Backyard Biodiversity
Reptiles you might share your property with
March 20, 2025 · 5 min read
Most suburban yards in temperate North America host at least one snake and often one or two lizard species. They are cryptic, they matter ecologically, and — with rare exceptions — they are harmless to humans and beneficial to have around.
Common backyard snakes
Garter snakes are the most widespread yard snake in North America. They eat slugs, earthworms, and amphibians. Ringneck snakes and brown snakes live under logs and rocks and eat invertebrates. Rat snakes and racers eat rodents and are excellent to have around outbuildings.
Venomous snakes exist in most regions but are usually habitat-specific. Learn the two or three species relevant to your area — copperhead, cottonmouth, rattlesnake species, coral snake — and be able to distinguish them from harmless lookalikes.
Common backyard lizards
Fence lizards, skinks, and anoles live in most southern and mid-latitude yards. They are insectivores and pose no risk to humans, pets, or plants. Cover boards — a plywood square on bare soil — are a reliable way to detect them.
Turtles
Box turtles wander into suburban yards, especially in the Southeast and Midwest, and can be long-term residents. If you see a box turtle repeatedly, resist the urge to move it — box turtles have strong site fidelity and often die trying to return home after relocation.
Why they are so hard to detect
Reptiles shed skin episodically and drink water directly rather than through gills, so they leave less environmental DNA than mammals or amphibians. Soil eDNA is currently the most reliable non-invasive way to confirm reptile presence, especially for burrowing species.