Survey and Monitoring of the Eastern Indigo Snake in Georgia
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Guide to Plant Collection and Identification
GUIDE TO PLANT COLLECTION AND IDENTIFICATION by Jane M. Bowles PhD Originally prepared for a workshop in Plant Identification for the Ministry of Natural Resources in 1982. Edited and revised for the UWO Herbarium Workshop in Plant Collection and Identification, 2004 © Jane M. Bowles, 2004 -0- CHAPTER 1 THE NAMES OF PLANTS The history of plant nomenclature: Humans have always had a need to classify objects in the world about them. It is the only means they have of acquiring and passing on knowledge. The need to recognize and describe plants has always been especially important because of their use for food and medicinal purposes. The commonest, showiest or most useful plants were given common names, but usually these names varied from country to country and often from district to district. Scholars and herbalists knew the plants by a long, descriptive, Latin sentence. For example Cladonia rangiferina, the common "Reindeer Moss", was described as Muscus coralloides perforatum (The perforated, coral-like moss). Not only was this system unwieldy, but it too varied from user to user and with the use of the plant. In the late 16th century, Casper Bauhin devised a system of using just two names for each plant, but it was not universally adopted until the Swedish naturalist, Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778) set about methodically classifying and naming the whole of the natural world. The names of plants: In 1753, Linnaeus published his "Species Plantarum". The modern names of nearly all plants date from this work or obey the conventions laid down in it. The scientific name for an organism consists of two words: i) the genus or generic name, ii) the specific epithet. -
Snakes of the Everglades Agricultural Area1 Michelle L
CIR1462 Snakes of the Everglades Agricultural Area1 Michelle L. Casler, Elise V. Pearlstine, Frank J. Mazzotti, and Kenneth L. Krysko2 Background snakes are often escapees or are released deliberately and illegally by owners who can no longer care for them. Snakes are members of the vertebrate order Squamata However, there has been no documentation of these snakes (suborder Serpentes) and are most closely related to lizards breeding in the EAA (Tennant 1997). (suborder Sauria). All snakes are legless and have elongated trunks. They can be found in a variety of habitats and are able to climb trees; swim through streams, lakes, or oceans; Benefits of Snakes and move across sand or through leaf litter in a forest. Snakes are an important part of the environment and play Often secretive, they rely on scent rather than vision for a role in keeping the balance of nature. They aid in the social and predatory behaviors. A snake’s skull is highly control of rodents and invertebrates. Also, some snakes modified and has a great degree of flexibility, called cranial prey on other snakes. The Florida kingsnake (Lampropeltis kinesis, that allows it to swallow prey much larger than its getula floridana), for example, prefers snakes as prey and head. will even eat venomous species. Snakes also provide a food source for other animals such as birds and alligators. Of the 45 snake species (70 subspecies) that occur through- out Florida, 23 may be found in the Everglades Agricultural Snake Conservation Area (EAA). Of the 23, only four are venomous. The venomous species that may occur in the EAA are the coral Loss of habitat is the most significant problem facing many snake (Micrurus fulvius fulvius), Florida cottonmouth wildlife species in Florida, snakes included. -
FAMILY VIPERIDAE: VENOMOUS “Pit Vipers” Whose Fangs Fold up Against the Roof of Their Mouth, Such As Rattlesnakes, Copperheads, and Cottonmouths
