List of reptiles and amphibians of Alaska

Last updated

Alaska is the northwestern most part of North America. Reptiles and amphibians are not common in Alaska due to them being cold-blooded. Alaska has four reptile species and eight amphibian species. Two of these species are introduced. There are no snakes or lizards in Alaska. [1]

Contents

Reptiles

Order: Testudines - turtles and tortoises

Family: Cheloniidae - typical sea turtles

ImageCommon nameScientific nameStatusNotesDistribution
Caretta caretta CB FUE 004.JPG Loggerhead sea turtle Caretta caretta
(Linnaeus, 1758)
VU [2] Two sightings between 1960 and 2007 [3] Gulf of Alaska
Chelonia mydas 183369049.jpg Green sea turtle Chelonia mydas
(Linnaeus, 1758)
EN [4] 15 sightings between 1960 and 2007 [5] Gulf of Alaska
Solstice, an olive ridley sea turtle gets prepped for release (36967364826).jpg Olive ridley sea turtle Lepidochelys olivacea
(Eschscholtz, 1829)
VU [6] Three sightings between 1960 and 2007 [7] Gulf of Alaska

Family: Dermochelyidae - leatherback sea turtles

ImageCommon nameScientific nameStatusNotesDistribution
Leatherback Turtle Nesting at San Miguel Beach.JPG Leatherback sea turtle Dermochelys coriacea
(Vandelli, 1761)
VU [8] 19 sightings between 1960 and 2007 [9] Gulf of Alaska, Bristol Bay, southernmost of Bering Sea

Amphibians

Order: Anura - frogs and toads

Family: Bufonidae - true toads

ImageCommon nameScientific nameStatusNotesDistribution
Bufo boreas 15052.JPG Western toad Anaxyrus boreas
(Baird & Girard, 1852)
LC [10] Southeast Alaska north to Prince William Sound

Family: Hylidae - tree frogs

ImageCommon nameScientific nameStatusNotesDistribution
Pseudacris regilla - Pazifischer Laubfrosch192081976.jpg Pacific chorus frog Pseudacris regilla
(Baird & Girard, 1852)
LC [11] Introduced to AlaskaSouthern Revillagigedo Island [1] and north of the city of Sitka on the Sitka Sound and north of Juneau [12]

Family: Ranidae - true frogs

ImageCommon nameScientific nameStatusNotesDistribution
Lithobates sylvaticus - Thunder Bay.jpg Wood frog Lithobates sylvaticus
(Le Conte, 1825)
LC [13] Sometimes placed in genus Rana [14] Statewide, except extreme north, Alaska Peninsula, and Aleutian Islands
Rana aurora 6234.JPG Northern red-legged frog Rana aurora
(Baird & Girard, 1852)
LC [15] Introduced to Alaska. Sometimes placed in genus Amerana [16] Introduced to northeastern Chichagof Island [1]
Columbia spotted frog on a log (fb28b871-a9ee-4882-bce7-f2d891b337a7).jpg Columbia spotted frog Rana luteiventris
Thompson, 1913
LC [17] Sometimes placed in genus Amerana [16] Southeast Alaska

Order: Caudata - newts and salamanders

Family: Ambystomatidae - mole salamanders

ImageCommon nameScientific nameStatusNotesDistribution
Northwest salamander, Cape Meares NWR (5123549519).jpg Northwestern salamander Ambystoma gracile
(Baird, 1859)
LC [18] Southern Southeast Alaska
Long-toed salamander (Ambystoma macrodactylum).JPG Long-toed salamander Ambystoma macrodactylum
Baird, 1850
LC [19] subspecies Ambystoma macrodactylum columbianum [20] Southern Southeast Alaska

Family: Salamandridae - newts

ImageCommon nameScientific nameStatusNotesDistribution
Rough-skinned Newt Taricha granulosa (33731812646).jpg Rough-skinned newt Taricha granulosa
(Skilton, 1849)
LC [21] Southeast Alaska

Unconfirmed species

Two species are alleged to occur naturally in Alaska, but are not officially confirmed. [1]

