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Carphophis Amoenus Amoenus), Are Often Neglected in Studies Since They WWW.IRCF.ORG/REPTILESANDAMPHIBIANSJOURNALTABLE OF CONTENTS IRCF REPTILES & IRCFAMPHIBIANS REPTILES • VOL 15,& NAMPHIBIANSO 4 • DEC 2008 •189 21(4):120–124 • DEC 2014 IRCF REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS CONSERVATION AND NATURAL HISTORY TABLE OF CONTENTS FEATURE ARTICLES Notes. Chasing Bullsnakes on (Pituophis the catenifer sayi ) Distributionin Wisconsin: and Natural On the Road to Understanding the Ecology and Conservation of the Midwest’s Giant Serpent ...................... Joshua M. Kapfer 190 . The Shared History of Treeboas (Corallus grenadensis) and Humans on Grenada: History Aof Hypothetical the Excursion ............................................................................................................................Eastern WormsnakeRobert W.( HendersonCarphophis 198 RESEARCHamoenus ARTICLES amoenus) in West Virginia . The Texas Horned Lizard in Central and Western Texas ....................... Emily Henry, Jason Brewer, Krista Mougey, and Gad Perry 204 . The Knight Anole (Anolis equestris) in Florida 1 2 .............................................EricBrian J.H. Camposano, Diefenbacher Kenneth L. Krysko, and Kevin Thomas M. Enge, K. Ellen Pauley M. Donlan, and Michael Granatosky 212 1College of Science, Technology, & Math, Alderson Broaddus University, Philippi, West Virginia 26412 ([email protected]) CONSERVATION ALERT 2Department of Biological Sciences, Marshall University, Huntington, West Virginia 25755 ([email protected]) . World’s Mammals in Crisis ............................................................................................................................................................. 220 . More Than Mammals ...................................................................................................................................................................... 223 Photographs by the senior author. The “Dow Jones Index” of Biodiversity ........................................................................................................................................... 225 HUSBANDRY . Captive Care of the Central Netted Dragon ....................................................................................................... Shannon Plummer 226 Abstract.—SmallPROFILE fossorial snakes, such as the Eastern Wormsnake (Carphophis amoenus amoenus), are often neglected in studies since they. Kraig lead Adler: Aa Lifetimefossorial Promoting life Herpetology and are ................................................................................................frequently hard to find. Since it was Michaellast studied L. Treglia nearly234 40 years ago, we present an COMMENTARYupdate on distribution, habitat preferences, and diet of the Eastern Wormsnake in West Virginia. We found that this species. The Turtles resides Have Beenin onlyWatching a fractionMe ........................................................................................................................ of its original range due to habitat destruction Eric Gangloff by industrial,238 residential, and commercialBOOK developments. REVIEW Habitat data suggests this species can tolerate a range of soil temperatures (15–24 °C), air temperatures .(23.1–34.3Threatened Amphibians °C), andof the Worldrelative edited humidity by S.N. Stuart, (24.5–80%), M. Hoffmann, J.S. and Chanson, can N.A.be foundCox, on nearly all slope directions. Dietary analysis showedR. Berridge, annelids P. Ramani, make and B.E. up Young the .............................................................................................................. majority of their diet but other invertebrate Robert prey Powell are 243 also taken. CONSERVATION RESEARCH REPORTS: Summaries of Published Conservation Research Reports ................................. 245 he Eastern Wormsnake NATURAL ( HISTORYCarphophis RESEARCH a. amoenus REPORTS) is :one Summaries of of Published Reports on Natural History ................................. 247 two subspecies ofNEWBRIEFS Common ...................................................................................................................................................................................... Wormsnakes found in West 248 T EDITORIAL INFORMATION ..................................................................................................................................................... 251 Virginia (the other beingFOCUS the ON MidwesternCONSERVATION Wormsnake,: A Project You Can C. Supporta. ............................................................................................... 