SR0-NERP-2

The Reptiles and Amphibians

of the

Savannah River Plant

by

J. Whitfield Gib bons

and

Karen K. Patterson

Savannah River Ecology Laboratory

Ai ken I South Carolina

INTRODUCTION

THE REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANSOF THE SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT

by

J. Whitfield Gibbons and Karen K. Patterson

Savannah River Ecology Laboratory

Drawer E

Aiken, South Carolina 29801

HABITATS

The objective of this report is to provide taxonom ic,distributional , and ecological information on the reptilesand amphibians of the Savannah River Plant (SRI' ),located on the Atlantic coastal plain , south of Aiken ,South Carolina . The purpose of such a presentation is togive a professional biologist an initial familiarity withherpetology on the SRI'. The foundation ofherpetological information is based on general andregional publications and on extensive research by localor visiting investigators . Much of the site-specificresearch has been published in the open scientificliterature or written up as theses , dissertations , orreports . Our report attempts to consolidate the findingsfrom all of these efforts in order to present, ascohesively as possible , our present understanding of theecology of local species of reptiles and amphibians . Theintent is to provide sufficient comprehensive informationto an ecologist , regardless of his experienc e inherpetology, to permit him to undertake studies that insome manner incorporate the herpetofauna of the SRI'.

An account of the state herpetofauna of SouthCarolina has not been published . A thoroughconsideration of South Carolina amphibians will be givenby Harrison (in preparation), but no presentation of thereptiles of South Carolina has been undertaken.Checklis ts of coastal species have been presented(Gibbons, in press; Harrison, in press). Generalherpetofaunal accounts applicable to South Carolinahave been published in accounts of all eastern reptilesand amphibians (Conant, 1975; Cochran and Goin,1970), specific accounts of U.S. turtles (Carr, 1952;Ernst and Barbour, 1972), snakes (Schmidt and Davis ,1941 ; Wright and Wright, 1957), lizards (Smith, 1946),alligators (Neill, 1971), salamanders (Bishop, 1947), andfrogs and toads (Wright and Wright , 1949). The mostpertinent regional work is Mount's (1975) Reptiles andAmphibians of Alabama. Martof"s (1956) Amphibiansand R eptiles of Georgia, a Guide is outdated in manyrespects and is of limited value . The most thoroughaccount of the status of SRI' herpetology is presented byGibbons , et al. (in pre ss).

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Regional Aspects

The SRI' is located in the west central portion of SouthCarolina and encompasses portions of Aiken, Barnwelland Allendale counties (Map I). The site 's southwestbound ary is the Savannah River, a typical large southernriver with extensive flood plains and oxbows. Thenorthern boundary is 20-30 miles (32-48 km) south of theFall Line , and its biological influence is evident in somespecies on the SRI'. Throughout a major portion of theSoutheast the Fall Line represents the transitional zonebetween montane or piedmont and coastal plainenvironments. It also forms a range boundary fornumerous species found on the SRP and is a zone ofintergradation for man y others. The entire SRP site lieswithin the Atlantic coastal plain geologic province. Twophysiographic subregions are included within the siteboundaries: the Aiken Plateau (82-122 m elev.) and thePleistocene Coastal Terraces (30-82 in elev.) (Map 2).

The SRI' acreage is comprised of fi ve major soil types:Vaucluse and Blarney soils, Dothan and Norfolk soils,Fuquay and Wagram soils, Troup sand , and Guntersand . All are composed of sand overl ying sandy clayloam .

The summer climate of South Carolina is generall ywarm and wet. The winters are normally mild. NormalJanuary temperatures for the upper coastal plain region,including the SRI', are lows of 38-42 F (3-6 CJ and highsof 58-62 F (14-17 C). Normal July temperatures are lowsof 70-74 F (21-23 C) and highs of 92-96 F (33-36 C).Normal yearly precipitat ion is 36-44 in (91-112 em).Snow is uncommon.

Local Aspects

The SRI' has an area of approximately 300 sq mi (780sq km). A major portion of the tra ct is protected frompublic intru sion and has the typical array of habitatscharacterizing non-urban. non-agrarian port ions of theupper coas tal plain of South Carolina.

Predominant aquatic habitats include the SavannahRiver and five tributary streams, a 3000 acre (1200 halreservoir system , numerous Carolina bays, several

abandoned farm ponds and minor impoundments . Thecypress-gum and lowl and hard wood swamps borderingthe river and its tributaries comprise 10-15% of the site.Pine plantations and na tural pine stands make up about40% of the present area. Several upland hard woodstands are scatlered throughout the SRI' but constituteless than 2% of the site . The remainder of the SRI' iscomposed of mixed hardwood and pine , abando nedold-fields , indu strial complexes , and an extensivehighway system (Map 3).

The SRI' was acquired from public lands in 1951 bythe U.S . Government. At the time of acquisition,30-40% of th e area was farm ed (primarily cotton andcorn) and the remainder was mostl y second-growth pineor hardwood fore sts. During the 25 years sinceestablishment of the site , the most exten siveenvironmental impact has resulted from U.S . ForestServ ice programs. Most of the abandoned farm land hasbeen plant ed in pine or is undergoing natural successiontoward turkey oak-longleaf pine as soc iations , an edaphicclimax community in this region.

Extensive dra ining has not been done on the site andmost lowland areas have remained undisturbed for aquarter of a century. Major aquatic alterations haveresulted from thermal releases into three of the fivetributary strea ms and from con struction of the Par Pondreservoir system (Gibbons and Sharitz, 1974). Selectedhabi tats deserve specific mention because of theiruniqueness to the site or region and their importance tothe herp etofaun a.

Carolina Bays-These unique aquatic env ironments,confined to a band across the piedmont and coastal plainregion of Georgia and the Carolinas , are the primarylentic hab itats occurring naturally on the SRI'. Morethan a sco re are pre sent on the site. The geologic originof Caro lina bays is unknown but all are characteris ticallyegg-shaped, oriented in a northwest-southeast directionand have highly fluctu ating water levels. These habi tatsare extremely productive from a herpetofaunalstandpoint and have been the focal point of man y SRPstudies.

Thermally Altered Areas-The five plutonium­production reactors on the SRP have created a variet yof unusual aquatic th ermal situa tions . A major influenceof the reactor effluent s on strea ms and ponds has beenthe increase in productivity in those and contiguousareas . Two of the reactors were placed on standbyseveral years ago and are not operating . The resultin gtermination of heated effluent to some aqu atic areas hascreated lent ic and lotic post-thermal habitats . Influencesof both thermal and post-thermal environments on thebiology of reptil es and amphibians have been studied .

Par Pond Reservoir System-An extensive reservoirenvironment was created by damming three streamsystems , resulting in more than 3000 acres (1200 hal ofopen water. Some reptile (e.g , alligator) and amphibian

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(e .g. lesser siren) species appare ntly Occur in higherpopulation densities in this sys tem than in other habitatson the SRI'.

Upper Three Runs Creek- Pris tine blackwaterstreams were once ch aracteristi c of the coastal plain ofSouth Caro lina . Today most such strea ms ca rryindustrial, domest ic, or agricultural pollutants. UpperThree Runs Creek has most of its headwaters on the siteand is essentially unaffected by agricultural run off andindust rial or domestic sewage inp uts. Th is majortributary to the Savann ah River originates in uplandhardwood habitats on the SRI' and tra verses about 20miles (32 km ) of mo stl y undi sturbed terrestrial habitatincluding a mile ( 1.6 km) or more of cypress-gum swampadjacent to the river. This habitat has received litt lestudy from a herp etological standpoint (with a fewexceptions) but aqua tic and semi-aquatic reptile andamphibian species undoubtedl y constitute a majo r animalcomponent of the stream community.

Farm Ponds-One- to three-acre (2 .5 to 7.4 halholding ponds are cha racteristic of the region for use asstocked , warm-water fishing lakes. A dozen suchhabitats exist on the SRI' as holdovers from publicownersh ip and are focal points for man y aqua tic andsemi-aquatic species . Several SRI' studies haveconcentrated on such si tes.

Abandoned Old-Fields-Several hundred acres ofprevious crop fields ha ve not been disturbed since thede velopment of the site and have thus undergone 25years of secon dary succession. A few species , mostlyreptiles , are characteristi cal ly associated with suchsuccess ional habitats .

Pine Managem ent Areas - A major program of pineplanting and harvesting has resulted in a complex arrayof pine and open habitats. These range from several acreclear-cut areas to mature pine plantations with limitedund ergrowth . Herpetofaunal studies in these areas havebeen minimal and the species composition andabundance of reptiles and amphibians is poorl y known.

Na tural Habitats-s-With the exception of Caro linabays, the natural aquatic and terrestrial habi tat s on theSRi> are characteris tic of the coas tal plain. No extensivevirgin forest is pre sent on the site. All natural areas arepresumabl y second-growth pine or hard wood.

COLLECTING METHODS

Map. 1. The State of South carolina showing thelocation of the Savannah River Plant in Aiken, Barnwelland Allendale counties (33' 00' 00' N - 33' 25 ' 00" N,81 ' 25 ' 00' W - 81 ° 47 ' 30' \0\1.

Most of the reptiles and amphibians of the SRP havebeen collected with the use of three techniques:terrestrial drift fence s, aquatic traps, and road collecting.Specialized techniques have been used on a number ofoccasions for specific purposes or particular species, butthese three techniques have yielded the majority ofspecimens .

The terrestrial drift fence and pit fall trap method hasbeen described in the literature (Gibbons and Bennett,1974; Gibbons, 1970) and used extensively at certainlocations on the SRP. Sites where terrestrial drift fencinghas been used for periods of two or more years are PondC, Risher Pond, Ellenton Bay, the SREL food field andKaren 's Pond .

Aquatic trapping has predominated as the majorsource of aquatic specimens because of intensive effortsto obtain information on turtle populations. Numerousother aquatic species besides turtles, were incidentallytrapped during these studies.

Road collecting has been a particularly rich source ofspecimens, both reptiles and amphibians , and hasyielded representat ives of almost every species knownfrom the SRP. Two primary reasons for the success ofthis technique are the numerous blacktop highwayspassing through relatively undisturbed habitats and thelimited traffic fl ow during all times of the year andthroughout the day. Many other techniques have beenused to collect reptiles and amphibians on the SavannahRiver Plant but each does not deserve detaileddescription or discussion. Local conditions and needswill necessarily dictate what the most appropriateapproach is and can be selected by the investigator atthe time of study.

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•

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G·Scndh il1s_-UpperCoostol P1 arnEJ- Lower Coastal Plain

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SOUTH CAROLINA

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...

SOUT H CAROL INA

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Map 2. The state of South carolina divided intophysiographic regions. The location of the Fall Une isindicated.

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N

GEORGIA

[] Koren's Pond, SREL Food Field[ZJ Par Pond System@J Risher Pond@]EI/enton BoyffiJ Steel Creek BoylliJ Dry Boy [IT] Losl Lakern Brinkley Rood IE] Pump Station # Irn:J The Hog Born~ Steed Pond

1101 SRP Savannah River Dock Map 3. The Savannah River Plant with major collecting ...,sites identified.

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A CHECKLIST OF THE AMPHIBIANSAND REPTILES OF THE SRP

Several species whose SRP status is unknown orwhich are otherwise unusual are noted in subseouen:tables and are not in clud ed in this list. Sp ecies whosepresence on the SRP has been reported but notrecently confirm ed or sp ecies w ith which taxonomicproblems are associated are indicated by an as terisk(* ).

