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
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]
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
Northwestern salamander Ambystoma gracile
(Baird, 1859)
LC[18] Southern Southeast Alaska
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
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]

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

References

[edit]
  1. ^ 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.
  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. ^ 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.
  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.