Additionally, the tailed frog, Ascaphus truei, occurs in British Columbia until the Portland Inlet, [22] and may occur in southernmost Alaska. [1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 MacDonald, S. O. "The Amphibians and Reptiles of Alaska A Field Handbook" (PDF). Fauna of Alaska. U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
  2. Casale, P.; Tucker, A.D. (2017) [amended version of 2015 assessment]. "Caretta caretta". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2017 e.T3897A119333622. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T3897A119333622.en . Retrieved September 23, 2024.
  3. "Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta)". Alaska Department of Fish and Game. State of Alaska. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
  4. Seminoff, J.A. (Southwest Fisheries Science Center, U.S.). (2023) [amended version of 2004 assessment]. "Chelonia mydas". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2023 e.T4615A247654386. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2023-1.RLTS.T4615A247654386.en . Retrieved September 23, 2024.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. "Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas)". Alaska Department of Fish and Game. State of Alaska. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
  6. Abreu-Grobois, A.; Plotkin, P. (IUCN SSC Marine Turtle Specialist Group). (2008). "Lepidochelys olivacea". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2008 e.T11534A3292503. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T11534A3292503.en . Retrieved September 23, 2024.
  7. "Olive Ridley Sea Turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea)". Alaska Department of Fish and Game. State of Alaska. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
  8. Wallace, B.P.; Tiwari, M.; Girondot, M. (2013). "Dermochelys coriacea". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2013 e.T6494A43526147. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-2.RLTS.T6494A43526147.en . Retrieved September 23, 2024.
  9. "Leatherback Sea Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)". Alaska Department of Fish and Game. State of Alaska. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
  10. IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group. (2022). "Anaxyrus boreas". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2022 e.T181488862A197445871. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-2.RLTS.T181488862A197445871.en . Retrieved September 23, 2024.
  11. IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group. (2022). "Pseudacris regilla". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2022 e.T166731785A53961380. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-2.RLTS.T166731785A53961380.en . Retrieved September 23, 2024.
  12. "Pseudacris regilla". Global Biodiversity Information Facility . Retrieved September 23, 2024.
  13. IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group. (2022). "Lithobates sylvaticus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2022 e.T58728A193382501. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T58728A193382501.en . Retrieved September 23, 2024.
  14. Yuan, Z.-Y.; et al. (2016). "Spatiotemporal diversification of the true frogs (genus Rana): A historical framework for a widely studied group of model organisms". Systematic Biology. 65 (5): 824–42. doi: 10.1093/sysbio/syw055 . hdl: 2292/43460 . PMID   27288482.
  15. IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group. (2022). "Rana aurora". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2022 e.T58553A196335511. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T58553A196335511.en . Retrieved September 23, 2024.
  16. 1 2 Dubois, Alain; Ohler, Annemarie; Pyron, R. Alexander (February 26, 2021). "New concepts and methods for phylogenetic taxonomy and nomenclature in zoology, exemplified by a new ranked cladonomy of recent amphibians (Lissamphibia)". Megataxa. 5 (1). doi: 10.11646/megataxa.5.1.1 . Retrieved September 23, 2024.
  17. IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group. (2022). "Rana luteiventris". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2022 e.T58649A196336248. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T58649A196336248.en . Retrieved September 23, 2024.
  18. IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group. (2022). "Ambystoma gracile". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2022 e.T59057A196337763. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T59057A196337763.en . Retrieved September 23, 2024.
  19. IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group. (2022). "Ambystoma macrodactylum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2022 e.T59063A196338222. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T59063A196338222.en . Retrieved September 23, 2024.
  20. Stebbins RA (2003). A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians (Peterson Field Guide Series) (3rd ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN   978-0-395-98272-3.
  21. IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group. (2022). "Taricha granulosa". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2022 e.T59469A196342071. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T59469A196342071.en . Retrieved September 23, 2024.
  22. IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group. (2022). "Ascaphus truei". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2022 e.T54414A196332997. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T54414A196332997.en . Retrieved September 23, 2024.