Smallmouth Salamander (Ambystoma texanum)
Introduction
This page discusses the French common names for reptiles and amphibians native to Canada and some problems in their translation.
Standard French common names for Canadian reptiles and amphibians were first published in Henri Ouellet and Francis R. Cook, Les noms français des amphibiens et reptiles du Canada: une list provisoire (1981), and appeared again in Francis R. Cook, Introduction to Canadian Amphibians and Reptiles (1984). The list allowed bilingual and French-language publications in Canada to use a standard set of French-language common names for Canadian species.
A key conceptual difference between the French and English common names used here is that the French versions give names by family, rather than by order: for example, we have rainette for treefrog, couleuvre for colubrid snake, triton for newt, and chélydre for snapping turtle. In the French versions, the noun does the work, and adjectives are kept to a minimum: couleuvre de l’ouest is much more succinct than “Western Terrestrial Garter Snake.”
But Ouellet and Cook’s list of names is not without problems, particularly with respect to similar species, with similar names, that are not native to Canada. For example, one could argue that both kingsnakes (Lampropeltis) and Queen Snakes (Regina septemvittata) could lay a valid claim to couleuvre royale, and both Butler’s (Thamnophis butleri) and Short-headed Garter Snakes (Thamnophis brachystoma) could be called couleuvre à petite tête. Not only that, but the name assigned to North American Ringneck Snakes (Diadophis punctatus), couleuvre à collier, is already the accepted French common name for Eurasian Grass Snakes (Natrix natrix)! One wonders whether the possibility of Canadian French-speaking researchers or hobbyists discussing non-Canadian species was considered. Such problems in translation are discussed below.
And, since Ouellet and Cook assigned common names only at the species level, taxonomic changes have complicated some of the names. In most cases, this table follows the usage on the CARCNET website where its taxonomy is up to date. Other cases are dealt with in each species’s listing, below.
- Northern Cricket Frog (Acris crepitans)
- French Name: Rainette grillon
- Usage: Referring to Acris crepitans simply as rainette grillon may cause confusion in the context of other frogs of the genus Acris, known as cricket frogs in English, in particular Acris gryllus. Suggest using rainette grillon boréale or rainette grillon du nord in contexts where there is such possibility of confusion.
- Subspecies: Blanchard’s Cricket Frog, A. c. blanchardi, no usage found. Suggested usage: rainette grillon de Blanchard.
- American Toad (Anaxyrus americanus)
- Alternate Latin Name: Bufo americanus
- French Name: Crapaud d'Amérique
- Western Toad (Anaxyrus boreas)
- Alternate Latin Name: Bufo boreas
- French Name: Crapaud de l’ouest
- Fowler’s Toad (Anaxyrus fowleri)
- Alternate Latin Names: Bufo fowleri, Bufo woodhousii fowleri
- French Name: Crapaud de Fowler
- Taxonomy: At the time the list of French common names was made, Fowler’s Toad was considered a subspecies of Bufo woodhousii, and the French common name assigned to it was crapaud de Woodhouse. Crapaud de Fowler is used on the CARCNET website.
- Canadian Toad (Anaxyrus hemiophrys)
- Alternate Latin Name: Bufo hemiophrys
- French Name: Crapaud du Canada
- Great Plains Toad (Anaxyrus cognatus)
- Alternate Latin Name: Bufo cognatus
- French Name: Crapaud des steppes
- Rocky Mountain Tailed Frog (Ascaphus montanus)
- French Name: Grenouille-à-queue des Rocheuses
- Taxonomy: A. truei was split into two species; usage here follows CARCNET.
- Pacific Tailed Frog (Ascaphus truei)
- French Name: Grenouille-à-queue côtière
- Taxonomy: A. truei was split into two species; usage here follows CARCNET.
- Usage: CARCNET uses grenouille-à-queue côtière; it might be better translated as grenouille-à-queue du Pacifique.
- Cope’s Gray Treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis)
- French Name: Rainette criarde
- Gray Treefrog (Hyla versicolor)
- French Name: Rainette versicolore
- Bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeiana)
- Alternate Latin Name: Rana catesbeiana
- French Name: Ouaouaron
- Green Frog (Lithobates clamitans)
- Alternate Latin Name: Rana clamitans
- French Name: Grenouille verte
- Pickerel Frog (Lithobates palustris)
- Alternate Latin Name: Rana palustris
- French Name: Grenouille des marais
- Northern Leopard Frog (Lithobates pipiens)
- Alternate Latin Name: Rana pipiens
- French Name: Grenouille léopard
- Usage: Grenouille léopard could be unclear in the context of other frogs referred to as leopard frogs in English, e.g. Rana blairi, R. chiricahuensis, R. onca, R. sphenocephala, R. subaquavocalis, and R. yavapaiensis. Suggest using grenouille léopard boréale or grenouille léopard du nord for Rana pipiens in contexts where there is such possibility of confusion.
