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.
Reptiles Order: Testudines - turtles and tortoises
Family: Cheloniidae - typical sea turtles ImageCommon nameScientific nameStatusNotes DistributionLoggerhead sea turtle Caretta caretta(Linnaeus, 1758)Two sightings between 1960 and 2007Gulf of AlaskaGreen sea turtle Chelonia mydas(Linnaeus, 1758)15 sightings between 1960 and 2007Gulf of AlaskaOlive ridley sea turtle Lepidochelys olivacea(Eschscholtz, 1829)Three sightings between 1960 and 2007Gulf of Alaska Family: Dermochelyidae - leatherback sea turtles ImageCommon nameScientific nameStatusNotes DistributionLeatherback sea turtleDermochelys coriacea(Vandelli, 1761)19 sightings between 1960 and 2007Gulf of Alaska, Bristol Bay, southernmost of Bering Sea
Amphibians Order: Anura - frogs and toads
Family: Bufonidae - true toads ImageCommon nameScientific nameStatusNotes DistributionWestern toadAnaxyrus boreas(Baird & Girard, 1852)Southeast Alaska north to Prince William Sound
Family: Hylidae - tree frogs ImageCommon nameScientific nameStatusNotes DistributionPacific chorus frogPseudacris regilla(Baird & Girard, 1852)Introduced to AlaskaSouthern Revillagigedo Island and north of the city of Sitka on the Sitka Sound and north of Juneau
Family: Ranidae - true frogs ImageCommon nameScientific nameStatusNotes DistributionWood frog Lithobates sylvaticus(Le Conte, 1825)Sometimes placed in genus RanaStatewide, except extreme north, Alaska Peninsula, and Aleutian IslandsNorthern red-legged frogRana aurora(Baird & Girard, 1852)Introduced to Alaska. Sometimes placed in genus AmeranaIntroduced to northeastern Chichagof IslandColumbia spotted frog Rana luteiventrisThompson, 1913Sometimes placed in genus AmeranaSoutheast Alaska
Order: Caudata - newts and salamanders
Family: Ambystomatidae - mole salamanders ImageCommon nameScientific nameStatusNotes DistributionNorthwestern salamanderAmbystoma gracile(Baird, 1859)Southern Southeast AlaskaLong-toed salamanderAmbystoma macrodactylumBaird, 1850subspecies Ambystoma macrodactylum columbianumSouthern Southeast Alaska
Family: Salamandridae - newts ImageCommon nameScientific nameStatusNotes DistributionRough-skinned newtTaricha granulosa(Skilton, 1849)Southeast Alaska
Unconfirmed species Two species are alleged to occur naturally in Alaska, but are not officially confirmed. Batrachoseps caudatus, the Alaska worm salamander, was described based on a specimen described by Edward Drinker Cope in 1889. It was described based on an individual allegedly captured on Annette Island; this is likely mislabeled and the specimen is from California, and represents the California slender salamander. The common garter snake, Thamnophis sirtalis, has allegedly been seen around the Taku River and Stikine River, but the snakes have never been officially recorded in the state.
Additionally, the tailed frog, Ascaphus truei, occurs in British Columbia until the Portland Inlet, and may occur in southernmost Alaska.
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