A Checklist of the Cave Fauna of Oklahoma: Amphibia

Home , Grotto salamander, Spotted chorus frog, Upland Chorus Frog

33 A CHECKLIST OF THE CAVE FAUNA OF OKLAHOMA: AMPHIBIA

Jeffrey Howard Black

Department of Biology, Oklahoma Baptist University, Shawnee, Oklahoma and Stovall Museum of Science and History, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma

The bioloU of 0Idah0ma caves is poorly known aocl little iDformatioD is available OD the vertebrate aocl iDvenebnie cave faUDL This study siTes an1lable records for amphibians with 18 species (8 Caudata aDd 18 Anura) reported as occuniq in Oklahoma caves. ODly ODe tI'08lobidc amphibian is recopized, the pottO sa1amaDder, T"blotriJo. s,.""'" Published records aDd a comprehensive bibliography are iDcluded.

Information on invertebrate and verte True cave organisms, called troglobitu, brate faunas in Oklahoma caves is sparse. show modifications for their underground Only the single study by R. C. Harrel (1, existence. Troglobites usual1y are devoid of 2) on Wild Woman Cave, Murray County, pigment, are blind, and cannot survive for includes information on the total fauna in any length of time in environments outside an Oklahoma cave. The bibliography of caves. TroglofJbiks are organisms that may' cave fauna prepared by Thompson (3) spend their lives and complete their life listed only 40 references, whereas over 100 cycles within caves, but do not show the references (not including those on Chirop. extreme modifications for cave existence tera) dealing with Oklahoma cave life as do the troglobites. Troglophiles can aetual1y exist (.{). occupy and survive in suitable niches out· side caves. Trogloxe1Us are usual1y regarded Field work in recent years has faciliated as cave visitors even though many common the publication of this checklist of Okla· ly occur in caves. Trogloxenes must spend homa's amphibian cave fauna. Only one some time outside caves in order to com· troglobitic amphibian species is recognized plete some part of their life cycles. .ACN from Oklahoma, the grotto salamander, denials are those animals that wander, wash, TyfJblotNtOtl sfJelMus. Future publications, or perhaps fall into caves and cannot will cover other cavemicolous vertebrates survive for long in the cave environment. and the invertebrates in Oklahoma caves. The purpose of this checklist is to provide a guide ro the Oklahoma cave fauna. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Following is an annotated list of the METHODS frogs, toads, and salamanders observed in Oklahoma caves, many of which have not Extensive collections of vertebrates and been recorded previously from Oklahoma invertebrates have been made in over 30 caves. Common names of amphibians fol caves, while numerous other caves have low the recommendations of the Committee been examined only briefly for their fauna. on Herpetological Common Names (6). Limestone, gypsum, granite, and sandstone Cave names and some instances cave loca caves were included to obtain a broad spec tions are listed after county names. trum of the Oklahoma cave fauna. A stand ardization of Oklahoma cave names has not PHYLUM CHORDATA yet been completed, and names used are CLASS AMPHIBIA those presently accepced by the Cenual Order Caudata OklahOma Grotto of the National Speleo logical Society. Detailed locations to thac Family Ambystomidae caves are available from the Grotto and .AtJJbySIMrIiI t;gritlu", mMlorli"", Baird lOme are given in Glass and Ward (S). Barred ciger salamander Oklahoma records. Greer Couaty: Jes Terminology used to indicate the proba ter Cave. Harmon County: Reed Bac ble ea)J.ogical classification of species is Cave. Major County: Hayscuk Cave; that currently being used by cave biologists. Nesc:atunga