Now only a remnant of a formerly large group, reptiles today number just about 6,000 species worldwide, much less than during the time when reptiles dominated life on this planet. There are some 3,300 species of lizards, more than there are of snakes, which total about 2,200 species. Our oldest group of remaining reptiles, the turtles, is comprised of far fewer numbers, less than 250 species. Of the five major groups of reptiles worldwide, only the three just mentioned - turtles, lizards and snakes - are represented in Pennsylvania. Thirty-eight species, divided among eight families and 28 genera are found in Pennsylvania.

Over 1,200 species  occur worldwide; three species are found in Pennsylvania. Northern Fence Lizard Sceloporus undulatus hyacinthinus General characteristics. The northern fence lizard belongs to a group of lizards commonly known as “spiny lizards.” It is the only one of its genus in Pennsylvania. The northern fence lizard is not a large lizard. Adults range in size from four to seven inches. It spends much of its time in trees where it hunts, rests and finds safety when frightened. Identification. The northern fence lizard varies from gray to brown. Colors on the belly range from whitish to greenish blue to pale blue. There may be dark, wavy crossbars on the back, which are most evident normally on thefemale. The male has a blue patch near the base of the throat. The scales on the back of this lizard are keeled and pointed. They are jagged and rough to the touch, which explains its nickname, “spiny” lizard. Range. This reptile, territorial by nature, is located in roughly the southern two-thirds of Pennsylvania. Habitat. Generally, the northern fence lizard prefers a sunny area of grassy or open woodland. It likes rotting logs and outcrops of rocks from where it can survey its domain. It often sits on a tree stump or fence, but usually is not far from a tree or wall where it can flee quickly to safety. Food. Beetles are a favorite food of the northern fence lizard and are eagerly sought. When beetles are unavailable, the lizard turns to other insects, spiders and even snails when it can locate them. Northern Coal Skink Eumeces anthracinus anthracinus General characteristics. A member of a single, very Lizards make up the largest living group of reptiles, numbering about 3,000 worldwide. They are more predominant in warmer, drier areas. In this country, most are found in the southwest. Pennsylvania has four species from two genera and two families. They become more rare as they move northward. The lizards common to Pennsylvania are harmless. Lizards for the most part are diurnal. They live in trees, on the ground and in burrows beneath the ground. They breed in the spring and most lay eggs following internal fertilization. Lizards possess the sensations of smell and taste much as we know them. Snakes do not. However, like snakes, many lizards are also able to use the tongue and Jacobson’s organ to sample the air around them. Iguanid lizards (Family Iguanidae) Northern fence lizard Sceloporus undulatus hyacinthinus Only one species of this family is found in Pennsylvania. The iguanids are most predominant in warm, dry regions and more than 40 different species inhabit North America. This family is very large both in the number of species and in their physical size. Some species reach 72 inches or more. Some of the iguanids are egg-layers. They are territorial in nature. Males defend their home stakes with an elaborate display of head bobbing and dramatic push-ups of the body, using the front legs. With mouth agape, they boldly inflate the chest and throat to present a menacing pose to anything that threatens. Skinks (Family Scincidae)  Northern coal skink— Eumeces anthracinus anthracinus Five-lined skink— Eumeces fasciatus Broadhead skink— Eumeces laticeps The skink family is a group of smooth, shiny, almost slippery lizards. The cylindrical body and tail are covered with smooth scales. This group is found on every conti- large family of skinks, the northern coal skink is difficult to distinguish from others of its genus. The coal skink does most of its foraging during daylight hours, as do other skinks. Adult sizes range from five to seven inches. Identification. The body of the northern coal skink is brown. Two pairs of light stripes, each enclosing a dark band, extend from the neck onto the tail. There are no light lines on the head of the coal skink, which helps distinguish this skink from the two others found in the state. The breeding male might have a reddish head. The young have a blue tail, but otherwise are marked identically to the parents. Range. In Pennsylvania, the northern coal skink is known from the northcentral, a portion of the northwest, and one southwestern county. Its population is scattered and does not occur in large numbers anywhere in its range. It is also found in portions of New York, the Virginias and Kentucky. Habitat. The northern coal skink prefers damp, moist woods, especially those with an abundance of leaf matter or loose stones. Food. Following the pattern of other skinks, the northern coal skink eats insects. It rummages among leaf litter and small stones in search of a variety of insects. Five-Lined Skink Eumeces fasciatus General characteristics. The five-lined skink is another of the state’s smooth, shiny lizards. It is most comfortable in a temperature range of 78 to 85 degrees. These temperatures suit Pennsylvania’s lizards and they are most active in this range. Like other skinks, the five-lined skink is diurnal and spends much of the day in search of food. It reaches an adult size that varies from five to just over seven inches. Identification. This skink is brown to black with five broad, light stripes running the length of the body. In some adults, the pattern nearly fades completely with age. As the ground color becomes lighter, the stripes become darker. The tail of the juvenile is bright blue, turning gray as the skink grows older. Range. The five-lined skink inhabits about two-thirds of the state, generally south of a line drawn from Crawford County in the west to Bucks County in the east. Habitat. It occasionally is seen in gardens or around homes, especially in damp areas, but it prefers humid woodlands. Food. Although considered terrestrial, the five-lined skink will climb a decayed snag in its forest home where it knows insects can be found. It consumes insect larvae, spiders, crustaceans, worms and even small mice, a diet perhaps more varied than that of some other skinks. Broadhead Skink Eumeces laticeps Candidate Species General characteristics. The broadhead skink is the largest of three skinks that inhabit Pennsylvania. Adult sizes range from just over six inches to a bit more than 12 inches, including the tail. Identification. The outstanding characteristic of this skink is its head. On the male, it is large and gives the impression of having swollen cheeks. The body of this reptile is brown to olive-brown and the breeding males are striking with their orange-red heads. There may be five light stripes down the body of both sexes during their early adult life, but these usually fade with age to become indistinguishable in the fully adult male. Range. Pennsylvania is on the extreme northern limit of this reptile’s range. It is found only in the southeast corner of the state, and extends to central Florida. It ranges as far west as Kansas. Habitat. Largely a woodland creature, the broadhead skink is the most arboreal of the state’s skinks. It likes moist woods but also resides in open areas that provide adequate protection in the form of vegetative debris or other matter. Food. Insects make up the major portion of the diet.

