Reptiles and amphibians
Reptiles and amphibians are two different groups of animals that are often grouped together in everyday use. This guide introduces representative snakes, lizards, turtles, crocodilians, and the tuatara, alongside frogs, salamanders, and caecilians — with calm, source-backed notes.
A green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) at Moorea, French Polynesia.
Image: Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Reptiles
Scaled vertebrates with dry skin: snakes, lizards, turtles and tortoises, crocodilians, and the tuatara.
Snakes
Legless, scaled reptiles. Most are harmless to people; some are venomous. Venomous does not mean aggressive — bites are typically defensive.
- SnakeSuborder Serpentes — a group-level overview.
- Saw-scaled ViperNewEchis carinatus — a small venomous viper of dry regions.
- Coral SnakeNewMicrurus & Micruroides — banded, secretive elapids.
- Garter SnakeNewThamnophis — common, harmless North American snakes.
- Burmese PythonNewPython bivittatus — a giant non-venomous constrictor.
- King CobraThe longest venomous snake.
- Reticulated PythonAmong the longest snakes.
- RattlesnakeNew World pit vipers with a warning rattle.
Lizards
The most diverse reptile group — from tiny geckos to the giant Komodo dragon. Most are harmless; only a few are venomous.
Turtles & tortoises
Shelled reptiles. Tortoises are land-dwelling turtles, but not all turtles are tortoises; sea turtles are fully marine.
- Leatherback Sea TurtleNewDermochelys coriacea — the largest living turtle.
- Green Sea TurtleNewChelonia mydas — a largely herbivorous marine turtle.
- Aldabra Giant TortoiseNewAldabrachelys gigantea — a Seychelles giant.
- Box TurtleNewTerrapene — small turtles with a hinged shell.
- Snapping TurtlePowerful freshwater turtles.
- Galapagos TortoiseIconic giant tortoises.
Crocodilians
Large semi-aquatic predators — crocodiles, alligators, caimans, and gharials. Ancient archosaurs, closer kin to birds than to other reptiles.
Tuatara
Not a lizard. The tuatara is the sole survivor of an ancient reptile lineage (Rhynchocephalia), found only in New Zealand.
Amphibians
Usually moist-skinned vertebrates, many tied to water for part of their lives: frogs and toads, salamanders and newts, and caecilians.
Frogs & toads
Tailless amphibians (order Anura). Some have toxic skin and are poisonous if handled or eaten — but poisonous is not the same as venomous.
Salamanders & newts
Tailed amphibians (order Urodela). Newts are a type of salamander; hellbenders are giant aquatic salamanders, not lizards.
Caecilians
Limbless, mostly burrowing amphibians (order Gymnophiona) — neither worms nor snakes, despite their shape.
Safety and human interaction
Most reptiles and amphibians are harmless to people and avoid contact. Some snakes and a few lizards are venomous, and some frogs, toads, and salamanders have toxic skin, but these animals are not aggressive and generally use their defences when threatened or handled. Risk varies by species, situation, and location.
FaunaHub does not provide snakebite or venom first aid, medical guidance, handling or capture instructions, pet-keeping or terrarium advice, or pest-control and invasive-species removal instructions. Concerns about a bite, sting, or toxin should go to qualified medical professionals or local health authorities, and wildlife-conflict or invasive-species questions to local wildlife authorities or qualified professionals.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between a reptile and an amphibian?
- They are different groups of animals. Reptiles (snakes, lizards, turtles, crocodilians, and the tuatara) have dry, scaly skin and lay shelled eggs on land or give live birth, and they do not have an aquatic larval stage. Amphibians (frogs and toads, salamanders and newts, and caecilians) usually have moist, permeable skin, often depend on water or damp habitats, and many begin life as aquatic larvae such as tadpoles. Amphibians are not reptiles.
- Does venomous mean dangerous or aggressive?
- No. Venomous means an animal can inject venom, usually for hunting and defence; it does not mean the animal is aggressive. Most venomous snakes and lizards avoid people and bite only defensively when cornered or handled. Risk varies by species, situation, and location. FaunaHub does not provide bite or venom first aid — any such concern should go to qualified medical professionals or local health authorities.
- What is the difference between venomous and poisonous?
- Venomous animals inject toxins (for example, a snake's bite). Poisonous animals are harmful if they are touched or eaten — many toxic frogs and toads are poisonous in this sense, not venomous. The two words are often confused, but they describe different things.
- Is this a complete list of reptiles and amphibians?
- No. There are thousands of reptile and amphibian species. This hub presents representative, source-backed examples that have a FaunaHub profile, grouped by major type. It is not a complete global list, and ranges and conservation status should be checked against current authoritative sources.
Sources & methodology
This hub presents a representative, curated selection of reptiles and amphibians that have a FaunaHub profile, grouped by major type. Taxonomy is described cautiously and ranges and conservation status are attributed on each profile. The references below are authoritative, reachable starting points.
- The Reptile Database — Museum-backed taxonomic database of reptile species
- AmphibiaWeb — University of California, Berkeley — Authoritative database of amphibian biology and conservation
- Animal Diversity Web — University of Michigan Museum of Zoology — Peer-edited reference accounts for animal species
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species — Authoritative source for current conservation status
- Encyclopaedia Britannica — Animals reference — Editor-reviewed encyclopedia overview entries
- Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute — Animals — Educational species pages from the Smithsonian Institution