Field Guide

Blanchard's cricket frog is a nonclimbing member of the treefrog family. It lacks the adhesive toe pads associated with treefrogs. It occurs statewide. The call is a metallic “gick, gick, gick.”

The prairie lizard is a small, gray to brown, rough-scaled lizard common in open forests. It often lives around country homes and rock gardens and on stacks of firewood and split rail fences.

The red-bellied snake is one of Missouri's smallest snakes. It is gray or reddish brown on top, usually with narrow stripes, and bright red or orange below. It occurs nearly statewide but appears to be absent from the northwest and southwest corners.

The flat-headed snake is Missouri's smallest snake. It is found in the southern half of the state except the far southeastern corner.

The rough earthsnake is a small, plain-looking snake of open, rocky woodlands in the Missouri Ozarks. It normally doesn’t exceed 10 inches in length.

Prairie ring-necked snakes are easily recognizable by their small size, uniform dark color on the back, bright yellow-orange belly, and distinct yellow ring around the neck. Secretive, but common nearly statewide.

The eastern coachwhip is a long, slender, nonvenomous snake that usually escapes in an explosive burst of speed. In Missouri, it occurs in the Ozark and Ozark border regions.

The common five-lined skink is one of Missouri's most abundant skinks. Adults are olive or tan with lengthwise stripes. It is often called the blue-tailed skink for the coloration of juveniles. Occurs nearly statewide.

The broad-headed skink is a large, smooth-scaled lizard that lives in the southern two-thirds of Missouri. It is frequently confused with the common five-lined skink, which is smaller.

Dekay's brownsnake is a small, secretive species that prefers moist environments. It can be gray to brown to reddish brown. It usually has a tan stripe running down the back, bordered by two rows of small brown spots. The top of the head is usually dark. Occurs statewide.