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.
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
Turtles, at the Fountain Colorado Nature Center on 20 June 2008. These appear to be Pond sliders, probably the Red-eared pond sliders. Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia Subclass: Anapsida Order: Testudines Family: Emydidae Genus: Trachemys Species: T. scripta Subspecies: T. s. elegans
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. The second picture was taken on 23 August 2009, same place, different pond. There are seven sub-species, but it is difficult to tell the difference between them. Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Sauropsida Order: Testudines Suborder: Cryptodira Family: Trionychidae Genus: Apalone Species: A. spinifera
Plateau Striped Whiptail (Aspidoscelis velox). I am not completely sure of this identification, but it is the best match I can find to pictures on the internet. This one was missing half of it's tail. Interestingly enough, this species has no males. The females produce unfertilized eggs, and each egg hatches as a female clone of the mother. The process is called parthenogenesis. These pictures were taken at the Fountain Creek Nature Center on 20 August 2008. Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia Order: Squamata Suborder: Sauria Family: Teiidae Genus: Aspidoscelis Species: velox