Amphibians and Reptiles

The black-chinned red salamander is a subspecies of red salamander found in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

NPS/Shannon Welch

Amphibians and reptiles can be found in mountainous areas across the United States. These cold-blooded animals often have short breeding seasons and require rapid growth during the brief times when mountain conditions are suitable.

The number of species of reptiles and amphibians found at different national parks can vary widely. For example, Great Smoky Mountains National Park has over 80 species of amphibians and reptiles, while Denali National Park has just 1 (the cold-resistant wood frog).

Many parks have specific webpages describing the species or communities of amphibians or reptiles that can be found in mountain habitats. See the links below to learn more.

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  Mount Rainier National Park

  Mount Rainier has five reptile species, including the rubber boa.

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  Glacier National Park

  Twelve species of amphibians live in the high mountains of Glacier National Park.

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  Yosemite National Park

  Western pond turtles, along with 21 other species of reptiles, find a home in Yosemite National Park.

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  Denali National Park

  How do you survive if you're a frog in interior Alaska? How about evolving an ability to freeze solid, thaw out, and be none worse for wear!

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  Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks

  Endangered mountain yellow-legged frogs in Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks are vulnerable to predation by non-native fish.

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  Saguaro National Park

  Well over a dozen lizards can be found at Saguaro National Park. The greater short-horned lizard is often found at higher elevations.

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  Great Smoky Mountains National Park

  The eastern box turtle is one of eight different species of turtle that can be found in the Smokies.

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  Santa Monica Mountains NRA

  California red-legged frogs disappeared from the Santa Monica Mountains decades ago. Efforts are underway to help them become reestablished.

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  Shenandoah National Park

  Only found in Shenandoah National Park, the Shenandoah salamander has one of the smallest species' range of any salamander in the world.

Relevant videos:

Duration:

7 minutes, 30 seconds

The Amphibian Monitoring Program allows Citizen Science volunteers to explore the park, learn about rare amphibians like the Western Toad, and participate in on-going research to monitor amphibian populations in Mount Rainier National Park.

Want to get involved? Learn more!

Duration:

7 minutes, 33 seconds

Historically, mountain yellow-legged frogs thrived throughout the Sierra Nevada, but today these endangered amphibians are found in only a handful of locations. Restoration efforts in Yosemite are helping protect what was once the most abundant vertebrate in the park.

Duration:

8 minutes, 27 seconds

Can we save the Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog from extinction? Human introduced non-native species (fish and fungus) have been causing the frog to go from the most abundant amphibian in the Sierra Nevada to critically endangered. However, habitat restoration efforts in Yosemite are showing promising signs for the frog's recovery and long-term survival.

Duration:

3 minutes, 15 seconds

Student interns help inventory salamanders and learn why these amphibians are important in the process.

Duration:

2 minutes, 29 seconds

Ranger Anica meets up with the youths and adults of the Bilingual McKinleyville Ecoclub to learn about their pioneering work tracking the chytrid fungus in Redwood National and State Parks.

Relevant articles: