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Good Garden Reptiles: Snakes, Lizards and Toads, Oh My!

Beneficial garden critters include pest-eating reptiles and amphibians. These snakes, lizards, toads and frogs should be welcomed into your garden.

There are several very beneficial reptiles that will help rid your garden of countless pests - if you can learn to garden alongside them!

Photo: Photo by Felder Rushing

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Good Garden Reptile

There are several very beneficial reptiles that will help rid your garden of countless pests - if you can learn to garden alongside them!

Anole lizards, often called chameleons for their color-changing abilities, eat garden pests up high in the garden

Photo: Photo by Felder Rushing

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Anole

Anole lizards, often called chameleons for their color-changing abilities, eat garden pests up high in the garden.

Skinks are small but fast ground-level lizards that eat countless slugs and other garden pests

Photo: Photo by Felder Rushing

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Skink

Skinks are small but fast ground-level lizards that eat countless slugs and other garden pests.

Fast-moving lizards can outrun - and eat - most small garden pests

Photo: Photo by Felder Rushing

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Lizard

Fast-moving lizards can outrun—and eat—most small garden pests.

Photo: Photo by Felder Rushing

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Mediterranean Gecko

Geckos are night-feeding lizards with voracious appetites for roaches, crickets and other night-roaming pests.

Toads can live in a garden for many years, eating countless slugs, crickets, sowbugs, and roaches at night

Photo: Photo by Felder Rushing

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American Toad

Toads can live in a garden for many years, eating countless slugs, crickets, sowbugs and roaches at night.

Tree frogs,which sing and eat at night - are perfectly camoflaged to hide in foliage during the day - as this one has on a red tomato stake

Photo: Photo by Felder Rushing

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Tree Frog

Tree frogs,which sing and eat at night—are perfectly camoflaged to hide in foliage during the day—as this one has on a red tomato stake.

The bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus) is native to the Eastern half of the U.S., ranging from the Atlantic Coast to as far west as Kansas and Oklahoma. His call has been described as sounding like the mooing of a bull or cow, hence its name.

Photo: Image courtesy of TSTP.tv

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Bullfrog

Bullfrogs and other frogs love water gardens and help keep a lot of pests down as well.

Keep a shallow pond going in spring for toad and frog tadpoles to reach maturity

Photo: Photo by Felder Rushing

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Wildlife Habitat for Frogs

Keep a shallow pond going in spring for toad and frog tadpoles to reach maturity. Not true reptiles, they are amphibians, meaning they require water for part of their lives.

Ribbon and garter snakes often live in leaf piles and compost where they find lots to eat

Photo: Photo by Felder Rushing

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Ribbon Snake Living in Compost

Small ribbon and garter snakes often live in leaf piles and compost where they find lots to eat.Though not poisonous, they will fake a "bite strike" if threatened.

This Dekay's snake cannot bite people or pets - but loves snails and slugs

Photo: Photo by Felder Rushing

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Harmless Snake

This full-grown Dekay's snake cannot bite people or pets—but loves snails and slugs. Note how small its head is, unlike venomous snakes with very large heads compared to their bodies.

When harmless earth or worm snakes hatch they are no larger than similar-looking earthworms.

Photo: Photo by Felder Rushing

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Baby Earth Snake

When harmless earth or worm snakes hatch they are no larger than similar-looking earthworms.

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Black Rat Snake

Nobody loves snakes in their garden—but we sure do like how they eat rodents. Be careful though—even these non-venomous snakes will bite to defend themselves!

Snakes often lurk in thick shrubs and trees, in search of bird eggs and other prey. Notice how this one's head is not triangular typical of poisonous pit vipers.

Photo: Photo by Felder Rushing

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Snakes Can Climb

Snakes often lurk in thick shrubs and trees, in search of bird eggs and other prey. Notice how this one's head is not triangular typical of poisonous pit vipers.

King snakes- both Western Desert and Eastern Speckled - eat other snakes,including poisonous kinds - as well as rodents. Lucky gardeners who have these around!

Photo: Photo by Felder Rushing

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Speckled King Snake

King snakes—both Western Desert and Eastern Speckled—eat other snakes, including poisonous kinds—as well as rodents. Lucky gardeners who have these around!

Terrapins, often called "box" turtles, eat small insects and slugs as well as lettuce and strawberries

Photo: Photo by Felder Rushing

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Box Turtle

Terrapins, often called "box" turtles, eat small insects and slugs as well as lettuce and strawberries.

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Welcome to All

All great gardens welcome wildlife, including reptiles and all those others we may not think of as cuddly!

Good Garden Reptiles: Snakes, Lizards and Toads, Oh My!

Good Garden Reptile

Anole

Skink

Lizard

Mediterranean Gecko

American Toad

Tree Frog

Bullfrog

Wildlife Habitat for Frogs

Ribbon Snake Living in Compost

Harmless Snake

Baby Earth Snake

Black Rat Snake

Snakes Can Climb

Speckled King Snake

Box Turtle

Welcome to All

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