CLASS AMPHIBIA

common snapping turtle

sbnkpoleastern mud turtlestriped mud turtle

spotted turtleeastern box turtleyellow-bellied turtleriver cooterFlorida cootereastern Chicken turtle

green anolesouthern fence lizard

six-lined racerunner

southern leopard frogpickerel frogCarolina gopher frogpig frog

bullfroqcarpenter frogbronze frog

ground skinkfive- ~ned skinkbroad-headed skinksoutheastern five-linedskink

eastern glass lizardslender glass lizard

Family: RanidaeRana catesbeianaR. virga6pesR. c. clamitansR. utticuletie (~

sphenocepha/a)R. palustrisR. areolata capito

'R. grylio

Family: Anguidae

Ophisaurus ventralisO. attenuatus tonaiceuaoe

CLASS REPTILIA

Family: MicrohylidaeGastrophryne caroJinensis eastern narrow-mouthed

toad

Order Crocodi lia-Crocodi lians

Family: AlligatoridaeAlligator mississip piensis American alligator

Order Chelonia-Turtles

Family: ChelydridaeChelydra s. seroeonne

Family: KinosternidaeSternotherus odoratusKinostemon s. subrubrum

oK. bauri p a/marumFamily: Emydldae

Clemmys guttataTerrapene c. carolinaChrysemys s. scriptaC. c. concinnaC. f. floridanaDeirochelys r. rettcutstie

Family: TrionychidaeTrionyx spiniferus asperus Gulf Coast spiny softshell

Order Squamata-Snakes and lizards

Suborder Lacerli lia-Uzards

Family: IguanidaeAnalis c. carolinensisScelop orus u. undu/atus

Family: TeiidaeCnemidophorus s.sexlineatus

Family: ScincidaeLeiolopisma teterst«

'Eumeces fasciatusE. laticepsE. inexpectetus

reel-spotted newt

eastern spade foot toad

mole salamandermarbled salamanderspotted salamaridereastern tiger salamander

southern toadoak toadFowler's toad

two-toed amphiuma

greater sirenlesser siren

dwarf waterdog

southern cricket frognorthern crickel Irognorthern spring peepergreen treefrogbarking treefrogpine woods treefrogsquirre l freefrog

gray tree/rogeastern blrd-voicedtreefrog

upland chorus frogsouthern chorus frogornate chorus frogBrimley's chorus froglittle grass frog

Pseudacris triseriataferiarumP. n. nigrilaP. ornata

0p. brimley!Umnaoedus ocu/aris

E. /ongicauda guttolineataE. quadridigitata

Order Anura-Frogs and toads

Family: PelobabdaeScaphiopus h. ho/brooki

Family: BufonidaeBufo terrestrisB. quercicus

°B. woodhousei fowlenFamily: Hylidae

Acris g. gryl/usAcris c. crepitansHyfa c. cruciferH. cinereaH. gra60saH. femora/isH. squirel/a

°H. versicolor and/orchrysoscelisH. avivoca ogechiensis

Order Caudata-Salamariders

Family: ProteidaeNecturus pun ctatus

Family: AmphiumidaeAmphiuma means

Family: SirenidaeSiren JacertinaS. intermedia

Family: AmbystomatidaeAmbystoma ta/poideum

A. opacum0A. maculatumA. t. tiqnmu»

Family: SalamandridaeNotaphtha/mus v.viridescens

Family: Plethodontidae°Desmognathus f. fuscus northern dusky salamander

and/or°0 . auriculatus southern dusky salamanderPlethodon g. glu6nosus slimy salaman der

'Pseudotmor: m. montanus eastern mud salamander"P. tuber vioscsi southern red salamanderEurycea bislineata arrigera southern two-lined

salamanderthree-lined salamanderdwarf salamander

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1. No hind fimbs; 2 forelimbs on ly; external gills present 2Forelimbs and hind limbs present 3

2, 31-34 costal grooves (Fig 1); total length seldom reaching 20em; solid color .siren intermedia (lesser siren)36-39 costal grooves ; total length often above 20 ern ; yellowflecks on back and sides . . . . .siren lacertina (greater siren)

3. Nasolabial groove present (Fig 1) , , .4Nasolabial groove absent 10

4. Four toes on hind toot; dar1< dorsolatera l stripes; often a middor­sal row of small dar1< spots; 14-17 costal grooves: seldomreaching 5 em in total length Eurycea quadridigftata ~

(dwarf salamander)Five toes on hind foot 5

5. Body red or reddi sh brown 6Body yellow. b<own or black 7

KEY TO THE SALAMANDERSOF THE SRP'

Skin with sca les or plates present; if limbs present daws pre-sent .

Class Reptilia , .42. Tail absent Order Anura (trogs; toads) -..11

Tail present 33. Body elongate; forelimbs present; aquatic or terrestrial .

. .. .. .... . .. . . . . . . . . . .. . .Order Caudata (saiamanders)Body globu lar; limb less or only hind limbs visible; strictly aquatic

.. . .... .. .. ... . .. . .. . . .. .. .. . ..larval Anura (tadpoles)4. With bony or leathery snell Order Chelonia (turtles)

Wrthout a bony or leathery shell 55. Cloaca l opening a longitudinal slit ; limbs prese nt , '

.. . . . . . . .. . . . ... . . .. .. .. . . .Order Crocodilia (alliga tors)Cloacal opening a transverse slit; limbs present or absent . .

. . . . .... . .. . . . . .Order Squamata (snakes and fizards) 66. No eyelids or external ear opening ; limba absent .

. . . .. , , Suborder Serpentes (snakes)Eyelids and external ear openings present; limbs present orabsent ..

.. . . .. . . . . . .. .. . .. .. . .. .. . .Suborder Lacerti lia (lizards)

Flor ida green water snakebrown water snakered-bellied water snakebanded water snake

midland water snakeeastern glossy watersnake

Saminatri. pygaea paludis Carolina swamp snakeStoreria d. dekayi northem brown snakeS. o. oecipitomacu/ata red-bellied snakeThamnophis s. sirta/is eastern garter snakeT. s. sauritus eastern ribbon snakeVirginia v. valeriae eastern earth snakeHeterodon platyrhinos eastern hognose snakeH. simus southern hognose snakeDiadophis p. punctatus southern ringneck snakeFarancia B. abacura eastern mud snakeF, e. erytrogramma rainbow snakeGoIuber constrictor priapus southern black racerMaslicophis I. flagellum eastern coachwhipQpheodrys eestivus rough green sna keBaphe g. guttata corn snakeE. o. obsoleta black rat snakePituophis m. melanoleucus northern pine snakeLampropeftis g. getulus eastern kingsnakeL triangulum elapsoides scariet kingsnakeCemophora coccinea copeinorthem scarlet snakeTantilla coronets southeastern crowned

snakeFamily : Elapidae

Micrurus I. tulvius eastern coral snakeFamily: Vipe ridae ( ~ Crotalidae)

Agkistrodon c. contonnx southern copperheadA. p. piscivOfUS eastern cottonmouthSistrurus m. mitiarius Carolina pygmy rattlesna keCrotalus horridusatricaudatus canebrake rattlesnake

Suborder Serpentes-Snakes

Family: CoIubridaeNatrix cyclopion floridanaN. taxispitotaN. e. et}'throgasterN. I. lasciata

and lor"No sipedon pleuralisN. r. rigida

KEY TO THE ORDERS OF REPTILESAND AMPHIBIANS OF THE SRP

1. scales absent; skin smooth in most species; d limbs present no~ws .. . . . . . . .. . .. . .. . . . . . . .. . . . . . ... .... .. •.... . . · · .

Class Amphibia 2' Indica1es spe cies shou ld be checked in section on Prob lemSpecies

~biOIGroove

•

:fj rr'IIrr: ~;

L os t o l Gr oo ves

, Fig . 1. Position 01 costal grooves (between limbs) on typicalsalamander and nasolabial groove 01plethodontid salamanders.

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6. Body bright red with dist inct black spots .· . Pseudotliton m. montanus (easte rn mud salamander)"

Body redd ish with muted dark spots; body and head with whiteflecks .

· . .Pseudotriton ruber vioscai (southern red salamander)"7. White line behind eyes .

Desmognathus I. tuscus (northern dusky salamander)" or· D. auricu/atus (southern dusky salarnander)"

No white line behind eye 88. Body black, flecked with silver, white or brass; venter plain slate

colored with ch in and throat dark .· 'plethodon g . glu tinosus (slimy sa lama nder)

Body light with dark markings 99. Salamander yellow or tan with three dark longitudinal stripes;

mid-dorsal stripe may be a series of dark spots; tail greater thanV2 total length .

Eurycea lon gicauda gut/olineata (three-lined salamander)Two dark lines bordering light middorsal stripe often continuingto tip of tail; row of light circular spots along side; yellow venter;tail less than 'h length .

. . . E. bislineata cirrigera (southern two- lined salamander)10. Body eel-like; legs appear too small for body; 2 toes on each

foot; gill openings behind head ... .. . . .. .. . . . .Amphiuma means (two-toed amphiuma)

Body not eel·like; legs proportional to body ; 4-5 toes on eachloot. 11

11. Gills absent 12Gills present 16

12. Aquatic; skin rough; costal grooves indistinct; olive-green toolive-brown dorsum with black-bordered red spots ; yel lowventer with black spots .

. . . . . . .Notophtha/mus v. viridescens (red-spotted newt)"Terrestrial; skin rough; dorsum bright orange to dull red withblack -bordered red spots . .N. v. viridescens (red eft stage)Skin smooth 13

13. Dorsum dark ; yellow and/or orange spots arranged in 2 ir-regular rows down back ; costal grooves 12 .

. . . . . . . . A mbystoma maculatum (spotted salamander)"No spots on dorsum 14

14. Dorsum dark with yellow or yellow ish-brown irregularsplotches or bands; belly with olive -yellow and dark ma rkings

.. . . .. . . ... . ... ..... . A. t. tigrinum (tiger salamander)Dorsu m dark with light or white markings 15

15. Body dark with distinct whi te or silve<y crossbands; costalgrooves 11-12 A. opacum (marbled salamander)Body black, brown or gray with pale bluish flecks; costalgrooves 10-11 A. ta/poideum (mole salamander)

16. Four toes on hind foo t; no nasolabia l groove; dorsum dark withpale speckling Necturus punctatus (dwart waterdog)Five toes on hind foo t or four toes on hind foot and nasolabialgroove present ., _ a larval salamander

of any of several species

KEY TO THE FROGSOF THE SRP

1. Pupil of eye vertical; underside of hind foot with sing le dark, hardtubercie on heel Scaphiopus holbrooki

(eas tern spadefoot toa d)Pupil of eye round ; underside 01 hind foot with two dark , hard

r' tuberdes or with no tuberdes 22. Two- tuberdes on underside of foot; body dry and rough ;

paratoid glands present 3No tubercles; body smooth , usuall y moist; no paratoid glands

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

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3. Adults never more than 4 ern SVL ; background colorgray withdearty defined, white median stripe down back .

. . . . . . . .. . ... .. .. ... . .... . . B ulo quercicus (oak toad)Adults redd ish , light brown , Of dark brown .. . . . • . . . . . . . . .4

4. Parietal cra nial crest ends in a conspicuous knob; dorsal spotsusually have 1-3 warts .

.. .Bulo terrestris (southern toad)Parieta l cranial crest present but not with a pronounced knob;dorsal spots often with more than 3 warts .

.. . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . ... Bulo woodnousei (Fowler's toad )"5. Tympanum abse nt; head pointed with transverse fold behind

eyes; no toe webbing: colorgray or brownish; size never ex-ceeding 30 mm , .

Gastrophryne carolinensis (eastern narrow-mouthed toad)Tympanum present; no transverse head fo ld; at ieast partialwebbing between some toes 6

6. Hind loo t with minimal webbi ng; tips of toes expanded into smalldisks in most species; size seldom > 60 mm SVL 7Hind foot with extensive webb ing ; adult size usually > 50 mmSVL 20

7. Adu lt size < 17 mm SVL; dark stripe through eye .· Umnaeodus oculsns (litI1e grass frog)

Adult size > 20 mm SVL , , 88. Dark stripe on rear of thigh ; dark triangle usually present be-

tween eyes 9No dark stripe on rear at thigh 10

9. Dark stripe distinct .. . . . Acris gryllus (southern cricket frog)Dark stripe with ragged edges .

· A cris crepitans (northern cricket frog)10. Tips of toes expanded only slightly, less than one-ha lf diam e-

ter of tympanum 11Tips of toes larger than ore-halt diameter of tymp anum .14

11. Very dist inct, unbroken black stripe from snout, through eye , tobase of thigh ; underside yellow, usually with dark spots . . . .

.. . . . . .. .. . .Pseudacris brimleyi (Brimley's choru s frog)Not as above 12

12. Light bordered dark spots or blotches on sides .· Pseudectis ornata (ornate chorus frog)

No blotches on sides 1313. Dark triangle between eyes ..

