This list includes 38 Reptiles that start with N, from “Namaqua Chameleon” to “Nubian Spitting Cobra”. They are mostly lizards and snakes with a few turtles and crocodilians, useful for education, field identification, and pet care.
Reptiles that start with N are species whose common names begin with the letter N. Many bear regional names, like the Namaqua Chameleon, reflecting local habitats and cultural importance.
Below you’ll find the table with Common name, Scientific name, Habitat, and Average size (cm, measurement type).
Common name: The familiar English name that helps you quickly identify species and match them to field guides or pet resources.
Scientific name: The Latin binomial used globally to avoid ambiguity and let you find formal species accounts and research.
Habitat: A concise description of typical environments, so you understand where each reptile lives and where to observe it.
Average size (cm, measurement type): Typical adult length or carapace measurement in centimeters, helping you compare species size and plan care or study.
Sources: The Reptile Database; IUCN Red List. Last updated: 2025-12-01.
Reptiles that start with N
| Common Name | Scientific Name | Habitat | Average Adult Size (cm, measurement type) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nile Crocodile | Crocodylus niloticus | Freshwater rivers, lakes, marshes | 350–500 (TL) |
| Nile Monitor | Varanus niloticus | Savannas, woodlands near water | 120–200 (TL) |
| Northern Alligator Lizard | Elgaria coerulea | Forests, woodlands, chaparral | 10–15 (SVL) |
| Northern Black Racer | Coluber constrictor | Open woodlands, fields, grasslands | 90–150 (TL) |
| Northern Brownsnake | Storeria dekayi | Wetlands, forests, urban parks | 23–33 (TL) |
| Northern Curly-tailed Lizard | Leiocephalus carinatus | Coastal scrub, rocky areas | 20–28 (TL) |
| Northern Death Adder | Acanthophis praelongus | Tropical forests, woodlands | 40–60 (TL) |
| Northern Desert Nightsnake | Hypsiglena chlorophaea | Arid deserts, scrublands | 30–50 (TL) |
| Northern Fence Lizard | Sceloporus undulatus | Woodlands, grasslands, rock piles | 10–18 (TL) |
| Northern Leaf-tailed Gecko | Saltuarius cornutus | Australian tropical rainforests | 14 (SVL) |
| Northern Map Turtle | Graptemys geographica | Rivers, large lakes | 20–27 (CL) |
| Northern Pine Snake | Pituophis melanoleucus | Pine barrens, sandy woodlands | 120–170 (TL) |
| Northern Red-bellied Cooter | Pseudemys rubriventris | Freshwater ponds, rivers, lakes | 25–32 (CL) |
| Northern Red-bellied Snake | Storeria occipitomaculata | Moist woodlands, bogs, fields | 20–25 (TL) |
| Northern Rubber Boa | Charina bottae | Coniferous forests, grasslands | 35–60 (TL) |
| Northern Snapping Turtle | Chelydra serpentina | Slow-moving freshwater bodies | 25–45 (CL) |
| Northern Spiny-tailed Gecko | Strophurus ciliaris | Arid scrublands, woodlands | 8.5 (SVL) |
| Northern Tree Snake | Dendrelaphis calligaster | Rainforest, coastal heath, mangroves | 100–120 (TL) |
| Northern Watersnake | Nerodia sipedon | Ponds, rivers, marshes, lakes | 60–110 (TL) |
| Nose-horned Viper | Vipera ammodytes | Dry, rocky hillsides, scrubland | 60–90 (TL) |
| Nubian Spitting Cobra | Naja nubiae | Arid savanna, scrubland | 70–120 (TL) |
| Namaqua Chameleon | Chamaeleo namaquensis | Arid coastal desert | 12–15 (SVL) |
| Namaqua Dwarf Adder | Bitis schneideri | Coastal sand dunes, scrub | 18–25 (TL) |
| Namib Web-footed Gecko | Pachydactylus rangei | Coastal desert sand dunes | 5–7 (SVL) |
| Narrow-bridged Musk Turtle | Claudius angustatus | Shallow freshwater streams, marshes | 12–16 (CL) |
| Narrow-headed Gartersnake | Thamnophis rufipunctatus | Rocky freshwater streams | 50–80 (TL) |
| Natterer’s Keelback | Helicops nattereri | Slow-moving freshwater bodies | 50–70 (TL) |
| Nelson’s Milksnake | Lampropeltis nelsoni | Semi-arid scrubland, woodlands | 90–110 (TL) |
| Neotropical Rattlesnake | Crotalus durissus | Savannas, dry tropical forests | 130–170 (TL) |
| New Caledonian Giant Gecko | Rhacodactylus leachianus | New Caledonian tropical forests | 25 (SVL) |
| New Guinea Crocodile | Crocodylus novaeguineae | Freshwater swamps, rivers, lakes | 300–350 (TL) |
| Nicaraguan Coral Snake | Micrurus multifasciatus | Lowland tropical forests | 50–65 (TL) |
| Nicaraguan Slider | Trachemys emolli | Lakes, slow-moving rivers | 25–38 (CL) |
| Nikolsky’s Gecko | Mediodactylus nicolskyi | Rocky slopes, scrublands, ruins | 4–5 (SVL) |
| Northern Cat-eyed Snake | Leptodeira septentrionalis | Moist tropical forests | 60–80 (TL) |
| Northern Eyelash Boa | Trachyboa gularis | Tropical lowland forests | 20–30 (TL) |
| Northern Leaf Turtle | Cyclemys oldhamii | Forest streams, ponds, marshes | 20–24 (CL) |
| Northern Pacific Rattlesnake | Crotalus oreganus | Grasslands, woodlands, deserts | 75–100 (TL) |
Descriptions
Nile Crocodile
This massive African predator is one of the world’s largest reptiles, known for its powerful jaws and ambush hunting style. It plays a critical role as an apex predator in its aquatic ecosystems across sub-Saharan Africa.
