This is a list of reptiles of Korea. It includes reptiles found on the Korean Peninsula as well as the adjoining waters and islands.
Scientific name | Common English name | Common Korean name | Image | Distribution | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Caretta caretta | Loggerhead sea turtle | 붉은바다거북 (red sea turtle) | |||
Chelonia mydas | Green sea turtle | 바다거북 (sea turtle) | |||
Dermochelys coriacea | Leatherback sea turtle | 장수거북 (general or giant turtle) | |||
Chinemys reevesii | Chinese pond turtle | 남생이 (namsaengi) | |||
Trachemys scripta elegans | Red-eared slider | 붉은귀거북 (red eared tortoise) or 청거북 (blue tortoise) | |||
Pelodiscus sinensis | Chinese softshell turtle | 중국자라 (Chinese soft-shelled turtle) | |||
Pelodiscus maackii | Northern Chinese softshell turtle | 자라 (soft-shelled turtle) |
Scientific name | Common English name | Common Korean name | Image | Distribution | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gekko japonicus | Schlegel's Japanese gecko | 도마뱀붙이 (gecko) | |||
Plestiodon coreensis | Smith's skink | 장수도마뱀 (long-lived skink) | |||
Scincella vandenburghi | Korean skink | 도마뱀 (skink) | |||
Scincella huanrenensis | Huanren dwarf skink | 북도마뱀 (northern skink) | |||
Eremias argus | Mongolian racerunner | 표범장지뱀 (leopard lizard) |
| ||
Takydromus amurensis | Amur grass lizard | 아무르장지뱀 (Amur lizard) | |||
Takydromus wolteri | White-striped grass lizard | 줄장지뱀 (stripped lizard) |
Scientific name | Authority | Common English name | Common Korean name | Distribution |
---|---|---|---|---|
Dinodon rufozonatum rufozonatum [1] | Cantor | Red-banded snake | 능구렁이 | Throughout |
Elaphe davidi [2] | Sauvage, 1884 | David's ratsnake | 세줄무늬뱀 | Found in North Korea and likely occurs in adjacent areas of northwestern South Korea |
Elaphe dione [3] | Pallas | Steppe rat snake or Dione rat snake | 누룩뱀, 시루레기, 밀뱀 | Common throughout |
Elaphe schrenckii , Elaphe anomala [4] | Strauch | Amur rat snake, Korean rat snake, Russian rat snake | 먹구렁이 or 흑질백장 when black, 황구렁이 when brown/yellow | Common throughout mainland; not found on Jeju |
Elaphe taeniura taeniura [5] | Cope | Korean beauty snake | 줄꼬리뱀 | Found only in North Korea |
Gloydius brevicauda [6] | Stejneger, 1907 | Short-tailed mamushi | 살모사 | Throughout mainland; not found on Jeju |
Gloydius saxatilis [7] | Emelianov | Rock mamushi | 까치살모사 | In the higher reaches of the Taebaek and Sobaek Mountains |
Gloydius ussuriensis [8] | Emelianov | Ussuri mamushi | 쇠살모사 | Throughout |
Hebius vibakari ruthveni [9] | Van Denburgh | Asian keelback or Japanese keelback | 대륙유혈목이 | Most common in the south, particularly Jeju |
Hydrophis cyanocinctus [10] | Daudin, 1803 | Annulated sea snake | 얼룩바다뱀 | |
Hydrophis melanocephalus [11] | Gray, 1849 | Slender-necked sea snake | 먹대가리바다뱀 | |
Oocatochus rufodorsatus [12] | Cantor, 1842 | Chinese garter snake, frog-eating rat snake, or red-backed rat snake | 무자치, 무좌수, 물뱀, 떼뱀 | Throughout |
Orientocoluber spinalis [13] | Peters | Slender racer | 실뱀, 줄뱀 | Throughout; most common in the south |
Pelamis platurus [14] | Linnaeus, 1766 | Pelagic sea snake or yellow-bellied sea snake | 바다뱀 | |
Rhabdophis tigrinus tigrinus [15] | Boie | Tiger keelback | 유혈목이, 꽃뱀 | Common throughout |
Sibynophis collaris [16] | Gray | Black-headed snake or collared snake | 비바리뱀 | Jeju (discovered there in 1981) |
Vipera berus sachalinensis [17] | Common viper | 북살모사 | North Korea | |
The eastern copperhead, also known simply as the copperhead, is a species of venomous snake, a pit viper, endemic to eastern North America; it is a member of the subfamily Crotalinae in the family Viperidae.
Agkistrodon piscivorus is a species of venomous snake, a pit viper in the subfamily Crotalinae of the family Viperidae. It is one of the world's few semiaquatic vipers, and is native to the Southeastern United States. As an adult, it is large and capable of delivering a painful and potentially fatal bite. When threatened, it may respond by coiling its body and displaying its fangs. Individuals may bite when feeling threatened or being handled in any way. It tends to be found in or near water, particularly in slow-moving and shallow lakes, streams, and marshes. It is a capable swimmer, and like several species of snakes, is known to occasionally enter bays and estuaries and swim between barrier islands and the mainland.