· Pseudacris triseriata (upland chorus frog )No dark triangle between eyes ..

· .Pseudacris nigrita (southern chorus frog)14. A dark x-shapad figure across back; size < 35 mm SVL . .

· .fly/a cruciler (northern spring peeper)No x-shaped figure on back 15

15. Rear of thigh with iight-colored green, yellow or orangespots 16Rear of thigh without conspicuous colored markings 18

16. Rear of thigh greenish; light-colored spot below each eye . .· J1yia avivoca (bird-voiced treef rog)

Rear of thigh with yellow or orange markings; light-eoloredspot below eye present or absent .17

17. Lighl-eolored spot below each eye; back rough or warty; rearof thigh yellowish Hyla versicolor or Hy/a chrysocelis

(gray treelrog)Nospot below eye; back smooth; distinct yellow-gold spots onrear of thigh _H yia lemoralis (pine woods treefrog)

18. Body bright, solid green with no large spots although brightyellow flecks may be present; <istinct yel lowish stripe alongsides Hyfa cinerea (green treefrog)No dis tinct , clea rly de fined stripe along sides 19

19. Mart<ings along side absent or inconspicuous; size always <45 mm .

· Hyia souselt« (squirrel treef rog)Brown spots often present on green body; side marking s mayform diffuse stripe; size of adults > 50 mm .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H yla gratiosa (barking treefrog)

20. Dorsolateral ridges present; distinct spots may be presen t onback 21Dorsolateral ridges abs ent; spots inconspicuous or absent

. . . .. . . . . .. .... . . . . . . ... .. . . . . . . . .. . .. . . . . . . . . . .2421. No spots; dorsolateral ridge incomplete, extending about

two-thirds down ba ck . . • . . . .Aana clamitans (bronze frog)"Spots present; dor solateral ridge complete 22

22. Square spo ts in 2 parallel rows down back; orange or yellowmarkings in groin area Aana palusrris (pickerel frog)Spots not square; no yellowish coloration on legs , . .23

23. Snout pointed; belly usually light in color .. .. . . . .. . . . . . . . . . .Aana utrieularia (~ sphenocepha/a)

(southern leopard frog)Snout bluntly rounded; body chunky in appearance ; belly usu­ally heavily pigmented . . , . ' . . .Rana areo/ara (gopher frog)

24. Four distinct longitudinal lines down back , .. . . . ... . . . .. ... . .. . . . Rana virgatipes (carpenter frog)

Longitudinal lines absent or (on small Aana gry/io) pale andindistinct 25

25. Web on hind feet extending to tip of the 4th (longest) toe; snoutpointed , Rana gryfio (pig frog)Web exlending only partially along 4th toe; snout blunt . . . .

... .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. . .. . .. .Rana catesbeiana (bul~rog)

KEY TO THE TADPOLESOF THE SRP'

1. Jaws without keratinized sheaths; oral disc and labial teethabsent (Fig 2); dorsum dark brown to black; tai l stripe usu allydistinct; undersid e of labial flap without excrescences ; totallengthlb ody length 2.1 or more (Fig 3) ; light ventral markingsgenerally large . .Gasrrop hryne carolinensis (eastern narrow­mouthed toad)Jaws with keratinized sheaths; oral disc and labial teeth pre-~ , , 2

2. Vent med ial ; eyes dorsal (Fig 4) 3Vent dextral ; eyes dorsal or lateral ; .4

3. Papillary border with a wide dorsal gap about equal to A-l and aventral gap equal to or larger than P-3; oral disc em arginate;labial tooth row formula 1-2(2)/3[11 . (Fig 2) . , , ,5Papillary border without a ventral gap, dorsal gap present or not ;oral disc not emarginate; body somewhat depressed, typ icallywider posteriony than anteriorly; to 35 mm total length; dorsumusually dark brown 10black; jaws narrow; labial tooth row for­mula 4-6 (2-6)/3-6(1-3) ; spiracle eqUidistant between eye andvent: interorbital distance/internariaJ distance 1.8 or less; tallheightlmu sculature height 2.5 or less; last pos terior toom rowlonger than upper jaw and .50 or more times nextanterior row;A-2 normally with a median gap - .

. . . . . . . . . .SCaphiopus hoIbrooki (eastern spadetoot toad)4. Eyes lateral ordorsal; oraldiscnotemarginate;papillary border

commonly reaches considerable distanceabove lateral tips ofA-1; labial tooth row formula 2(2)12-4(1) 7Eyes dorsal; oral disc emarginate ; papillary border does not orbarely reaches above lateral tips of A-1 ; labial tooth row fonnula1-7 (2-7)/2-6(1), commonly 2-3 /3-4 ; labial tooth row fonnulararely 2/2; papillary bord er without a posterior gap ; marginalpapillae common 27

•Adapted from: R. AIl ig, 1970. A key 10 the tadpoles of the conti­nental United States and Canada. Herpetologica 26:180-207, withpermission of the author.

- 8 -

5. Papillary bord er extends to lateral tips of P-2 , although a singlepapilla may occu r at each end of P-3 ; P-1 with a median gap ;P-3 short; Iail muscu lature bicolored and often with do<saJ lightsaddles , Bulo auercicus (oak toad)If not B. quercicus continue to couplet 6

6. Upper and lower fins equal to muscu lature height ; dorsal Ionoften highe r than ventral; dorsum dark brown to black, with alight obliqu e mark beh ind each eye in life .

..... . . . . .... . . . . ... .. . ..Bulo terrestris (southern toad)Upper and lower fins lowor than musculature height; fins sub­equal in height; dorsum dark com monly with light mottlings inlife; snout rounded in lateral view; eyes large; tail Iength/tailheight 2.8 or more ; musculature often not distinct ly bicolo red;tail heightlmusculature height 2.0 or more .

. . . . . . . . . . . .. . , .. , , , B ulo woodhousei (FOWler's toad)'7. Two rows of labial teeth on posterior labium 8

Three labial teeth on posterior lab ium 128. A-2 gap wide ; spiracular tube at least parti ally free from body

wall ; tail tip often black; dorsum of Iail musculature frequentlybanded; body slightly depressed; eyes dorso-lateral: nostrilslarge; fins without bold markings , 9A-2 gap narrow; spiracu lar tube almost lully attached to bodywall; tail tip never black; dorsum of tail musculature banded ornot ; body globular; eyes lateral; nost rils large or small; Ions wi thor without bold markings , 10

g, Free section of splr acular tube long , almost entire length oftube ; throat dark ; tail musculature finely flecked .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Acris gryllus (sou thenn cricket frog)Free section of spi racu lar tube short, one-nan or less of thelength of the tube; throat lighl; lail musculature mottled or re­ticulated .. . , . . .. . " . Acris crepitans (northern cricket frog)

10. Tail musculature str iped in latera l view ; light stripe extendsforward to eye from dorsal musculature stripe; throat and chestmottled ; dorsum of tail musculature often banded ; smallsize LJmnaoedus ocularis (part) (little grass frog )Tail musculatu re not striped in lateral view ; light stripes fromtail to eye absent; throat and chest light; dorsum of tail notbanded; larger size .'11

11. Tail musculature unicolored or bicolored: one rowof marginalpapillae; fins clear with some stellate me lanophores ; A-2 sub-equal to A-1 Pseuaectis lriseriata

(part ) (upland chorus frog )Tail musculature mottled; two rows of marginal papillae; finsclear with or without large black blotches , if present, a cleararea near muscu lature ; A-2 longer than A- 1 .

. . . . . . .... .. .. . .. . H yla cruciler (part) (spring peeper)

~----------TL---~

BL- ----1 -"....,...k=

MHSp TH

Fig. 2 Body siza measurements 01 tadpole. Bt: = body length.TL = toral length. SP =spiracle open ing. TH ~ rail height MH =museulature height.

-

DORSAL

A I

SpMp

PI

1------ - Od - - - - - -j

VENTR AL

Fig. 3 . Frontal view 01 tadpole mouth parts. The animal's rightside is emarginate; its lett side is not emarginate . AI, anteriorlabium; A-I, first anterior tooth row; A-2, second anlerior tooth row;lj, lowe r jaw; Lp, lateral process 01 upper jaw; Mo, mouth; Mp ,marginal papilla; Od, oral disc; PI, posterior labium; P-I , firstposterior tooth row; P' 2, second p osterior tooth row; P-3, thirdposterior tooth row; Sp , submarginal papilla; U], upper jaw.

12. Papillary border with a posterior gap 13Papillary border without a posterio r gap 14

13. Tail musculature striped in latera l view; light stripes extend toeye from dorsal light stripeon tail ; dorsum of tail musculatureoften banded; to 25 mm total length; fins clear or with fewmeianophores .Limnaoedus ocularis

(part) (little grass frog)Tail musculature not striped, mottled in lateral view; lightstripes from tail to eyes absent; dorsu m of tail musculature notbanded ; to 35 mm total length ; fins often with large darkblotches and a dear area near musculature . . . . . . • . . . . . ..

. .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Hyla cruciler (part) (spring peeper)14. Tail musculature dark with light (reddish in life) dorsal saddles ;

fins dark without bold markings; light interorbi tal and or­bitonasal bands present in lite; gut not visible , belly black . .

. . . . . . . . . . . : . . , . . . . Hyla evivoc« (bird-voiced treefrog)Tail muscu lature dark or light without dorsal saddles; tail finsvariously patterned; interorbital bars absent, orbitonasal barsmay or may not be present; gut visible or not 15

15. P-3 long, .65 or more times P-2 and longer than upper jaw;submarginal papillae well developed , 16P-3 short, less than .65 times P-2 and equa l to or shorter thanupper jaw; submarginal papillae poorly developed to absent

.. ... . . . . . .. . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . .... . . . .. . .. ... . .. . .1616. Tail musculature distinctly striped ; fins necked or blotched with

clear area remaining near musculature; clear part of fin red­dish in large speci mens in life; flagellum well developed anddear of pigment .. . . . Hyla femoralis (pine woods treefrog)Tail musculature not distinctly striped; fins blotched or not, withor without dear area near muscu lature; dear part oftin reddishor not ; flage llum less developect 17

-9-

Fig. 4. Tadp ole morphological patterns indicating lateral (A) anddorsal (B) eyes and medial (e) and dextral (D) vent. All draWingsand designations from R. AJlig 1970. A key to the tadpoles of thecontinental United States and canada . Herpetologica 26:180­207. with permission of the author.

17. Tail heightlbody height at eye level 1.5 or less; dorsal fin equalto or greater than musculature heigh t; taillengthltail height 3.1or more; greatest body widthlbasal width of tail musculature2.7 or more; large speomens often with reddish fins; throatseldom pigmented .

· Hyla versicolor, H. chrysoscelis (gray treefrog)Tail heightlbody height at eye level 1.5 or more; dorsal fin lessthan musculalUre height; tail lengthltail height 3.3 or less;greatest body width/basal width of tail musculature 2.7 orless;large specimens without red fins; throat typica lly pigmented

· Hyla squirella (sqUirrel treefrog)16. Tail musculature striped in lateral view 19

Tail musculature bicolored, unicolored or mottled in lateralview 20

19. IMde lateral tail stripe bordered dorsally and ventrally by lightstripes; dorsal light stripe extends forward to eye; dorsum oftail musculature often banded ; 10 25 mm total 1eng1h .

· Umnaoedus oouteris (part) (little grass frog)Dark stripe with indistinct edges projects obliquely from centerof tail musculature to dorsal margin of musculature at aboutmidlength; stripe to eye absent ; dorsum of tail not banded ; to35 mm total length _ .

. . . . .. . . . . . . . . . .Hyla andersoni (pine barrens treefrog)"20. Jaws wide; uppe r jaw angulate ; dorsal fin high: terminating

anterior to spiracle; body compressed slightly; to 55 mm totallength; tail clear, black or mottled . . .. • , 21Jaws narrow to medium; upper jaw nol angulate; dorsal finhigh or not; tail dear or blotched; never to 55 mm total length

. .. .. ... .. .. .. . . . .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . . .. .. . .. .. .22

21. Total length less than 30 mm ; fins clear; light stripe extendsfrom tail musculature forward to eye ; dorsum of tai l mus cula-lure with a black saddle sligh lly anterior to midlength .

