List of reptiles and amphibians of Alaska
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]
Reptiles
[edit]Order: Testudines - turtles and tortoises
Family: Cheloniidae - typical sea turtles
| Image | Common name | Scientific name | Status | Notes | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Loggerhead sea turtle | Caretta caretta (Linnaeus, 1758) |
VU[2] | Two sightings between 1960 and 2007[3] | Gulf of Alaska |
|
Green sea turtle | Chelonia mydas (Linnaeus, 1758) |
EN[4] | 15 sightings between 1960 and 2007[5] | Gulf of Alaska |
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|
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
| Image | Common name | Scientific name | Status | Notes | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
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
[edit]Order: Anura - frogs and toads
Family: Bufonidae - true toads
| Image | Common name | Scientific name | Status | Notes | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Western toad | Anaxyrus boreas (Baird & Girard, 1852) |
LC[10] | Southeast Alaska north to Prince William Sound |
Family: Hylidae - tree frogs
| Image | Common name | Scientific name | Status | Notes | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Pacific chorus frog | Pseudacris regilla (Baird & Girard, 1852) |
LC[11] | Introduced to Alaska | Southern Revillagigedo Island[1] and north of the city of Sitka on the Sitka Sound and north of Juneau[12] |
Family: Ranidae - true frogs
| Image | Common name | Scientific name | Status | Notes | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Wood frog | Lithobates sylvaticus (Le Conte, 1825) |
LC[13] | Sometimes placed in genus Rana[14] | Statewide, except extreme north, Alaska Peninsula, and Aleutian Islands |
|
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] |
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|
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
| Image | Common name | Scientific name | Status | Notes | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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|
Northwestern salamander | Ambystoma gracile (Baird, 1859) |
LC[18] | Southern Southeast Alaska | |
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|
Long-toed salamander | Ambystoma macrodactylum Baird, 1850 |
LC[19] | subspecies Ambystoma macrodactylum columbianum[20] | Southern Southeast Alaska |
Family: Salamandridae - newts
| Image | Common name | Scientific name | Status | Notes | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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|
Rough-skinned newt | Taricha granulosa (Skilton, 1849) |
LC[21] | Southeast Alaska |
Unconfirmed species
[edit]Two species are alleged to occur naturally in Alaska, but are not officially confirmed.[1]
- 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,[22] and may occur in southernmost Alaska.[1]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta)". Alaska Department of Fish and Game. State of Alaska. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
- ^ 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) - ^ "Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas)". Alaska Department of Fish and Game. State of Alaska. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Olive Ridley Sea Turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea)". Alaska Department of Fish and Game. State of Alaska. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Leatherback Sea Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)". Alaska Department of Fish and Game. State of Alaska. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Pseudacris regilla". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
