Amphibians & Reptiles of the Adirondack Park
List of Adirondack Amphibians & Reptiles*
| Species | Family | Habitat & Distribution within the Adirondack Park |
Amphibians: Salamanders (Order Caudata) |
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| Allegheny Mountain Dusky Salamander (Desmognathus ochrophaeus) | Plethodontidae | Mixed forests that contain streams and seeps. Fairly widely distributed, but not common in the Adirondacks. |
| Blue-Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma laterale) | Ambystomidae | Deciduous forests with loamy soils, overgrown wet pastures. Wooded swamps, ponds, marshes, ditches or semipermanent water for breeding. Not widely distributed and uncommon in the Adirondack Park. |
| Eastern Newt (Notophthalmus viridescens) | Salamandridae | Ponds, marshes, ditches, backwaters, and pools of shallow slow-moving streams. Red Efts found in forests of any type, but most commonly in deciduous and mixed forests. Widely distributed and very common throughout the Adirondacks. |
| Eastern Red-backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus) | Plethodontidae | Terrestrial habitats. Deciduous or mixed forest with heavy canopy cover and abundant leaf litter. Widely distributed and fairly common in the Adirondack region. |
| Four-Toed Salamander (Hemidactylium scutatum) | Plethodontidae | Shaded or open wet woodlands, preferably with sphagnum moss, shallow woodland pools, tamarack bogs. Not widely distributed and uncommon in the Adirondacks. |
| Jefferson Salamander (Ambystoma jeffersonianum) | Ambystomatidae | Terrestrial habitats, primarily undisturbed, shady deciduous or mixed forest. Not widely distributed and uncommon in the Adirondack Park. |
| Mudpuppy (Necturus maculosus) | Proteidae | Aquatic habitats. Clear or muddy waters of lakes, rivers, ditches, and large streams. Uncommon, not widely distributed in the Adirondack Park.. |
| Northern Dusky Salamander (Desmognathus fuscus) | Plethodontidae | Streams and seeps within mature deciduous and mixed forests. Fairly widely distributed, but uncommon in the Adirondacks. |
| Northern Two-Lined Salamander (Eurycea bislineata) | Plethodontidae | Most abundant along small streams in deciduous forests. Widely distributed, but not common in the Adirondacks. |
| Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) | Ambystomidae | Deciduous or mixed woods. Widely distributed and not uncommon in the Adirondack region. |
| Spring Salamander (Gyrinophilus porphyriticus) | Plethodontidae | Forested areas with clear, cold water, springs, mountain streams, creeks, boggy areas. Fairly widely distributed, but not common in the Adirondacks. |
Amphibians: Frogs & Toads (Order Anura) |
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| American Bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeiana) | Ranidae | Banks, edges, and shallows with emergent vegetation, including ponds, lakes, marshes, swamps, and river oxbows. Widely distributed and fairly common in the Adirondack Park. |
| American Toad (Anaxyrus americanus) | Bufonidae | Habitat generalist, but favors more open landscapes. Gardens, deciduous and mixed forest, fields, and meadows. Widely distributed and very common in the Adirondack Park. |
| Gray Treefrog (Dryophytes versicolor) | Hylidae | Moist mixed forests, and deciduous woodland, especially with neighboring swamps or shrubby wetlands. Fairly widely distributed but not commonly seen in the Adirondack Park. |
| Green Frog (Lithobates clamitans) | Ranidae | Riparian habitats, including ponds, marshes, lake shores, woodland streams, springs, and vernal ponds. Very widely distributed and common in the Adirondack Park. |
| Mink Frog (Lithobates septentrionalis) | Ranidae | At the edges of northern lakes, ponds, and streams. Prefers open water with abundant lily pads for basking and foraging. Fairly widely distributed but uncommon in the Adirondack Park. Largely absent outside the Blue Line. |
| Northern Leopard Frog (Lithobates pipiens) | Ranidae | Most abundant in grassy habitats near marshes and ponds, wet open meadows and fields, and wet woods. Fairly widely distributed but relatively uncommon in the Adirondack Park. |
| Pickerel Frog (Lithobates palustris) | Ranidae | Slow-moving, colder waters with dense vegetation, including swamps, streams, springs, bogs, and fens. Fairly widely distributed and somewhat common in the Adirondack Park. |
| Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer) | Hylidae | Habitat generalist. Marshy or wet woods, second growth woodlots, sphagnum bogs, nonwooded lowlands, near ponds and swamps. Widely distributed and commonly heard in the Adirondack Park, but less commonly seen. |
| Wood Frog (Lithobates sylvaticus) | Ranidae | Terrestrial. Prefers mature deciduous forests. Also found in mixed forests and swamps. Fairly widely distributed and fairly common in the Adirondack Park. |
Reptiles: Turtles (Order Testudines) |
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| Blanding's Turtle (Emydoidea blandingii) | Emydidae | Aquatic habitats with a soft bottom and abundant aquatic vegetation. Prefers shallow wetlands such as shrub swamps, marshes, and shallow ponds. Very uncommon. Listed as threatened in New York State. |
| Eastern Musk Turtle (Sternotherus odoratus) | Kinosternidae | Almost any waterway with a slow current and soft bottom, including slow-moving rivers and large streams with muddy bottoms and still shallow lakes. Listed in New York State as a high priority species of greatest conservation need. Within the Adirondack Park, confined largely to southeastern periphery. Uncommon. |
| Northern Map Turtle (Graptemys geograpica) | Emydidae | Prefers large bodies of water with soft bottoms and aquatic vegetation. Confined largely to the eastern edges of the Adirondack Park. Uncommon. |
| Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta) | Emydidae | Freshwater wetlands. Prefers slow-moving, shallow water, including quiet, shallow ponds, marshes, woodland pools, rivers, lake shores, wet meadows, and slow-moving streams. Fairly widely distributed and common in the Adirondack Park. |
| Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina) | Chelydridae | Wide variety of freshwater habitats, including marshes, swamps, bogs, pools, lakes, streams, and rivers. Prefers slow-moving,water with soft, muddy banks or bottoms. Fairly widely distributed and common in the Adirondack Park. |
| Spotted Turtle (Clemmys guttatta) | Emydidae | Unpolluted, small shallow bodies of water such as woodland streams, wet meadows, bog holes, small ponds, marshes, and swamps. Prefers areas with aquatic vegetation. Within the Adirondack Park, confined largely to the western perimeter. Uncommon. A species of special concern in New York State. |
| Wood Turtle (Glyptemys insculpta) | Emydidae | Riverside or stream habitats bordering woodlands or meadows. Not widely distributed within the Adirondack Park. Uncommon. A species of special concern in New York State. |
Reptiles: Skinks & Snakes (Order Squamata) |
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| Common Five-lined Skink (Eumeces fasciatus) | Scincidae | Wooded areas with abundant ground cover and leaf litter. With the Adirondack Park, confined to the eastern edge. Uncommon |
| Common Gartersnake (Thamnophis sirtalis) | Colubridae | Habitat generalist. Terrestrial habitats including grassy forest edges, clearings, urban and suburban sites. Prefers wetter habitats near ponds, lakes, wetlands, or streams. Widely distributed and very common in the Adirondack Park. |
| Common Ribbonsnake (Thamnophis saurita saurita) | Colubridae | Wet habitats, including ponds, marshes, swamps, wet meadows, and stream edges. Within the Adirondack Park, largely confined to the perimeter. Uncommon. |
| Dekay's Brown Snake (Storeria dekayi) | Most terrestrial and marshy habitats. Common in other parts of New York State, but uncommon and not widely distributed in the Adirondack Park. | |
| Eastern Milksnake (Lampropeltis triangulum) | Colubridae | Various habitats, including old fields, farmlands, woods, meadows, and power line rights-of-way. Not widely distributed in the Adirondack Park Uncommon. |
| Eastern Ratsnake (Pantherophis alleghaniensis) | Colubridae | Variety of habitats including woodlands, thickets, field edges, and rocky hillsides. Within the Adirondack Park, confined largely to eastern and southern perimeter of the Adirondack Park. Uncommon. |
| North American Racer (Coluber constrictor) | Colubridae | Terrestrial habitats, including open woodlands, forests, fields, roadsides, swamps. Within the Adirondack Park, confined to the eastern edges. Uncommon. |
| Northern Watersnake (Nerodia sipedon sipedon) | Colubridae | Aquatic and semiaquatic habitats, including streams, lakes, wet meadows, open swamps, marshes, peatlands, and canals. Prefers still or slow-moving water. Frequently encountered outside the Blue Line, but not widely distributed in the Adirondack Park Uncommon. |
| Red-Bellied Snake (Storeria occipitomaculata) | Colubridae | Moist woods deciduous and mixed woods, sphagnum bogs, damp meadows, and swamps. Prefers woodlands. Fairly widely distributed in the Adirondack Park. Less common than the Common Garter Snake. |
| Ring-Necked Snake (Diadophis punctatus) | Colubridae | Woodland, especially near clearings, canopy gaps, and edges. Not widely distributed in the Adirondack Park. Not common. |
| Smooth Greensnake (Opheodrys vernalis) | Colubridae | Upland areas, including wet grassy fields bordering forests, mountain meadows, lakes, marshes, peatlands, and old fields. Upland grassy openings. Not widely distributed in the Adirondack Park. Not common. |
| Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) | Viperidae | Rocky outcroppings, dry ridges, and second growth deciduous or coniferous forests with high rodent populations. Within the Adirondack Park, confined to the eastern edges. Uncommon. |
Adirondack Amphibians and Reptiles
References
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. New York State Amphibian and Reptile Atlas Project. Species of Salamanders Found in New York. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. New York State Amphibian and Reptile Atlas Project. Species of Toads and Frogs Found in New York. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. New York State Amphibian and Reptile Atlas Project. Species of Turtles Found in New York. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. New York State Amphibian and Reptile Atlas Project. Species of Lizards and Snakes Found in New York. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
Integrated Taxonomic Information System On-line Database. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. SSAR North American Species Names Database. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
State University of New York. College of Environmental Science and Forestry. Adirondack Amphibians and Reptiles. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
James P. Gibbs, Alvin R. Breisch, Peter K. Ducey, Glenn Johnson, John L. Behler, Richard C. Bothner. The Amphibians and Reptiles of New York State. Identification, Natural History, and Conservation (Oxford University Press, 2007).
Arthur C. Hulse. Amphibians and Reptiles of Pennsylvania and the Northeast (Cornell University Press, 2001). Retrieved 7 March 2020.
James H. Harding and David A Mifsud. Amphibians and Reptiles of the Great Lakes Region. Revised Edition (University of Michigan Press, 2017).
Richard M. DeGraaf and Mariko Yamasaki. New England Wildlife: Habitat, Natural History, and Distribution (University Press of New England, 2001), pp. 23-74, 396-399, 423-426. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
Thomas F. Tyning. A Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles (Little, Brown and Company, 1990). Retrieved 7 March 2020.
* Taxonomy follows the Integrated Taxonomic Information System On-line Database. English names follow the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. Adirondack distribution reflects findings from the New York State Amphibian & Reptile Atlas Project (Herp Atlas).