Classification of Living Reptiles and Amphibians
--mostly as per Zug (1993)
(Taxa higher than family are of various taxonomic ranks)
Amphibians extant 4,300, reptiles extant 6,000, mammals extant 5,000, birds extant 8,600
AMPHIBIA
Lissamphibia
Anura (Salientia) – frog and toads
Ascaphidae – tailed frog
Discoglossidae
Leiopelmatidae – New Zealand-similar to Ascaphidae
Pelobatidae – spadefoot toads – Scaphiopus (N. America, Europe,
and Asia)
Pelodytidae
Pipidae - Aquatic, primitive-Pipa, Xenopus clawed frogs (Africa &
South America)
Rhinophrynidae
Brachycephalidae
Bufonidae - True toads, parotoid gland, (worldwide exc. Greenland
& Austrialia)
Centrolenidae
Dendrobatidae
Heleophrynidae
Hylidae – tree frog > 500sp.- many arboreal - toe pads (mostly
Americas)
Hyperoliidae
Leptodactylidae – 800 - New World only.
Microhylidae – Narrow-mouth frogs – (Asia, Africa, North
America, South America)
Myobatrachidae
Pelodryadidae
Pseudidae
Ranidae – true frogs > 700 sp., (worldwide except South Australia
& Greenland)
Rhacophoridae - similar to Hylids, arboreal, foam nest, tropical
Rhinodermatidae – 2 species (Argentina, Chile) Darwin’s frog
male parental care.
Sooglossidae
Caudata (Urodela) – Salamanders
Cryptobranchidae – Hellbender (Asia & North America) neotenic
Hynobiidae – primitive Asian salamander
Sirenidae – reduced legs no pelvic girdle or rear legs (neotenic)
Ambystomatidae – internal fertilization – spermatophore (North
America)
Amphiumidae – Amphiuma only genus, neotenic, reduced legs
Dicamptodontidae
Plethodontidae – worldwide, terrestrial, lungless
Proteidae – Two genera (Protea, Necturus) Europe, North America
(mudpuppy)
Salamandridae – Europe, Asia, North America
Gymnophiona – Caecilians ( Tropical Asia, South America, Africa)
Caeciliaidae –most specious family
Ichthyophiidae
Rhinatrematidae
Scolecomorphidae
Typhlonectidae
Uraeotyphlidae
REPTILIA
Anapsida - turtles
Testudines (Chelonia) –longitudinal vent, true penis
Pleurodira
Chelidae
Pelomedusidae
Cryptodira
Cheloniidae – Green turtle, Loggerhead – marine species
Dermochelyidae - Leatherback
Chelydridae – Snapping turtle
Carettochelyidae
Dermatemydidae
Kinosternidae - Stinkpot, Musk, and Mud turtle
Trionychidae – soft-shelled turtles
Emydidae
Testudinidae – lg. tortoises, most specious, wide
distribution
Diapsida
Archosauria – all dinosaurs and birds
Crocodylia – longitudinal vent, 4-chambered heart
Alligatoridae – 4th mandibular tooth not visible
Crocodylidae – marine, freshwater
Gavialidae – 1 species (Gavial or Gharial), elongate slender
snout (India)
Lepidosauria
Sphenodontida (Rhynchocephalia) – sister taxon to all squamates,
Tuatara, lizard-like
Sphenodontidae
Squamata – lizards and snakes
[lizards] – (Sauria, Lacertilia) – suborder; hemipenis,
transverse cloaca
Agamidae – Old World; Draco, Agama, Uromastix
Chamaeleonidae – chameleons – Africa,
Madagascar
Iguanidae – mostly herbivorous
Polychridae – Anoles – Southern US or central
Mexico
Phrynosomatidae – over 100 sp., N. AmericaMexico
Crotaphytidae – 2 genera, SW US & N Mexico
Corytophanidae
Tropiduridae
Hoplocercidae
Opluridae
Eublepharidae – have eyelids, desert sp. – terrestrial
Gekkonidae – vertical pupils, expanded toe pads
Anguidae – mostly tropical – glass lizard, Alligator
lizard
Cordylidae
Dibamidae
Gymnophthalmidae
Helodermatidae – 2 sp., Gila monster, SW US &
Mexico
Lacertidae – Old World counterpart of Teiidae,
some unisex
Scincidae - >1000 sp., many fossorial forms
Teiidae – New World – whiptails – Cnemidophorus
Varanidae – monitors (Africa, S America,
Australia)
Xantusiidae – night lizards, diurnal, secretive,
fossorial
Xenosauridae
[worm lizards] – (Amphisbaenia) – suborder, reduced eyes,
legless
Amphisbaenidae
Bipedidae – front limbs
Rhineuridae – found in Florida, forest ground litter
Trogonophidae
[snakes] – (Serpentes, Ophidia) – suborder
Anomalepididae
Leptotyphlopidae – blindsnakes – primitive, termite
specialists
Typhlopidae
Acrochordidae
Aniliidae
Atractaspididae
Boidae – tropical – Old/New World, vestigial hind
limbs
Bolyeriidae
Colubridae – not monophyletic
Elapidae – coral snakes, cobras, mambas, sea
snakes
Loxocemidae
Pythonidae – 3 genera (Africa, India, Australia)
Uropeltidae
Viperidae – worldwide exc. Australia, hinged fang
Xenopeltidae
Major Higher Taxa of World Herps
The following classification largely follows Zug (1993). Also following Zug
(1993) categories higher than family are not assigned ranks. You will be required to
know taxa marked with asterisks, other names are provided for organizational purposes,
or just because they are interesting. This classification is not intended to represent
completely the relationships within the Amphibia and Retilia. (Similar categories are
generally in the same columns but differences in tree lengths result in some ambiguilty.)
