Reptilian Species, broken down by Order

Reptiles are members of a class of air-breathing, cold-blooded (ectothermic) vertebrates which are covered in scales and/or scutes. They are tetrapods (have four limbs or being descended from four-limbed ancestors). Modern reptiles inhabit every continent with the exception of Antarctica. Reptiles originated around 320-310 million years ago during the Carboniferous period, having evolved from advanced reptile-like amphibians that became increasingly adapted to life on dry land. There are four living Orders of reptiles that are typically recognized:


  1. Testudines (turtles, terrapins and tortoises): over 300 species

  2. Crocodilia (crocodiles, gavials, caimans, and alligators): 23 species

  3. Sphenodontia (tuataras from New Zealand): 2 species

  4. Squamata (lizards, snakes, and worm lizards): approximately 9,150 species

When naming reptiles (just like the birds) there is a fair bit of biology that goes into how a particular reptile gets classified. Reptiles get broken in one of the four main Orders, then into Sub-Orders, and then into Families. If you have any familiarity with Biology who will know a great many of our classification system for animals follow a similar (and even more elaborate) system.

Order Testudines – Turtles

  1. Suborder Cryptodira
    • Family Chelydridae – Common Snapping Turtles and Alligator Snapping Turtle
    • Family Emydidae – Pond Turtles and Box Turtles
    • Family Testudinidae – Tortoises
    • Family Geoemydidae – Asian River Turtles and Allies
    • Family Carettochelyidae – Pignose Turtles
    • Family Trionychidae – Softshell Turtles
    • Family Dermatemydidae – River Turtles
    • Family Kinosternidae – Mud Turtles
    • Family Cheloniidae – Sea Turtles
    • Family Dermochelyidae – Leatherback Turtles
  2. Suborder Pleurodira
    • Family Chelidae – Austro-American Sideneck Turtles
    • Family Pelomedusidae – Afro-American Sideneck Turtles
    • Family Podocnemididae – Madagascan Big-headed Turtles and American Sideneck River Turtles

Order Crocodylia – crocodilians

  1. Suborder Eusuchia
    • Family Crocodylidae – crocodiles
    • Family Alligatoridae – alligators
    • Family Gavialidae – gavials

Order Sphenodontia – Tuataras

    • Family Sphenodontidae

Order Squamata – Scaled Reptiles

    • Family Agamidae – Agamas
    • Family Chamaeleonidae – Chameleons
    • Family Iguanidae
      • Subfamily Corytophaninae – Casquehead Lizard
      • Subfamily Crotaphytinae – Collared and Leopard Lizards
      • Subfamily Hoplocercinae – Wood lizards
      • Subfamily Iguaninae – Iguanas
      • Subfamily Leiocephalinae
      • Subfamily Leiosaurinae
      • Subfamily Liolaeminae
      • Subfamily Oplurinae – Madagascar iguanids
      • Subfamily Phrynosomatinae – Horned Lizards
      • Subfamily Polychrotinae – Anoles
      • Subfamily Tropidurinae – Neotropical Ground Lizards
    • Family Gekkonidae – Geckoes
    • Family Pygopodidae – Legless lizards
    • Family Dibamidae – Blind Lizards
    • Family Cordylidae – Spinytail Lizards
    • Family Gerrhosauridae – Plated Lizards
    • Family Gymnophthalmidae – Spectacled Lizards
    • Family Teiidae – Whiptails and Tegus
    • Family Lacertidae – Lacertids
    • Family Scincidae – Skinks
    • Family Xantusiidae – Night Lizards
    • Family Anguidae – Glass Lizards
    • Family Anniellidae – American legless lizards
    • Family Xenosauridae – Knob-scaled Lizards
    • Family Helodermatidae – Gila Monsters
    • Family Lanthanotidae – Earless Monitor lizards
    • Family Varanidae – Monitor lizards
  1. Suborder Amphisbaenia
    • Family Amphisbaenidae – Worm Lizards
    • Family Trogonophidae – Shorthead Worm Lizards
    • Family Bipedidae – Two-legged Worm Lizards
  2. Suborder Serpentes (Snakes)
    • Family Acrochordidae – Wart snakes
    • Family Aniliidae – False coral snakes
    • Family Anomochilidae – Dwarf pipe snakes
    • Family Atractaspididae – African burrowing asps, stiletto snakes
    • Family Boidae – boas
      • Subfamily Boinae
      • Subfamily Erycinae – Old World sand boas
    • Family Bolyeriidae – Mauritius snakes
    • Family Colubridae – Colubrids, typical snakes
      • Subfamily Xenodermatinae
      • Subfamily Homalopsinae
      • Subfamily Boodontinae
      • Subfamily Pseudoxyrhophiinae
      • Subfamily Colubrinae
      • Subfamily Psammophiinae
      • Subfamily Natricinae
      • Subfamily Pseudoxenodontinae
      • Subfamily Dipsadinae
      • Subfamily Xenodontinae
    • Family Cylindrophiidae – Asian pipe snakes
    • Family Elapidae – Cobras, coral snakes, mambas, sea snakes
    • Family Loxocemidae – Mexican pythons
    • Family Pythonidae – Pythons
    • Family Tropidophiidae – Dwarf boas
    • Family Uropeltidae – Pipe snakes, shield-tailed snakes
    • Family Viperidae – Vipers, pitvipers
      • Subfamily Azemiopinae – Fae’s viper
      • Subfamily Causinae – Night adders
      • Subfamily Crotalinae – Pitvipers, rattlesnakes
      • Subfamily Viperinae – True vipers
    • Family Xenopeltidae – Sunbeam snakes
    • Infraorder Scolecophidia – Blind snakes
      • Family Anomalepididae – Primitive blind snakes
      • Family Leptotyphlopidae – Slender blind snakes, thread snakes
      • Family Typhlopidae – typical blind snakes