Pennsylvania has 22 species of salamanders representing five families and 11 genera. There are seven different families of salamanders in North America. As a group, salamanders are secretive and nocturnal. All need moisture to survive. Their skin is smooth and must remain moist. Even the so-called terrestrial species can live only in areas that are moist or damp. Salamanders sometimes can be confused with lizards because of their slender bodies, long tails and similar body shape. But on close examination, it is obvious that salamanders lack the claws, scales and external ear opening of the lizards.

Eastern Hellbender
Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis
The hellbender is more commonly gray, but some specimens could be an olive-brown to almost black above. Some dark mottling over the back and upper sides is also possible. The belly is lighter. Though not always present, irregular, scattered black spots sometimes pepper the back and sides. The body and head are flattened. Several loose flaps of thick, wrinkled skin hang along the lower sides. The legs are short and stout with four toes on the hindlegs. The tail is flat and rudderlike.

Mudpuppy
Necturus maculosus maculosus
The mudpuppy is also known as a waterdog. The most striking characteristic of this salamander other than its size, or perhaps because of it, is the large feathery set of reddish gills billowing out from behind each side of the head. The legs are short but strong. The tail fin is occasionally tinted orange or red. Its small eyes have no eyelids. There are four toes on the front and hind feet. Most salamanders have five toes on the rear pair of feet. The mudpuppy, or waterdog, is gray to rusty brown on the upper surfaces, which also are showered with dark blue-black spots. The spots have irregular edges and are well-separated from one another. The pale belly is usually gray and is accented with dark spots. A dark stripe runs through each eye. Fifteen or 16 costal grooves mark each side.