Hallasan (Korean: 한라산) is a shield volcano on Jeju Island in South Korea. Its summit, at 1,947 m (6,388 ft), is the highest point in the country. The area around the mountain is a designated national park, named Hallasan National Park. Hallasan is commonly considered to be one of the three main mountains of South Korea, along with Jirisan and Seoraksan.
Agkistrodon is a genus of venomous pit vipers commonly known as American moccasins. The genus is endemic to North America, ranging from the Southern United States to northern Costa Rica. Eight species are currently recognized, all of them monotypic and closely related. Common names include: cottonmouths, copperheads, and cantils.
Gloydius is a genus of venomous pitvipers endemic to Asia, also known as Asian moccasins or Asian ground pit vipers. Named after American herpetologist Howard K. Gloyd, this genus is very similar to the North American genus Agkistrodon. 24 species are currently recognized.
Deinagkistrodon is a monotypic genus created for the venomous pit viper species, Deinagkistrodon acutus, which is endemic to Southeast Asia. No subspecies are currently recognized.
The western cottonmouth was once classified as a subspecies of the cottonmouth. However, DNA based studies published in 2008 and 2015, revealed no significant genetic difference between the eastern cottonmouth and the western cottonmouth and synonymized the two subspecies. The resulting taxonomy does not recognizes the western cottonmouth as a valid taxon. Several subsequent reviews and species accounts have followed and supported the revised taxonomy. Information on this snake can be found in the Agkistrodon piscivorus article.
Gloydius blomhoffii, commonly known as the mamushi, Japanese moccasin, Japanese pit viper, Qichun snake, Salmusa or Japanese mamushi, is a venomous pit viper species found in Japan. It was once considered to have 4 subspecies, but it is now considered monotypic.
Roger Conant was an American herpetologist, author, educator and conservationist. He was Director Emeritus of the Philadelphia Zoo and adjunct professor at the University of New Mexico. He wrote one of the first comprehensive field guides for North American reptiles in 1958 entitled: A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, in the Peterson Field Guide series.
Agkistrodon bilineatus is a highly venomous pit viper species found in Mexico and Central America as far south as Honduras.
The Florida cottonmouth is a species of venomous snake, a pit viper in the subfamily Crotalinae of the family Viperidae. The species is endemic to the United States, where it occurs in southern Georgia and the Florida peninsula in nearly every type of wetlands in the region, including brackish water and offshore islands. However, it is not entirely dependent on water and is occasionally encountered as far as a mile from surface water. Agkistrodon conanti venom is very hemolytic and known to cause relatively extensive necrosis compared to many snake venoms, and can sometimes be lethal with a 17% mortality rate. It is often confused with harmless watersnakes (Nerodia) and other semi-aquatic species with which it shares its habitat.
Gloydius saxatilis is a venomous pitviper species endemic to Russia, China and the Korean Peninsula. No subspecies are currently recognized.
Agkistrodon contortrix mokasen was formerly a venomous pit viper subspecies found in the eastern United States. However, recent taxonomic changes do not recognize the northern copperhead as a valid taxon.
Agkistrodon howardgloydi is a species of venomous snake, a pit viper (Crotalinae), that is endemic to Central America. It is most commonly called castellana,but it has also been called the southern cantil, Gloyd's moccasin, and a number of other colloquial names. It is a rare species with a relatively small geographic distribution in the tropical dry forest on the Pacific coast of Honduras, Nicaragua, and extreme northwest Costa Rica. Agkistrodon howardgloydi is a stout, medium-sized snake with a maximum length of 96 cm. It is a viviparous species, with female giving birth in the rainy season from May to August. No clinical reports on envenomation had been published, but laboratory texts and analysis indicate the venom is highly toxic and similar to its close relative Agkistrodon bilineatus, and potentially lethal.
Gloydius intermedius, or Central Asian pit viper, is a venomous species of pitviper endemic to northern Asia. Three subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.
Gloydius shedaoensis is a venomous pitviper species found only on Shedao Island in China. Although very small, this island is home to an extraordinarily large population of these snakes. No subspecies are currently recognized.
Gloydius ussuriensis is a venomous pitviper species endemic to far east Russia, northeastern China and the Korean Peninsula. No subspecies are currently recognized.
Gloydius brevicauda is a venomous pitviper species endemic to China and the Korean Peninsula.
Gotjawal Forest is a naturally formed forest located on the middle slopes of Halla Mountain, Jeju Island in South Korea. It covers the rocky area of ʻaʻā on Jeju Island off the southwestern coast of South Korea. Due to the geographical feature, the region remains largely undisturbed by people. The Gotjawal Forest is an enclave of the Southern Korea evergreen forests ecoregion, and is a favorite place of the Jeju locals.