Species
What are priority species?
Whether slimy or scaly, colorful or camouflaged, the many different reptiles and amphibians make our world a more exciting place. But facing exceptional declines, we are at risk of losing some of these incredible species forever. These imperiled reptiles and amphibians are priority species whose habitats the PARCA system aims to protect from further loss and fragmentation. Using scientific criteria and expert review, PARCAs are determined by factors like species rarity, richness, regional responsibility, and landscape integrity—an effort that empowers us to conserve remaining populations of these priority reptiles and amphibians nationwide.
Saltmarsh Snake
Our teammember Clark (Nerodia clarkii) is perched on the lookout for species in peril... or maybe he's just looking for lunch.
© Mike Martin
Priority Species
Priority Species
Alligator snapping turtle
Macrochelys temminckii
This is the largest freshwater turtle in North America, weighing in at over 200 pounds! They have an intimidating shell and jaws that can bite through a broom handle.
© John P. Friel Ph.D.
Box turtle
Terrapene carolina
These turtles can draw inside and close up their entire shell, helping them to thrive in all kinds of climates and habitats. They also have incredibly long lifespans, up to a century.
© Scott Byrd
Bog turtle
Glyptemys muhlenbergii
Along the greater Appalachians, bog turtles require open canopy wetlands with mucky soils where they bury themselves to regulate body temperature and avoid predators.
© José Garrido
Brazos water snake
Nerodia harteri
Often confused for the venomous water moccasin, the Brazos water snake has an ontogenetic shift–meaning the adults live in a different habitat than the juveniles.
© Jeff Jenkerson
Chiricahua leopard frog
Lithobates chiricahuensis
Native to New Mexico, Arizona and adjacent areas of Mexico, Chiricahua leopard frogs occur in the vicinity of a variety of aquatic habitats, especially near uplands and forested habitats.
© danyz
Desert tortoise
Gopherus agassizii
These turtles can draw inside and close up their entire shell, helping them to thrive in all kinds of climates and habitats. They also have incredibly long lifespans, up to a century.
© Sean Krieg
Collared Lizard
Crotaphytus collaris
These lizards are strikingly beautiful, with incredible coloration and fancy collars. They’re one of the few lizards that can run only on their hind legs.
© Eitan Grunwald
Eastern Hellbender
Cryptobranchus alleganiensis
At over two feet long with nicknames like “grampus” and “devil dog,” hellbenders are native to swift, clean, rocky streams in montane and plateau regions of the eastern United States.
© Kevin Messenger
Ensatina salamander
Ensatina eschscholtzii
These salamanders can be found in locations ranging from Canada to the Baja Peninsula in Mexico and have geographic variation in colors and patterns.
© Wendy Herniman
Frosted flatwoods salamander
Ambystoma cingulatum
Once fairly common in the southeast coastal plain of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, flatwoods salamander populations have collapsed since the mid-20th century.
© Noah Mueller
Flat-tailed horned lizard
Phrynosoma mcallii
These horned lizards are found in the deserts of southern California, where they feed on ants and other small invertebrates.
© Rachel Allingham
Gila Monster
Heloderma suspectum
This large, relatively slow-moving lizard is native to the southwestern deserts, where it spends much of its time in burrows, thickets, and boulder formations.
© José Garrido
Gopher frog
Lithobates capito
Historically found in coastal plain regions from North Carolina to Alabama, gopher frog populations have dwindled to a handful of small, isolated populations in recent decades.
© Ron Grunwald
Hickory Nut Gorge green salamander
Aneides caryaensis
These animals have traits that sound like superpowers. They can climb just about anything, they’re lungless, and have skin secretions that fight bacteria, viruses, and fungal infections.
© José Garrido
Gopher tortoise
Gopherus polyphemus
The gopher tortoise shares its burrows with the gopher frog and other critters. They love open areas with lots of grass and a few pine trees.
© Eitan Grunwald
Houston toad
Anaxyrus houstonensis
Restricted to a small and rapidly shrinking range in southeast Texas, Houston toads live in dry uplands and breed in embedded shallow wetlands.
© johnwilliams
Long-nosed leopard lizard
Gambelia wislizenii
This lizard is an elegant beast with a tail that can be up to twice the length of its body. But it’s also a fearsome predator that literally eats mammals, like small mice.
© Eitan Grunwald
Ornate chorus frog
Pseudacris ornata
One of the most beautiful frogs in North America, the ornate chorus frog can be dark brown, reddish, light gray, tan, or green. Even the tadpoles are stunning.
© Kevin Messenger
Louisiana pine snake
Pituophis ruthveni
These snakes are closely associated with pocket gophers and use the gophers’ tunnels as shelter, while also preying on the gophers themselves.
© Scott Wahlberg
Pine snake
Pituophis melanoleucus
These snakes can reach up to six feet long and are extremely secretive and hard to find. They’re like the ninjas of the snake world and they spend most of their lives underground.
© Eitan Grunwald
Red Hills salamander
Phaeognathus hubrichti
This highly specialized species is restricted to the Red Hills region of southern Alabama, where it occurs on the damp, hardwood-dominated slopes of steep ravines.
© Kevin Messenger
San Francisco garter snake
Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia
Limited to a small area southwest of downtown San Francisco, this colorful type of garter snake lives in the vicinity of a precious few remaining freshwater aquatic habitats.
© Andre Giraldi
Red-legged frog
Rana draytonii
These frogs have dorsal spots, vocal sacs, tympanic membranes, and glorious red legs. They eat everything from fish and dragonflies, to worms and snails.
© Grze Swis
Southern hognose snake
Heterodon simus
Using their upturned snout as a shovel, these snakes dig to avoid predators, escape weather extremes, and sniff out their favorite food (toads).
© Mike Martin
Weller’s salamander
Plethodon welleri
One of the most beautiful creatures you’ll ever see, their dark black body is splashed with metallic gold patches and looks like it could’ve been forged by a master jeweler.
© Dean Stavrides
Wood turtle
Glyptemys insculpta
These turtles a strikingly beautiful, with orange scales, golden-rimmed eyes, and yellow plastrons. They’re also very smart and are as capable as lab rats at finding food in a maze.
© Laura Gaudette
Western Chicken Turtle
Deirochelys reticularia miaria
These turtles actually got their name not because of a physical feature, but because of how they apparently taste–like chicken. They also have absurdly long necks.
© mfeaver
Alligator snapping turtle
Macrochelys temminckii
This is the largest freshwater turtle in North America, weighing in at over 200 pounds! They have an intimidating shell and jaws that can bite through a broom handle.
© John P. Friel Ph.D.
Bog turtle
Glyptemys muhlenbergii
Along the greater Appalachians, bog turtles require open canopy wetlands with mucky soils where they bury themselves to regulate body temperature and avoid predators.
© José Garrido
Box turtle
Terrapene carolina
These turtles can draw inside and close up their entire shell, helping them to thrive in all kinds of climates and habitats. They also have incredibly long lifespans, up to a century.
© Scott Byrd
Brazos water snake
Nerodia harteri
Often confused for the venomous water moccasin, the Brazos water snake has an ontogenetic shift–meaning the adults live in a different habitat than the juveniles.
© Jeff Jenkerson
Chiricahua leopard frog
Lithobates chiricahuensis
Native to New Mexico, Arizona and adjacent areas of Mexico, Chiricahua leopard frogs occur in the vicinity of a variety of aquatic habitats, especially near uplands and forested habitats.
© danyz
Collared Lizard
Crotaphytus collaris
These lizards are strikingly beautiful, with incredible coloration and fancy collars. They’re one of the few lizards that can run only on their hind legs.
© Eitan Grunwald
Desert tortoise
Gopherus agassizii
These turtles can draw inside and close up their entire shell, helping them to thrive in all kinds of climates and habitats. They also have incredibly long lifespans, up to a century.
