List of reptiles of Minnesota facts for kids

Blanding's turtle (scientific name Emys blandingii or Emydoidea blandingii) was the proposed state reptile of Minnesota.

Minnesota is home to many amazing animals, including 30 different kinds of reptiles! These include 17 types of snakes, eleven types of turtles, and three types of lizards.

Some of these reptiles need special protection. For example, the Blanding's turtle and the wood turtle are considered endangered. This means their populations are very low, and they are at risk of disappearing forever. Other reptiles are doing well and are listed as "least concern", while some haven't been fully studied yet.

Minnesota doesn't have an official state reptile. However, the Blanding's turtle was suggested for this special title in 1998 and 1999.

Snakes of Minnesota

Minnesota has many different kinds of snakes, both harmless and venomous. It's important to know which ones are which! Most snakes in Minnesota are not venomous, meaning they don't have venom that can hurt humans.

Common Name	Scientific Name	Conservation Status	What They Look Like	Picture
Eastern Yellowbelly Racer	Coluber constrictor flaviventris	Not evaluated	These snakes are not venomous. They can grow to be about 30 to 50 inches long. Their color can be olive, blue, or almost black.
Ringneck Snake	Diadophis punctatus	Least concern	Not venomous. They are small, usually 8 to 15 inches long. They have a bright yellow ring around their neck and are often gray or olive.
Black Rat Snake	Pantherophis obsoleta obsoleta	Not evaluated	Not venomous. These long snakes can reach 42 to 72 inches. Adults are shiny black with white bellies that have black spots.
Eastern Fox Snake	Pantherophis vulpinus	Least concern	Not venomous. They grow to 36 to 54 inches. Their color ranges from tan to greenish-brown with large black blotches.
Western Hognose Snake	Heterodon nasicus	Least concern	Not venomous. These snakes are 16 to 26 inches long. They are light yellow or olive with brown blotches.
Eastern Hognose Snake	Heterodon platyrhinos	Least concern	Not venomous. They are 20 to 33 inches long. Their color can be gray to brown with dark brown markings.
Eastern Milk Snake	Lamptopeltis triangulum triangulum	Not evaluated	Not venomous. They are 24 to 36 inches long. They have repeating red blotches outlined in black.
Smooth Green Snake	Opheodrys vernalis	Not evaluated	Not venomous. These small snakes are 14 to 20 inches long. They are usually bright green, sometimes brownish-green.
Northern Water Snake	Nerodia sipedon	Least concern	Not venomous. They are 24 to 42 inches long. Their color is gray to reddish-brown with dark brown bands.
Bullsnake	Pituophis catenifer sayi	Not evaluated	Not venomous. These large snakes are 37 to 72 inches long. They are tan to brown with large brown or black spots.
DeKay's Brown Snake	Storeria dekayi	Least concern	Not venomous. They are very small, 6 to 13 inches long. They are brown to reddish-brown with two rows of dark spots on their back.
Northern Redbelly Snake	Storeria occipitomaculata	Least concern	Not venomous. These tiny snakes are 8 to 10 inches long. They are gray-brown to reddish-brown.
Plains Garter Snake	Thamnophis radix	Least concern	Not venomous. They are 15 to 28 inches long. They look like other garter snakes but have a yellow stripe down their side.
Eastern Garter Snake	Thamnophis sirtalis	Least concern	Not venomous. They are 18 to 26 inches long. They can be black to olive with three yellowish stripes.
Lined Snake	Tropidoclonion lineatum	Least concern	Not venomous. They are 8 to 15 inches long. Their colors range from gray to black with a lighter stripe down their back.
Timber Rattlesnake	Crotalus horridus	Least concern	This snake is venomous. They are 36 to 60 inches long. Their color varies from yellow to tan with dark markings.
Massasauga	Sistrurus catenatus	Least concern	This snake is venomous. They are 18 to 30 inches long. They are gray to gray-brown with dark brown blotches.

Turtles of Minnesota

Turtles are known for their hard shells, which protect them from danger. Minnesota is home to several different turtle species, some of which are quite unique!

Common Name	Scientific Name	Conservation Status	What They Look Like	Picture
Blanding's Turtle	Emydoidea blandingii	Endangered	These turtles are 6 to 9 inches long. They have a yellow, narrow throat and a high, domed shell.
Common Snapping Turtle	Chelydra serpentina	Least concern	They are 8 to 14 inches long and weigh 10 to 35 pounds. Their shell can be tan to black.
Common Musk Turtle	Sternotherus odoratus	Least concern introduced	These turtles are usually small, with a smooth, dark shell. They can release a musky smell when threatened.
Smooth Softshell Turtle	Apalone mutica	Least concern	They have a very flat, smooth, and flexible shell, unlike most turtles. They are often found in sandy rivers.
Red-eared Slider	Trachemys scripta elegans	Least concern Introduced	These turtles are popular as pets. They have a distinctive red stripe behind their eyes.
False Map Turtle	Graptemys pseudogeographica	Least concern	They are 3 to 10 inches long. Their upper shell has yellow circles or lines, and their lower shell is greenish-yellow.
Northern Map Turtle	Graptemys geographica	Least concern	They are 6 to 10.75 inches long. They have fine yellow lines on a brown to olive shell.
Ouachita Map Turtle	Graptemys ouachitensis	Least concern	They are 6 to 10 inches long. They have a ridge down the center of their shell and bright yellow lines on their head.
Painted Turtle	Chrysemys picta bellii	Least concern	They are 4 to 10 inches long. Their shell can be tan to olive, with colorful markings on their neck.
Spiny Softshell Turtle	Apalone spinifera spinifera	Not evaluated	Females are 7 to 19 inches long, males 5 to 9.25 inches. They have an olive to brown, flexible, smooth shell.
Wood Turtle	Glyptemys insculpta	Endangered	They are 5.5 to 8 inches long. They have a rough, tan to gray shell that looks like carved wood.

Lizards of Minnesota

Lizards are reptiles that often have scales, four legs, and a tail. Minnesota has a few types of lizards, each with unique features.

Common Name	Scientific Name	Status	What They Look Like	Picture
Five-lined Skink	Plestiodon fasciatus	Least concern	They are 5 to 8.5 inches long. Their bodies are brown to black with short legs. Young skinks have a bright blue tail that turns gray as they get older.
Prairie Skink	Plestiodon septentrionalis	Least concern	They can grow up to 8.8 inches long. Young skinks are blue, while adults are tan with black stripes.
Slender Glass Lizard	Ophisaurus attenuatus	Threatened	These lizards look a lot like snakes because they don't have legs! They can grow quite long and have a stiff body.
Six-lined Racerunner	Aspidoscelis sexlineatus	Least concern	They are 6 to 10.5 inches long. They have light yellow to white stripes that go down their back, alternating with black stripes.