Snakes, Turtles & other Reptiles in Colorado

Rattlesnake, swimming in Pueblo lake. This picture was taken by Alyssa Erickson, from a boat, in June 2007. This is probably a Prairie rattlesnake, Crotalus viridis

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Viperidae
Subfamily: Crotalinae
Genus: Crotalus
Bull Snake. Also called a Gopher Snake. The scientific name is Pituophis Catenifer. This picture was taken on 20 May 2002, in Elbert county, Colorado.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Colubridae
Genus: Pituophis
Species: P. catenifer
Subspecies: P. c. sayi

The fourth picture was taken 20 July 1991, and is taken from a video. This snake was hissing loudly at me. My dogs found it in our back yard, and alerted me. When I heard the hissing, I knew it was a harmless Bull Snake, so I took it out to a field and let it go. It was about 2 feet long.

Click here to see the video.

The fifth and sixth pictures are of a Bull snake found near Brush Hollow, Colorado on 21 May 2010. It was about 3 feet long, and appeared to be well-fed.






This snake was seen on a bridge at the Fountain Creek Nature Center on 22 June 2009. I think that this is a Garter snake, although the colors didn't look quite right.It was a little over 1 foot long.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptillia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Colubridae
Genus: Thamnophis
Species: T. sirtalis

A Garter snake, seen at the Fountain Creek Nature Center on 6 May 2010. It had just left a pond that was covered with small green leaves, and was covered with them while it was on the bank. Enough of the snake's color pattern was still visible, so it is a Garter snake.

Family Emydidae, Box turtles and Pond turtles.

Turtles, at the Fountain Colorado Nature Center on 20 June 2008. These appear to be Pond sliders, probably the Red-eared pond sliders. They are not native to Colorado, but they are here now. These are bought at pet stores, and then either escape or are released.

The turtle in the second picture is a Red-eared pond slider. Those in the first picture could also be Western Painted turtles.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Subclass: Anapsida
Order: Testudines
Family: Emydidae
Genus: Trachemys
Species: T. scripta
Subspecies: T. s. elegans


This turtle, about 10 inches long, appears to be a Western Painted turtle. It was at the Fountain Creek Nature Center on 14 June 2010. It looks similar to its relative the red-eared pond slider, but without the red patches.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Testudines
Family: Emydidae
Subfamily: Deirochelyinae
Genus: Chrysemys
Species: C. picta

Family Trionychidae, Soft shelled turtles.

This is a Spiny Softshell Turtle, found at the Fountain Creek Nature Center on 26 June 2009. It was about 12 inches long, and since males of this species do not get more than about 9 inches long, this was a female. She quickly moved into the water when I got close. A large female like this one can live up to 50 years.

There are seven sub-species, but it is difficult to tell the difference between them.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Testudines
Suborder: Cryptodira
Family: Trionychidae
Genus: Apalone
Species: A. spinifera


Family Chelydridae, Snapping turtles.

This is a Common Snapping Turtle, found on May 6, 2010 at the Fountain Creek Nature Center. The second picture shows the saw-tooth edge found on the back of the shell. The shell itself was probably about 14" in length.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Testudines
Family: Chelydridae
Genus: Chelydra
Species: C. serpentina


Family Teiidae, Whiptail lizards.

A Six-lined Racerunner (Aspidoscelis sexlineatus). This one was missing half of it's tail. The picture was taken at the Fountain Creek Nature Center on 20 August 2008. The identification is thanks to Lauren Livo.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Sauria
Family: Teiidae
Genus: Aspidoscelis
Species: sexlineatus

Family Phrynosomatidae, Spiney lizards.

Another lizard found at the Fountain Creek Nature Center on 26 July 2010. Maybe this one is a Northern Plateau Lizard.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Iguania
Family: Phrynosomatidae
Genus: Sceloporus