© Sean Krieg
Eastern Hellbender
Cryptobranchus alleganiensis
At over two feet long with nicknames like “grampus” and “devil dog,” hellbenders are native to swift, clean, rocky streams in montane and plateau regions of the eastern United States.
© Kevin Messenger
Ensatina salamander
Ensatina eschscholtzii
These salamanders can be found in locations ranging from Canada to the Baja Peninsula in Mexico and have geographic variation in colors and patterns.
© Wendy Herniman
Flat-tailed horned lizard
Phrynosoma mcallii
These horned lizards are found in the deserts of southern California, where they feed on ants and other small invertebrates.
© Rachel Allingham
Frosted flatwoods salamander
Ambystoma cingulatum
Once fairly common in the southeast coastal plain of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, flatwoods salamander populations have collapsed since the mid-20th century.
© Noah Mueller
Gila Monster
Heloderma suspectum
This large, relatively slow-moving lizard is native to the southwestern deserts, where it spends much of its time in burrows, thickets, and boulder formations.
© José Garrido
Gopher frog
Lithobates capito
Historically found in coastal plain regions from North Carolina to Alabama, gopher frog populations have dwindled to a handful of small, isolated populations in recent decades.
© Ron Grunwald
Gopher tortoise
Gopherus polyphemus
The gopher tortoise shares its burrows with the gopher frog and other critters. They love open areas with lots of grass and a few pine trees.
© Eitan Grunwald
Hickory Nut Gorge green salamander
Aneides caryaensis
These animals have traits that sound like superpowers. They can climb just about anything, they’re lungless, and have skin secretions that fight bacteria, viruses, and fungal infections.
© José Garrido
Houston toad
Anaxyrus houstonensis
Restricted to a small and rapidly shrinking range in southeast Texas, Houston toads live in dry uplands and breed in embedded shallow wetlands.
© johnwilliams
Long-nosed leopard lizard
Gambelia wislizenii
This lizard is an elegant beast with a tail that can be up to twice the length of its body. But it’s also a fearsome predator that literally eats mammals, like small mice.
© Eitan Grunwald
Louisiana pine snake
Pituophis ruthveni
These snakes are closely associated with pocket gophers and use the gophers’ tunnels as shelter, while also preying on the gophers themselves.
© Scott Wahlberg
Ornate chorus frog
Pseudacris ornata
One of the most beautiful frogs in North America, the ornate chorus frog can be dark brown, reddish, light gray, tan, or green. Even the tadpoles are stunning.
© Kevin Messenger
Pine snake
Pituophis melanoleucus
These snakes can reach up to six feet long and are extremely secretive and hard to find. They’re like the ninjas of the snake world and they spend most of their lives underground.
© Eitan Grunwald
Red Hills salamander
Phaeognathus hubrichti
This highly specialized species is restricted to the Red Hills region of southern Alabama, where it occurs on the damp, hardwood-dominated slopes of steep ravines.
© Kevin Messenger
Red-legged frog
Rana draytonii
These frogs have dorsal spots, vocal sacs, tympanic membranes, and glorious red legs. They eat everything from fish and dragonflies, to worms and snails.
© Grze Swis
San Francisco garter snake
Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia
Limited to a small area southwest of downtown San Francisco, this colorful type of garter snake lives in the vicinity of a precious few remaining freshwater aquatic habitats.
© Andre Giraldi
Southern hognose snake
Heterodon simus
Using their upturned snout as a shovel, these snakes dig to avoid predators, escape weather extremes, and sniff out their favorite food (toads).
© Mike Martin
Weller’s salamander
Plethodon welleri
One of the most beautiful creatures you’ll ever see, their dark black body is splashed with metallic gold patches and looks like it could’ve been forged by a master jeweler.
© Dean Stavrides
Western Chicken Turtle
Deirochelys reticularia miaria
These turtles actually got their name not because of a physical feature, but because of how they apparently taste–like chicken. They also have absurdly long necks.
© mfeaver