- Mink Frog (Lithobates septentrionalis)
- Alternate Latin Name: Rana septentrionalis
- French Name: Grenouille du nord
- Wood Frog (Lithobates sylvatica)
- Alternate Latin Name: Rana sylvatica
- French Name: Grenouille des bois
- Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer)
- French Name: Rainette crucifère
- Boreal Chorus Frog (Pseudacris maculata)
- French Name: Rainette faux-grillon boréale
- Taxonomy: Pseudacris maculata was considered a subspecies of Pseudacris triseriata at the time the list of French common names was made, and rainette faux-grillon applied to both. The modifiers of boréale for maculata and de l’ouest for triseriata are taken from the CARCNET website.
- Pacific Treefrog (Pseudacris regilla)
- French Name: Rainette du Pacifique
- Western Chorus Frog (Pseudacris triseriata)
- French Name: Rainette faux-grillon de l'ouest
- Taxonomy: Pseudacris maculata was considered a subspecies of Pseudacris triseriata at the time the list of French common names was made, and rainette faux-grillon applied to both. The modifiers of boréale for maculata and de l’ouest for triseriata are taken from the CARCNET website.
- Red-legged Frog (Rana aurora)
- French Name: Grenouille à pattes rouges
- Columbia Spotted Frog (Rana luteiventris)
- French Name: Grenouille maculée de Columbia
- Oregon Spotted Frog (Rana pretiosa)
- French Name: Grenouille maculée de l’Orégon
- Plains Spadefoot (Spea bombifrons)
- French Name: Crapaud des plaines
- Great Basin Spadefoot (Spea intermontana)
- French Name: Crapaud du Grand Bassin
- Northwestern Salamander (Ambystoma gracile)
- French Name: Salamandre foncée
- Jefferson Salamander (Ambystoma jeffersonianum)
- French Name: Salamandre de Jefferson
- Blue-spotted Salamander (Ambystoma laterale)
- French Name: Salamandre à points bleus
- Long-toed Salamander (Ambystoma macrodactylum)
- French Name: Salamandre à longs doigts
- Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma maculatum)
- French Name: Salamandre maculée
- Smallmouth Salamander (Ambystoma texanum)
- French Name: Salamandre à nez court
- Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum)
- Alternate Latin Name: Ambystoma mavortium
- French Name: Salamandre tigrée
- Taxonomy: At the time the list of French common names was made, Ambystoma mavortium and Ambystoma tigrinum were considered the same species. I have as yet no suggestions on how to distinguish between two salamandres tigrées. The Eastern Tiger Salamander, A. tigrinum, may not be present in Canada.
- Wandering Salamander (Aneides vagrans)
- French Name: Salamandre errant
- Northern Dusky Salamander (Desmognathus fuscus)
- French Name: Salamandre sombre
- Pacific Giant Salamander (Dicamptodon tenebrosus)
- French Name: Grand salamandre du nord
- Common Ensantina (Ensantina eschscholzii)
- French Name: Salamandre variable
- Northern Two-lined Salamander (Eurycea bislineata)
- French Name: Salamandre à deux lignes
- Spring Salamander (Gyrinophilus porphyriticus)
- French Name: Salamandre pourpre
- Four-toed Salamander (Hemidactylium scutatum)
- French Name: Salamandre à quatre doigts
- Common Mudpuppy (Necturus maculosus)
- French Name: Necture tacheté
- Eastern Newt (Notophthalmus viridiscens)
- French Name: Triton vert
- Northern Red-backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus)
- French Name: Salamandre rayée
- Coeur d’Alene Salamander (Plethodon idahoensis)
- French Name: Salamandre de Coeur d’Alène
- Western Red-backed Salamander (Plethodon vehiculum)
- French Name: Salamandre à dos rayé
- Rough-skinned Newt (Taricha granulosa)
- French Name: Triton rugueux
- Northern Alligator Lizard (Elgaria coerulea)
- French Name: Lézard-alligator boréal
- Northern Five-lined Skink (Eumeces fasciatus)
- Alternate Latin Name: Plestiodon fasciatus
- French Name: Scinque pentaligne
- Usage: Scinque pentaligne could also apply to the Southeastern Five-lined Skink, Eumeces inexpectatus.