Cave; SculptoreoOakttee Proc. 0Ida. AaId. Sci. 53: 33-37 (1973) Caw; Vickery Bat Cave; Vickery eggs was disc:overed in a crevice on Waterfall Cave; 1,500 Ft. Cave. a pile of breakdown near the eave Woodward O>unty: Hathaway Cave; entrance. The eggs averaged 9.9 mm Honeshoe Cave; Idiot Cave; Milk in diameter. Another female with 5 bottle Cave; J. Selman Cave System; eggs was found in a pocket in the Neighbor Cave; Owl Cave; Porcu wall about 200 ft from the entrance. pine Cave; Section 6 Cave; Terrell Cave; Water Cave; Water Cress Cave; TyphkJlrilOfl sp,lMus Stejneger Washita O>unty: Endless Cave. Grotto salamander Q)m.ment. TlOgloxene or tIOglophi1e. Oklahoma records. Adair Q)unty: Bat Adults are oommon throughout the Cave 5 mi. S Kansas (10); Spring year in lOme gypsum caves of western Cave ~ mi. from Bat Cave (10); 6 Oklahoma. A population apparently mi. NNE Proctor (11); 8 mi. S Kan oompleting its life cycle in Nesca sas (12). Cherokee O>unty: Spring twlga Cave, Major Q)., was reported Mouth Cave 6 mi. NE Tahlequah by Black (7). The sight records of (10); 4 mt S Kansas near Riverton white fish reported by Hall (8) in ( 11 ); south of Scraper (13). Dela Alabaster Caverns and other caves in ware County: Anticline Cave; Bolton western Oklahoma, probably repre Cave; cave between Spavinaw and lent larvae of the barred tiger Jay (14); Cooler Cave; East Hollow salamander which are oomp1etely Cave; Featherhead Cave; Mitchell's white or cream in oolor in gypsum Cave; Russell's Roadside Cave; Stans cave waters. berry.January Cave; Surprise Cave; Star Cave; Mark-Tom Cave; Tolbert's Family Plethodontidae Cave; Twin Cave; Summerfield PklhotlO1l nfNr'us serrlllus Grobman Creek Cave. Ottawa County: SE Ouachita red·backed salamander Quapaw (11); 5 mi. N Turkey Ford Oklahoma records. Adair County: ( 11). Mayes County: brook 3 mi. Sam's Pit. NE Locust Grove (15); Grand River Q)mment. Trogloxene. A collected im· Dam (11); spring 5 mi. S. Locust mature specimen was crawling, from Grove (10). a small pool of water about 100 feet Comment. Troglobite. This is the only from the entrance, in total darkness. troglobitic amphibian pre 5 e n t I y PII,hotlO1l gllllHlosus glllliflOslU (Green) known in Oklahoma. TyphlolrUOfI Slimy salamander sp,z.,us and its synonyms Typhlo Oklahoma records. Adair Q)unty: 1";'011 fln'1US Bishop and Typhlo CMdey Owl Cave; Christian School ,ri,o" brllgg; Smith have all been Study Cave; Duncan Field Cave Sys reported from Oklahoma. Adults tem; Ga1lcatcher Cave; Three Forb have been considered as rare, there Cave; Sam's Pit; 4 mi. N Stilwell being only one published reoord of (9); cave 5 mt S Kansas (9); Chero an adult (14). Adult grotto sala kee Q)unty: Ball's Crystal Cave; manders were found in many north Double Barrel Cave; Tahlequah Pit; eastern Oklahoma caves during this 1 mi. S Scraper (9). Delaware Coun study. Over 28 adults were observed ty: Bell's Bluff Cave; Bolton Cave; at one time in Stansberry-January Cooler Cave; Featherhead Cave; Cave, with 19 of tbem on one guano Stansberry.January Cave; Tolbert's pile. Larvae are quite common in Cave; Twin Cave. Sequoyah Q)unty: streams and springs associated with Cottonwood Cave. caves. This salamander is restricted to the Ozark Plateau in Oklahoma. Q)mment. TrogJophile. Slimy salaman ders are oommoa in entrances and Bmy&u1mlgiUIMI. ""1ImofJ1aw. (Cope) twilight IIOIles and, occasionally, in Dark-sided salamander deeper l'eCeSlIeS of caves in eastern Oklahoma records. Adair County: cave OIdahomL E. were found twice in 5 mi. S Kansas (16); Charley Owl s.m's Pit, Adair Q)•• 00 1 November Cave; Duncan Field Cave System; aod 8 November 1970. A female, of Gallc:atcher Cave; Three Forks Cave; 73.2 mm IOOUt·-.eot l~ with 13 Walkingstick Hollow Cave. Cherokee 35