Jefferson Salamander
Ambystoma jeffersonianum
This salamander is long and slender with a wide snout. Its toes are proportionately longer than those of most other salamanders. The back and sides are brownish gray; the belly is a shade lighter. The area surrounding the vent is usually gray. Small, bluish marks speckle the head, limbs and sides, but these tend to disappear with age. This salamander has 12 costal grooves on each side.

Spotted Salamander
Ambystoma maculatum
Two rows of large yellow or orange spots run erratically the length of the body. Beginning on the head and near the eyes, the spots end at the tip of the tail. The spots on the head usually are orange even though the spots on the rest of the body could be yellow. The ground color ranges from black, to blue-black, to dark gray or dark brown. The belly is slate-gray. A stout body begins with a round snout that is blunt and punctuated with large, dark eyes. There are 12 costal grooves on each side.

Marbled Salamander
Ambystoma opacum
The body is dark gray to black, with bold white or silvery crossbands. On the female these bands tend to be a bit more gray. Occasionally the crossbands run together on the sides, encasing a black area within a striking outline of white. The belly is black and unmarked. The marbled salamander has 11 or 12 costal grooves on each side.

Red-spotted Newt
Notophthalmus viridescens viridescens
This amphibian is greenish yellow in its larval stage. It has two grayish lines, located just off center on either side of the back. The lines run the length of the body. At hatching, the larva has gills and just a hint of forelegs. Two to three months into the larval stage, the forelegs and hindlegs have been developed, the gills are lost and the skin becomes granular and textured to the touch. At this point, metamorphosis takes place. The land-dwelling red eft stage is entered and the body becomes a brilliant red to orange-red. A row of black-bordered, round red spots appears on either side of the back; the belly is yellow during this sub-adult stage. At the end of the eft stage and within a week of entering the water to live out its life as an adult, the skin becomes smooth, and the tail fin develops, becoming compressed vertically to look rudderlike. Its color now is drab-olive to yellowish brown or dark brown. The belly remains yellow and is sprinkled with many small black spots. A row of red spots, bordered with black, also covers the newt’s back on each side. In neither the eft nor newt stages are the costal grooves distinguishable.

Green Salamander
Aneides aeneus
Threatened Species
The green salamander’s green or greenish-yellow irregular patches stand out boldly against an otherwise black body. It is a slender salamander with a flattened body. The head, however, appears to be swollen in the area just behind the eyes. The toes are square-tipped and expanded. It has 14 or 15 costal grooves on each side.

Northern Dusky Salamander
Desmognathus fuscus fuscus
The northern dusky salamander is gray to tan or dark brown on the back becoming a bit lighter on each side. Although usually plain, a close inspection may sometimes show mottling not much darker than the background color. Larvae and juveniles have pairs of oval blotches on each side that often fuse together to form streaks running the length of the body. The underside is pinkish with blue-gray speckles. The tail is triangular and less than half the total length of the salamander. It has 14 costal grooves on each side.

Appalachian Seal Salamander
Desmognathus monticola monticola
The Appalachian seal salamander has a robust body similar to its cousin, the northern dusky salamander. The tail makes up about half the total length of this salamander. The tail is compressed, and the tip is knife-edged on the upper side. The very tip of the tail is pointed. Although the body can be variably patterned, it is mainly light brown or grayish above with dark brown or black wavy streaks or reticulations that stand out markedly. Sometimes these markings take on the appearance of wormlike blotches and may be surrounded by paler areas. The belly is light and usually plain, although specimens may be found with blotches on the underside. The sides are dark above but lighter and speckled as they approach the belly line. There are 14 costal grooves on each side.