Nile Monitor
A large, intelligent lizard found throughout much of Africa. It is a highly active forager with a varied diet, eating everything from eggs and insects to small mammals. They are also powerful swimmers and climbers.
Northern Alligator Lizard
A slender lizard from western North America, recognized by its keeled scales and a distinct fold of skin along its sides. If captured, it may bite or detach its long tail to escape from a predator’s grasp.
Northern Black Racer
A fast, nonvenomous snake native to North and Central America. Despite its species name, it does not constrict prey, but rather pins it down with its body to swallow it alive. It relies on its great speed to hunt and evade threats.
Northern Brownsnake
A small, secretive snake common in eastern North America, often found in gardens and city parks. It is completely harmless to humans and primarily feeds on slugs, snails, and earthworms, making it a beneficial backyard resident.
Northern Curly-tailed Lizard
Native to the Caribbean but an introduced species in Florida, this lizard is known for its habit of holding its tail in a tight curl over its back. It is a bold, terrestrial lizard that actively forages during the day.
Northern Death Adder
A highly venomous snake from Australia and New Guinea with one of the fastest strikes in the world. It uses a small, grub-like lure on its tail tip to attract unsuspecting prey like lizards and birds.
Northern Desert Nightsnake
A small, nocturnal snake from the western US and Mexico. It possesses mild venom delivered by rear fangs, which is effective on lizards but harmless to humans. Its cat-like vertical pupils are an adaptation for low-light vision.
Northern Fence Lizard
A common spiny lizard in the eastern and central US, often seen basking on fences, logs, or rocks. Males have striking blue patches on their throat and belly, which they display during territorial disputes.
Northern Leaf-tailed Gecko
A master of camouflage from Queensland, Australia. Its flattened body, mottled skin, and broad, leaf-like tail allow it to blend in perfectly with tree bark and lichen, making it nearly invisible to predators.
Northern Map Turtle
Named for the map-like yellow lines on its carapace, this aquatic turtle inhabits rivers in eastern North America. Females are much larger than males and have broad jaws for crushing their main food source: mollusks and snails.
Northern Pine Snake
A large, powerful, nonvenomous snake from the southeastern United States. When threatened, it puts on a dramatic defensive display by hissing loudly, vibrating its tail, and striking with a closed mouth.
Northern Red-bellied Cooter
A large freshwater turtle from the eastern US, easily identified by its bright reddish-orange plastron (bottom shell). They are avid baskers, often seen sunning themselves on logs and rocks along the water’s edge.
Northern Red-bellied Snake
A very small North American snake distinguished by a bright red or orange belly and three light spots around its neck. It is a secretive species that spends most of its time under logs, rocks, or leaf litter.
Northern Rubber Boa
A small, stout-bodied boa from western North America with smooth, rubbery-looking skin. It uses its blunt tail to mimic its head, distracting predators while its real head is hidden or burrowing for safety.
Northern Snapping Turtle
A large, robust turtle of North America known for its powerful beak-like jaws and aggressive disposition out of water. In the water, however, these prehistoric-looking reptiles are much more placid.
Northern Spiny-tailed Gecko
An Australian gecko with a unique defense mechanism. It has prominent spines above its eyes and on its tail, and can squirt a harmless but smelly, sticky fluid from its tail to deter predators.
