This list includes 40 reptiles that start with P, from “Pacific Gopher Snake” to “Pygmy Rattlesnake”. They range from tiny tree geckos to large aquatic turtles and widespread snakes. You can use this list for identification, education, care planning, or quick field reference.
Reptiles that start with P are species whose common names begin with the letter P. Several—like the Pacific Gopher Snake—have regional importance and appear in folklore or local conservation stories.
Below you’ll find the table with Common name, Scientific name, Habitat, and Average adult size (measurement type).
Common name: The name people use; you can scan it quickly to find familiar species or regional terms.
Scientific name: Provide Latin name (genus and species) so you verify identity and search authoritative databases.
Habitat: Short note on typical environment, helping you understand where each species lives and where to look.
Average adult size: Mean adult measurement with type noted, letting you compare species size and plan handling or care.
Sources: The Reptile Database and IUCN Red List. Last updated: December 1, 2025.
Reptiles that start with P
| Common Name | Scientific Name | Habitat | Average Adult Size (cm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Panther Chameleon | Furcifer pardalis | Tropical forest | 40–50 cm (TL) |
| Pancake Tortoise | Malacochersus tornieri | Rocky outcrops (kopjes) | 15–18 cm (CL) |
| Painted Turtle | Chrysemys picta | Freshwater ponds and streams | 10–25 cm (CL) |
| Perentie | Varanus giganteus | Arid scrubland and desert | 200–250 cm (TL) |
| Puff Adder | Bitis arietans | Savanna and grassland | 90–110 cm (TL) |
| Pine Snake | Pituophis melanoleucus | Pine forests and sandy scrubland | 120–200 cm (TL) |
| Philippine Crocodile | Crocodylus mindorensis | Freshwater marshes and rivers | 150–300 cm (TL) |
| Paradise Tree Snake | Chrysopelea paradisi | Tropical rainforest | 100–120 cm (TL) |
| Pig-nosed Turtle | Carettochelys insculpta | Freshwater rivers and lagoons | 50–70 cm (CL) |
| Pygmy Python | Antaresia perthensis | Arid scrubland and rocky areas | 45–60 cm (TL) |
| Parson’s Chameleon | Calumma parsonii | Rainforest canopy | 45–68 cm (TL) |
| Prehensile-tailed Skink | Corucia zebrata | Tropical forest canopy | 60–80 cm (TL) |
| Pink-tongued Skink | Cyclodomorphus gerrardii | Wet forests and woodlands | 40–45 cm (TL) |
| Peringuey’s Adder | Bitis peringueyi | Coastal sand dunes | 20–25 cm (TL) |
| Prairie Rattlesnake | Crotalus viridis | Grasslands and prairies | 90–125 cm (TL) |
| Pygmy Rattlesnake | Sistrurus miliarius | Pine flatwoods and wetlands | 40–60 cm (TL) |
| Plains Garter Snake | Thamnophis radix | Prairies and wetlands | 50–70 cm (TL) |
| Philippine Sailfin Lizard | Hydrosaurus pustulatus | Riverside forests | 90–120 cm (TL) |
| Parker’s Snake-necked Turtle | Chelodina parkeri | Freshwater rivers and swamps | 20–27 cm (CL) |
| Plains Hog-nosed Snake | Heterodon nasicus | Sandy or gravelly prairies | 40–60 cm (TL) |
| Pink-bellied Side-necked Turtle | Emydura subglobosa | Freshwater rivers and swamps | 20–25 cm (CL) |
| Pacific Pond Turtle | Actinemys marmorata | Ponds, rivers, and marshes | 15–25 cm (CL) |
| Palestinian Viper | Daboia palaestinae | Woodlands and agricultural areas | 80–130 cm (TL) |
| Panamint Alligator Lizard | Elgaria panamintina | Pinyon-juniper woodland | 20–30 cm (TL) |
| Papuan Python | Apodora papuana | Rainforests and grasslands | 300–430 cm (TL) |
| Plateau Lizard | Sceloporus tristichus | Rocky canyons and woodlands | 10–14 cm (SVL) |
| Peter’s Banded Skink | Scincopus fasciatus | Arid scrubland and desert | 20–25 cm (TL) |