County: caves 13 mi. NE Ft. Gibson stone areas of eastern OklahomL ( 17); Dressler Cave. Delaware Coun Hutchinson (20, 21, 22) reported ty: Jail Cave; Stansberry-January that E. lMcilug. usually lives in the Cave; Summerfield Creek Cave; Tol twilight mne of caves, rarely in bert's Cave; cave Y.! mi. NW Upper deeper: cave recesses. This is true in Spavinaw Dam (18); I mi. SW Flint most Oklahoma caves where numer (9). Mayes County: Locust Grove ous cave salamanders are found in (9). Ottawa County: Cave Springs cracks and on the walls in the twi Ranch Cave. Sequoyah County: Cot light zone. In others, such as Three tonwood Cave. LeFlore County: cave Forks Cave, Adair Co., adult cave mouths and springs (19). salamanders are found over 1,000 ft Comment. Troglophile. This salaman from the entrance, in the deepest der is nnt as common as Etwycu sections of the cave. Adults in Three lucifug. in Oklahoma caves, but is Forks Cave were observed to drop fouod in small number in most lime from walls into a deep pool of water stone caves in eastern Oklahoma. and lie motionless on the bottom. Dark-sided salamanders usually are Eurycell mulliplictUus g";seogtlSler Moore found under rocks in the twilight and Hughes Gray-bellied salamander zone and only occasionally on cave Oklahoma records. caves in the Ozarks walls. In Three Forks Cave, Adair (23). Co., these salamanders have been 0b Comment. Dundee (23) indicates that served in the deeper recesses over 800 members of this species may be ft from the nearest entrance. neotenic in caves. No definite records of its occurrence in Oklahoma caves Eurycell lucifugll Rafinesque are known. Cave salamander Eurycell ly.rellSu Moore aod Hughes Oklahoma records. Adair County: cave Oklahoma salamander 5 mi. S Kansas (16); Charley Owl Oklahoma records. Adair County: Cave; Christian School Study Cave; Three Forks Cave. Devil's Pit Sink; Duncan Field Cave Comment. Trogloxeoe. Larvae were System; Galkatcher Cave; Three collected from a small stream about Forks Cave; Shirley Spring Cave; 800 ft from the entrance. Also pre Tunnel Cave; Walkingstick Hollow sent in the stream were larvae of Cave; Watts (20); 5.5 mi. S Kansas E. I. mel4nopleur". (20); Stilwell (20); 6 mi. S Stilwell Order Anura (20). Cherokee County: Ball's Crys tal Cave; Double Barrel Cave; Dress Family Bufonidae ler Cave; Single Barrel Cave; Tahle Bulo woodhousei fJelillus Bragg and quah Pit; cave 13 mi. NE Ft. Gibson Sanders East Texas toad (17) ; Scraper (20); 1.25 mi. S Oklahoma records. Adair County: Galena (20) . Delaware County: Christian School Study Cave. Bell's Bluff Cave; Bolton Cave; Cool Comment. Accidental. A single East er Cave; Coward's Cave; Duncan's Texas toad was observed about 100 Cave; Flat Cave; Featherhead Cave; ft from the entrance of this lime Russell's Roadside Cave; Spavinaw stone cave, in a depression in soft Bat Cave; Tolbert's Cave; 2 mi. N soil on a ledge above a small stream. Flint (20); 1.7 mi. N Flint (20); Family Hylidae 1 mi. S Spavinaw (20). Mayes Coun HJ·14 crucifer crucifer Wied ty: cave SW Jay near New Spavinaw Northern spring peeper Dam (20); Locust Grove (20); " Oklahoma records. Adair Couoty: rqi. S Locust Grove (9). Ottawa Charley Owl Cave; Three Forb County: Cave Springs Ranch Ca~; Cave. Jack Squirrel Cave. Wagoner Couo Comment. Accidental. Northern spring ty: Ft. Gibson Cave No.3. peepers were found on 1 August Comment. Troglophile. The cave sala 1970, in small holes and crevices in mander is common in most moist the limestone walls; at least 10 frogs limestone caves of northeastern Okla were counted in a 6 ft wall area of homa, and is restricted to the lime- one cave. 36

