Michigan’s Herpetofauna

Herpetology is the study of Reptiles and Amphibians

Nathan Richendollar

Michigan’s salamanders• While the United States has over 200 species and

subspecies of salamanders, Michigan has fifteen• These salamanders can be divided into Six Groups: The

Mole Salamanders (7), the Appalachian Salamanders (2), the Newts (2), the full-aquatic salamanders (2), the fully terrestrial salamanders (1), and the bog salamanders (1)

• Salamanders are amphibians, meaning that they lay their eggs in water, have a cloacae, absorb things through their skin, and generally like moist areas

• The slime of amphibian skin is antibiotic, antiviral, and anti-fungal

• Salamanders live in forests, but almost never pine forests

The Seven Mole Salamanders• Mole Salamanders all belong to the genus Ambystoma and breed

with the first warm spring rains after the thaw with the exception of the Marbled Salamander, which breeds in the fall

• They live in moist forest areas and need vernal pools to breed (small ponds in woodlands that fill up in the spring) (Huge mass migration!)

• Michigan has seven mole “sallies”: Smallmouth (state endangered), Spotted, Blue-spotted, Silvery and Tremblay’s (unisexual hybrids), Marbled (state endangered), and Eastern Tiger

• Mole Salamanders are tough to find outside the breeding season

Marbled Spotted E. Tiger Smallmouth “Blue-spot”

The Two Appalachian Mysteries• We have two Appalachian salamanders: The Northern Dusky and

the Southern Two-Lined, both of which only live in a few square miles in Tuscola County

• These salamanders are “lung less”, which means that they absorb oxygen directly from flowing water, a good way to be in the Appalachian Mountains, not so much in the Midwest

• These species were both discovered after 2005 at the same site, no one knows how they got here

• These species prefer rocky streams, springs, and nearby woodshttp://www.pwrc.usgs.gov:8080/mapserver/naa/

Northern Dusky

Southern Two-Lined

The Newts• A newt is different from a salamander in that it has dry, rough skin,

unlike the smooth skin of most salamanders (Think Frog v. Toad). Newts prefer to live in permanent standing water and the surrounding woods.

• Newts go through an “eft” phase and an aquatic phase of life• Michigan has two newts: The Eastern Red-Spotted Newt and the

Eastern Central Newt • Red-Spotted Newts live in the Southern and Eastern portions of

Michigan, the Central Newt lives everywhere else

Red Eft stageRed-spotted adultCentral

Terrestrial Sallies• Michigan only has one fully terrestrial salamander: the Red-backed

Salamander (Plethodon Cinereus)• The Red-back prefers woodlands and deciduous forests, and is the

most common salamander in Michigan• The Red-back is the only skinny salamander in the state, and

comes in two forms: Red-backed and lead-backed• Red-backs breed on land, and don’t need vernal pools• Most hardy salamanders in the state, have been found in Wayne co.• 3600/acre in good forests

Red-Back and Lead-Back

The fully aquatic salamanders• Fully aquatic salamanders never lose their gills (or what look like

gills), and remain in water all of their lives• Michigan has two: the Western Lesser Siren and the Mudpuppy• The Mudpuppy prefers cold, deep waters such as Lake St. Clair,

while the Siren is found in shallow, muddy waters• The Siren was only known from a few Southwestern counties, and

hasn’t been sighted for at least a score in MI (species of special concern)

MudpuppyW Lesser Siren

The Four-toed• The Four-toed salamander is associated with sphagnum bogs

(mossy bogs), and lays its eggs in March and April• It is a purplish-pink with a white and black mottled underside• Because of its specific habitat requirements, the Four-toed is

relatively rare across Michigan, although it is common when proper habitat is present

• It is more common in Northern Michigan, especially the Upper Peninsula

Frogs and Toads• Michigan has Thirteen Frogs and Toads that can be divided into five

categories: the True Frogs (genus Lithobates) (6), Treefrogs (genus hyla) (2), Toads (Genus Anaxyrus) (2), early spring frogs (2), and cricket frogs (1)