· .Hyla gratiosa (part) (barki ng treefrog)Total length more than 30 mm; fins dear. black Of mottled ;stripe from tail to eye absent; bla ck saddle on tail musculatureabsent Hyla gratiosa (part) (barki ng treefrog)

22. Fins and tail muscu lature lypically mottled or reticulated with ­out a d ear area near JTX.lsculature; A-2 gap ratio 3 or more:light orbitonasal stripe present at least in life; small specimenswith two light body blolches tha t fonm an incomplete trans­verse body band (usually lost in preservative) ; dorsal fin ven-tral .Hyla cinerea (green treefrog)Fins not mottled or reficulated, sometimes blotched; ifblotched , a clear area present near musculature; A-2 gap ratio3 or less ; light orbitonasal stripe absen t; light body blotchesabsent; dorsal fin variable 23

23. Fins commonly blotdhed with a dear area remaining nearmusculature; tail musculature mottled ; dorsal fin higher thanventral; P-3 very short .

· .Hyla crucifer (part ) (spring peeper)Fins not blotched. either clear or with a few stellatemelanoph ores ; tail musculature mottled. unicolored, bicoloredor striped; dorsal fin variable 24

24. Throat pigmented ; A-2 gap relative ly wide; tai l musculaturestriped and dorsal light stripe extends forward to eye; P- l witha median gap; to 21 mm .

· Pseudacris brimley; (Brimley's dhorus frog)Throat not pigmented; A-2 gap rela tively narrow; tail muscu­lature not striped; no light stripe Iram tail to eye; P-l with orwithout med ian gap; to 35 mm total length 25

25. Dorsal fin high , extending anterior of spiracle; tail musculaturedistinct ly bicolored: P-l indented or with a narrow median gap;tail height'musculature height 3.5 or more .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pseudacris omata (omate dhorus frog)Dorsal fin high or low, usually extending no further than tospiracle; tail musculature unicolored or indistinctly bico lored.i.e., not for full length of tailor with considerable pigment inlower half; P- l with or without a median gap; tail height'musculature height 3.2 or less 26

26. Chest pigmented; dorsum unifonm black to dark brownwithoutsma ll black dots; fins subequal and both lower than tail mus-culatu re Pseudacris nigrita (southem dhorus frog)Chest not pigmented; dorsum black to dark brown and typi­cally with small black dots ; dorsal fin higher than vent ral andabout equal to tail musculature .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pseudacris rriseriata (upland dhorus frog )27. Tail and body greenish , uncolored or rJ1O(e commonly pat­

tenned with distinct btack dots; fins similar1y patterned withmore dots in dorsal fin than in ventral; venter clear to whitedepending on size. with or without a contrasting pattern;proximal portionoftailoften moreopaque than remainder; livesmall speci mens (less than 25 mm total tength ) black withtransverse gold bands on snou t and body; ta il appears bicol-ored due to pigment around caudal blood vessels .

· : .Rana catesbeiana (bullfrog)Tail and body greenish or not, seldom with black dots; finsvariously patterned; venter clear, wh ite or dark, seldom with acontrasting pattern 26

28. Lower jaw wide ; nost rils medium-sized; skin thin ; gut usuallyvisible 29Lower jaw narrow; nostrils small to medium; skin thickor not;gut usually not visib le 31

29. A-2 gap ratio 2.0 or more; marginal papi llae below P-3 large,10 or less present ; fins usualy heavily marked, often with darksuffus ion ; P- l iP-3 1.3 or more; gut often onlyslightly visible Rana pa/ustlis (pickerel frog)

- 10 -

A-2 gap ratio less than 2.0; marg ina l papi llae below P-3 small,more than 10 present ; fins heavily marked or not. speckled orspotted; p· I /P-3 1.5 or less , gut visible or not .... .. .. .30

30. Gut usually visible; unpigmented throat paten with contrasti ng _margins often present; it tail marked. usually not with largespots; dorsum not stippled; dorsal fin rounded; keratinizedareas at medial tips of P-l absent .

. .. .. . . . . .. . .. .Rana utricu/aria (sou thern leopard frog)Gut visib le or not; throat unpigmented without con trastingmargins or evenly pigmented; if tail marked. usualty with largespots; dorsum often appears stipp led ; dorsal fin frequentlytriangular; keratinized areas at medial tips of P-l present onlarge specimens . . . . .Rana area/ata (Carolina gopher frog)

31. Stripe in dorsal fin and stripe on tail musculature absent; ~ght

spots surrounded by dark pigment at fin edges absent orindistinct ; gut visibl e or not; A-2 gap ratio 5.0 or rJ1O(e ; dorsumgreenish; row of submarginal papi llae absent be tween P-3 andmarginal papillae Rana clamitans (bronze frog)Stripe or row of dots form ed by pigment around late ral linepores present in dorsa l fin and a less prominent stripe usuallypresent on la il musculature: light spots surrounded by darkpjgment present ne ar edge of fins; gut not or siightly visible

· .. · · 3232. Dorsum brown wi th black dots; venter brown in preservative,

yellow to buff in life ; tail musculature stripe typically present;gut slightly or not visible; row of submarginal papillae presentbetween P-3 and marginal papillae; tail length/lail height 2.0 orless ; acid swamps Rana virgatipes (carpenter frog)Dorsum brown isin to greenish with black dots or mottled; ven­ter white, often with a contrasting pattern ; tail musculaturestrip e typically indistinct to absent; gut slightly or not visible;row of submarginal papillae absent between P-3 and marginalpapillae; tail lengthi tail height 2.2 or more .

.. .. . .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. . R ana gryiio (pig frog) -KEY TO TURTLES

OF THE SRP

1. Shell leathery. flat, and light brown in color ; similar to a pancakein appearance Trionyx sp iniferus (spiny saftsh ell)Shell bony and dome shap ed 2

2. 4 toes on hind foot ; plastron large with 1 transverse hinge,capable of sealing entire shel l; yellowish or orange spots usu -ally present on head, limbs and shell .

· Terrapene carolina (eas tern box turtle)5 toes on hind foot 3

3. Plastron with 2 transverse hinges; head and carapace solidblack: pectoral scutes triangular .

· Kinosternon subrubrum (eastenn mud turtle)Plastron with 2 tran sverse hinges; carapace with three lightyel low, longitudinal lines; pectoral scutes tnangular .

· Kinostemon bauri (st riped mud turtl e)"Plastron with 1 or no transverse hinge; pectoral scutes quad-rangular .4

4. Tail greater than V2 the carapace length and sawtoothed alongupper side; barbels on dhin; head solid black .

· Che/ydra serpentina (common snapping turtle)Tail less than V2 the ca rapace length ; head with yellow stripes

. . . . . . . .. . .. . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B5. Plastron with 1inconspicuous transversehinge;barbels onchin

and throat; shell so lid black or brown with no yellow mar kings· Stemalherus odaratus (stinkpot)

Plastron without a hinge; no barbe ls ; sinell usually with ye llow .."markings 6

•

Fig. 5. Carapace of Chrysemys concinna or C. floridana (left)and C. scripta (right) showing distinction between marginal spot­ffng.

Fig. 6. Comparative carapaceshapes of Deirochelys reticularia(right) and Chrysemys scripta.

- 11 -

A B

Post- Ia bia lsAbsent

Eumeces lofice~

Lower Lc bi u Is

Fig. 7. Underside of tail indicatjng scales uniform (A) as inEumeces inexpectatusand medial scales wider than long (8) as inE. fascialus and E. tanceps.

6. Carapace, head, and neck b'ack with scattered, conspicuousyellow or orange dots C/emmys guttata (spotted turtle)Carapace without conspicuous yellow or orange dots ;head andneck with yellow stripes 7

7. Carapace with concentric lightand dark markings on scutes andthe figure "C" on the second costal scute; dark spots with lightcenters along underside of marginals (Fig 5) .

· Chrysemys concinne (river cooter)Carapace without a "C" on the second costal scute 8

8. Skin between hind legs marked irregularty with yellow andblack; dark spots with light centers on underside of marginals

· Chrysemys flondana (Florida cooter)Skin between hind legs marked with uniform vertical yellow andblack stripes 9

9. Broad yellow stripe on forelimbs: carapace distinctly longer thanwide (Fig. 6); head with yellow stripes .

· , Deirochelys reticularia (chicken turtle)Narrow yellow stripes on forelimbs; yellow blotch behind eye;carapace round or nearly so .

· Chrysemys scripta (yellow-bellied turtle)

KEY TO THE LIZARDSOF THE SRP

1. Limbs absent 2Limbs present 3

2. No dark horizonlal stripes below lateral groove: no distinct dark

- 12 -

Fig. 8. Labial pattern of E. laticeps showing Bupper labials andno post-labial scales. E. fasciatus has 71abia/s and 2post-Iabials.

middorsal stripe .. . . . . . . .. . . . . .ophisaurus ventralis (eastem glass lizard)

Narrow dark horizontal stripes below lateral groove; dark mid-dorsal stripe or broken stripe .

· Ophisaurus attenuatus (slender glass lizard)3. Dorsal scales shiny and smooth .4

Dorsal scales not shiny; scales granular or rough 74. Transparent disc in lower eyelid; dorsal color brown without

conspicuous light stripes : belly white or yellowish; size small.never exceedi ng 4 cm in snout-vent length .

· Leio/opisma laterale (ground skink)No transparent disc in lower eyelid; if less than 4 em in SVL. thenconsp icuous light stripes present on black body: tail of all smalland some large individuals blue 5

5. Scales on underside of tail uniform in size (Fig 7); 5 light dorsalstripes, the middorsal one narrow .

· . , .Eumeces inexpectarus (southeastern five-lined skink)Scales on underside of tail not uniform in size 6

6. 8 upper labials; no enlarged posllabials: body brown and headreddish in adun males (Fig 8) .

· .Eumeces latjceps (broad-headed skink)7 upper labials; 2 enlarged postlabials .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Eumeces fasciatus (five-lined skink)7. Belly scales rectangular in 8 longitudinal rows; 6 light longitudi-

nal stripes dorsally Cnemidophorus sexlineatus(six-lined racerunner)

Belly scales not rectangular and in 8 longitUdinal rows; nostripes 8

8. Dorsal scales keeled and pointed; color grayish .· SCeloporus undu/atus (southern fence lizard)"

Dorsa1 scales keeled and not pointed; toe pads present; dorsalcolor variable green to brown Anolis carolinensis

(Carolina anole)

-

·•••

KEY TO THE SNAKESOF THE SRP

!""' 1. Pit between eye and nostril ;most scales on und erside of tail in asingle row (Fig 9) ;2No pit betwe en eye and nostril ; scales on underside of tall Indou ble row 5

2. Top ol head with many small sca les (Fig 10); ratt1es or butto n ontail ; lastlew inches of tail velvety black (Fig 11); basic co lor graywith black, chevron-like bands across back ; pinkish to yellowstripe down center 01 back . . . , , .. . , ... , . .Crotalus horridus

(canebrake rattiesnake)- POISONOUSTop of head with large scales ; rattles presen t or absent . , ,3

3. Rattles (or button) on tail; size small, seldom excee ding 60 em;basic color gray with dark blotches along bac k and sides . . .

. . . . . . .. . .. . .. .. . . . .. . . .. . .Sistrurus miliarius (Carol inapygmy rattle snake)-POISONOUS

No ratt1es; basic color brown or reddish .44. Dorsal sca le rows 23 at midbody (Fig 12); basic colo r light

brown or redd ish wi th darker crossbands along body .. . . , , . . , , , .Agkistrodon contortrix (southern

copperhead)- POISONOUSDorsal scale rows 25 at midbody; basic color brown in sped­mens over 45 cm long; sometimes redd ish with crossbands insmall er specimens . . , , .

. . . , , Agkistrodon piscivorus (easterncottonmouth) - POISONOUS

5. Scale rows at midbody 15-19 6Scale rows at midbody 21 or more 23 Fig . 10. Head 01 Crotalus indicaling numerous small scales.

D

i

Fig. 11. Solid black tail 01 Crotalus horridus.