FAMILY VIPERIDAE: VENOMOUS “pit vipers” whose fangs fold up against the roof of their mouth, such as rattlesnakes, copperheads, and cottonmouths COPPERHEAD—Agkistrodon contortrix Uncommon to common. Copperheads are found in wet wooded areas, high areas in swamps, and mountainous habitats, although they may be encountered occasionally in most terrestrial habitats. Adults usually are 2 to 3 ft. long. Their general appearance is light brown or pinkish with darker, saddle-shaped crossbands. The head is solid brown. Their leaf-pattern camouflage permits copperheads to be sit- Juvenile copper- heads and-wait predators, concealed not only from their prey but also from their enemies. Copperheads feed on mice, small birds, lizards, snakes, amphibians, and insects, especially cicadas. Like young cottonmouths, baby copperheads have a bright yellow tail that is used to lure small prey animals. 0123ft. Heat-sensing “pit” characteristic of pit vipers CANEBRAKE OR TIMBER RATTLESNAKE—Crotalus horridus Mountain form Common. This species occupies a wide diversity of terrestrial habitats, but is found most frequently in deciduous forests and high ground in swamps. Heavy-bodied adults are usually 3 to 4, and occasionally 5, ft. long. Their basic color is gray with black crossbands that usually are chevron-shaped. Timber rattlesnakes feed on various rodents, rabbits, and occasionally birds. These rattlesnakes are generally passive if not disturbed or pestered in some way. When a rattlesnake is Coastal plain form encountered, the safest reaction is to back away--it will not try to attack you if you leave it alone. 012345 ft. EASTERN DIAMONDBACK RATTLESNAKE— Crotalus adamanteus Rare. This rattlesnake is found in both wet and dry terrestrial habitats including palmetto stands, pine woods, and swamp margins. -
Significant New Records of Amphibians and Reptiles from Georgia, USA
GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION 597 Herpetological Review, 2015, 46(4), 597–601. © 2015 by Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles Significant New Records of Amphibians and Reptiles from Georgia, USA Distributional maps found in Amphibians and Reptiles of records for a variety of amphibian and reptile species in Georgia. Georgia (Jensen et al. 2008), along with subsequent geographical All records below were verified by David Bechler (VSU), Nikole distribution notes published in Herpetological Review, serve Castleberry (GMNH), David Laurencio (AUM), Lance McBrayer as essential references for county-level occurrence data for (GSU), and David Steen (SRSU), and datum used was WGS84. herpetofauna in Georgia. Collectively, these resources aid Standard English names follow Crother (2012). biologists by helping to identify distributional gaps for which to target survey efforts. Herein we report newly documented county CAUDATA — SALAMANDERS DIRK J. STEVENSON AMBYSTOMA OPACUM (Marbled Salamander). CALHOUN CO.: CHRISTOPHER L. JENKINS 7.8 km W Leary (31.488749°N, 84.595917°W). 18 October 2014. D. KEVIN M. STOHLGREN Stevenson. GMNH 50875. LOWNDES CO.: Langdale Park, Valdosta The Orianne Society, 100 Phoenix Road, Athens, (30.878524°N, 83.317114°W). 3 April 1998. J. Evans. VSU C0015. Georgia 30605, USA First Georgia record for the Suwannee River drainage. MURRAY JOHN B. JENSEN* CO.: Conasauga Natural Area (34.845116°N, 84.848180°W). 12 Georgia Department of Natural Resources, 116 Rum November 2013. N. Klaus and C. Muise. GMNH 50548. Creek Drive, Forsyth, Georgia 31029, USA DAVID L. BECHLER Department of Biology, Valdosta State University, Valdosta, AMBYSTOMA TALPOIDEUM (Mole Salamander). BERRIEN CO.: Georgia 31602, USA St. -
Quercus Laevis Walt. Turkey Oak Fagaceae Beech Family Richard F
Quercus laevis Walt. Turkey Oak Fagaceae Beech family Richard F. Harlow Turkey oak (Quercus Zaeuis), also called Catesby Habitat oak or scrub oak, is a small, moderately fast to fast- growing tree found on dry sandy soils of ridges, Native Range pinelands, and dunes, often in pure stands. This oak is not commercially important because of its size, but Turkey oak (figs. 1, 2) is limited to the dry the hard, close-grained wood is an excellent fuel. The pinelands and sandy ridges of the southeastern Coas- acorns are an important food to wildlife. Turkey oak tal Plain from southeast Virginia to central Florida is so named for its 3-lobed leaves which resemble a and west to southeast Louisiana (14). It reaches its turkey’s foot. maximum development in a subtropical climate. This Figure l-The native range of turkey oak. The author is Research Wildlife Biologist (retired), Southeastern Forest Experiment Station, Asheville, NC. 672 Quercus laevis in organic matter, and are strongly acid. Depth to water table is more than 152 cm (60 in) (18,211. Associated Forest Cover Turkey oak is commonly associated with longleaf pine (Pinus palustris), bluejack