Reptiles (Class Reptilia)

Following are species accounts for the reptiles that occur in the Southern Region of the USDA Forest Service. Species accounts include lizards, snakes, turtles, crocodiles, and a single amphibian species. An account is presented for each native species in our area of coverage.

Management Suggestions

Reptiles occupy virtually every habitat in the Southeast, including forested habitats, urban, fresh water, and marine habitats. Our emphasis here is on forested habitats. Most reptiles have similar breeding habitat as nonbreeding. The major exceptions are the aquatic and marine turtles which require terrestrial habitats adjacent or nearby their aquatic habitats in order to successfully reproduce.

As with most organisms, the major concern with the conservation of reptile species is habitat destruction. We therefore make suggestions geared primarily to land managers which can be incorporated into their management plans to enable them to better maintain a wide diversity of species on the land they maintain.