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"eeesen ue.*g en seheif of no Ca ' sensesseen el me Co .e s.ea, e e e evee e8 see*i sea *esew, ee me eseem Aw e.s h e.ofe,ee - se esaeemen of **e ca .es.ea. w e 6 vee of seen ==eewa seeeee e. e.s .aeees. w .u.ea, . w seaweee ..en no Co e. de s e u. ... p, .af. eee s.ew ee h.e e e:ee w h.. e.eter e .. h seense.eu,w. k. h .e . e . m- e . D e O . , . N - . - - . -_- - --_--_--,____m__ _ _ _ _ .- -- ._ . , . ' , ,- - ' ORNL.3653 , r 5 . - . Centreet No. W.7403.emg.26 . ' HEALTH PHYSICS OlVISION > THE HERPETOFAUHA 0F THE OAK RIDGE AREA ; . - R. M. Johnsen* . , . - e e 'Present address: Department of Biology, Asheville.Biltmore College, Asheville, North Carolina. Werk performed under Subcentreet No. 2234 with Tennessee Poly. technic Institute. ' . "i l ' I DECEMBER 1964 . s e . 0AK R10CE N ATIONAl. L A80RATORY cok Ridge. Teaaessee p .e.,e..a 6, ( UMl0N CARBIOE CORPOR ATION t e fee the * U.S. ATOMIC ENERGY COMMIS5lON , I . - . - . _ . _ - . .- . .. __ _ __ _________________ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .._ __ _ ^ . , , . - 7 . o , * . e * . ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This report describes research conducted under the direction of S. f. Auerbech, Chief, Radiation Ecology Section Health Physics Division. Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Financial support was - received from Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Tennessee Polytechnic Institute under Subcon- tract No. 2284 * Appreciatica is expressed to S. I. Auerbach, Paul B. Dunaway, R. C. Early, Fred Taylor, J. A. Payne, B. E. Jacobs, and T. P. O'Farrell, all of the Radiation Ecology Section, for their many courtesies, helpful suggestions, and assistance in obtaining specimens. Ronald Quarles and Joseph F. Webb, senior biology students at Tennessee Polytechnic Institute, gave invaluable as- sistance in the field and laboratory. John R. Warren, Chairman of the Department of Biology, and . i the Administration of Tennessee Polytechnic Institute receive my thanks for enabling me to engage , in this research. , I ' .e - . , . O s {; ill s ! , _ _ _ . " > twe -y,- ,c---+ n- - *e1- T-* 3% T - - % . , . - . , - . - . u _ e ' . CONTENTS P - - . - .--- -111 * - - - - . - - . = ACKNOWLEDG11ENTS - . s ,.- -.- - --- - -. I ABSTRACT _. _ - _ . ~ - ' --- 1 I. INTRODUCTION ... ... - . - - . - - . - - . ~ . - . - - -- , - _ 2 . II. MATERIALS AND 51ETHODS._.- . .. 2 A. The Study Area . -. 2 B. Methods of Colleeting.. - 3, - --- . C. Habitat Types . ' . 5 ** D. Identification and Presentation of Species. .. .__.- -. .- . 6 E. Refereoce Colleetion . - . , . , . ~ . - . 6 * Bl. THE HERPETOFAUN A . .. .. - = . - 6 A. Taxonomy and Nomenc!ature.. .. ~ ... B. C1 ass Amphibia. Order Caudata.. ... - . ? 1. Fami1y Ambystomatidae .. .. ...-.. .. - - . 7 2. Fami1y SaIamandridae .. - . - . _ 7 3. Fami1y P1ethadontidae. .. .. .. - . ....- 8 - - . ... C. C1 ass Amphibia: Ordet Anura.. .- . ---- 8 * 1. Family Petobatidce... .. - . ....- 9 2. Family Bufonidae . - . - . - . .. .. 9 3. Family Nylidae . - ' . ... ..- .. 10 4. Family .ilicrohylidae .; .. .. - - -. 10 S. Family Ranidae .. .. .. .. - . .... 11 D. C1 ass Reptifia: Order Testudineta ... .-- - .-. .. 11 1. Family Chelydridae. .. ~ . 12 2. Family Test:rdi.:!dae.. .... ..e . o - . .. 14 3. Fami1y Trionychidae... _ = . - E. Class Reptilia: Order Squamata- fuborder Lacertifia.. ..; -...... , . IS , . ' . .. .. 1S ' 1. Fami1y Iguanidae... :........... 15 --..: . 2. Family Teiidae . ' - .- 15 3. Family Seincidae.. .. .. F. Class Reptilia: Order Squamata: Suborder Serpentes - . ~ . ..... - Iti .. =16 .s 1. Family Colubridae. - = - -. - . - . -. 21 2. Family Viperidae.. .. - . ~ . - . -= 22 IV. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS ... .. - . 22 A. The Herpetofauna . .- . ~ . - - I - -. - ' 22 B. Relative Abundanee . .... _ . |. i e - -- 25 ' C. Populations Suitable for Field Investigations . ) . 26 ' . .. ... V. LITERATURE CITED.. , , . 