Sac River Basin - Reptiles
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Reptiles include animals like snakes, lizards, and turtles. Many turtles live in rivers where they eat insects, plants, and some small fish.  Some snakes live in water where they eat frogs, insects, and small fish, and most are harmless. There is only one water snake in Missouri that is poisonous: the cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus), also known as the water moccasin. Although cottonmouths are poisonous, they should not bother you when left alone. No one has ever died from a snake bite in Missouri. 

There are 53 species of reptiles found in the Sac River Basin. 

Common Name Scientific Name
Turtles
Common snapping turtle Chelydra serpentina serpentina
Stinkpot Sternotherus odoratus
Western painted turtle Chrysemys picta bellii
Map turtle Graptemys geographica
Mississippi map turtle Graptemys kohnii
Ouachita map turtle Graptemys pseudogeographica ouachitensis
Missouri River cooter Pseudemys concinna metteri
Three-toed box turtle Terrapene carolina triunguis
Ornate box turtle Terrapene ornata ornata
Red-eared slider Trachemys scripta elegans
Midland smooth softshell Trionyx muticus muticus
Western spiny softshell Trionyx spinifer hartwegi
Lizards
Eastern collared lizard Crotaphytus collaris collaris
Northern fence lizard Sceloporus undulatus hyacinthinus
Southern coal skink Eumeces anthracinus pluvialis
Five-lined skink Eumeces fasciatus
Broadhead skink Eumeces laticeps
Great Plains skink Eumeces obsoletus
Ground skink Scincella lateralis
Prairie-lined racerunner Cnemidophorus sexlineatus viridus
Western slender glass lizard Ophisaurus attenuatus attenuatus
Snakes
Western worm snake Carphophis amoenus vermis
Eastern yellowbelly racer Coluber constrictor flaviventris
Prairie ringneck snake Diadophis punctatus arnyi
Great Plains rat snake Elaphe guttata emoryi
Black rat snake Elaphe obsoleta obsoleta
Eastern hognose snake Heterodon platyrhinos
Prairie kingsnake Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster
Speckled kingsnake Lampropeltis getulus holbrooki
Red milk snake Lampropeltis triangulum syspila
Eastern coachwhip Masticophis flagellum flagellum
Blotched water snake Nerodia erythrogaster transversa
Diamondback water snake Nerodia rhombifer rhombifer
Midland water snake Nerodia sipedon pleuralis
Northern water snake Nerodia sipedon sipedon
Rough green snake Opheodrys aestivus
Bullsnake Pituophis melanoleucas sayi
Graham's crayfish snake Regina grahamii
Ground snake Sonora semiannulata
Midland brown snake Storeria dekayi wrightorum
Texas brown snake Storeria dekayi texana
Northern redbelly snake Storeria occipitomaculata occipitomaculata
Flathead snake Tantilla gracilis
Western ribbon snake Thamnophis proximus proximus
Eastern garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis
Red-sided garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis
Central lined snake Tropidoclonion lineatum annectens
Rough earth snake Virginia> striatula
Western earth snake Virginia valeriae elegans
Osage copperhead Agkistrodon contortrix phaeogaster
Southern copperhead Agkistrodon contortrix contortrix
Western cottonmouth Agkistrodon piscivorus leucostoma
Timber rattlesnake Crotalus horridus

Western Cottonmouth

Source: http://www.wf.net/~snake/moccasin.htm

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Missouri Department
of Natural Resources

Missouri Watershed Information Network (MoWIN)
Send comments to: mowin1@missouri.edu
205 Agricultural Engineering
Columbia, MO 65211
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Page last updated August 26, 2008