A B

6-"\.../78910 _- -IJ

II

21

~~~20191617

r-: Fig. 9. Underside 01 tail of non-poisonous colubrid (A; aoubterow posterior to vent) and poisonous crotalid (B; single row pos­terior to vent).

- 13 -

Fig. 12. Counling system for dorsal scale rows.

A

-

B

B

A

Fig. 14. Latera/line pattern of Thamnophis sauritus (A); yellowline on 3rd and 4th scale rows) and T. sirtafis (8) .

Fig. 13. Comparison of keeled (A) and smooth (8) scales.

6. All scales smooth (Fig 13) 7All scales distinct ly kee led 18

7. Basic color solid black or solid light brown above. except forhead and neck regio n in some instances 8Nol solidly black or brown above; with some form 01 markingson back (blotches. rings , stripes) or with basic color gradingfrom black head to light brown tail 13

8. Basic color light brown; length seldom exceeding 30 em 9Basic color black 10

9. Head black ; black ring around neck .· Tantills coronata (southeastern crowned snake)

Body uniform brown above from head 10 tail .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Virginia va/eriae (smooth earth snake)

10. Shiny black above;gray belly; wMe chin ; no red or yellow coloron any part of body CoIuber constrictor (black racBl1Black above ; belly yellow. orange or red 11

11. Dull black above; ye llow ring around neck; yellow or orangebelly with black spots; length se ldom exceeding 30 em . . . .

· Diadophis punctatus (southern ringneck snake)Uniform black above from snout to tail; belly with red ororange 12

12. Belly solid orange or red; length seldom exceeding 50 em .· .seminatrix pygaea (black swamp snake)

Belly checkerboard in appearance with alternating bright redand black .Farancia abacura (eas tern mud snake)

13. Body markings including red . orange, or yellow 14Body markings no t including red, orange or yellow 16

14. Body shiny black above with thin red stripes; belly red. orangeor yellow with black spots .

· Faroncia erytrogramma (rainbow snake)Body with transverse bands or rings of red. black and ye llow orwhite 15

15. Body rings continu ing across belly; encircling body ; noseblack Micrurus lulvius (eastern

coral snake)-POISONOUSBelly white or gray ; nose red Cemophora coccinea

(scarlet snake)16 . Head and front half of body velvety black; posterior ha lf of body

brown Masticophis flagellum (eastern coachwhip)Head not black; length usually not excee ding 50 em . . . .17

17. Row of dark gray or brownish blo tches down back; small darkspots on sides and belly ..

· CoIuber constrictor Quvenile black racer)Ught brown or tan above With thin dark crossb ands; eyesnoticeably larger than other snakes .

· . . . .Masticophis flagellum Quvenile eastern coach whip)18. Body solid green above; belly yellow .

· Opheodrys aestivus (green snake)Body not solid green above 19

19. Three light yel low or greenish stripe s down center of back andsides; belly yellowish 20Body black or brownish above without yellow stripes 21

20. Side stripes confined to scale rows 3 and 4 on each side (FIQ14); lip scales ye llowish without dark markings .

· Thamnophis sauritus (eastern ribbon snake)Side stripes confined to scaie rows 2 and 3 on each side ; lipscales interspersed by dark markings .

· Thamnophis sinalis (eastern garter snake)21. Body black or dark brown above ;be lly white or yellowish with 2

dark stnpes or rows of dots ; scale rows 19 .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Natrlx rigida (glossy water snake)

Body dark or light brown above, belly red or light-coloredwithou t stripes; sca le rows 15 or 17 22

22. Belly dark red ; scale rows 15 .· Storeria occipitomaculata (red-bellied snake)

Belly grayish ; scale rows 17 Storeria dekayi(brown snake)

-14 .

Fig. 15. Upturned rostral scale of Heterodon.

23. All scales smooth; color pattern includes yellow rings enor-cling body 24Scales keeled (weak ly keeled only on sides in some forms);color dark or patterned with bands or blotches but not withyellow crossbands or rings 25

24. Body completely encircled by red, black and yellow rings;length seldom exceeding 60 em .

. . . . . . . . . . .l.8rnpropaltis triangulum (scartet kingsnake)Body shiny black with yellow rings or crossbands; no redpresent l.8mpropeltis getulus (eastern kingsnake)

25. Basic color light gray above with clark blotches; head alwaysgrayish ; entire belly and underside of tail whrte with no mark-ings Pituophis me/anoleucus (eastern pine snake)Basic color patterns darker than light gray; parts of undersidedark or patterned 26

26. Rostral scale (at tip of nose) distinctly pointed or uplumed (Fig15) ZlRostral scale rounded 28

27. Underside of tail darker than. or same shade as, belly ; pat­terned above with dark blotches on light tan or brownish body;length seldom exceedi ng 50 em .

. . . . . . . . . . Heterodon simus (southern hognose snake)Underside 01tail noticeably lighter in color than belly ; may bepatterned above or may be black .

,....., Heterodon platyrhinos (eastern hognose snake)28. Scales along cooter of back weakly keeled or smooth ; scales

feel smooth when rubbed transversely . . . . , .. . . . . . • . . .29

-15 -

Fig. 16. ..v .. configuration on head of Elaphe guttata.

Scales strongly keeled; scales are noticeably keeled whenrubbed transversely 30

29. Basic pattern of blotching primarily orange and red; belly blackand white checkerboard pattern; light colored stripes form a"V" on top of head (Fig 16) . . .Elaphe guttata (corn snake)Basic pattern of blotching prima rily gray or brown ; no "V" ontop of head Baphe obsoleta (black rat snake)

30. Scale rows 27-33; belly plain white or yellow or with brownmarkings 31Scale rows 23-25 ; belly solid red or withextensive brown andreddish markings 32

31. Basic color brown with darkerbrown or blacksquares on theback and sides ; be lly with brown markings .

· Namx taxispilofa (brown water snake)Basic color clark gray or olive above; sometimes with i ghtermottling but no dist inct pattern ; belly gray or yellowish andunmarked except under tail .

· NatIix cyclopion (green water snake)32. Black or dark gray above; solid color with no pattern in adotts:

dark blotches appa rent on back and sides of juveniles (lessthan 45 em in length); belly usually solid orange or pink andalways without markings .

· Natrix erythrogaster (red-bellied water snake)Series 01 reddish and brown crossbands above ; belly yel-lowish WIth redd ish or brown markings .

· Natrix fasciata (banded water snake)

PROBLEM SPECIES

Certain species of reptiles and amphibians can crea te specialproblems for the loca l investigator. These include poisonousspec~e~ ~ ,!nresolved reco~d s and unverified reports or sightings,possibilities of encountenng endangered species or introducedspecies, and the possibility that edible speci es of the regioncould have indiv iduals contaminated by local pollutantsincluding radionuclides.

Unresolved Records

Report s of some species of reptiles and amphibians from theSRP over the past 25 years have not been confirmed bysubsequent investigators . Possible reasons includemisidentifications or cataloguing errors , the existence of earlierpopulations which are no longer present locally, inadequ atesampling in part icular habitats or sites in recent times, orpro blems associated with taxonomic as signment andinterpretation . The following SRP species or speciescombinations are presently held in question:

Kinostemon bauri-Th e prese nce of this species on the SRPwas bas ed on 4 specimens from the Steel Creek-Road Avicinity. Three of the speci mens (prescJVed in formalin) havesubsequently been identified by herpetologists familiar withKlnosternon sys tematics as K. subrubrum , The remainingspecimen has characteristics that qualify it as either spec ies.(The distinguishing characte ristics bet ween K. bauri and K.subrubrum are often subtle and ove rlap between the species .)Collections of several hundr ed Kinosternon since the 1970'shave revealed no K. bauri in the samples , some of which werefrom the Steel Creek area .

Pseudotriton ruber- Althou gh numerou s specimens hav ebeen referred to this species. its similarity in appearance to P.man/anus makes the iden rifications que stionable .

A . maculatum-Th e records of A. maclilatunr from the SRPrest only on a few speci mens collected in the late 1960's fromthe Risher Pond area. Some quest ions arise as to whether theywere correctly identified because A. tigrinum also occurs atRisher Pond and throughout the SRP.

8uf o woodhousei-s-A single SRP specimen in the Charles tonMuseum collection has been positively iden tified as belongingto this species (J. Harri son , pers. comm.). No other individu alsor choruses have been reported subsequently.

Fall Une Subspeciatioo

The northern bord er of the SRP is only a few miles south ofthe Fall Line. the zone of intergradation of many species ofrept iles and amphibians. Most speci es are probably represe ntedby a single subspecies on the site; however, becau se ofindividual variation or inadequate sampling, subspecificassignments have often been made arbitrarily on the basis ofgeographic range information for the following: Sceloporusundnlatus . S toreria deknvi. Pituophis melanoleucu s,Agkistrodon contortrix , Pseudotrlton rubcr, Desmognathus[uscus , Notop tha lmus viridescens . Rana clarnitans,

Poisonous Species

Five spec ies of poisonous snakes occur on the SRP.Cottonmouths (A . piscl vorus) are most frequ entl y enco unteredin aquatic situations. Can ebrakes (C . horridus} andcopp erhead s fA . contonrtx) are the most common terrestrially.The potential for serious snakebite exists anywhere on the site.Because of the proxi mity of the SRP to medical facilities inAugusta or Aiken, professional medical atten tion isrecommended in lieu of extensiv e first-aid meas ures.

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Edible Species

The combination of a species edible by humans and a sourceof contamination and potential uptake by the species couldresult in unfortunate con seq uences . II is not the intent of this ....,report to indica te where on the SRP such situations mightarise, if at a ll, but instead . only to indicate the specie s in theregion which are generally conside red edible . Th ese includeone amphibian, the bullfrog (R . cat esbeiuna} , and four reptiles ,all turtles (c. serpentine. C. scripta , C. floridan a, and D.reticuluriu}, Although it is true that many of the snakes arelarge enough, as weU as palatable, no species in this region ischaracteris tically used as a source of food .

IntrodJced Species

The practice of keeping and even tually releasing exot ic petshas led to the introduction of new spe cies in many area s. Thehorn ed toa d (Phry nosoma cornutun f) is now an establishedspecies in so me sections of the Sou th Carolina coastal plain. Ithas not been fou nd on the SRP. but the possibility exists that itcou ld become established because of the abundant sandyhabitats.

Endangered Species

Special stat e and federal regulations pro tect species withdeclin ing or small populations. These animals can not beinten tionally killed and ca n be collec ted only by permit fromthe federal government. Only one endangered reptile species.the American alligator (A . mlssissippiensis} is known to occuron the SRP, being found in the Par Pond reservoir system.man y lakes , and the Savannah River swamp.

An endangered amphibian species. the pine barrens treefrog(H . andersoni} has not bee n reported from the SRP but the siteis within the general ra nge of the species.

No repti les or amphibians can be collected on the SRPwithout a permit issued by the South Carolina Wildlife and ...,Marine Resources Department,

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SPECIES ACCOUNTS

The following is intended to give a brief description ofpertinent ecological feat ures of each species occurring on theSKP and to present information that might be helpfu l to aninve stigator who is unfamiliar with the species i~ t~j s area . Ourimpression of the eco logical status of each species IS based onour own experiences and those of co lleagues who haveconducted research on the SRP. Specific loca tions areindicated on the map of the SRP (Map 3).