oak (Quercus in- cana), and sand (dwarf) post oak (Q. stellata var. margaretta). Depending on location it can also be associated with sand pine (Pinus clausa), laurel oak (Quercus laurifolia), southern red oak (Q. falcata), live oak (Q. virginiana), blackjack oak (Q. marilan- dica), sand hickory (Carya pallida), mockernut hick- ory (C. tomentosa), and black cherry (Prunus serotina). Understory, depending on the part of the range con- sidered, can include sassafras (Sassafras albidum), persimmon (Diospyros virginiana), pawpaw (Asimina spp.), dwarf huckleberry, deerberry, and tree sparkle- berry (Vaccinium spp.), New Jersey tea (Ceanothus americanus), gopher-apple (Geobalanus oblongifolius), blackberry (Rubus spp.), crooked wood (Lyonia spp.), scrub hickory (Carya fZoridana), myrtle oak (Quercus myrtifolia), Chapman oak (Q. -
June 2015 Hello Everyone. One Again We Had a Great Trip to Francis Marion National Forest
June 2015 Hello everyone. One again we had a great trip to Francis Marion National Forest. Just like last year, we combined our trip with the annual Hell Hole reptile and amphibian survey. SCAN members that participated include Phil Harpootlian, Kitty Beverly, Bill Hamel, Marsha and Bob Hamlin, Greg Ross, Pat and Jerry Bright, Gene Ott, Mary Douglass, Tom Jones, Kim McManus, Paul Kalbach, and Gordon Murphy. We all gathered at the primitive campground on Hell Hole Road. Win Ott did a quick show-and-tell with some of the snakes that he and Gene had already caught and gave us the opportunity to hold and photograph them. After Kim’s introduction to the various options for the day, which included road cruising for herps and exploring a nearby isolated wetland system, we split up and headed off in different directions. I can’t speak to the success that the road-cruisers had, but Kitty, Bill, and I headed for the wetland system. The isolated wetland was only a couple of miles from the campsite, as the crow flies, but it was quite a drive to get to it. Along the way we found an eastern kingsnake on the shoulder of Yellow Jacket Road. Once at the wetland, which was dominated by cypress and tupelo, we saw a few birds including a great blue heron and an anhinga. We only had a short time at the wetland because we wanted to get back to the campsite around noon to see some snakes that Jeff Holmes and his research staff had caught earlier in the week. -
An Updated Infrageneric Classification of the North American Oaks
Article An Updated Infrageneric Classification of the North American Oaks (Quercus Subgenus Quercus): Review of the Contribution of Phylogenomic Data to Biogeography and Species Diversity Paul S. Manos 1,* and Andrew L. Hipp 2 1 Department of Biology, Duke University, 330 Bio Sci Bldg, Durham, NC 27708, USA 2 The Morton Arboretum, Center for Tree Science, 4100 Illinois 53, Lisle, IL 60532, USA; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] Abstract: The oak flora of North America north of Mexico is both phylogenetically diverse and species-rich, including 92 species placed in five sections of subgenus Quercus, the oak clade centered on the Americas. Despite phylogenetic and taxonomic progress on the genus over the past 45 years, classification of species at the subsectional level remains unchanged since the early treatments by WL Trelease, AA Camus, and CH Muller. In recent work, we used a RAD-seq based phylogeny including 250 species sampled from throughout the Americas and Eurasia to reconstruct the timing and biogeography of the North American oak radiation. This work demonstrates that the North American oak flora comprises mostly regional species radiations with limited phylogenetic affinities to Mexican clades, and two sister group connections to Eurasia. Using this framework, we describe the regional patterns of oak diversity within North America and formally classify 62 species into nine major North American subsections within sections Lobatae (the red oaks) and Quercus (the Citation: Manos, P.S.; Hipp, A.L. An Quercus Updated Infrageneric Classification white oaks), the two largest sections of subgenus . We also distill emerging evolutionary and of the North American Oaks (Quercus biogeographic patterns based on the impact of phylogenomic data on the systematics of multiple Subgenus Quercus): Review of the species complexes and instances of hybridization. -