Mountain Dusky Salamander
Desmognathus ochrophaeus
The ground color, covering the sides and part of the back, is usually a dark color and can be almost anything ranging from gray to brown, olive to dark-yellow, and even darkish orange. A lighter stripe, bordered with a very dark, sometimes black pigment, runs the length of the body and onto the tail. This stripe can also be a variety of colors including orange, yellow, gray, tan or red. The stripe is wide, straight-edged and accented with dark vee-shaped marks. The face is marked with a light line extending from the eye to the jaw. The tail is slender and rounded. Each side has 14 costal grooves.

Northern Two-Lined Salamander
Eurycea bislineata bislineata
The primary color of this salamander is yellow, although it may be tinged with brown, green or orange-bronze. The back is nearly covered with a lighter stripe that runs the length of the body. This broad stripe is bordered with narrower black or dark-brown stripes that begin at the eyes and end on the tail where occasionally they break up into small spots. The belly is bright-yellow. There are 13 to 16 costal grooves on each side.

Longtail Salamander
Eurycea longicauda longicauda
Much longer than the body, the tail is slender but continues the color and pattern that begin on the head. This salamander is yellow to bright red-orange and is marked with contrasting black spots. The spots are heavier on the sides than they are across the back, and on the tail the spots may combine to form vertical bars. There are 13 or 14 costal grooves on each side.

Northern Spring Salamander
Gyrinophilus porphyriticus porphyriticus
The basic color is salmon, although variations occur through tints of reddish brown, yellowish brown or light orange. The back and sides sometimes have markings, and even then they are often nearly obscured, appearing as a very subdued mottling. The belly is lighter. A light line edged with black begins at the eye and extends downward to the nostril. Each side has 17 to 19 costal grooves.

Four-toed Salamander
Hemidactylium scutatum
Only four toes appear on each hind foot (most other salamanders have five toes). The belly is marked with large, bold black spots that stand out against an almost pure white. The back of the four-toed salamander is reddish brown to yellowish tan. Its sides tend to be gray. The thick tail is marked near its base with a constrictive ring, indicating the point at which it would separate. Each side has 12 to 14 costal grooves.

Redback Salamander
Plethodon cinereus
This lungless salamander is also known in a different phase as the leadback salamander. It is long and slender. The redback is marked with a broad stripe that begins at the head and flows down the back and over the upper part of the tail, where the stripe shrinks in width. The stripe is usually red, although it sometimes may appear orange, yellow, pink or light gray. The sides are black, and this color extends upward to form a straight-edged border on each side of the stripe. The leadback color phase ranges from a light gray to almost black. The solid color is shaded uniformly and does not have the colorful stripe along the back. A third color phase is found only occasionally. Marked with an unusual redness, it is referred to as an erythristic phase. The entire body, except for the belly, is red. Regardless of the color phase the belly is always mottled in a distinctive pattern of black and white. Each side has 18 to 20 costal grooves.

Slimy Salamander
Plethodon glutinosus glutinosus
The slimy salamander is black, with a shiny coat that is marked with whitish or silver-colored spots. The spots are larger on the sides, but smaller and scattered over the back and tail. The belly is slate-colored and unmarked. The chin and throat areas are dark gray. Each side has 16 costal grooves.

Wehrle’s Salamander
Plethodon wehrlei
The body of the Wehrle’s salamander is bluish gray to dark-brown or almost black. Irregular spots, often looking more like dash marks, appear on the sides. They are white or bluish white in most cases, but sometimes can appear yellow. The back occasionally is marked with very small flecks of a lighter color. The belly and the underside of the tail are evenly tinted in gray. The throat is white or at least blotched with white. There are about 17 costal grooves on each side.

Northern Red Salamander
Pseudotriton ruber ruber
Red is the primary body color. Even so, variations occur and it can be reddish brown to orange-brown. The adults tend to be darker than the young. The sides shade toward a lighter tone as they approach an even lighter belly. The back and the upper portion of the sides are dotted with many and irregularly shaped jet-black spots. Small dark spots may appear on the belly. Sixteen to 17 costal grooves mark each side.