| Pygmy Leaf Chameleon | Brookesia minima | Rainforest leaf litter | 3–3.5 cm (TL) |
| Pan’s Box Turtle | Cuora pani | Freshwater streams | 15–20 cm (CL) |
| Pacific Gopher Snake | Pituophis catenifer | Grassland, woodland, desert | 90–210 cm (TL) |
| Padloper Tortoise | Homopus signatus | Rocky outcrops | 6–10 cm (CL) |
| Philippine Forest Turtle | Siebenrockiella leytensis | Small streams and ponds | 20–30 cm (CL) |
| Pygmy Mulga Monitor | Varanus gilleni | Arid woodlands | 35–40 cm (TL) |
| Pearl-banded Rat Snake | Boiga drapiezii | Lowland rainforest | 150–200 cm (TL) |
| Puerto Rican Crested Anole | Anolis cristatellus | Forests and urban areas | 12–18 cm (TL) |
| Painted Agama | Laudakia stellio | Rocky areas and ruins | 25–35 cm (TL) |
| Peninsula Cooter | Pseudemys peninsularis | Freshwater rivers and springs | 23–40 cm (CL) |
| Persian Horned Viper | Pseudocerastes persicus | Sandy and rocky desert | 50–80 cm (TL) |
| Parrot Snake | Leptophis ahaetulla | Tropical rainforest | 150–200 cm (TL) |
| Plain-bellied Water Snake | Nerodia erythrogaster | Ponds, swamps, and rivers | 75–120 cm (TL) |
Descriptions
Panther Chameleon
From Madagascar, these chameleons are famous for their vibrant, locality-specific colors. Males are much more colorful than females, displaying brilliant shades of blue, green, orange, and red.
Pancake Tortoise
This flat tortoise from Tanzania and Kenya can wedge itself into rock crevices to escape predators. Its shell is surprisingly flexible, unlike other tortoises.
Painted Turtle
One of North America’s most common turtles, recognized by its colorful red and yellow markings on its neck, legs, and shell. They are often seen basking on logs.
Perentie
Australia’s largest lizard and the fourth-largest in the world. It is a powerful predator with a venomous bite, hunting a wide range of prey across the outback.
Puff Adder
A highly venomous viper found throughout Africa. Known for its stocky build, potent venom, and a distinctive loud hissing or “puffing” warning when threatened.
Pine Snake
A large, non-venomous constrictor from the southeastern United States. It’s known for its loud hiss and impressive threat display, often vibrating its tail like a rattlesnake.
Philippine Crocodile
A critically endangered crocodile endemic to the Philippines. Conservation efforts are underway to save this species, one of the most threatened crocodilians in the world.
Paradise Tree Snake
Also known as the Paradise Flying Snake, this Southeast Asian species can glide through the air by flattening its body into a wing-like shape to cross gaps between trees.
Pig-nosed Turtle
A unique freshwater turtle from Australia and New Guinea with flippers like a sea turtle and a prominent, pig-like snout used for breathing while submerged.
Pygmy Python
Native to Western Australia, this is one of the smallest python species in the world. It often hides in termite mounds to escape the heat and find prey.
Parson’s Chameleon
One of the largest chameleon species, native to eastern Madagascar. They are known for their slow movements, turret-like eyes, and incredibly long lifespan for a chameleon.
Prehensile-tailed Skink
A large, slow-moving, tree-dwelling skink from the Solomon Islands. It is unique among skinks for its prehensile tail and for living in social groups called circuli.
Pink-tongued Skink
A slender lizard from eastern Australia named for its bright pink tongue, which it uses to sense its environment. It primarily feeds on snails and slugs.
Peringuey’s Adder
A small viper from the Namib Desert that is famous for its sidewinding locomotion across hot sand. It buries itself with only its eyes and tail tip exposed.
Prairie Rattlesnake
A venomous pit viper found across western North America. It plays a crucial role in controlling rodent populations in its prairie ecosystem and hibernates in communal dens.
Pygmy Rattlesnake
A small rattlesnake from the southeastern U.S. Its rattle is so tiny it sounds more like a buzzing insect than a typical rattlesnake’s warning.
Plains Garter Snake
A common, harmless snake found in central North America. It is adaptable and often found near water sources where it hunts for amphibians and earthworms.
Philippine Sailfin Lizard
An impressive lizard from the Philippines with a distinctive sail-like crest on its tail. It is an excellent swimmer and can even run across water for short distances.
Parker’s Snake-necked Turtle
Native to New Guinea, this turtle has an extremely long neck that it uses to strike at fish and invertebrate prey from a distance, much like a snake.
Plains Hog-nosed Snake
Known for its upturned snout and dramatic defensive display, which includes hissing, spreading its neck like a cobra, and convincingly feigning death. It is found in North America.
Pink-bellied Side-necked Turtle
A popular aquarium turtle from Australia and New Guinea, known for the bright pink or orange plastron (bottom shell) it displays as a juvenile.
Pacific Pond Turtle
The only native freshwater turtle on the Pacific Coast of the United States. Its population has declined due to habitat loss and competition from invasive species.
Palestinian Viper
A highly venomous viper found in the Middle East. It is a major cause of snakebites in its range due to its proximity to human settlements and farms.
Panamint Alligator Lizard
A secretive lizard from the desert mountains of California. It is slender with a long tail that can be shed to escape from predators.
Papuan Python
A large, non-venomous snake from New Guinea. It is known for its remarkable ability to change color, often becoming darker at night or when stressed.
Plateau Lizard
A type of spiny lizard found in the southwestern United States and Mexico. Males have vibrant blue patches on their belly and throat used in territorial displays.
Peter’s Banded Skink
A nocturnal, burrowing skink from North Africa. It has a distinctive pattern of thick black bands on a yellow or orange body and “swims” through loose sand.
Pygmy Leaf Chameleon
One of the world’s smallest reptiles, this tiny chameleon from Madagascar expertly mimics a dead leaf to avoid detection by predators.
Pan’s Box Turtle
A critically endangered turtle from central China. It has a hinged plastron that allows it to completely close its shell, making it safe from most predators.
Pacific Gopher Snake
A large, non-venomous snake from western North America. It often mimics rattlesnakes by hissing loudly and vibrating its tail against dry leaves.
Padloper Tortoise
Also known as the Speckled Cape Tortoise, it is the world’s smallest tortoise species. Found in a small, arid region of South Africa, it is a protected species.
Philippine Forest Turtle
A critically endangered turtle from the Philippine island of Palawan. It was once thought to be one of the rarest turtles on Earth due to its secretive nature.
Pygmy Mulga Monitor
A small, tree-dwelling monitor lizard from central and western Australia. It spends most of its time in trees, sheltering under bark and hunting insects and small lizards.
Pearl-banded Rat Snake
A slender, mildly venomous snake from Southeast Asia. It has a highly variable appearance, with some individuals being tan, reddish, or even green.
Puerto Rican Crested Anole
A common lizard in Puerto Rico, known for the prominent, fan-like dewlap it displays and a crest along its back and tail. It has been introduced to Florida.
Painted Agama
A lizard found in southeastern Europe and the Middle East. It can change its color based on mood and temperature, and males have striking blue heads during breeding season.
Peninsula Cooter
A large basking turtle found throughout Florida. It is primarily herbivorous, feeding on aquatic plants, and is an important grazer in its ecosystem.
Persian Horned Viper
A venomous viper from the Middle East, recognizable by the horn-like scales above its eyes. It moves by sidewinding across the desert sand.
Parrot Snake
A long, slender, and vividly green snake found in Central and South America. When threatened, it opens its mouth to reveal a black lining as a scare tactic.
Plain-bellied Water Snake
A non-venomous, highly aquatic snake found in the central and eastern United States. It is often mistaken for the venomous cottonmouth but is harmless to humans.