The following terminology will be used in assignment toabundance categories:

Abundant -Species is seen so frequently on the SRP or canbe found with such assura nce that the absence of specimens illappropria te seasons and locations would be cause forquestion .

Common- Species is no surprise when encountered , but theabsence of specimens in certain loca tions or for long periods oftime is co nsidered inconsequential.

Uncommon- S pecies is noteworthy when found and isusually rep resented by single specimens.

Rare-Species is seen so seldom that questions can usuallybe raised as to whether sizable populat ions act ually exist.

Locul/y - This term, used in conjunctio n with one of theabove. indicates that the species occurs in concentratedpockets on the SRP with hiatuses between; the abu ndancedesignation indicates the commonness within such pockets .

Salamanders

Ambystoma talpoideu m -Abundant. Adult s can be seen inlarge numbers on SRP highways during rainy nights in late falland winter as the y migrate to breeding sites ; larvae or neotenicadults occur in many aquatic sites and ca n be collected byseine. dipnet , or minnow trap.Ambystoma vpacum-Common. Adults are seen on SRPhighways duting rainy periods in the fall and winter. Severaldozen juve niles were cap tured with pitfall traps around RisherPond during summer. Occa sional individuals are uncoveredunder debris along woods bordering the Savannah Riverswamp .A mbysloma maeulatum - Rare. The only record of this specieson the SRP is a handful of individuals repo rted from RisherPond over a two year period.Ambys toma tigrinurn-Common. This species would becon sidered unco mmon in this region if only road collecting orother observ ations were used. However. dri ft fences and pitfalltraps have revealed that tiger salamanders do breed in manyaquatic sites, usually in small numbers . They hav e been foundthroughout the SRP. .Necturus putl etarus-Locally common. Specimens have beenfound in trib utaries of Uppe r Three Runs Creek but may alsooccu r in oth er small streams ; effective capture methods arcminnow traps and dipnetting,Amphiuma means-Uncommon. Single specimens have beencollected in a varie ty of aquatic habita ts including Risher Pondand Steel Creek Bay; the largest numbers have bee n collectedin the No rth Cove area of Par Pond by means of minnowtraps.Siren lacertina-L ocally common. Several have been collectedin turtle trap s in Dry Bay: a few individuals emerged from thewater adjoini ng Steel Creek at Road A after a rotenoningoperation.

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Siren intermedia-Localty co mmon. A concentration of thisspecies was observed during a period of flooding along theshoreline of an inlet in Par Pond; many captures have beenmade during the fall and winter in the North Cove area of ParPond by means of baited minnow traps .N otophthalmu s l'iridescens- A bundant. Adults can be found.at leas t in small numb ers . in almost all lentic situations.particularly Carolina bays . Terrestri al stages are frequen tlyencountered on highways during rainy periods in late fall.winter and spring.Desmognathus fuscus and/or D. ouriculams - Locallycom mon. Specimens can usually be readily obtai ned under leaflitt er in seepage areas alongside small streams thro ughout theSRP.Plethodon glutinos us - A bundant. This species is generallyassociated with woodland habitats (hardwood or pine) and canusually be found ben eath Jitter throughout the SRP.Psendotrlton montanus and P. ruber-Common. Specimensare encou ntered on highways during rainy periods in late falland winter and are associated primarily with wooded habitatsborderi ng wet areas. Some uncertai nty exists as to whether P.ruber is ac tua lly represen ted on the SRP.E urycea bislineatu and E. lonRicauda-Common . Occasionallyfound under litter alongside stream or swamp marginsthroughout the SRP. Most specimens have come from thesec tion of Road F crossing the Upper Three Runs Creekfloodplain on rai ny nights .Eurycea quadridigitata-Abundant. This species is alwayscaptured in drift fences a t aqua tic areas on the SRP. Numerou sindividuals can be picked up during rainy nights on highwayspassing through low woo ded areas (such as Road F at Upp erThree Runs Creek). They become appare nt during late summerand are acti ve primarily in the fall.

Frogs and Toads

S caphiopus holbrooki-Common and locally abunda nt. Th isspecies is found on roads at night throu ghout the SRP duringlate fall and early to late spring. Enorm ous choruses composedof thousand s of individuals develop in the tow n of Aiken afterheav y spring or summer rains. A small chorus has been notedat Karen's Pond near the old SREL site.Bufo terrestris-Abundant. This is the most appare ntamphibian on the SRP throughout the warm periods of theyear . Breeding seems to occur in every ava ilable body ofstanding water in early spring (late March or early April) afterrainfall. Specimens ca n be picked up from highways on mostwarm nights of the year.Buf o querciClu- Uncommon . Individuals of this species areseldom encount ered . A few choruses have been observed . thelargest being at Pump Sta tion # 1 in early summer. Despite thelack of heavy co ncentrat ions , individuals have been reportedfrom throughout the SRP.Buf o woodhous ei-s-Rere, Five individuals were reported byFreeman (1956) . Harri son (pers, comm.), upon reexaminationof the preserved specimen has co nfinned the species as B.woodhousei ,Aeris grytlus and A . crepitans- A bundant. Most SRPspecimens have been A . gryl/us although some A . crepltansalso occur on the site. A cris can be heard calling from almostall lake margins or Carolina bays fro m spring to late summer.Hyla crucifer- Abundant. Specimens can be heard calling frommost aquatic areas from November to Marc h and occasionallyat other times.

Hyla cinerea -Abundant. Large choruses can be locatedaround Par Pond, some ponds and Carolina bays, and alongthe river swamp during spring and su mmer. Choruses seemless depe ndent on rain than most other species and willfrequently caJl at night even after a several day dry period.Hyla gratiosa - Locally common. Occasional specimens arefound on highways during rainy 'periods in the spring. Isolatedchoruses have bee n located. along the river swamp and atKaren 's Pond (old SRE L site).Hyla femoralis- Uncommon. Small numbers of callingindividuals have been noted at a variety of sites throughout theSRP but large choruses have not been reported, A consistentcalling site is the artesian wdllocated west of Brinkley Road .Hyla squirella- Commo n. Large choruses of this ubiqu itousspecies are seldom heard although individuals a re frequentl yencou ntered on highway s at night or during rainy periods.Hyla chryso scelis (and If . versic%r?)-Common . Primarily asummer caller, individuals might be encountered anywhere onthe SRP. A few large choruses have been reported.Hyla adl'oca - LocaJly co mmon. The greatest concentrationsof this specie s appear to be in the river swamp . part icularly inassoc iation with cypress trees . A large chorus has beenobserved behind the Hog Barn.Pseudacris triseriuta , P. nigrita and P. ornata- Local lycommon . These late fall and winter breeders can usually becollected on roads on rainy nights and are heard throughoutthe SRP.Pseudacris brim/eyi- Rare . This species has been reportedfrom the site by Freeman (19 56) but no voucher specimens arepresent a t this lime.Limnuoedus ocutans-:-Uncommon. Individuals can frequentlybe heard during the summer along the river swamp margin.Gastrophryne carolinensis - Abundant . Small choruses ofnarrow-mouthed toad s can often be heard in standing waterareas on rainy nights in spring or summer throughout the SRP.Individuals are frequen tly encountered under litter and onhighways.Ran a catesbeiana- Common. Bullfrogs are found in virtual lyevery permanent body of water on the SRP but are seldom ifever the most abunda nt speci es pre sent. Juveni les have bee ncaptured in pitfall trap s several meters from water. Adults a remost easily obta ined by han d collecting around lake margins.Rana ~';rgatipes-Locally uncommon. Carpenter frogs werenot verified by capture on the SRP unti l 1m . A small choru sof a dozen individuals was heard and four were collected atSteel Creek Bay in early summer, 1977. They have not beenobserved in any other region of the SRP.Rewa c1amitans - Locally common. Bronze frogs appear to beaquatically ubiquitous on the SRP. Calling individuals can beheard during most of the warm months .Rana lItricularia- Common. Leopard frogs are more commonlhan bronze frogs as numerous individuals can be collected onSRP highways after winter rains, often long distances fromwate r, They can be collected from all aquatic areas on theSRP. Large numbe rs of breeding ad ults have been captured interrestrial drift fences during winter at Ellenton Bay and RisherPond.Raila pa/ustris- Rare. A small number of specimens wascaptured in pitfall traps over a two-year period at Risher Pond.No others have been reported from the SRP.Raila areolata - Uncommon. Gopher frogs have been heardcalling from Karen's Pond and several individuals werecaptured with pitfall traps over a two-year period . A few weresimilarly taken at Risher Pond . Additional sightings have beeninfrequent.Rana grylio- Rare. A small choru s was believed to be callingfrom Steel Creek Bay on two different occasions in the springof 1977. The species was also reported by Freeman (1956) .

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Alligator

Alligator mississippiellsis-Locally common. Americanalligators on the SRP were spared the heavy poaching pressure ..Jof the 1950's and 1%O's. Breeding a dults are prese nt on the ,....,site, particularly in the Par Po nd sys tem. Nests have beenfound at Upper Three Runs Creek. at Pond C, and a t SteedPond . Several success ful hatches have been observed in thePar Pond sys tem .

Turtles

Chelydra serpent;IlQ-Common. Although large numbers areunlikely to be found at any particular site, single specimens ofthis ubiquitous species may occur in any aquatic habitat on theSRP. Most effective capture is with baited aquatic traps.Sternotherus odoratlls-Common. This species is almostexclusively aquat ic, and is seldom encountered terrestrially.The most effective cap tu re method is with baited aqua tic trap s.Ktnosternon subruhrum-Abundant. This species ischaracteristically assoc iated with standing bodies of water,parti cularly those with fluctuating levels such as Carolina baysand cypress -gum swamps . Specimens have not been reportedfrom Par Pond , the streams. or the river. Man y captures aremade terrestrially as individuals hibernate on land longdistanc es from water. Aquatic trapp ing frequently -yieldsspecimens. Terrestrial drift fences and pitfall traps areextre mely effective at appro priate sites .Kinosternon bauri- Rare or absent. The presence of thisspecie s on the SRP is contes ted by the auth ors. Fourindividuals were reported by Duever (1972). No additionalspecimens have been rep orted and the four individuaJs havethe predominan t characteris tics of K . subruhrum.Clemmys guttatll - Rare. The handful of sported turtles have ~