4 ' V s y " /.. ' , ,\ ) f *- _ W- 3p * ~ -un' s., 7 . v- , ' , 7 - . ' g / 6' . .- THE HERPETOFAUNA 0F THE OAK RIDGE AREA . - R. M. Johnson . ABSTRACT , The herpetofauna of the Oak Ridge area was investigated (a) to ascertain. the _ kinds of amphibians and reptiles (herptiles) occurring in the area,(b) to evaluate - habitat preferences of the herptiles, (c) to evaluate the suitability of the various species population's for ecological investigations, and (d) to prepare a reference . ,i collection of herptiles of the area. Collecting was performed by (a) prowling about the various kinds of habitats . .- by day and by night and collecting by hand, (b) walking transects by day and by ' ' . night and collecting by hand, (c) trapping with hardware-cloth drift fences and 'flinnel traps in terrestrial habitats, (d) using dipnet, funnel traps, and hoop nets in aquatic habitats, and (e) driving roads by day and by night. The most productive * * method of collecting in terrestrial habitate and streams was hand collecting; in fluvial and pond habitats it was with dipnet, funnel trap, and hoop net. * The numbers of monotypic species of herptiles collected are as fo!!ows: sala- manders,3; anurans,2; turtles,2; lizards. 4; and snakes. 2. The numbers of poly- , typic species collected are as follows (numbers in parentheses are subspecies rep. , resented): salamanders, 4 (4); anurans,10 (12); turtles, 8 (10); lizards,1 (1); ' and snakes,15 (18). The largest numbers of species and specimens were collected - la flood-plain and pond habitats; the least numbers were collected in p'ne planta- . dans. Herptiles judged as o: curring in populations of sufficient size, seasonal , availability, and ease of sampling for extensive field and laboratory investigations , are as follows: Desmognathus fuscus: Hyla versicolor; Acris crepitans: Rana clamitans: R. palustris: Chrysemys picta: Pseudemys scripta; Natrix septemvittata; and N. sipedon. y A reference collection containing specimens of each species and subspecies collected was prepared and deposited with the Radiation Ecology Section, Health Physics Division. |b * 3,\ l ,' in ' l. INTRODUCTION q. ' Two surveys have been made of the herpetofauna of eastern Tennessee (Johnson,1958; King, , o 1939). The Oak Ridge area was omitted from both of these studies. Thus, the herpetofauna of the . - Oak Ridge area could only be inferred. Recognizing the, desirability of a knowledge of the herpeto- fa'ina of the Oak Ridge Area, S.1. Auerbach, Chief, and Paul B. Dunaway, Mammalogist, Radiation i Ecology Section, suggested the survey herein reported. s- , The objectives of this survey were to (a) ascertain the species and subspecies of amphibians s , t 4 and keptiles (herptiles) occurring in the Oak Ridge area, (b) evaluate habitat preferences of the _ herptnes, (c) evaluate the suitability of the various species populations for ecological investiga- ! - " ~ ' tions, and (d) prepare a reference collection of herptiles. 1 : A.. = I i . i ~ / 4 , , t e.-_ r1 < - - _ - _ _ _ - - _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ - _ _ _ _ _ _ - . _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ , . * * . 2 . 11. MATERIALS AND METHODS . A. The Study Areo , , * The entire Oak Ridge area (see Map S-16A,1959, Oak Ridge Area) was included in the survey. Collec' tion sites were selected on the bases of suggestions of P. B. Dunaway, R. C. Early, F. Taylor, other personnel of the Radiation Ecology Section, and of past experience with the co!!ect- _ ing of herptiles in eastern Tennessee. Collections were made in each of the major recogni:ed types of habitats and many of the estab- - lished Ecology Study areas. No effort was made to spend equal numbers of trap-hours or man-hours in each kind of habitat, but the number of hours spent in each was recorded, as were the species and numbers of individuals collected. The habitat bordering the road was recorded when specimens were encountered on the roads.
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