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Reptiles of the Yucatan Peninsula

Hawksbill Turtle
	      Hatchling Hawksbill Turtle Hatchling, (Photo - Hotel Eco Paraíso)
The Yucatan Peninsula is home to over 180 species of reptiles and amphibians that inhabit its rich and ideal natural habitat. A diverse reptile population, from sea turtles to boa constrictors, can be found in all parts of the equally diverse habitat. While some might not be easy to see, all leave their distinct footprint on the Yucatan Peninsula.

Crocodilians

  1. Morelet's Crocodile - Crocodylus moreletii
  2. American Crocodile - Crocodylus acutus

Turtles and Tortoises

  1. Green Turtle - Chelonia mydas
  2. Loggerhead Turtle - Caretta caretta
  3. Hawksbill Turtle - Eretmochelys imbricata
  4. Leatherback Turtle - Dermochelys coriacea
  5. White-lipped Mud Turtle - Kinosternon leucostomum
  6. Scorpion Mud Turtle - Kinosternon scorpiodes
  7. Narrow-bridged Musk Turtle - Claudius angustatus
  8. Mexican Giant Musk Turtle - Staurotypus triporcatus
  9. Furrowed Wood Turtle - Rhinoclemmys areolata
  10. Slider - Trachemys scripta

Lizards

    Morelet's Crocodile Morelet's Crocodile, Coba
  1. Black-beaded Lizard - Heloderma horridum
  2. Dwarf Gecko - Sphaerodactylus glaucus  ...photo 
  3. Spotted Gecko - Sphaerodactylus millepunctatus  ...photo 
  4. House Gecko - Hemidactylus frenatus...photo
  5. Turnip-tailed Gecko - Thecadactylus rapicauda
  6. Yucatan Banded Gecko - Coleonyx elegans  ...photo 
  7. Yellow-spotted (Yucatan) Spiny Lizard - Sceloporus chrysostictus
  8. Cozumel Spiny Lizard - Sceloporus cozumelae (Endemic to Cozumel and northern coasts of Yucatán peninsula)
  9. Lundell’s Spiny Lizard - Sceloporus lundelli
  10. Blue Spiny Lizard - Sceloporus serrifer
  11. Black Iguana - Ctenosaura similis
  12. Campeche Spiny-tailed Iguana - Ctenosaura alfredschmidti
  13. Yucatan Spiny-tailed Iguana - Ctenosaura defensor
  14. Green Iguana - Iguana iguana
  15. Serrated Casquehead Iguana - Laemanctus serratus  ...photo 
  16. Brown Basilisk - Basiliscus vittatus
  17. Neotropical Green Anole - Norops biporcatus
  18. Brown Anole - Norops sagrei
  19. Ghost Anole - Norops lemurinus
  20. Silky Anole - Norops sericeus
  21. Smooth Anole - Anolis rodriguezi
  22. Rainbow Amieva - Amieva undulata
  23. Yucatan Whiptail - Cnemidophorus angusticeps
  24. Checkered Whiptail - Aspidoscelis tesselata (Cnemidophorus tesselatus)
  25. Maslin's Racerunner - Aspidoscelis maslini (Cnemidophorus maslini)
  26. Cozumel Racerunner (Whiptail) - Aspidoscelis conzumela (Cnemidophorus cozumelae)
  27. Schwartze's Skink (Yucatan Giant Skink)- Mesoscinucs (Eumeces) schwartzei
  28. Central American Mabuya - Mabuya unimarginata

Snakes

Black-tailed Indigo Snake
	      eating Iguana Black-tailed Indigo Snake eating Black Iguana
  1. Black Blind Snake - Leptotyphlops goudotii
  2. Yucatan Blind Snake - Typhlops microstomus
  3. Boa Constrictor - Constrictor constrictor
  4. Middle American Burrowing Snake - Adelphicos quadrivirgatus
  5. Rustyhead Snake - Amastridium veliferum
  6. Mussurana - Clelia clelia
  7. Mexican Snake Eater - Clelia scytalina
  8. Yucatan Striped Snake - Coniophanes meridanus
  9. Black Striped Snake - Coniophanes piceivittis
  10. Schmidt’s Striped Snake - Coniophanes schmidti
  11. Many-lined Snake (Yucatan Road Guarder) - Conophis lineatus
  12. Short-faced Snail Sucker - Dipsas brevifacies
  13. Black-tailed Indigo Snake or Black-tailed Cribo - Drymarchon (corais?) melanurus
  14. Speckled Racer - Drymobius margaritiferus
  15. Central American Ratsnake - Elaphe flavirufa (Pseudelaphe flavirufa)
  16. Yucatan Blunt-headed Tree Snake - Imantodes tenuissimus
  17. Tropical Milksnake - Lampropeltis triangulum
    Blanchard's or Yucatan Milk Snake is the subspecies that is endemic to the Yucatan.
  18. Rain Forest Cat-eyed Snake - Leptodeira frenata
  19. Mexican Parrot Snake - Leptophis mexicanus
  20. Red Coffee Snake - Ninia sebae
  21. Green Vine Snake - Oxybelis fulgidus
  22. ?? Green Snake - Opheodrys mayae
  23. Neotropical Vine Snake - Oxybelis aeneus
  24. Bird-eating Tree Snake (Neotropical Bird Snake, Puffing Snake) - Pseustes poecilonotus  ...photo 
  25. Green (Peninsular) Rat Snake - Senticolis triaspis
  26. Cloudy Snail Sucker - Sibon nebulata
  27. Tropical Rat Snake - Spilotes pullatus
  28. Scorpion-eating Snake - Stenorrhina freminvillei
  29. Yucatan White-lipped Snake - Symphimus mayae
  30. Yucatan Centipede Snake - Tantilla cuniculator
  31. Yucatan Dwarf Centipede-eater - Tantillita canula  ...photo 
  32. Yucatan Checkered Garter Snake - Thamnophis marcianus
  33. Western Ribbon Snake - Thamnophis proximus
  34. Brown's Coral Snake - Micrurus browni
  35. Variable Coral Snake - Micrurus diastema
  36. Mayan Coral Snake - Micrurus hippocrepis
  37. Central American Coral Snake - Micrurus nigrocinctus
  38. Cantil - Agkistrodon bilineatus
  39. Jumping Pit Viper - Atropoides nummifer
  40. Fer-de-lance - Bothrops asper
  41. Eye-lash viper - Bothriechis schlegelii ?? (Please let us know if you have information about the status of this species in the Yucatan)
  42. Neotropical Rattlesnake - Crotalus durissus
  43. Yucatan Hognose Pit Viper - Porthidium yucatanicum

Reptile Articles

  • Follow-up on the decline in hawksbills of the Yucatan region, from WWF’s Latin American and Caribbean Marine Turtle Programme, 2005.  ...link 
  • The Campeche "Escorpion", an Unknown Mexican Reptile, by Peter Heimes, México desconocido, May 2000. A great article about the discovery (in 1994) and ecology of the Campeche Spiny-tailed Iguana - Ctenosaura alfredschmidti.  ...link 
  • Morelet's Crocodile at Yucatan Peninsula; Crocodile Specialist Group (WWF) Newsletter; Jan-Mar 2002.  ...link 
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