An sub-adult Glossy Snake from Hamilton County. © Travis W. Taggart.
An adult female Plains Spadefoot from Wallace County, Kansas. © Travis W. Taggart.
An adult Eastern Milksnake from Franklin County. Image © Suzanne L. Collins, CNAH.
An adult Eastern Hog-nosed Snake from Ellis County, Kansas. Image © Lisa Wehrly.
An adult Western Ratsnake consuming a domestic chicken egg in Atchison County. Image © Mark McDaniel.
An adult Texas Horned Lizard from Ellsworth County, Kansas. © Lisa Wehrly.
Sub-adult Timber Rattlesnake from Marshall County. © Maci Loughrea.
An adult female Broad-headed Skink, from Bourbon County. © Jason Burns.
An adult Chihuahuan Night Snake from Barber County, Kansas. © Lisa Wehrly. iNat #90464858.
A juvenile Common Five-lined Skink from Johnson County. Image © Joni Johnson-Godsy.

Welcome to the KHA:

The Kansas Herpetofaunal Atlas (KHA) was inspired by and is dedicated to, Joseph T. Collins. His legacy is not just in his accumulation of knowledge through the countless hours of fieldwork and research in libraries and museum collections... but in synthesizing and sharing that information with a greater audience... as only he could.

The KHA originated in the spring of 1999 as a small project to document the herpetofaunal diversity of the state using emerging web-based technologies. A State Wildlife Grant (USFWS/KDWPT/Sternberg Museum joint venture) in 2003 facilitated enhancements to the site and produced a significant increase in specimen occurrence records. Additional assistance was provided by the Center for North American Herpetology, the Kansas Herpetological Society, and many individual volunteers.

The occurrence records (some going back to the 1830s) establish a baseline for future research, assist with conservation needs as they arise, and contribute to increasing public awareness of the amphibians and reptiles in the state. The KHA contains information on all known occurrences of Kansas amphibians and reptiles. Unique to the site, are the most up-to-date distribution maps of each species known to occur (or potentially occur) within the state. The species accounts summarize the description, distribution, natural history, taxonomy, and an ever-growing list of references for each species. 

The KHA is a work in progress. It is updated daily to ultimately present a complete and exhaustive Kansas Herpetology. It is not the final word, as it should initiate questions and further research... the answers of which, it will ultimately contain to build upon further.

There are 102 established species (different kinds) of amphibians and reptiles in Kansas. That total includes 22 frogs ('toads' are frogs), 8 salamanders, 15 lizards (including 3 reproducing introduced exotics), 42 snakes (including one introduced venomous species), and 14 turtles. Only five species occur statewide: American Bullfrog, Gophersnake, North American Racer, Ornate Box Turtle, and Snapping Turtle. The rest have range patterns limited by interactions with environmental variables (e.g. temperature, precipitation, geology, other taxa, etc.) that are difficult to tease apart. In general, the herpetofaunal biodiversity increases to the south and east (there are 79 species known from Cherokee County (southeast), while only 32 species are confirmed from Cheyenne County (northwest).

The KHA synthesizes the work of thousands of individuals that collected and recorded the 103,000+ specimens occurrences and 3,200+ references presented herein. Our current level of understanding with respect to the Kansas herpetofauna is a result of those efforts. Nothing meaningful is achieved alone. And while the distribution and natural history of the Kansas herpetofauna are probably better understood than any comparably sized region on Earth. There is still much to learn, and those of you wishing to contribute to the KHA may do so by donating specimens or reporting observations directly.

I hope you find the KHA useful... comments and suggestions are always welcome.

Travis W. Taggart
Research Associate
Sternberg Museum of Natural History
Fort Hays State University
ttaggart@fhsu.edu

Occurrences Summary
  • 108,400 Total Records
  • 84,014 Museum Vouchers
  • 24,386 Other Observations
Supporting Organizations
Most Viewed Species

Citation: The Kansas Herpetofaunal Atlas can be acknowledged but should not be cited. It is a synthesis of existing data and contains no novel sources of information. The original data (specimens and references) are annotated throughout the site and should be the source of citations. Accessed: Sat, 02 Dec 2023 20:11:32 GMT


Travis W. Taggart © 1999-2023 — w/ Sternberg Museum of Natural History, Fort Hays State University