Field Guide

The three-toed box turtle usually has three hind toes. Its high-domed shell usually has a top ridge and is olive or brown with faint yellow or orange lines. Look for it in woodland habitats.

The western painted turtle is a small, brightly colored aquatic turtle. The upper shell is smooth and has a red-orange outer edge. The colorful lower shell has a prominent pattern of brown markings. It is found nearly everywhere in the state except the southeast region.

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 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 southern painted turtle is small and has a prominent yellow, orange, or red lengthwise stripe down the middle of the upper shell. In Missouri, this aquatic turtle is found only in the Bootheel region.

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.

The Ozark zigzag salamander is small and slender, with a narrow, somewhat lobed back stripe that can be yellow, orange, or red. This woodland species lives in Missouri’s southwestern counties along the Arkansas border.

The variable groundsnake is a small species with smooth, shiny scales and highly variable coloration. In Missouri, it is mostly restricted to open, rocky hillsides of the southwestern corner of the state.

The southern red-backed salamander is small and slender, with a distinct, narrow, red or orange stripe along the back that has saw-toothed edges. It hides under rocks, mosses, and rotten logs in Ozark forests.