• While the young of salamanders are called larvae, the larvae of toads are called tadpoles, and the larvae of frogs are polliwogs

• Like salamanders, Frogs and Toads must breed in water, but they are much more conspicuous due to their vocalization

• Each frog and toad species has a unique call and breeding season • All amphibians hear through a tempanic membrane behind their

eyes, which can be used to differentiate males and females• Frogs make calls through their vocal sacs

The calls• On the internet, you can get any frog call for free• I will play Michigan’s now• A poem to remember them easily: I will pass it out• If you don’t know, and a Fowler’s toad, a Mink Frog, or a

Blanchard’s cricket frog is one of the options, consider your location• Use common sense with regards to the habitat• Videos of frogs calling are widely available on youtube

Bullfrog Calling

The true frogs (Lithobates)• Our state has six true frogs: The Green Frog, the Bullfrog, the

Northern Leopard Frog, the Pickerel Frog, the Mink Frog, and the Wood Frog

• True frogs generally prefer marshes, ponds, and other large areas of standing water, with the exception of the Wood Frog

• Mink Frogs are only found in the U.P.• The true frogs often prey on one another• The most common image we have in our heads of a normal frog• How to tell Bullfrogs from Green Frogs

Green Frog Bullfrog

Wood Frog (Lithobates sylvatica) prefers woodlands with vernal pools and breeds alongside Spotted Salamanders in March and April

Mink Frogs breed in May and June in the UP, and prefer deep, cold lakes, ponds, and swift-flowing streams

Leopard Frogs (Lithobates pipiens) come in a green and a brown phase with huge spots, prefer slow streams, grassy meadows, and shallow marshes, and are preyed upon by Bullfrogs

Pickerel Frogs are given away by their two rows of square spots and yellow bellies. They inhabit the same habitat as Leopard Frogs but are more rare

The Treefrogs• Michigan has two treefrogs: The Common Eastern Gray and the

Cope’s Gray• These two species are indistinguishable without DNA analysis, and

have nearly identical calls (short trills) • They prefer old-growth and pine woodlands, and are far more

common in the northern portions of the state than the southern LP• They are light gray with dark gray patterns• Treefrog polliwogs are easily identifiable by their bright red tails

Cope’s gray treefrog Common gray

The Toads (Anaxyrus)• Michigan has two toads: The Eastern American and the Fowler’s • The Fowler’s toad only lives in a few southeastern counties, and is

easily recognized by its scream-like call• American toad tadpoles are small and black, thousands may be

seen at one time• American toad juveniles are the “sand toads” of northern Michigan• Toads have rough skin as opposed to frogs, and aren’t as fond of

water• Toads lay their eggs in strings rather than clumps

Eastern American Toad Fowler’s

Toad

The early spring frogs• These Frogs are not formally grouped together, I just group them

together because of when they breed• Spring Peepers are pinkish tan or brownish tan with a dark X on

their back and breed in woodland vernal pools along with sallies• Western Chorus Frogs are the earliest breeding frogs in the state,

and utilize ditches, marshes, and vernal pools alike, making a repeated clicking sound

• Chorus Frogs are tan with black or dark brown lines on their sides• Both of these frogs are less than 2” in diameter

Spring Peeper Western Chorus Frog

The Cricket Frog• Michigan’s cricket frog is the Blanchard’s Cricket Frog• It has not been sighted in Michigan for years, and is

exceedingly rare north of Southern Illinois• It is brown with a large green stripe on its back• It has a chisel-like call• It prefers wet meadows and marshes

The Cricket Frog is 2-4” long and breeds in April in most of its range (state endangered)

The Lizards (Lee-zards)• Lizards are Reptiles, meaning that they prefer dry, hot areas to soak

up energy through warmth and sunlight, making Michigan a less than ideal state for them

• Reptiles have scaly skin and lay their eggs on land• Their eggs are hard-shelled like bird eggs unlike the amphibians• Michigan has but two Lizards: The Five-Lined Skink and the Six-

