H E R P S O F WALLOWA COUNTY

H e r p s o f WALLOWA COUNTY

A GUIDE TO REPTILES A ND A MPHIBI A NS Reptiles of Wallowa County Turtles Western Painted Turtle (Chrysems picta)

Habitat and Behavior: Found in ponds, lakes, and marshes, with shallow water, a muddy bottom, and lots of aquatic vegetation. They are active in the warm summer months, and hibernate buried in the mud under the water all winter.

Fun Fact: During hibernation, they can go 4- 6 months without breathing. Their heart rate slows to beats once every 10 minutes!

Confirmed Locations: Find them basking on logs at the pond behind the Fish Hatchery in Enterprise and Weaver Pond near Wallowa. Lizards Western Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)

Habitat and Behavior: Commonly seen basking on fence posts, stumps and rocks in warm canyons, rimrock areas, deserts, and open juniper and pine forests.

Fun Fact: The are brown on top but have a bright blue belly (the males being much brighter than the females).

Confirmed Locations: Hells Canyon, Imnaha Canyon, Fence Creek

Subspecies in Wallowa County: Great Basin Fence Lizard (S.o. longipes) Western Skink (Plestiodon skiltonianus)

Habitat and Behavior: They can be found in habitats ranging from sage rimrock canyons to mountain pine forests. They are often not out in the open and can be found sheltering under flat stones and pieces of wood.

Fun Fact: They can easily detach their tail which vigorously twitches to distract predators while they escape. They will grow back a new tail eventually, but it might be darker and misshaped.

Confirmed Locations: Bear Creek

Subspecies in Wallowa County: Skilton Skink (E.s. skiltonianus) Snakes Rubber Boa (Charina bottae)

Habitat and Behavior: They live in dry juniper and pine wooded areas. They are a bit secretive and are mostly active at dusk and night, but can sometimes be found sunning themselves on a warm day.

Fun Fact: They're known for their "gentle nature" as they do not bite to defend themselves. Instead, they will curl into a ball and emit a bad smelling odor if threatened.

Confirmed Locations: Bear Creek, Hurricane Creek, Dry Creek, Chesnimnus Creek, Minam Wilderness Racer (Coluber constrictor)

Habitat and Behavior: They like bright, open, sunny places like canyons, and spaced out pine and juniper forests. They are active during the day.

Fun Fact: They are very fast and have excellent vision. They often hunt their prey of lizards, rodents, frogs, and grasshoppers with their head up off the ground.

Confirmed Locations: Grande Ronde River, Hells Canyon Common Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis)

Habitat and Behavior: These snakes won't stray far from water and can be found in the riparian zone of lakes, creeks, and rivers. Don't pick them up if you see one. They're harmless, but they will bite and release a foul smell!

Fun Fact: They are excellent swimmers and will escape into the water if approached, holding their breath until danger passes.

Confirmed Locations: Lostine River

©Vabbley

Subspecies in Wallowa County: Valley Garter Snake (T.s. fitchi) ©Third Eye Herp Western Terrestrial Garter Snake (Thamnophis elegans)

Habitat and Behavior: These snakes also like to stay near water living in the grass and brush of the riparian zone of creeks, rivers, lakes, and ponds.

Fun Fact: In the winter, garter snakes will hibernate in a den with dozens, if not hundreds of other snakes (mostly fellow garter snakes but sometimes with other species like rattlesnakes). They do this to conserve warmth!

Confirmed Locations: All over Wallowa County! They have been spotted on the Wallowa River, Hurricane Creek, The Lostine River, and are the most common backyard snake.

Subspecies in Wallowa County: Wandering Garter Snake (T.e. vagrans)

©Barbara Magnuson / Larry Kimball

©Coniferous Forest Gopher Snake (Pituophis catenifer)

Habitat and Behavior: These snakes live in open dry areas like sagebrush meadows. They can often be found around barns and farmland, and are great to have around as they keep the rodent and gopher populations down.

Fun Fact: Gopher snakes are harmless, but will sometimes imitate the venomous rattlesnake when threatened. They will even wiggle their tail against the dry brush and leaves to create a rattle-like noise. They also have eye mask markings!

Confirmed Locations: Grande Ronde River, Minam River

Subspecies in Wallowa County: Great Basin Gopher Snake (P.c. deserticola) Western Rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis)

Habitat and Behavior: They prefer dry rocky areas with brush for cover, such as deserts, canyons, and sagebrush prairies. Most rattlesnakes will give you a warning before biting by rattling their tail.