Northern Tree Snake
A slender, agile snake from northern Australia and New Guinea. It is an excellent climber that spends most of its time in trees and shrubs hunting for frogs and lizards. It is diurnal and has very large eyes for spotting prey.
Northern Watersnake
A common, nonvenomous semi-aquatic snake in eastern North America. Often mistaken for the venomous cottonmouth, it is a harmless predator of fish and amphibians that will bite defensively if handled.
Nose-horned Viper
A venomous viper found in southern Europe and the Middle East, easily identified by the single, fleshy “horn” on its snout. Its potent venom is a serious medical threat, used to subdue rodents, birds, and lizards.
Nubian Spitting Cobra
A highly venomous cobra from northeastern Africa. As its name suggests, it can accurately spit venom into the eyes of a perceived threat from several meters away, causing intense pain and potential blindness.
Namaqua Chameleon
A terrestrial chameleon from the Namib Desert that actively chases its prey. Unlike most chameleons, it is very fast on the ground and changes its color primarily for thermoregulation, turning dark to absorb heat.
Namaqua Dwarf Adder
The world’s smallest viper, found in the coastal deserts of Namibia and South Africa. This tiny, well-camouflaged snake uses a sidewinding motion to move across loose sand and ambushes small lizards and geckos.
Namib Web-footed Gecko
A ghostly pale gecko from the Namib Desert with large eyes and webbed feet. The webs act like snowshoes, allowing it to run across loose sand without sinking, and are also used for digging burrows to escape the heat.
Narrow-bridged Musk Turtle
A small, highly aggressive turtle from Central America. It has a tiny plastron (bottom shell) and powerful jaws, earning it the local name “stinkpot” from the foul-smelling musk it releases when threatened.
Narrow-headed Gartersnake
A semi-aquatic gartersnake from the southwestern US and Mexico. It is a specialized predator that primarily feeds on fish, which it hunts in clear, cool mountain streams. It is threatened by habitat loss and invasive species.
Natterer’s Keelback
A semi-aquatic snake from South America with keeled (ridged) scales. It is well-adapted for life in the water, where it hunts for fish and amphibians, and has upward-facing nostrils for breathing at the surface.
Nelson’s Milksnake
A vibrant, nonvenomous kingsnake from western Mexico. Its bright red, black, and white bands mimic the coloration of venomous coral snakes, a form of Batesian mimicry that helps deter potential predators.
Neotropical Rattlesnake
A large, highly venomous rattlesnake found from Mexico to Argentina. Its venom is particularly dangerous as it contains a neurotoxin that can cause paralysis, making it one of the most medically significant snakes in the Americas.
New Caledonian Giant Gecko
The largest living gecko species in the world, native to the islands of New Caledonia. Known for its loose, baggy skin and loud vocalizations, this gentle giant is an arboreal, nocturnal omnivore that eats both insects and fruit.
New Guinea Crocodile
A medium-sized crocodile native to the island of New Guinea. It is a nocturnal hunter that preys on fish, birds, and mammals. Two distinct populations exist, separated by the island’s central mountain range.
Nicaraguan Coral Snake
A brightly colored, venomous elapid snake from Central America. Like other coral snakes, its red, yellow, and black bands serve as a warning to predators. It is a reclusive, burrowing species that primarily feeds on other small snakes.
Nicaraguan Slider
A large freshwater turtle native to the lakes and rivers of Nicaragua and Costa Rica. It is a popular species in its local environment, recognizable by the prominent yellow stripes on its head and neck.
Nikolsky’s Gecko
A small, slender-toed gecko found in southeastern Europe and the Middle East. It is a nimble climber often found on stone walls, cliffs, and old buildings, where it hunts for insects and spiders at night.
Northern Cat-eyed Snake
A slender, semi-arboreal snake from Central and South America. Named for its vertical pupils, it is a rear-fanged, mildly venomous species that specializes in eating frogs and their eggs, often found near streams and ponds.
Northern Eyelash Boa
A small, rare boa from Ecuador with unique, horn-like scales above its eyes. This fossorial snake has strongly keeled scales, giving it a rough texture, and it primarily preys on fish and frogs in its wet forest habitat.
Northern Leaf Turtle
A semi-aquatic turtle from Southeast Asia, also known as Oldham’s leaf turtle. Its carapace resembles a leaf, providing camouflage. It is an omnivore that forages both in water and on the forest floor for food.
Northern Pacific Rattlesnake
A widespread and highly variable venomous pit viper found along the Pacific coast of North America. Its venom toxicity can differ significantly between populations, making it a snake of high medical importance in its range.