- Prairie Skink (Eumeces septentrionalis)
- Alternate Latin Name: Plestiodon septentrionalis
- French Name: Scinque des prairies
- Western Skink (Eumeces skiltonianus)
- Alternate Latin Name: Plestiodon skiltonianus
- French Name: Scinque de l’ouest
- Pygmy Short-horned Lizard (Phrynosoma douglasii)
- French Name: Iguane pygmée à cornes courtes
- Mountain Short-horned Lizard (Phrynosoma hernandesi)
- French Name: Grand iguane à petits cornes
- Rubber Boa (Charina bottae)
- French Name: Boa caoutchouc
- Eastern Racer (Coluber constrictor)
- French Name: Couleuvre agile
- Subspecies: Blue Racer, C. c. foxii: couleuvre agile bleue. Eastern Yellow-bellied Racer: couleuvre agile à ventre jaune de l’est. See also Western Racer, immediately below.
- Western Racer (Coluber mormon)
- Alternate Latin Name: Coluber constrictor mormon
- French Name: Couleuvre agile de l’ouest; couleuvre agile à ventre jaune de léouest
- Taxonomy: C. mormon was considered a subspecies of C. constrictor at the time of Ouellet and Cook’s list.
- Usage: CARCNET uses couleuvre agile à ventre jaune de l’ouest, which is a cumbersome translation of this snake’s alternate name in English (Western Yellow-bellied Racer). I imagine couleuvre agile de l’ouest could equally be used.
- Sharp-tailed Snake (Contia tenuis)
- French Name: Couleuvre à queue fine
- Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus)†
- French Name: Crotale des bois
- Northern Pacific Rattlesnake (Crotalus oreganus)
- French Name: Crotale de l’ouest; crotale pacifique
- Taxonomy: Some authorities now split two subspecies of the former Western Rattlesnake (crotale de l’ouest) — the Prairie Rattlesnake, C. v. viridis, and the Northern Pacific Rattlesnake, C. v. oreganus — into separate species. Crotale du Pacifique may suffice for C. oreganus, though it’s anything but.
- Prairie Rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis)
- French Name: Crotale de l’ouest; crotale des prairies
- Taxonomy: Some authorities now split two subspecies of the former Western Rattlesnake (crotale de l’ouest) — the Prairie Rattlesnake, C. v. viridis, and the Northern Pacific Rattlesnake, C. v. oreganus — into separate species. Crotale des prairies may suffice for C. viridis.
- Ringneck Snake (Diadophis punctatus)
- French Name: Couleuvre à collier
- Usage: In certain contexts, couleuvre à collier could be confused with the European Grass Snake, Natrix natrix, whose common French name is also couleuvre à collier.
- Eastern Fox Snake (Elaphe gloydi)
- Alternate Latin Names: Pantherophis gloydi, Pituophis gloydi, Mintonius gloydi
- French Name: Couleuvre fauve
- Taxonomy: The taxonomy of lampropeltine snakes, particularly the former North American Elaphe, is in considerable flux at the moment.
- Usage: Couleuvre fauve originally designated Elaphe vulpina before the eastern subspecies, E. v. gloydi, which is the one found in Canada, was elevated to full species status in 1991. As a result, couleuvre fauve de l’est is sometimes used to designate Elaphe gloydi. On the proliferation of alternate Latin names, see this blog entry.
- Rat Snake (Elaphe obsoleta)
- Alternate Latin Names: Elaphe spiloides, Pantherophis spiloides, Pituophis spiloides, Scotophis spiloides
- French Name: Couleuvre obscure
- Taxonomy: The taxonomy of lampropeltine snakes, particularly the former North American Elaphe, is in considerable flux at the moment.
- Usage: Couleuvre obscure is appropriate for the northern subspecies of Elaphe obsoleta (or, if you like, the local populations of Scotophis) that is found in Canada, but southern subspecies such as E. o. quadrivittata (the Yellow Rat Snake) and E. o. rossalleni (the Everglades Rat Snake), are a bit too brightly coloured for it.
- Western Hognose Snake (Heterodon nasicus)
- French Name: Couleuvre à nez retroussé
- Other Species: Since Heterodon nasicus and H. platirhinos (couleuvre à nez plat) have different names, it is unclear what name could be assigned to H. simus, the Southern Hognose Snake.
- Eastern Hognose Snake (Heterodon platirhinos)
- French Name: Couleuvre à nez plat
- Other Species: Since Heterodon nasicus (couleuvre à nez retroussé) and H. platirhinos have different names, it is unclear what name could be assigned to H. simus, the Southern Hognose Snake.
- Night Snake (Hypsiglena torquata)
- French Name: Couleuvre nocturne
- Milk Snake (Lampropeltis triangulum)
- French Name: Couleuvre tachetée
- Usage: Couleuvre tachetée is appropriate for the subspecies of Lampropeltis triangulum found in Canada, but not for the many tricoloured subspecies of L. triangulum found from the southern U.S. through Ecuador.