252 helenae). Total body lengths are 20.3–45.7 cm in adults and 8–10 cm in juveniles. Eastern Wormsnakes have 13 rows of smooth dorsal scales, dorsal coloration that can range from dull brown to black, and ventral scalesFront andCover. the Shannon first Plummer. two dor- Back Cover. Michael Kern sal scale rows are typically pink (Fig.Totat 1). et Thevelleseque tail audant is short mo and Totat et velleseque audant mo estibus inveliquo velique rerchil estibus inveliquo velique rerchil tapers to a point; the cloacal plate iserspienimus, divided quos(Behler accullabo. 2000). Ilibus erspienimus, quos accullabo. Ilibus Eastern Wormsnakes are fossorial,aut dolor oftenapicto invere found pe dolum under aut dolor apicto invere pe dolum fugiatis maionsequat eumque fugiatis maionsequat eumque rocks and logs and sometimes excavatedmoditia during erere nonsedis land ma develop sectiatur - moditia erere nonsedis ma sectia- ment activity (Ernst and Ernst 2003).ma derrovitae They voluptam, predominantly as quos tur ma derrovitae voluptam, as accullabo. reside in cool, moist soils next to unimpounded streams (Metts et al. 2001), hilly woodlands, pine forest stands (McLeod and Gates 1998), partially wooded or grassy hillsides next to streams, and farmland bordering woodlands from sea level to over 1,300 m (Behler 1991). Eastern Wormsnakes also have been found in dry upland forest more frequently than other fossorial snakes, suggesting that this species is very versatile in habitat choice (Willson and Dorcas 2004). Eastern Wormsnakes have home ranges of 23–726 m2 and exhibit no homing ability if displaced (Barbour et al. 1969). Activity patterns suggest that the majority of movement occurs from April to October between midday and early eve- ning (Barbour et al. 1969). Snakes retreat deep underground Fig. 1. The Eastern Wormsnake (Carphophis a. amoenus) is one of two during hot summer months (Willison and Dorcas 2004) and subspecies of Common Wormsnakes found in West Virginia. Copyright © 2014. Eric H. Diefenbacher. All rights reserved. 120 DIEFENBACHER AND PAULEY IRCF REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS • 21(4):120–124 • DEC 2014 emerge during cooler, moister months of spring and fall. This September, and turned all available cover objects. Upon corresponds to breeding activity, which occurs during April detection, we collected snakes by hand and used Vernier cali- to May and September to October. One to eight 23-mm pers to measure snout-vent length (SVL), total body length elongated eggs are deposited from June to July and hatch in (TBL), and tail length (TL); we determined sex by probing, approximately seven weeks. Young mature within three years recorded whether females were gravid or not, and counted (Behler 1991). Eastern Wormsnakes do not display aggres- dorsal scale rows and subcaudal scales. Environmental data sive behavior when found, preferring to flee and burrow, but included soil temperature using a soil thermometer placed no individuals might exhibit a coiled defensive posture with tail more than 2 cm into the soil, slope direction, habitat type, elevated to mimic the head (Diefenbacher and Pauley 2009). air temperature, relative humidity, type of cover object, and Feeding habits are widely unknown, but some studies suggest the maximum length, width, and depth of each cover object. a diet mainly of earthworms (Hamilton and Pollack 1956, We performed dietary analyses using preserved specimens Ernst and Ernst 2003). from the Marshall University Herpetological Museum. All The total range of Eastern Worm Snakes extends from available specimens had the contents of their gastrointestinal southern New England to central Georgia and west to cen- tracts removed and searched for identifiable anatomical parts tral Alabama (Conant and Collins 1991). In West Virginia, of prey items. We recorded the same morphometric data as records show no occurrences in Hancock, Brooke, Ohio, for field-collected snakes. Marshall, Wetzel, Morgan, Jefferson, Tucker, Randolph, Preston, Upshur, Harrison, Monongalia, Tyler, Pleasants, Results Ritchie, and Jackson counties (Green and Pauley1987). We found snakes from April through August at soil tempera- With the onset of global climate change and human tures of 15.0–24.0 °C, relative humidity of 24.5–80.0%, and expansion threatening biodiversity, monitoring populations air temperatures of 23.1–34.3 °C (Table 1). All were in mixed of even lesser known organisms becomes increasingly impor- deciduous forest either on a hillside or top of a ridge under tant. Here we present a study on the distribution of Eastern Wormsnakes in West Virginia 40 years after these snakes were last studied by Pauley (1973), who found this genus to occur Table 1. Environmental data recorded during field studies of in 37 counties across the state. The main objective was to assess Eastern Wormsnakes (Carphophis amoenus amoenus) in West historical sites to determine if suitable habitat still exists; and, if Virginia. Means
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