toad 34
Anaxyrus boreas halophilus
Arroyo Toad 35
Anaxyrus californicus
Great Plains Toad 36
Anaxyrus cognatus
Arizona Toad 37
Anaxyrus microscaphus
Red-spotted Toad 38
Anaxyrus punctatus
Woodhouse's Toad 31
Anaxyrus woodhousii
Colorado River Toad 39
Incilius alvarius
Northern Leopard Frog 40
Lithobates pipiens
Lowland Leopard Frog 41
Lithobates yavapaiensis
Baja California treefrog 42
Pseudacris hypochondriaca
California Treefrog 43
Pseudacris cadaverina
Foothill Yellow-legged Frog 44
Rana boylii
California Red-legged Frog 1
Rana draytonii
Southern Mountain Yellow-legged Frog 45
Rana muscosa
Couch's Spadefoot 46
Scaphiopus couchii
Western Spadefoot 5
Spea hammondii
Rio Grande Leopard Frog
Lithobates berlandieri
American Bullfrog 47
Lithobates catesbeianus
Southern Leopard Frog 48
Lithobates sphenocephalus
African Clawed Frog 25
Xenopus laevis
California Tiger Salamander 41
Ambystoma californiense
Arboreal Salamander 41
Aneides lugubris
Greenhorn Mountains Slender Salamander 4
Batrachoseps altasierrae
Fairview Slender Salamander 49
Batrachoseps bramei
Gabilan Mountains Slender Salamander 50
Batrachoseps gavilanensis
San Gabriel Mountains Slender Salamander 51
Batrachoseps gabrieli
Gregarious Slender Salamander 52
Batrachoseps gregarius
San Simeon Slender Salamander 4
Batrachoseps incognitus
Santa Lucia Mountains Slender Salamander 21
Batrachoseps luciae
Desert Slender Salamander
Batrachoseps major aridus
Garden Slender Salamander
Batrachoseps major
Lesser Slender Salamander 49
Batrachoseps minor
Black-bellied Slender Salamander 41
Batrachoseps nigriventris
Channel Islands Slender Salamander 2
Batrachoseps pacificus
Relictual Slender Salamander 7
Batrachoseps relictus
Kern Plateau Slender Salamander 53
Batrachoseps robustus
Kern Canyon Slender Salamander 13
Batrachoseps simatus
Tehachapi Slender Salamander 54
Batrachoseps stebbinsi
Monterey Ensatina 5
Ensatina eschscholtzii eschscholtzii
Sierra Nevada Ensatina 55
Ensatina eschscholtzii platensis
Yellow-blotched Ensatina 4
Ensatina eschscholtzii croceater
Yellow-eyed Ensatina
Ensatina eschscholtzii xanthoptica
Large-blotched Ensatina 56
Ensatina eschscholtzii klauberi
California Newt 57
Taricha torosa
Sierra Newt 5
Taricha sierrae
Western Tiger Salamander 19
Ambystoma mavortium

Edited by Dominic, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

Photo Credits

  • 1. (c) Greg Schechter, some rights reserved (CC BY)
  • 2. (c) Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Division of Amphibians & Reptiles, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
  • 3. (c) Robert McNicholas, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND)
  • 4. (c) Global Herper, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
  • 5. (c) randomtruth, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
  • 6. (c) Michael Schmidt, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
  • 7. (c) John Sullivan, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by John Sullivan
  • 8. (c) Ryan Brown, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), uploaded by Ryan Brown
  • 9. (c) Franco Folini, some rights reserved (CC BY)
  • 10. (c) Kerry Matz, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
  • 11. (c) 2012 Adam G. Clause, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
  • 12. no rights reserved
  • 13. (c) 2008 William Flaxington, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
  • 14. (c) Ronnie Pitman, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
  • 15. (c) Richard Crook, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND)
  • 16. (c) 2011 William Flaxington, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
  • 17. (c) A. Jaszlics, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
  • 18. (c) Matthijs Quaijtaal, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND)
  • 19. (c) Matt Reinbold, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
  • 20. (c) dubidule, some rights reserved (CC BY)
  • 21. (c) Chris Cook, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Chris Cook
  • 22. (c) Jorge H. Valdez, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Jorge H. Valdez
  • 23. (c) showmejoe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), uploaded by showmejoe
  • 24. (c) Mike Baird, some rights reserved (CC BY)
  • 25. (c) Brian Gratwicke, some rights reserved (CC BY)
  • 26. (c) Mathieu Bertrand Struck, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND)
  • 27. (c) Thailandecoportal.com, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND)
  • 28. (c) Raiyan Kamal, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
  • 29. (c) Mr. Theklan, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
  • 30. (c) Karim Rezk, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND)
  • 31. (c) J. N. Stuart, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND)
  • 32. (c) Syd Phillips, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
  • 33. (c) Erin and Lance Willett, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND)
  • 34. (c) Bill Bouton, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
  • 35. (c) Pacific Southwest Region U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, some rights reserved (CC BY)
  • 36. (c) tom spinker, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND)
  • 37. (c) Bryant Olsen, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Bryant Olsen
  • 38. (c) Pompilid, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
  • 39. (c) David Bygott, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
  • 40. (c) Stylurus, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND)
  • 41. (c) Bill Bouton, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
  • 42. (c) tsoleau, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND)
  • 43. (c) Matthew Robinson, some rights reserved (CC BY)
  • 44. (c) Andy Purviance, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
  • 45. no rights reserved, uploaded by srloarie2
  • 46. (c) Jerry Oldenettel, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
  • 47. (c) copepodo, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND)
  • 48. (c) Joe McKenna, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
  • 49. (c) 2012 William Flaxington, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
  • 50. (c) Jacob Kirkland, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
  • 51. (c) 2011 Chris Brown, USGS, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
  • 52. (c) Marshal Hedin, some rights reserved (CC BY)
  • 53. (c) 2007 Sean Michael Rovito, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
  • 54. (c) 2006 William Flaxington, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
  • 55. (c) John Clare, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND)
  • 56. (c) Paul Collins, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
  • 57. (c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Ken-ichi Ueda

Member of the iNaturalist Network   |   Powered by iNaturalist open source software |   Documentation for developers