- Smooth Green Snake (Liochlorophis vernalis)
- Alternate Latin Name: Opheodrys vernalis
- French Name: Couleuvre verte
- Usage: Couleuvre verte fails to differentiate between this species and Opheodrys aestivus, the Rough Green Snake. I suggest using couleuvre verte lisse to specify this species in contexts where it would otherwise be unclear.
- Northern Water Snake (Nerodia sipedon)
- French Name: Couleuvre d’eau
- Usage: It’s unclear how to differentiate between this species and the nine other Nerodia found in the United States.
- Subspecies: Couleuvre d’eau du Lac Érié has been used for N. s. insularum; couleuvre d’eau du nord could be used for N. s. sipedon.
- Bullsnake/Gopher Snake (Pituophis catenifer)
- French Name: Couleuvre à nez mince
- Usage: It’s unclear how to differentiate between this species and other Pituophis, particularly Pine Snakes (P. melanoleucus), or among its subspecies. P. c. deserticola could be the couleuvre à nez mince du Grand Bassin, but translating “Bullsnake” has always been problematic: “bull” is a measure of size, rather than a metaphor for male cattle; serpent-taureau is just wrong.
- Queen Snake (Regina septemvittata)
- French Name: Couleuvre royale
- Other species: Couleuvre royale makes a translation of “kingsnake” (Lampropeltis) somewhat problematic; I translate the latter as serpent-roi instead.
- Massasauga (Sistrurus catenatus)
- French Name: Massasauga
- Subspecies: The eastern subspecies found in Canada, S. c. catenatus, is sometimes referred to as massasauga de l’est.
- Usage: Crotale massasauga is also used.
- Brown Snake (Storeria dekayi)
- French Name: Couleuvre brune
- Red-bellied Snake (Storeria occipitomaculata)
- French Name: Couleuvre à ventre rouge
- Butler’s Garter Snake (Thamnophis butleri)
- French Name: Couleuvre à petite tête
- Other Species: Couleuvre à petite tête makes translating the common name of the closely related Short-headed Garter Snake, Thamnophis brachystoma, problematic.
- Western Terrestrial Garter Snake (Thamnophis elegans)
- French Name: Couleuvre de l’est
- Northwestern Garter Snake (Thamnophis ordinoides)
- French Name: Couleuvre du nord-ouest
- Plains Garter Snake (Thamnophis radix)
- French Name: Couleuvre des plaines
- Eastern Ribbon Snake (Thamnophis septentrionalis)
- French Name: Couleuvre mince
- Subspecies: One subspecies, the Northern Ribbon Snake, T. s. septentrionalis, is found in Canada; couleuvre mince du nord could be used to refer to it.
- Usage: Couleuvre mince could equally refer to the Western Ribbon Snake, Thamnophis proximus; differentiation would be problematic in some contexts.
- Common Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis)
- French Name: Couleuvre rayée
- Subspecies: Five subspecies are present in Canada; CARCNET uses the following French names:
- Valley Garter Snake, T. s. fitchi: couleuvre rayée des vallées
- Maritime Garter Snake, T. s. pallidulus: couleuvre rayée des Maritimes
- Red-sided Garter Snake, T. s. parietalis: couleuvre rayée à flancs rouges
- Puget Sound Garter Snake, T. s. pickeringii: couleuvre rayée de Puget Sound
- Eastern Garter Snake, T. s. sirtalis: couleuvre rayée de l’est
- Western Pond Turtle (Actinemys marmorata)†
- Alternate Latin Name: Clemmys marmorata
- French Name: Tortue de l’ouest
- Spiny Softshell (Apalone spinifera)
- French Name: Tortue-molle à épines
- Subspecies: Eastern Spiny Softshell, A. s. spinifera; suggest using tortue-molle à épines de l’est.
- Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta)
- French Name: Caouane
- Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas)
- French Name: Tortue verte
- Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina)
- French Name: Chélydre serpentine
- Painted Turtle (Chryemys picta)
- French Name: Tortue peinte
- Spotted Turtle (Clemmys guttata)
- French Name: Tortue ponctuée
- Leatherback Sea Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)
- French Name: Tortue luth
- Blanding’s Turtle (Emydoidea blandingii)
- French Name: Tortue mouchetée
- Wood Turtle (Glyptemys insculpta)
- Alternate Latin Name: Clemmys insculpta
- French Name: Tortue des bois
- Common Map Turtle (Graptemys geographica)
- French Name: Tortue géographique
- Atlantic Ridley’s Sea Turtle (Lepidochelys kempii)
- French Name: Tortue bâtarde
- Common Musk Turtle (Sternotherus odoratus)
- French Name: Tortue musquée
- Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina)
- French Name: Tortue tabatière
Frogs
Salamanders
Lizards
Snakes
Turtles
†Extirpated from Canada.
Last updated: October 18, 2009.