Vermont Reptile and Amphibian Species List

Accepted Name, State Rank, and State Status,
as of January 2014

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Common Name	Latin Name	Rank (ranks info)	Status (status info)	SGCN Priority (definition)
Reptiles	Reptilia (Class)
Turtles	Testudines (Order)
Spiny Softshell	Apalone spinifera	S1	T	High
Snapping Turtle	Chelydra serpentina	S5
Painted Turtle	Chrysemys picta	S5
Spotted Turtle	Clemmys guttata	S1	E	High
Wood Turtle	Glyptemys insculpta1	S3	SC	High
Northern Map Turtle	Graptemys geographica	S3	SC
Eastern Musk Turtle	Sternotherus odoratus	S2	SC	Medium
*Lizards and Snakes*	Squamata (Order)
*Lizards*	Lacertilia (Suborder)
Common Five-lined Skink	Plestiodon fasciatus	S1	E	High
*Snakes*	Serpentes (Suborder)
North American Racer	Coluber constrictor	S1	T	High
Timber Rattlesnake	Crotalus horridus	S1	E	High
Ring-necked Snake	Diadophis punctatus	S4 12
Milksnake	Lampropeltis triangulum	S5
Northern Watersnake	Nerodia sipedon	S3		Medium
Smooth Greensnake	Opheodrys vernalis	S3		Medium
Eastern Ratsnake	Pantherophis alleghaniensis2	S2	T	High
DeKay’s Brownsnake	Storeria dekayi	S4		Medium
Red-bellied Snake	Storeria occipitomaculata	S5
Eastern Ribbonsnake	Thamnophis sauritus	S2	SC	High
Common Gartersnake	Thamnophis sirtalis	S5
Amphibians	*Amphibia (Class)*
Salamanders	Caudata (Order)
Jefferson Salamander	Ambystoma jeffersonianum	S2	SC	High
Blue-spotted Salamander	Ambystoma laterale	S3	SC	Medium
Spotted Salamander	Ambystoma maculatum	S5		Medium
Northern Dusky Salamander	Desmognathus fuscus	S5
Northern Two-lined Salamander	Eurycea bislineata	S5
Spring Salamander	Gyrinophilus porphyriticus	S4
Four-toed Salamander	Hemidactylium scutatum	S2	SC	Medium
Mudpuppy	Necturus maculosus	S2	SC	High
Eastern Newt	Notophthalmus viridescens	S5
Eastern Red-backed Salamander	Plethodon cinereus	S5
Frogs (including Toads)	Anura (Order)
American Toad	Anaxyrus americanus3	S5
Fowler’s Toad	Anaxyrus fowleri4	S1	SC	High
Gray Treefrog	Hyla versicolor	S5
American Bullfrog	Lithobates catesbeianus6	S5
Green Frog	Lithobates clamitans7	S5
Pickerel Frog	Lithobates palustris8	S5
Northern Leopard Frog	Lithobates pipiens9	S4
Mink Frog	Lithobates septentrionalis10	S3
Wood Frog	Lithobates sylvaticus11	S5
Spring Peeper	Pseudacris crucifer	S5
Boreal Chorus Frog	Pseudacris maculata5	S1	E	High

1 Glyptemys insculpta used to be called Clemmys insculpta.
2 Pantherophis alleghaniensis was Elaphe alleghaniensis until 2008. Before changing to Elaphe alleghaniensis, its name was Elaphe obsoleta.
3 Bufo americanus was changed to Anaxyrus americanus in 2008.
4 Bufo fowleri was changed to Anaxyrus fowleri in 2008.
5 Pseudacris triseriata (Western Chorus Frog) was determined to be Pseudacris maculata (Boreal Chorus Frog) in 2007.
6-11 All the Vermont species listed in the Rana genus were reclassified into the Lithobates genus in 2008. Rana sylvatica became Lithobates sylvaticus. Rana catesbeiana became Lithobates catesbeianus as well.
12 The Ring-necked Snake’s State rank was changed from S3 to S4 in December 2013.

Crother, B. I. (ed.). 2008. Scientific and Standard English Names of Amphibians and Reptiles of North America North of Mexico with Comments Regarding Confidence in our Understanding, Sixth Edition, pp. 1-84. SSAR Herpetological Circular 37.

Hypothetical Species

Salamanders
Allegheny Mountain Dusky Salamander	Desmognathus ochrophaeus
One specimen of a juvenile from central Vermont may be of this species. Otherwise, the distribution of this species is believed to have an eastern boundary of the Hudson River and Lake Champlain. No populations have been located.
Northern Slimy Salamander	Plethodon glutinosus
Specimens labeled from Caledonia Country in Vermont at the Carnegie Museum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, have long been questioned. They are believed to be mislabeled. No populations have been located.
Marbled Salamander	Ambystoma opacum
One historic photo of this species is labeled "Vermont" and an historic field record from Fair Haven is from a credible source. A population of this species may eventually be located in southern Vermont, most likely along the Connecticut River drainage. No populations have been located.
Turtles
Eastern Box Turtle	Terrapene carolina
The occasional reports of single adult animals are assumed to be released pets. Reports near the southern Connecticut River Valley could possibly be native turtles. No populations are known.
Blanding's Turtle	Emydoidea blandingii
Widely disjunct populations of this species suggest that populations could potentially exist in Vermont. One well-documented record could be a released pet. No populations have been located.
Snakes
Eastern Hog-Nosed Snake	Heterodon platirhinos
Two well-documented records of this species in Vernon suggest local populations. Populations are very close (~15 miles) to the Massachusetts and New York border.

Explanation of Legal Status & Information Ranks

State Status

As per the Vermont Endangered Species Law

E:: Endangered—in immediate danger of becoming extirpated in the states
T:: Threatened—high possibility of becoming endangered in the near future

Information Categories

Not established by law

PE:: Proposed for endangered.
PT:: Proposed for threatened.
SC:: Special Concern: rare; status should be watched.
SGCN:: Species designated as having the Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) in Vermont's Wildlife Action Plan. Listed as either high or medium priority conservation for funding through the State Wildlife Grants Program. See also Vermont's Wildlife Action Plan News and Information.

State Ranks of Plants, Animals, and Natural Communities

State ranks are assigned by the Nongame & Natural Heritage Program based on the best available information. They are not established by law. Ranks are reviewed annually.

S1:: At very high risk due to extreme rarity (often 5 or fewer populations or occurrences in the state), very steep declines, or other factors.
S2:: At high risk due to very restricted range, very few populations (often 20 or fewer), steep declines, or other factors.
S3:: At moderate risk due to restricted range, relatively few populations, or occurrences (often 80 or fewer), recent and widespread declines, or other factors.
S4:: Locally common or widely scattered to uncommon: not rare.
S5:: Common: widespread and abundant.

SA:: Accidental in the state.
SE:: An exotic established in the state.
SH:: Known from historical records only.
SR:: Reported from the state, but without persuasive documentation.
SRF:: Reported in error, but this error persisted in the literature.
SP:: Possible in the state but no reported or documented records.
SSYN:: No longer considered a taxon in the state.
SZ:: Not of practical conservation concern because there are no definable occurrences.
SX:: Extirpated from the state.
SU:: Status uncertain.
?:: Denotes provisional rank.