Lined Racerunner. Both species prefer rocky, dry hardwood forests• Six-lined racerunners live only in one locale in Tuscola County, and

were discovered in the 2000s (closest population in Central Illinois)• The Five-lined skink is widespread but rare

5-lined skink

6-lined racerunner

Michigan’s Turtles• Michigan has eleven turtles that belong to five different categories:

the water turtles (3), the Snappers (1), the Woodland Turtles (3), the invasive turtles (2), and the map and musk turtles (2)

• Turtles have a carapace (shell) and a plastron (underside), and have a cloacae like amphibians. Turtles breed in the summer.

• Michigan’s turtles range in size from 3” to 2’ in diameter• Michigan’s largest turtle is the Common Snapping Turtle, and the

smallest is the Spotted Turtle (state threatened) • Most turtles live in larger bodies of water than amphibians

The common water turtles• The Common Water Turtles are the Midland Painted Turtle, the

Eastern Spiny Soft-shell and the Blanding’s Turtle (species of sc)• Blanding’s Turtles are large black turtles with a dome-shaped shell

and a yellow throat, usually with yellow dots on the shell, they like sandy-bottomed water courses and weedy waters (12”)

• The Midland Painted Turtle is the most common turtle in the state, and prefers shallow waters and small lakes with abundant logs (4-8”)

• The Eastern Spiny Soft-shell is a vicious turtle that can stretch its neck behind itself to bit its handler. It is large and tan, and prefers huge bodies of water like open marshes or large lakes. It obviously has a soft shell. Its nose looks like that of a pig. E Spiny Soft-shell

Blanding’s Turtle

Midland Painted

Woodland Turtles• Michigan has three turtles associated with woodland habitats: the

Spotted Turtle (state threatened), the Wood Turtle (species of sc), and the Eastern Box Turtle (species of sc)

• The Wood Turtle generally prefers moist woodland habitats that would harbor salamanders, has a flat, gray carapace, and an orange-yellow neck (however, it will also venture into swift streams near forests)

• The Spotted Turtle lives in deep woodland pools and marshes, and is Michigan’s only spring-breeding turtle (April). It is a small, black turtle with large yellow spots on its shell

• The Box Turtle is Michigan’s only truly terrestrial turtle, with an orange or yellow carapace and a box-like shape; it prefers drier woodlands. Its diet consists mainly of berries and insects.

Eastern Box Turtle

Wood Turtle

Spotted Turtle

Invasive Turtles• Two species of Invasive turtles from the American Southland: The

Eastern River Cooter and the Red-eared slider have been able to outcompete native turtles and hold on

• The Eastern River Cooter is found along the Huron River in Wayne County, the Red-eared slider is found in Saint Clair and Macomb Counties

• Red-eared sliders have a big red patch behind their ear openings, and have a large brown carapace. The young are bright green.

• Cooters are like giant painted turtles with flat shells and more frequent basking habits

Red-eared Slider

Eastern River Cooter

Musk and Map Turtles• Musk Turtles are also called “Stinkpots” in Michigan because of the

foul smell they emit when handled to scare away predators• Musk turtles are small and brown with a half-circle shaped shell, and

prefer small lakes and weedy areas within larger watercourses• Map turtles are distinctive because of the map-type design on their

carapace• Map turtles prefer clearer water, but are not very picky about their

habitat• Northern Map Turtles are uncommon in Michigan

Stinkpot Northern Map Turtle

The Snapper• The United States has three snapping turtles, and Michigan has one

of them: the Common Snapping Turtle• The Common Snapper is usually between one and two feet in

diameter with a semi-domed black shell and a pentagon-shaped face

• Snappers are vicious but cannot stretch their necks like Softshells• Snappers are the second most common turtle in the state, and live

in any water, from a mud wallow to a vernal pool to a large lake• Snappers are the most carnivorous turtles in MI; they eat frogs,

smaller turtles, snakes, and salamanders

Common Snapping Turtles

Michigan’s serpentsMichigan’s serpents• Our state has seventeen snakes that can be divided into four

categories: the small non-venomous land snakes (7), the water snakes (5), the large non-venomous land snakes (4), and the venomous snakes (1)