come from specimens picked up on highways .Terropene carolina-Uncommon. Box turtl es appear to beubiquitous on the SRP but are seldom encounte red except assolitary individual s. Most captures are on highwa ys during themorn ing.Chrysemys scripta-Abundant. This is the most frequentlyencountered turtle on the SRP and is usually the dominantspecies . Specimens have been found at pract ically everyaquatic site. All means of tra pping a re effective but baitedaquatic tra ps , lrot lines , and pitfall traps have yielded thelargest numbers.Chrysemys concillna-Rare. The river cooter is represented onthe SRP by a single speeimen collected at the SRP river dock .The species may be common in the river itself but there are nosupporting data .Chrysemvs floridana -Common . This species occurs in mostlarge aquatic habitats including Caro lina bays. streams . ParPond , farm ponds and the river swamp but has never beenfound in large numbe rs. Aquatic traps and pitfall trap s haveyielded the most specimens but no one means has been highlyeffective . This species may occur in large numbers in river andstream systems. habitats that have received only cursoryexamination.Oetrochdvs reticularia - Locally co mmon. Chicken turtlesoccur most commonly in Carolina bay habitats but are found insmall numbers in other aquat ic areas . Males can be trappedeffectively in aqu atic areas but females are captured mostfrequently in terrestrial drift fence s and pitfall traps.TriOfJYX spiniferus-Rare. A single specimen was seen inLower Three Runs Creek below the Par Pond outfall.Extensive trapping effort s in Par Pond and other lentic habitats ...;have failed. Several individuals have been trapped on theSavannah River below the SRP.

Uzards

Ophisaurus attenuatlls and O. venrralis-Uncommon. Little isknown of the ecology or distribution of these species on theSRP. Drift fences in th e: sandy areas around Risher Pondyielded a few individua ls of each species. Occasionalspecime ns are picked up on roads during daylight .Eumeces laticeps and E. inexpectatu s-s-Cottwnot». Both speciescan be found in small numbers.in most woode d habitats on theSRP. Specimens have been found in pine and hardwoodhabitats in both dry or swampy areas.Eumeces j iucialUs- Status unknown. Some question exis ts asto whether this species actually occ urs on the SRP. Recentattempts to estab lish its presence have res ulted only innumerous capt ure s of the other two species of Eumeces ,Letoloplsma Inlerale-Common. Brown skinks apparentlyoccur in all wooded habitats on the SRP or even in open areasif sufficient gro und cover is available. Drift fences success fullycapture speci mens but the most effective tech nique seems tobe searching beneath ground litter. Specimens are active duringwarm , sunny periods in winter.Sceioporus nndulatus-s-Cottvtvm. Populations of fence lizardsare generally restricted to disturbed areas particularly if grou ndcover is avai lable. Sma ll concentrations can be found at mostold homesites , brush piles. and bridges. Individuals canfrequent ly be found in the turkey oak habitats.Anolis carolillellsis - Uncommon to common. This species isoccasionally located in small populations whe re individuals canbe seen regularly on suitable days . Preferred habitats appear tobe similar to those of Sceloporus .Cnemldophorus sexlineatus- Abundant. This species cangenera lly be found in any sandy areas including road shouldersand adjoi ning habita t. Individuals are frequently seen cross inghighways during daylight hours.

Snakes

Natris cyd opion- Locally common. A large popu lation occ ursin Ellenton Bay and a few specimens have been reported fromPar Pond. None have been collected in stream or swamphabitats on the SRP.No trix taxispilOia-Abundant. Associated with most stream.river, and swamp habitats on the SRP but seldom reportedfrom Carolina bays. Occas ionally encou ntered in Par Pond .Natrix erythrogaster-Locally co mmon . Usual ly associatedwith aquatic environments and occasionally encounteredseveral hundred meters away from permanent water.Individuals have been found throughout the SRP.Nutrix fosciata and/or N . sipedon- Abundant. This is the mostubiquitous species of Na trix on the SRP and is found in allaquati c habitats , perm anent or temporary.Nu trix rigida -Rare. Two specimens have been collected fromthe drift fence at Risher Pond .Semina trix pygaea- Locally uncommon . There is aconcentration of this species at Ellenton Bay. Occasionalspecimens have been reported from other sta nding wate rhabita ts on the SRP.S torer!a dekayi-Uncommon. Occasional individuals of thisspecies are found in a diversity of habitats from moist to drywoodlands to swa mpy areas if abundant ground cove r andlitter are available.Storerta occipilOmaculata - Locally uncom mon. Specimens areoccasionally co llected on SRP roads at night. Drift fences inmoist woodland areas with abundant ground litte r arou nd PondC. Lost Lake. and the old SREL site revealed the presence ofthis speci es . Occasional individuals have been found in adiversity of SRP habitats. usually wet or damp. though notnecessari ly near pe rmanent aquatic areas.

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Thumn ophis sal/ritus- Uncommon. The few individualsreponed have been found in association with aquatic areas invarious parts of the SRP.Thamnophis sirtalis- Uncommon. Occasional individuals havebee n found in a diversity of SRP habitats , usually wet ordam p, though not necessarily near permanently aquatic areas.Virginia vuleriae- Uncommon. Most individuals have beencollected with drift fences . the largest numbers having comefrom the east side of Pond C and from Lost Lake.Heterodon platyrlrinos-Common. CharacteristicalJy found insandy habita ts including abandoned old fields and scrub oakforests anywhere on the SRP. Frequen tly found on roads butduring daytime only. Melanism is frequentl y observed in adultsfrom the SR P.Heterodon simus- Uncommon. Fo und in similar habitats aseastern hognose: sandy fields and wooded areas, but less often .Neve r melanistic .Diadophis pUflctalUs-Uncommon. Occa sional specimens werecollected with drift fences around Pond C. Otherwise,infrequently encou ntered on the SRP.Faranda abacura- Uncommon. Primaril y associated with theSavannah River swamp system and aquatic habitats in thevicinity . A few individ uals have been collected in Par Pond .Faran da erytrogmmma - Uncommon. Foun d in or aroundvariou s aquatic habitats. Most specimens have come fromcaptures with minnow traps at Steel Creek or from RisherPond and Ellenton Bay by means of drift fences .Coluber constrictor- Abundanl. Found in a wide varie ty ofhabitats , being particularly common in abandoned old fields.pine woods . and hardwood areas . Frequently seen crossinghighways during da ylight hours only. Probably the mostapparent terrestrial snake species on the SRP.Masticophis flag ellum-Uncommon. Primarily associated withdry, sand y habita ts such as abandoned old fields and scrub oakforest areas but reported from throughout the SRP; stric tlydiurnal: may occur in pine or hardwood areas on occasion.Opheodrys aes th'us- Uncommon.'As sociated with thick lyvegetated areas having vines. bushes. shrubs. etc., thro ughoutthe SRP.Elaph e gutta ta - Common. Found throughout the SRP.generally associated with woodland habitats, including pine andhardwood areas; commonly collected at night on SRPhighways.Elaphe obsoleta - Uncommon. Found in a wide variety ofhabitats throughout the SRP but is most often encountered inwooded or swampy areas ; often found in wood duck nestboxes.Pituophis melatwleucus-Uncommon . Restricted to sandyhabita ts whether abandoned old fields , scrub oak or pineforest s. Most specimens are obtained as incidental cap tures onhighways during day light hours.Lampropeltis getulus - Commo n. Occurs in wide variety ofhabitats on the SRP, often in the vicinity of permanent ortemporary aqua tic areas. Although large numbers are known tooccur in selected areas, such as Ellenton Bay, normal ly nomore than one or two individuals are encountered during aparticular day .Lamprooeltts triangulum-Rare. Restricted to open pinewoods on the SRP. Several individuals were collected on RoadF at night during late summer of 1977. Three specimens werecaught in drift fence s around Pond C.Cemophora coccinea- Common. Characteristically associatedwith sandy soil habitats including pine woods , scrub oakforests, and abandoned old fields . Almost all individuals havebeen collected on SRP highways at night or in drift fence saround Risher Pond. Karen's Pond, and Pond C. Fewspeci mens are seen befo re May or after August.

Tantllta ('oronata- Uncommon. Fou nd in a variety of habitatsbut mostly in wooded areas with abundant ground litter anddebris . Most SRP captures have resulted fro m drift fences inwooded sites .Micrurus ful~'ius-Rare. Fewer than a half dozen individual s ofthis species have been foun d on the SRP, all within thenorthwestern sector and mostly in the fall . All have beenas sociated with turkey oak-pine habita ts .Agkistrodon contortrix - Uncommon. May be encountered inany terrestri a l habitat on the SRP. Most specimens have beencollec ted as a conseq uence of road collecting.Agkistrodon pisd.'orlu -Abundant. Found in association withalmost every wet habitat on the SRP, with two notableexceptions: Ellenton Bay and Par Pond. Heavy concentrationsare occasiona lly encountered in the Savannah River swamparea .Sistrum s miiiarius-s-Unc ommon. Most SRP specimens havebeen encountered in scrub oak- longleaf pine fore st habitats inthe northern sector. Several individuals were captured by roadcollecting at night duri ng late summer of 1977.Crotalus horn"dus - Common. Found in association with a widediversity of terrestrial habitats on the SRP. Most specimenshave been collected on roa ds primari ly in early evening or atnight. Few Crotalus are seen before mid-May but individualscan be encou ntered moving overland as late as November.

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USEFUL HERPETOLOGICALREFERENCES OF THE SRPr:

Publicat ions Based on SRP Research

Bellis, E. D. 1964. A summer six-lined racerunner Cnemidoph or«ssexlineatus populat ion in Sou th Carolina . Herpetologica 20: 9- 16.

Ben nett . D. H. 1972, Notes on the terrestrial wintering of mud tu rtles(Kinostemon subrubrum) . Herpetologica 28:245-247.

_ _ -,--,,--,-_. J. W. Gibbons. and J . C. Fran son . 1970. Ter restri a lactivit y in aquatic turt les . Eco logy 51:738-740.

Bourque . J. E. • and G. W. Esch . 1974. Population ecology ofparasites in turtles fro m thermally al tered and natural aqu aticcommunities . In: Thermal Ecology. J. W. Gibbons and R. R.Sharitz (eds.) . (CON F-730505). pp . 551-561.

Brisbin. I. L.. Jr., M. A. Sta ton, J. E. Pinder, III , and R. A. Geiger.1974. Radiocesium co ncentrations of snakes from co nta minatedand noncont aminat ed habitats of the AEC Savannah River Plant.Copeia 1974(2):501-506 .

Calc, W. G., Jr. , and J . W. Gibbons. 1972. Relationship s betweenbody s ize, size of the far bodies . and total lipid co ntent in thecanebrake rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) and the black rac er(Cotuber co ns trictor}. Herpetologica 28:51-53.

Christy , E. J . , J . O. Farl o w, J. E. Bou rqu e and J. W. Gibbon s. 1974.Enhan ced growth and increased body size of turt les living inthermal and post-thermal aquatic sy stems. In : Thermal Ecology.J. W. Gibbons and R. R. Shantz (eds .I. (CON F-730.505). pp .277-284 .

Clark. D. B.. and I . W. Gibbons . 1969. Dietary shift in the turtlePsendrmvs scripta (Schoepff) from you th to maturity. Cor d a1969(4): 7lM-706 .

,-... Dapson, R. W. , and L. Kaplan. 1975. Biological half-life anddistrib ut ion of radioc es ium in a conta minated population of greentreefrogs Hylu cinerea . Gikas 26:39-42.

Duever, M. J. 1972. Th e striped mud turtle (Kinos ternon houriGarman ) in South Carolina. Herpetol. Rev . 4:131.

Free man. H . W. 1955. Amphibian s and Reptiles of the SRP Area ,Caudate Amphibia . Univ. S.C. Publ . Ser. III 1:227-238.

_ --::,---,---:---:-: . 1955. Amphibian s and Rept iles of the SRP Area.Chelonia . Univ. S.C . Publ . Ser. 111 1:239-244.

_ --::_ ,---,.,---,.1955. Amphibians and Reptiles of the SRP Area .Croc odilia, Sauna and Serp entes . Un iv. S .c. Publ . SeT. [II1:275-29l.

_ --::-;:-_,----;-;-. 1956. Amphibians and Reptiles of the SRP Area,Salientia . Univ. s.c , Publ. Se r. III 2:26-35.

_ _ ___ _ . 1960. A unique en vironmental situation in Steed 'sPond . Savannah River Plant Area , South Carolina . Univ. S .c.Pub\. Ser. III 3:99- 111.

Gibbons, I . w. 1969. Ec ology and po pulati on dynam ics of thechicken tur tle , Deirocheiys reticularia . Copeia 1969(4):669-676.

_ _ _ _ _ _ . 1970. Terrestrial ac tiv ity and the populationdynamics of aquatic turt les . Am. MidI. Nat. 83:404-414.

