Wisconsin’s threatened reptiles

Wisconsin’s only box turtle, the state endangered ornate box turtle is able to pull all of its limbs inside its shell and completely enclose itself for protection. These small, colorful turtles live in dry, sandy prairie habitat in southern Wisconsin. Fun fact – NRF has helped scientists research and monitor Wisconsin’s ornate box turtle populations by helping to fund “turtle dogs”, specially trained Boykin spaniels who are trained to detect these hard-to-find creatures in the wild .

One of Wisconsin’s 21 snake species, the eastern hog-nosed snake (named for its up-turned nose) is known for its unique behaviors. For example, if this snake feels threatened, it will either puff up like a cobra (even though they are completely harmless), or play dead by flipping on its back, wiggling around like it’s in pain, vomiting, and then lying still until the attacker goes away. This interesting species is widespread in Wisconsin, occurring in grassland, oak savanna, and sand prairies, as well as southern forests.

The prairie skink, a species of special concern, is one of Wisconsin’s four lizard species. They are found in just a few counties in far northwestern Wisconsin, living in pine barrens or bracken grassland habitats. Although secretive most of the year, during the breeding season, the jaws and throats of male prairie skinks turn bright orange, to help attract females.

A species of special concern, the lined snake was only recently discovered in Wisconsin, back in 2011. This elusive species is nocturnal and semi-fossorial, meaning it spends most of the day under rocks, leaf litter, or logs. They are found in just a few counties in southern Wisconsin’s grasslands.