Animal Corner

Discover the many amazing animals that live on our planet.

  • Home
  • A-Z Animals
  • Anatomy
  • Glossary
  • Animal Lists
    • Animal By Letter
    • Animals by Location
    • Mammals
    • Birds
    • Reptiles
    • Amphibians
  • Free Resources
    • Animal Coloring Pages
    • Animal Jokes
    • Animal Quizzes
  • Pets
    • Dog Breeds
    • Rabbit Breeds
    • Cat Breeds
    • Pet Rodents
    • Animal Care
  • Blog

State Reptiles of the USA

There are 28 official state reptiles in the United States.

State reptiles, like other state emblems, are compared to admirable features of the reptile and the state. Schoolkids frequently launch campaigns to promote their favorite reptile for lawmakers to designate it as a state symbol.

In 1969, Oklahoma designated the common collared lizard as the state reptile, becoming the first state to do so. Only two states followed in the 1970s, but nominations increased at a rate of almost one per year throughout the 1980s and 1990s.

State birds are more popular than state reptiles, with all 50 states selecting one. There are also 48 State Insects and numerous state dog breeds.

Before becoming state reptiles, Florida’s alligator, Maryland’s terrapin, and Texas horned lizard were all university mascots. The West Virginia timber rattlesnake was an early American flag symbol dating back to 1775.

Reptiles are more common in warmer climates due to their cold-blooded nature, and 19 of the 28 state reptiles come from the southern United States. Six states picked a species named for the state. More than half of the states chose a turtle.

StateState reptileScientific nameYear adoptedConservation status
AlabamaAlabama red-bellied turtlePseudemys alabamensis1990Endangered
ArizonaArizona ridge-nosed rattlesnakeCrotalus willardi1986Least Concern
CaliforniaDesert tortoiseGopherus agassizii1972Vulnerable
CaliforniaLeatherback sea turtleDermochelys coriacea2012Vulnerable
ColoradoWestern painted turtleChrysemys picta2008Least Concern
FloridaAmerican alligatorAlligator mississippiensis1987Least Concern
FloridaLoggerhead sea turtleCaretta caretta2008Vulnerable
FloridaGopher tortoiseGopherus polyphemus2008Vulnerable
GeorgiaGopher tortoiseGopherus polyphemus1989Vulnerable
IllinoisPainted turtleChrysemys picta2005Least Concern
KansasOrnate box turtleTerrapene ornata1986Near Threatened
LouisianaAmerican alligatorAlligator mississippiensis1983Least Concern
MarylandDiamondback terrapinMalaclemys terrapin1994Near Threatened
MassachusettsGarter snakeThamnophis2006Least Concern
MichiganPainted turtleChrysemys picta1995Least Concern
MinnesotaBlanding’s turtleEmydoidea blandingii1998Endangered
MississippiAmerican alligatorAlligator mississippiensis2005Least Concern
MissouriThree-toed box turtleTerrapene carolina2007Near Threatened
NevadaDesert tortoiseGopherus agassizii1989Vulnerable
New JerseyBog turtleGlyptemys muhlenbergii2018Critically endangered
New MexicoNew Mexico whiptail lizardCnemidophorus neomexicanus2003Least Concern
New YorkCommon snapping turtleChelydra serpentina2006Least Concern
North CarolinaEastern box turtleTerrapene carolina1979Near Threatened
OhioNorthern black racerColuber constrictor1995Least Concern
OklahomaCommon collared lizardCrotaphytus collaris1969Least Concern
South CarolinaLoggerhead sea turtleCaretta caretta1988Vulnerable
TennesseeEastern box turtleTerrapene carolina1995Near Threatened
TexasTexas horned lizardPhrynosoma cornutum1993Least Concern
TexasKemp’s ridley sea turtleLepidochelys kempii2013Critically Endangered
UtahGila monsterHeloderma suspectum2019Near Threatened
VermontPainted turtleChrysemys picta1994Least Concern
VirginiaEastern garter snakeThamnophis sirtalis2016Least Concern
West VirginiaTimber rattlesnakeCrotalus horridus2008Least Concern
WyomingHorned lizardPhrynosoma1993Least Concern

Search

Most Popular Animals

  • Zebras
  • Aquatic Warbler
  • Atlantic Dolphins
  • Trapdoor Spider
  • Giraffe
  • Meerkats
  • Timber Wolf
  • Praying Mantis
  • Huntsman Spider
  • Vampire Bat

Galapagos Islands

galapagos-islands

Animal Names Glossary

Animal Names

British Wildlife

british-wildlife

Mammals

anatomy

Dog Breeds

dog breeds

Farm Animals

Farm Animals

Best of the Blog

  • 21 Amazing Animals that live in Lakes
  • What are the Fastest Animals in the World?
  • 31 Animals with Weird and Funny Sounding Names
  • Top 15 Deadliest Animals in the World
  • Ophiophagy – Examples of animals that eat snakes
  • List of Fascinating Solitary Animals

Copyright © 2005-2022 · Animal Corner · All Rights Reserved · Affiliate Disclaimer · Privacy Policy · Animals Sitemap . About Us

AnimalCorner.org is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.