Amphibia
Lissamphibia
Gymnophiona
Family Caeciliaidae
Caudata
Cryptobranchoidea
Family Cryptobranchidae
Salamandroidea
Family Ambysitomatidae
Family Amphiumidae
Family Plethodontidae
Family Proteidae
Family Salamandridae
Meantes
Family Sirenidae
Salienta
Anura
Archobatrachia
Family Ascaphidae
Family Discoglossidae
Mesobatrachia
Pipoidea
Family Pipidae
Pelobatoidea
Family Pelobatidae
Neobatrachia
Bufonoidea
Family Bufonidae
Family Dendrobatidae
Family Hylidae
Microhyloidea
Family Microhylidae
Ranoidea
Family Ranidae
Reptilia
Anapsida
Testudines
Cryptodira
Chelonoidea
Family Cheloniidae
Family Dermochelyidae
Chelydroidae
Family Chelydridae
Testudinoidea
Family Emydidae
Family Testudinidae
Trionychoidea
Family Kinosternidae
Family Trionychidae
Pleurodira
Family Pelomedusidae
Diapsida
Sauria
Archosauria
Crocodylia
Family Alligatoridae
Family Crocodylidae
Lepidosauria
Sphenodotida
Family Sphenodontidae
Squamata
Gekkota
Family Eublepharidae
Family Gekkonidae
Iguania
Family Agamidae
Family Chameleonidae
Family Iguanidae
Family Phrynosomatidae
Family Crotaphytidae
Family Polychridae
Autarchoglossa
Anguimorpha
Family Anguidae
Family Helodermatidae
Family Varanidae
Scincomorpha
Family Lacertidae
Family Scincidae
Family Teiidae
Amphisbaenia
Family Amphisbaenidae
Serpentes
Scolicophidia
Family Leptotyphlopidae
Alethinophidia
Family Boidae
Family Colubridae
Family Elapidae
Family Pythonidae
Family Viperidae
Herpetology Zoology 4154
Spring 1994
Descriptions of herp families and other higher taxa. ( Numbers join parenthese indicate
pages in)
Amphibia (3) Two phase life cycle (generally aquatic eggs/larvae, terrestrial or aquatic
adults), pedicellate teeth, two types of skin glands, no epidermal scales.
Gymophiona (335) Caecilians: Worm-like, no legs or girdles, distinct annuli, no
ear opening, some have dermal scales.
Family Caeciliaidea (337) Largest family of caecilian, tropical America,
Africa, and India.
Caudata (340) Salamanders. Tailed amphibians, most have limbs and internal
fertilization via Spermatophores.
Family Cryptobranchidae (341) - Hellbenders, Large neotenic
salamanders, completely aquatic as adults but lack external
gills, loose wrinkled skin.
Family Abystomatidae (345) - Mole Salmander, Most have highly
terrestrial adults although some populations are neotenic,
all have lungs and thick tails.
Family Amphiumidae (346) Large neotenic salamanders, adults
aquatic although external gills are lost, limbs are severely
reduced.
Family Plethodontidae (348) lungless salamanders, all have
nasolabial groove. Diverse group
Family Proteidae (349) Mudpuppies, neotenic, adults retain
external gills, tails are laterally compressed. AquaticNecturus
Family Salamandridae (351) Newts, Skin generally rugose, many
are highly toxic. Notopthalums viridescens, Aposematic
color.
Family Sirenidae- Neotenic, no hind limbs
Salienta (357) Frogs and toads, reduced an shortened vertebral column, no tails
(except Ascaphidae). Modified hindlimbs for jumping
Family Ascaphidae (358) Monotypic family, males have
copulatory organ (tail). Primitive Frog.
Family Discoglossidae (359) European and Asian frogs, includes
fire bellied toads. Brightly colored ventor, rough skin.
Family Pipidae (364) Generally aquatic, highly modified pertoral
and pelvic girdles, includes clawed frogs. Xenopus labis
Family Pelobatidae (361) Toad-like, warty skin, spadefoot toads
possess large keratinous tubercle on hind foot. Single large
tubercle.
Family Bufonidae (366) True toads, stout robust bodies with thick
skin, usually with numerous warts, worldwide distribution.
More than one tubercle.
Family Denrodatidae (368) Poison dart frogs, small slender frogs
usually brightly (aposematically) colored. Toxic skin
secretions, treefrog-like disks
Family Hylidae (369) Treefrogs, highly diverse, most have slender
bodies and long limbs with expanded digit tips. Disks on
ends of digits. Chorus frogs may not have expanded digits
Family Microhylidae (373) Narrow mouth toads (in OK), stout
bodies with small heads, others resemble treefrogs.
Gatrophryne
Family Ranidae (377) Extremely diverse (+700 sp), worldwide
distribution, “typical” frogs. Long jumping legs-Genus
Rana