Is Florida the Only State with an Official State Reptile?

When you charter an airboat ride in the Florida Everglades, you are likely to spot the state’s official reptile: the alligator. They might love the warming rays of the sun even more than tourists from Canada! According to estimates, there are about 1.3 million of them in the Sunshine State.

With the presence of the Everglades, which is one of the most unique ecosystems in the world, and the abundance of gators, it makes total sense for Florida to have an official state reptile. But what about other states?

Well, we were surprised to discover that there are, in fact, a total of 29 states that can brag about their official reptiles! Snakes, tortoises and turtles make up most of the entries, with a couple of lizards thrown in for good measure. Wyoming can boast of the only toad on the list – the Horned Toad!

The list, according to State Symbols USA, includes:

Alabama	Alabama Red-Bellied Turtle
Arizona	Arizona Ridge-Nosed Rattlesnake
California	Desert Tortoise AND Pacific Leatherback Sea Turtle
Colorado	Western Painted Turtle
Georgia	Gopher Tortoise
Illinois	Painted Turtle
Kansas	Ornate Box Turtle
Maryland	Diamondback Terrapin Turtle
Massachusetts	Garter Snake
Minnesota	Blanding’s Turtle
Missouri	Three-Toed Box Turtle
New Jersey	Bog Turtle
New Mexico	New Mexico Whiptail Lizard
New York	Snapping Turtle
North Carolina	Eastern Box Turtle
Ohio	Black Racer (snake)
Oklahoma	Collared Lizard
South Carolina	Loggerhead Sea Turtle
Texas	Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle

There is some overlap. California and Nevada both claim the Desert Tortoise. Vermont and Michigan both claim the Painted Turtle as their state reptile.

And Florida is not the only state to claim the alligator as it’s official reptile. Louisiana and Mississippi also picked the alligator. Although neither one has nearly as many as Florida! Louisiana probably has about 800,000 and Mississippi has less than 40,000.

So, if you want to see alligators, Florida is obviously the place to go. And we think an airboat ride in the Florida Everglades is the best way to see them in the wild.