__-:-_,---_. 1970. Reproductive dynamics of a turtle (Ps ee de mysscrip ta ] populati on in a reservoir receiving heated effluent from anuclear react or . Ca n. I . Zoo l. 48:881·885.

_-:--._ _ --,-. 1972. Rep roduction , growth and sexu al dimorphi smin the canebrake rattlesnake (Crotalu s horridus atricaudatus).Copeia 1972 (2):222-22b.

_ _ _ _ __• and D. H. Benn ett . 1974. Determ ination of anura nterrestrial activi ty pattern s by a drift fenc e me thod . Copeia1974:236-24 3.

___ __:;-: ' and J. W. Coker. 1977. Ecological a nd life historyasp ects of the cooter (Chrysemvs ftoridanat. Herpetologica33:29-3 3.

---'- "'--C- ' and J. L. Greene. 1978. Ecology of the chickenr-.. turt le (Deirocheivs ret icutariai. Jour. of Herpetology.

_-,-:--::--_ _ ' and D. H. Nelson . 1978. The evo luti onarysignificance of de layed emergen ce from the nes t by turt les .Evolu tion 32:297-303.

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_ _ _ ..,-_ _ • and R. R. Shantz. 1974 . Thermal alteration ofaqua tic ecosystems. Amer. Sci. 62:660-670.

_ _ _ _ -r-r-r- J. W. Co ker , and T. M. Murphy. 19]7. Selec tedaspects of the ecol ogy of the rainbow snake tFaranciaeryt rog ra m ma}, Herpetologica 33 :27~28L

_ -::-_ -::-_ ---:' D. H. Nelson , K. K. Patterson , and J . L. Greene.Reptiles and amphibian s of the Sa vannah River Plan t inwest-centra l South Ca rolina . In: Proceedings of the Sou thCarolina Wildlife Endangered Species Symposium (In press ].

Good year. C. P.• 1971. v -exls orientation of the oa k toad , Bufoquercicus , Herpet ologica 27:32()'323.

_ _____ , and R. Altig . 1971. Orientation of bullfrogs , (Ranacutrs beiuna i during metamorphosis . Copeia 1971(2):363-364.

Kau fma n. G . A.• and J. W. Gibbons. 1975. weight -lengthrela tionships in thirteen species of snakes in the sou theasternU nited Sta te s . He rpe tol ogica 31:31-37.

Murphy, T. M., Jr ., and I. L. Brisbin, Jr . 19]4. Distribution ofalligators in response to thermal gradients in a reactor coo lingreservoir. In: Thermal Ecolog y , J. W. Gibbons and R, R. Shari tz ,(eds .) .(CON F-730505) . pp . 3 13-321-

Ne lson , D. H . 1974. Growth and de velopmental respon ses of larvaltoad popu lations to heated effluent in a Sou th Carolina reservoir.In: Thermal Ecology. J . W. Gibbons an d R. R. Sh aritz , (eds .).(CONF-730505). pp . 264- 276.

_ _ _ _ _ _ , and J, W. Gibbons. 1972. Ecology, ab undance , andseasonal ac tivity of the scarlet snak e, Cemophora coccinea ,Copeia 1972(3 ):582-584 .

Parker, E. D. , M. J. Hirshfield , and J. W. Gibbons. 1973. Ecologicalcomparisons of thermally affected aquatic enviro nmen ts . J. WaterPoUut. Control Fed. 45:726 -733.

Patterson , K. K. Life history aspects of paedogenic populations ofthe mole salamander , A mhystoma tulpo ideum (Holbrook). Copeia(In press ),

Semlhsch. R. D.• and J. W. Gibbons. Reproductive allocation in thebrown wat er snake , Na trix toxispilom , Copeia On press).

Sta ton. M. A. , I. L . Brisbin . Jr., an d R. A. Geiger. 1974. So measpects of radiocesiu m rete ntion in naturally co ntaminated ca ptivesnakes. Herpe tologica 30:204-2 11.

Tinkle , D, W.• and R. E, Ballinger. 1972, Sceloporus undu iotus: Astudy of the intraspecific co mparative demography of a lizard .Ecology 53:57o-SS4.

SRP Theses and Dissertations

Bourque , J. E . 1974. Studies on the popu lation dynam ics of helminthparasites in the yellow-be llied turt le , Pseudemys scrip/ a scripta .Ph ,D. Dis sertation, Wake Forest U niversity . 107 pp .

Duever, A. J. 1967. Trophic dynami cs of rept iles in tenus of thecom munity food web and energy intake . M. S . Th esis , Universityof Georgia . 95 pp.

Due ver , M. J. 1967. Distri buti ons in spac e and lime of repti les on theSavan nah River Plant in South Carolina. M.S. Thesis , Univer sityof Ge orgia . 70 pp .

Murphy, T. M. , Jr. 1977. Dist ribut ion , movement and populationdynam ics of the Ameri can alligator in a thermally ah ere dreservoir. M .S. Thesis, University of Geo rgia . 58 pp.

Nelson , D. H. 1974. Eco logy ofanura n populations inhabitingthermally stressed aqua tic ecos ystems , with empha sis on larvalRana pipiens and Bufo terrestris , Ph.D . Dissertation , MichiganState Unive rsity . 175 pp .

Patt er son, K. K. 1977. The life histo ry of the mole salamander ,Ambvstoma tatpoideum (Holbrook) . on the southeas tern coastalplain with a possible exp lana tion for the occu rr ence ofpaedogenesis in the species. M.S . Th esis , Wake ForestUn iversity . 68 pp.

General Guides and Regional References

Bishop, S . C. 1947. Ha ndbook of sa lamande rs. Co mstock PublishingCo. , Inc. • Ithaca . NY. 555 pp.

Carr. A. F. 1952. Handbook of turt les ; the turtles of the UnitedSlates . Canada and Baja Califo rnia . Comstock Pub lishing Co .•Ithaca . NY. 542 pp .

Cochran, D. M. and C. J. Goin. 1970. The new field book of repti lesand amphibians. Putnam. New York, NY.

Conant. R. 1975. A field guide to rep tiles and amphibians of ea sternand cen tral No rth Ameri ca. Hough ton Mifflin Co. , Boston. MA.429 pp .

Gibbons, J . W. 1977. The snakes of the Savannah River Plan t withemphasis on snakebi te preventi on and treatmen t. SRP DuP ontPress. 26 pp.

_ _ _ _ _ _ , 1978. Reptiles. In: Annota ted checklist of the biotaof the coastal zone of South Carolina, R. G. Zingrnark, Ied.I . pp.270-276. USC Press . (In press).

Ernst . C. H. and R. W. Barbour. 1972. Turtles of the United States.Univ. Press of Ke ntucky, Lexingto n. KY. 347 pp .

Harrison , J. R. 1978. Amphibians. In : Ann otated checklist of thebiota of the coastal zon e of South Carolina , R. G. Zingmark (ed .).USC Press. (In press).

Harri son. J. R. Amphibians of South Carolina. (In prep .).Martof. B. S. 1956. Amphibians and repti les of Georgi a , a guide .

Univ. of Georgia Pres s. Athens. Ga . 94 pp.Mount. R. II . 1975. The rep tiles and amphibians of Alabama . Auburn

Printing Co. Auburn, AL. 347 pp .Palmer . W. M. 1974. Poisonous Snake s of North Carolina . Raleigh:

State Mus. of Nat. Hist.Schmidt, K. P.• and D. D. Davis . 1941. Field book of snakes . G. P.

Putnam 's Sons. New York, NY. 365 pp .Sinclai r. R.• W. Hon . and R. B. Ferguson. 1965. Amphibians a nd

Reptiles of Tennessee. Nashville: Tennessee Game and FishCommission.

Smith . H. M. 1946. Ha ndbook of lizards; lizard s of the United Stat esand of Canada. Comstock Publ. Co . • Ithaca, NY. sn pp.

Wright, A. H .• and A. A. Wright. 1957. Handbook of snakes of theUnited States and Canada . Comstock Publ. Assoc . • Ithaca . NY. 2vol.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ -r-t-r-_ _ -r-;' 1949. Handbook of frogsand toads of the United Sta tes and Canada. Comstock Pub l. Cc.,Ithaca . NY. 640 pp.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Manu script pre parati on and much of the rese arch on whichthe data a re based were carried ou t under ContractEY-76-C-09-08 19 between the Univers ity of Georgia a nd theDepartment of Energy. Ne edless to say, th e collection of suchlarge number s of a nima ls require s the cooperatio n andassis lance of numerous individuals . We greatly appreciate theeffort extended by so many of our colleagues during the pastsevera l year s.

Pa rt icular th anks a re g iven to David H . N elson a nd Judi thL. G reene who aided in compila tion of the informa tio npresented in th is docume nt. Dr. 1. Lehr Bri sbin cont ribu teduseful advice and oth er a ss is tance during its preparati on . Ms.Jean Coleman made a ll of the drawings. We also thank Dr.Ronn Altig of Mi ssi ss ippi State U niversity fo r criticallyreviewing the final manu script and offeri ng man y usefulsugges tions, Finally. we owe a d eb t of gra titude to Ms. TanyaWillingham for her unrelenting atte ntion to detail s during th esucce ssive typings of the manu scr ipt.

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LITERATURE CITED IN TEXT

Bishop , S . C. 1947. Handbook of salamanders . Comstock Publ. Co.•I llia~ , NY. ~

Carr, A. F. 1952. Ha ndbook of turtles: the turtles of the UnitedStates. Canada and Baja California . Comstock Publ . Assoc .•Ithaca , NY.

Cochran , D. M.• and C. J . Goin. 1970. Th e new field boo k of reptilesand amphibians . Putnam. New York . NY.

Conant. R. 1963. Evide nce for the spec ific status of the wate r snake.Natrix f ascia tu, Ame r. Mus. Novitat es 2122:)- 38.

_ ___ . A field guide to rep tiles and amphibians of eastern andcen tra l North Ameri ca . Houghton Mifflin Co ., Boston . MA. 429pp .

Erns t , C. H. and R. W. Barbour. 1972. Tur tles of the United States.Univ. Press of Ken tuck y. Lexi ngton. KY.

Gibbon s, J. W. 19n . Reptiles. In: Annotated checkl ist of the biota ofthe coas tal zone of Sout h Carolina . R. G. Zmgmark , ted .I USCpress. (In press) .

_ _ _ _ _ _ , and R. R. Sharit z. 1974. Th erma l alteration ofaqu atic ecosystems. Amer. Sci. 62:66(}670.

_ _ --,:-_ ..,., D. H. Nelson, K . K. Patterson a nd J. L. Greene.Reptiles and amp hibians of the Savannah River Plant inwest-central Sou th Carolina. 10: Proceedings of the SouthCarolina Wildlife Endangered Species Symposium (In pre ss ).

Harrison , J. R. 1977. Amphibians. In: Annotated checklist of Ihebiota of the coastal zone of Sou th Carolina. R. G. Zingmark,(ed .). US C pre ss . (In pre ss ).

_ _ _ _ --,_. Amphibia ns of South Ca rolina . (In prep.I.Mart of, B, S. 1956. Amphi bians and rept iles of Georgia . a guide .

Univ. of Georgia Press , Athens , GA . 94 pp-Mount . R. H. 1975. Th e reptiles and amphibians of Alabama . Auburn

Priming Co.• Auburn AL. 347 pp.Neill, W. T. 1971. Last of the ruling rept iles: al ligators , crocodi les

and their kin. Columbia Univ. Press. New York. NY.Schmidt , K. P. , a nd D. D. Davis. 194 1. Field book of snakes. J. P.

Putnam's Sons. New York . NY. 365 pp .Smith , H . M. 1946. Handboo k of lizards, lizards of the United States

and of Ca nada . Com st ock Publ. Co . • Ithaca , NY . 557 pp . ....",Wrighl , A. H. and A. A. Wright. 1957. Handbook of snakes of Ihe

United Sta tes and Canada. Comstock Pu bl. Assoc ., Ithaca , NY. 2vol.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ -r-r--: 1949. Hand book of frogs andtoad s of the United States and Canada . Comstock Pub!. Co. •Ithaca , NY . 640 pp.

,,-..

Table 1. Total numbers of amphibian and reptile species on theSRP.

Families Genera SpeciesAmphibians

Salamanders 6 9 17Frogs and Toads 5 8 26

Total Amphibians 11 17 43ReptilesCrocodilians 1 1 1Turtles 4 8 10Lizards 4 6 9Snakes 3 20 31

Total Reptiles 12 35 51Total Reptilesand Amphibians 23 52 94

Table 2. Reptile and amphibian species whose presence on the SRP hasbeen reported or documented but whose presently reported range is (1)peopheratto or barely approaching the sne boundanes or (2) characterizedby widely disjunct populations.

AmphIbiansSalamandersFrogs

ReptilesSnakes

Turtles

Pseudotriton tuberRana srealarsRana palustrisRana virgatipesPseudacris triserisf8Hyla evivoce

NatTix erythrogasterNatrix cyclopion

Natrix rigidaSeminatrix pygaeaHeterodon simusFaranciaerytrogramma

Farancia abacuraMicrurus fulviusChrysemys floridanaDeirochelys reticufaria

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red. salamandergopher trogpickerel frogcarpenter frogupland chorus frogbird-voiced treefrog

rod-bellied water snakegreen water snakeglossy watersnakeblackswamp snakesouthern hognose snake

rainbow snakeeastern mud snakeeastern coral snakeFlorida cooterchicken turtle

Table 3. Replil e and amphibian species whose geographicranges encompass or closely approach the SRP but which havenot been reported from the site.

AmphibiansSalamanclersPseudobranchus s triatusAmbystoma mabeiiAmbystoma cingulaturnStereochilus marginatusPlethodon dorsalisHem/dactylium scutatum

FrogsBulo americanusHyla anderson;Rana heckscherl

ReptilesSnakesLampropeltis calligasterVirginia striatu/aCrotalus adamanteus

Natrix septemvittataUZardsEumecesegregius

TurtlesO1rysemys pielaGopherus polyphemusTrionyx terox

dwarf sirenMabee's salamanderflatwoods salamandermany-lined salamanderzigzag salamanderfour-toed salamander

American toadpine barrens treefrogriver frog

mole snakerough earth snakeeastern diamondbadl;rattlesnakequeen snake

northern mole skink

painted turtlegopher tortoiseFlorida softshell

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