Fun Fact: They are the only venomous snake in Oregon! Rattlesnake bites are a medical emergency and should be treated by a doctor as soon as possible. Most people fully recover as long as they are treated within 2 days of the bite.

Confirmed Locations: Lower elevations: Hells Canyon, Imnaha Canyon, Minam State Park, Grande Ronde River, Wenaha Wilderness

Subspecies in Wallowa County: Northern Pacific Rattlesnake (C.v. oreganus) Amphibians of Wallowa County Salamanders Long-toed Salamander (Ambystoma macrodactylum)

Habitat and Behavior: Found in sagebrush, forests, and alpine meadows. Salamanders breed in the winter when the temperatures are just above freezing. The will migrate at night to their shallow breeding ponds and congregate there for days. This is the best time of year to look for them!

Fun Fact: This critter is named for its long 4th toe on its hind foot!

Confirmed Locations: Eagle Cap Wilderness, Chesnimnus Creek Swamp Lake, Sky Lake, East Fork Lostine Valley, McCully Creek, Elk Flats, Joseph

Subspecies in Wallowa County: Eastern Long-toed Salamander (A.m. columbianum) Toads Western Toad (Anaxyrus boreas)

Habitat and Behavior: Found both near and far from water in forests, grasslands, meadows, and even deserts. They are mainly nocturnal but are sometimes seen in the day. They can secrete a mild toxin from their skin if stressed. This toxin is harmless to humans but not good for dogs, so don't let your pet lick a toad!

Fun Fact: A female western toad can lay up to 17,000 eggs! Baby toads are called toadlets, which is factually adorable.

Confirmed Locations: Eagle Cap Wilderness, Francis Lake, Frazier Lake, Wood Lake, Unit Lake, Laverty Lake, Kinney Lake, Bowman Creek, Minam River, Brownie Basin, Enterprise

©iNaturalist Woodhouse's Toad (Anaxyrus woodhousii)

Habitat and Behavior: They live in shrub-steppe and grassland habitat but will move to be near water during breading season. They live underground during the day and are active at night.

Fun Fact: Their warts contain a poisonous substance that can irritate the mucous membranes of humans and some animals. Raccoons have learned to eat around the warts and will prey on this toad.

Confirmed Locations: Only found along the Snake River in Hells Canyon Frogs Pacific Treefrog (Pseudacris regilla)

Habitat and Behavior: They are found in almost any slightly moist habitat and like to live under structure, like rocks, logs, decks, and buildings. They come in a variety of colors (green, brown, gray, and red) and have a distinctive black eye mask.

Fun Fact: During the breeding season, male frogs will fight to compete for females by head butting, kicking, and jumping on each other.

Confirmed Locations: Almost everywhere! This is the most common frog in the county and can be found in your backyard, near creeks, rivers, and ponds, and in the Eagle Cap Wilderness.

Habitat and Behavior: They spend most of their time in the water of rivers, creeks, and ponds. They prefer to breed in shallow water with lots of vegetation. Their movement is limited to wet riparian corridors.

Fun Fact: They are opportunistic feeders and will eat anything from insects to crustaceans and mollusks.

Confirmed Locations: Eagle Cap Wilderness, Lostine River, Starvation Ridge, McCarty Gulch, Lower Valley ponds and wetlands

Habitat and Behavior: These frogs are very elusive. They are nocturnal and live in swift, cold, headwater mountain streams in isolated populations.

Fun Fact: Only males have a "tail like" appendage that is used for mating. Almost all frogs mate via external fertilization, but tailed frogs mate internally.

Confirmed Locations: Eagle Cap Wilderness

Male

Habitat and Behavior: These frogs enjoy warmer water and are native to the southeast and east coast, and parts of the midwest. Here, you will find them in warmer, fish filled ponds. They are active during the day, and the males have a loud, low pitched call during mating season.

Fun Fact: They are the largest frog in North America. Bullfrogs were introduced to the Pacific Northwest in the early 1900s to be farmed for food. Commercial frog legs never became popular, and by 1940 frog farmers had quit and released their bullfrogs into the wild. These invasive species are harming the environment by preying on and competing with native species.

Confirmed Locations: Weaver Pond

Invasive!