• The pit vipers and water snakes see through infrared vision via pits below their noses

• Snakes can “smell” with their tongues, and their only prey items are mammals and amphibians

• Most snakes prefer hotter, drier areas like lizards• Serpents are one of the most effective means of rodent control• Michigan has but one venomous snake: The Massasauga Rattler

Ribbon vs. Garter Snake• Eastern Ribbon Snakes and the Butler’s Garter Snake look almost

identical, but there are a few differences you can use to avoid getting tricked

• Garter snakes have muck thicker bodies, shorter tails, and longer heads than ribbon snakes

• Ribbon snakes have a gigantic thin tail that stretches more than one-third of their body

• Ribbon snakes have a white spot in front of their eyes

Can you tell which one is the Ribbon and which one is the Garter?

The Water Snakes• Contrary to popular belief, Michigan doesn’t have any “Water Moccasins,”

those are just Northern Water Snakes, which are medium-sized, extremely aggressive water snakes

• Michigan has a two endangered water snakes: the Copper-bellied, which has an orange-ish belly and lives only in marshes in the extreme southern part of the state, and the Kirtland’s Snake, which is a gray and black with red snake that is the rarest in the state; it lives only in Southwest Michigan marshes

• The red-bellied snake is also a water snake, it is widespread but rare• The last snake in the water is the Queen Snake (species of sc), a greenish-

gray snake with a tan underside found in marshes and around ponds• No water snakes are dangerous, but the Northern Water is very irritable• Water snakes eat amphibians and other snakes

Northern Water snake: tolerant of fast-flowing water and the largest of the group

Kirtland’s Snake (state endangered)

Queen Snake (Species of sc)

Copper-bellied water snake (state endangered)

The Michigan Rattler• Michigan’s only rattlesnake and only venomous snake is the

Massasauga Rattler• The Massasauga lives in marshes in the summer, but needs upland

forests in the fall and spring• The Massasauga’s bite will usually only make someone ill, although

medical treatment is advised• This snake used to be abundant on Belle Isle (formerly “Snake

Island”) until settlers brought in pigs to eat the Rattlesnakes, giving Belle Isle the name “Pig Island” for a while in the 1800s

• This snake makes a buzzing noise when it ratttles, and is a species of special concern

• “Massies” eat rats, amphibians, and large insects• Rattlesnakes give live birth to their young

Large land non-venomous snakes

• Eastern Fox Snake (state threatened)- a large tan snake with black markings on its back, a denizen of farm field and dry woodlands. Most common in southeast Michigan.

• Black Rat Snake-largest land snake in the state, up to 8’, uniformly black with a white underside; it eats rodents and is most common in agricultural areas

• Blue Racer-highly aggressive farm and ditch snake fond of eating amphibians. Depending on how the light hits its scales, it can look blue, purple, green, or black. Fastest snake in Michigan.

• Eastern Hognose Snake- “Puff Adder” A tan snake with a hood like a cobra that puffs up to intimidate its predators or plays dead. It has a sharp, pointed nose designed to dig up its prey from their burrows. More common in Northern Michigan.

Blue Racer

Eastern Fox Snake Black Rat Snake

Eastern Hognose Snake

Last Slide! Thank God (or someone else if you prefer)!

• Michigan has but a few snakes that we have yet to talk about• Eastern Garter snakes have more of a green than a yellow stripe

and live everywhere in the state except the Southeast, where the Butler’s garter lives

• Northern Ring-neck snakes eat salamanders and frogs.• They are uniformly light gray with an orange neck band • Smooth green snakes are all green and skinny, but very rare• Eastern Milk snakes are red and pink; they prefer dry woodlands• Brown snakes are common in suburban and agricultural areas; they

are light brown and under 10”, the smallest snakes in Michigan

E Milk Snake

N Ring-Neck Snake

Brown Snake