Desert Massasauga Rattlesnake (Sistrurus Catenatus Edwardsii): a Technical Conservation Assessment
Desert Massasauga Rattlesnake (Sistrurus catenatus edwardsii): A Technical Conservation Assessment Prepared for the USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Region, Species Conservation Project December 12, 2005 Stephen P. Mackessy, Ph.D.1 with input from Douglas A. Keinath2, Mathew McGee2, Dr. David McDonald3, and Takeshi Ise3 1 School of Biological Sciences, University of Northern Colorado, 501 20th St., CB 92, Greeley, CO 80639-0017 2 Wyoming Natural Diversity Database, University of Wyoming, P.O. Box 3381, Laramie, WY 82071 3 Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, P.O. Box 3166, Laramie, WY 82071 Peer Review Administered by Society for Conservation Biology Mackessy, S.P. (2005, December 12). Desert Massasauga Rattlesnake (Sistrurus catenatus edwardsii): a technical conservation assessment. [Online]. USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Region. Available: http:// www.fs.fed.us/r2/projects/scp/assessments/massasauga.pdf [date of access]. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We would like to thank the members of the massasauga listserv for information provided, including but not limited to Tom Anton, Gary Casper, Frank Durbian, Andrew Holycross, Rebecca Key, David Mauger, Jennifer Szymanski, and Darlene Upton. For excellent field work on surveys of southeastern Colorado and radiotelemetry of desert massasaugas, the lead author thanks Enoch Bergman, Ron Donoho, Ben Hill, Justin Hobert, Rocky Manzer, Chad Montgomery, James Siefert, Kevin Waldron, and Andrew Wastell. John Palmer and the Palmer family generously provided access to their ranch, which was critical for both survey and telemetry work, and many other kindnesses. For discussions about massasaugas at various times, I thank David Chiszar, Harry Greene, Geoff Hammerson, Andrew Holycross, Lauren Livo, Richard Seigel, and Hobart M. -
Age and Stand Structure of Old-Growth Oak in Florida High Pine
AGE AND STAND STRUCTURE OF OLD-GROWTH OAK IN FLORIDA HIGH PINE Cathryn H. Greenberg u.s. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Bent Creek Research and Demonstration Forest, 1577 Brevard Road, Asheville, NC 28806 Robert W. Simons 1122 SW 11th Avenue, Gainesville, FL 32601 ABSTRACT We sampled stand and age structure of 4 high pine sites composed of old-growth sand post oak (Quercus margaretta) and turkey oak (Quercus laevis), and young longleaf pine (Pinus palustris), in north and central peninsular Florida. The oldest turkey oak sampled was 123 years old, and the oldest sand post oak was 230 years old. Turkey oak exhibited the greatest variation in diameter at breast height relative to age. The median age of rotten and/or hollow trees was 63 years for turkey oak and 105 years for sand post oak. Age reconstruction indicates that in 1900 minimum oak tree density ranged from 10-60 trees per hectare among sites. This study demonstrates that sandhill oak trees were historically an integral component of at least some phases of the high pine ecosystem. These data support the hypothesis that spatial patchiness and variability in fire frequency, season, and intensity historically permitted oaks to reach and maintain tree size in varying densities over time and across the high pine landscape. Citation: Greenberg, C.H., and R.W. Simons. 2000. Age and stand structure of old-growth oak in Florida high pine. Page 30 in W. Keith Moser and Cynthia R Moser (eds.). Fire and forest ecology: innovative silviculture and vegetation management. Tall Timbers Fire Ecology Conference Proceedings, No. -
Land Management Plan 2020
Lake Proctor Wilderness Area Land Management Plan 2020 LAKE PROCTOR WILDERNESS AREA LAND MANAGEMENT PLAN TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................................... 1 WILDERNESS AREA OVERVIEW .............................................................................................................................. 1 REGIONAL SIGNIFICANCE .................................................................................................................................................. 1 ACQUISITION HISTORY ..................................................................................................................................................... 