Ohio Diversity of Reptiles 

This blog is to serve as a review for all the Ohio specimens within the lab.  For some of the species there was not specimens available, there will be indications for those certain specimens within the blog.  For distribution of these species, reference Ohio Diversity Blog from last year posted by Kelly.  

Testudines of Ohio (4 Families, 12 Species)  

Family: Chelydridae

                                    Chelydra serpentina 
Common snapping turtle

• No supramarginal scutes
• Highly reduced and cruciform-shaped plastron
• Longest tail of any turtle relative to body size
• Single row of marginal scutes

Family: Kinosternidae  

Sternotherus odoratus

Musk turtle

• Large Triangular Shaped Head
• Yellow-green stripe that runs from nose to neck
• Highly domed carapace
• Reduced, hinged plastron

Family: Trionychidae

Figure 1: Apalone mutica (left) compared to Apalone spinifera (right)

• No dermal scutes
• Fleshy lips
• Reduced flattened, plastron
• Long neck, snorkel snout

 Apalone spinifera
Spiny soft shell turtle

• End of carapace small, conical spines
• Dark circular marking on carapace

Alpalone mutica (No Specimen)
smooth softshell turtle

• Non-ridged nostrils

Family: Emydidae

Chrysemys picta marginata
Midland Painted Turtle

• Red markings, lower edge of the marginal scutes of the carapace
• Head and neck contain yellow striping, two coming behind each eye and two on chin
• Limbs have red marking and lines

Chlemmys gutta
Spotted turtle

• Smooth flattened, black carapace
• Carapace and body filled with yellow spots

Emydoidea blandingii
Blanding's turtle

• Bright yellow throat and chin
• Hinged plastron

Graptemys geographica
Map turtle

• Lacks two yellow dots below the eyes

Figure 2: Chrysmeys pitca marinata (top, left/right) compared to Gramptemys pseudogeographica

Graptemys pseudogeographica
False Map turtle

• Yellow patch behind eye which can extent to the top of the head, in the shape of a hockey stick

Pseudemys concinna (No Specimen)
River Cooter

• Brownish/greenish color with contrasting yellow stripes
• Yellow stripes on chin in a Y – shape
• Swirled yellow patterns on carapace
• C – shaped second pleural scute
• Tooth-like cusps in upper jaw

Terrapene carolina
Eastern Box turtle

•    Highly domed carapace 

Trachemys scripta 
Red-eared slider

• Broad red or orange patch behind each eye
• Greenish-brown carapace with yellow and black bands
• Yellowish plastron with a black blotch on each scute

Serpentes of Ohio (4 Families, 21 Species)

Family: Viperidae

• unsplit caudal scales, prominent pits

Sistrurus catenatus

• smaller snake with rattles, saddles on back

Crotalus horridus

• larger rattlesnake, heavily keeled scales, very dark banding pattern

Agkistrodon contortrix

• smaller snake with no rattle, prominent fat hourglass markings on side

Family: Natricidae

Nerodia sipedon

• Strongly keeled scales, mottled belly, large, crossbands that go over body

Thamnophis butleri

• stripe on scale row 2-3-4, very rare in Ohio

Thamnophis sirtalis

• Stripe on 2-3

Thamnphis radix (No Specimen) 

• stripe on 3-4, black bars on supralabial scales

Thamnophis sauritus (No Specimen) 

• stripe on 3-4
• long, slender tail;
• brown ventrolateral stripe on ventral scales and scale row 1-2

Regina septemvittata

• lateral light stripe, ventral dark stripes

Storeria occipitomaculata

• Two spots on nape of neck at back of head, small

Storeria dekayi

• No spots, appearance of ‘sideburns’ sometimes, small

Family: Dipsadidae

Diadophis punctatus

• ring on neck, small, bright red/ orange belly

Carphophis amoenus

• tiny head compared to body, olivy-drab dorsum (light when preserved), fluorescent pink belly

Heterodon platirhinos

• upturned rostrum scales

Family: Colubridae

Opheodrys vernalis

• unkeeled scales, bright green

Opheodrys aestivus (No Specimen)

• keeled scales, bright green

Lampropeltis triangulum

• peppered checkering on ventral scales, prominent blotch pattern on dorsum

Lampropeltis getula

• black dorsum, checkering on ventral scales

Coluber constrictor

• eyes looking forward, ventral scales uniform

Pantherophis obsoletus

• big snake, uniform black as adult, non-round body cross-section

Pantherophis vulpina­

• big snake, patterned dorsum, non-round body cross-section

Lepidosaurs of Ohio (2 Families, 4 Species)

Family: Phrynosomatidae

Sceloperus undulatus (no specimen)

(Northern Fence Lizard)

Family: Scincidae

Scincella lateralis

(Ground Skink)

• small, very reduced limbs, long slender body, no conspicuous stripes

Plestiodon fasciatus

(Five-lined Skink)

• five prominent stripes, four labial scales anterior to subocular scale

Plestiodon laticeps

(Broad-head Skink)

• five labial scales anterior to subocular scale

Plestiodon anthracinus (no specimen)

(Northern Coal Skink)