1 NATURAL RESOURCES OVERVIEW ......................................................................................................................... 3 NATURAL COMMUNITIES.................................................................................................................................................. 3 Table 1. Approximate acreage for each plant community and percent uplands and wetlands. .......................... 5 WILDLIFE ...................................................................................................................................................................... 5 SOILS .......................................................................................................................................................................... -
Care and Breeding of Sistrurus Miliaris Barbouri, the Barbours Pygmy Rattlesnake
CARE AND BREEDING OF SISTRURUS MILIARIS BARBOURI, THE BARBOURS PYGMY RATTLESNAKE. By: Peet Smetsers, Langvennen zuid 18, 5061 NR Oisterwijk, The Netherlands. Contents: Introduction - The species - Distribution and habitat - Behaviour and food - The parent animals and their terra rium - The copulation - The young - Conclu sion - References. INTRODUCTION For two and a half years I have success fully kept Pygmy rattlesnakes; this year I have bred them for the first time. In the following article I give some details about this species and about my way of caring for and breeding them. Although I do not want to advocate the keeping of venomous snakes, Sistrurus mili arus barbouri is in my opinion an ideal snake for someone who has not had much experience with venomous snakes. Reasons include the beautiful colour pat tern, the small size and the relatively low price you have to pay for specimens nowa days. THE SPECIES Pygmy rattlesnakes belong to the family Crotalidae (Pit vipers). This group is de fined by the possession of a warmth sensi tive organ, of which both openings are lo cated just beneath the eyes. They are closely related to the real rattlesnakes of the genus Crotalus. Besides Sistrurus mi liarus barbouri there are another two sub- 181 species distinguished: Sistrurus miliarus miliarus and Sistrurus miliarus streckeri, which both have roughly the same pattern as Sistrurus miliarus barbouri, but are a completely different colour and also have different areas of distribution. Sistrurus miliarus barbouri has a light to dark-grey background with black, saddle shaped spots on the back. Irregularly dis tributed on the sides are black spots. -
CHINQUAPIN the Newsletter of the Southern Appalachian Botanical Society
CHINQUAPIN The Newsletter of the Southern appalachian Botanical Society Volume 23 (4) Winter 2015 terfly to avoid egg Earl Core Student Report placement, or are there other benefits Passionflowers and a Clever Trick to possessing egg By Nichole Long-Aragon mimics? And, 4. How often have egg When most people observe butterflies in their garden, they mimics evolved in visualize a peaceful scene. Even when most botanists think of but- Passiflora? Have they terflies and their association with plants, they think of butterflies evolved in similar or sipping nectar and distributing pollen from one flower to another. different ways, and However, some of these beautiful butterflies do more than peaceful has their presence activities: they lay their eggs on plants. Once these eggs hatch, they influenced species diversification in develop into caterpillars which subsequently feed on the leaves. Authentic butterfly eggs of Heliconius hewitsoni on This causes defoliation, or sometimes even plant death. Several Passiflora pittieri. the groups that have them? species of a genus of plants well known to botanists of the eastern Thus far, my research has been able to address each of the pro- United States, the passionflowers (Passiflora), have developed a posed questions. Egg mimics may be located on the leaf, petiole, deceptive scheme to discourage this crime of passion. They trick stipule, or floral structures of the plant, and 25 species are known the butterflies with egg mimics. to have them. My study is ongoing, but they have evolved at least five times. Each mimic is unique with respect to shape, size, and location. Abundant druses are a common feature, but tissues differ in terms of cell shape, cell composition, and secretory function.