Ann «~ blMubMYli Harper cave ~ mi. NW Upper Spavinaw Blaocbard', cricket frog Dam (18); Jail Cave; Twin Cave. 0Idab0ma recon:It. Maya Qmoty: (aYe Comment. Trogloxeoe. The oo1y frog 7 mi. SE Locust Grove (14). that is mnsistendy found in caves, Comment. AcddeataL Blair (14) re usually near the twilight zone. poned ., aicket flOp UDder lime ItoDe boulders which marked the RIIfIiI 1'i/Jie1u Schreber Leopard frog ait of • small sueam from this tiny Oklahoma records. Adair County: c:ne. J have abo found this frog near Christian School Study Cave; Three enuaoces of 8fPIWD caves in north Forb Cave. Delaware County: Bol ton western Oklahoma. Cave; Stansberry-January Cave. Greer County: Jester Cave. Kiowa PsllltUeris lfileri4I" ferilltw", (Baird) County: Long Horn Cave. Washita Upland chorus frog County: Washita Bat Cave. Wood Oklahoma records. Adair County: ward County: J. Selman Cave System. Three Forks Cave. Major County: Nescaronga Cave. Comment. Accidental A ,ingle up Mayes County: cave 7 mi. SE Locust land chorus frog was found in a Grove (24). small crack in a limestone wall about Comment. Trogloxene. Members of 100 ft from the cave entrance. this species are common in Oklahoma caves, especially those with streams Ps~ ,,./Ii Baird or pools of water. Blair (14) report Spotted chorus frog ed 20 leopard frogs under limestone Oklahoma records. Kiowa County: boulders which marked the exit of I.oos Horn Cave. a small stream from a tiny cave in Comment. AccidentaL A single spotted Mayes Co. He suggested that it was chorus frog was mllected at the bot· a good overwintering site. I found tom of the entrance pit in a moist that the digestive tractS of several area by a cave wall in the twilight leopard frogs, collected from areas zone. of total darkness in northwestern Oklahoma gypsum caves, contained Family Microhylidae the remains of flies (Family Heleo GMlrOflJw,tH oli.«" ol;,,«u (Hallo myzidae), beetles (Family Carabidae well) Great Plains narrow·mouthed toad and Family Catopidae), and crickets 0k.Iah0ma records. Major County: (Family Gryl1acrididae). These in· Nesc:atunga Cave. vertebrates and leopard frogs were Comment. Acddental. Observed in area c:ommoo near guano piles. of total darkness several hundred feet from the entrance. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Family Ranidae by RJIIU till.,"""" Shaw Bullfrog This study was partially supported a 0kJah0ma records. Greer County: Jes Grant-in-Aid of Research from the Society ter Cave. of Sigma Xi, a Grant.in-Support of Re

4. 1. H. BLAa, Old&. UncIeqpoaad 4: 2-53 1.(, A. P. BLAm, Copeia 1951: 178 (1951). (1971). IS. A. P. BLAf., Copeia 1952: 11"-115 (1952). 5. B. P. GLASS aod C. M. W.u», ]. MammaL 16. H. D. CHASB and A. P. BLAf" Am. MidI. 40: 1~201 (1959). Nat. 18: 2Zo.Z2" (1937). 6. Committee on HerpetoIoPa1 Common 17. G. A. MOOD and W. ]. <:.una, Copeia, Names. Copeia 1956: 172-185 (1956). 1942: 52 (1942). 7. ]. H. BLAa, ]. HerpetoL 3: 183-184 18. 1. N. THOMPSON, ]ao and Eo M. GaIGSBY, (1%9). Souchwest. Nat. 16: 219·220 (1971). 8. G. Eo HALL, Southwest. Nat. 1: 16-26 19. A. N. BUGG and W. F. HUDSON, Gt. Basia (1956). Nat. 11: 87·90 (1951). 9. H. A. DUNDBB, Copeia 1947: 117·120 ZO. V. H. HUTCHINSON, Occas. Pap. Nat. Speleol. (1947). Soc. No.3: 1·2" (1956). 10. A. P. BLAU, Copeia 1939: 108-109 (1939). 21. V. H. HUTCHINSON, EcoL Mono.t. 28: 1·20 11. R. A. BIlANDON, Copeia 1966: 555·561 ( 1958). (1966). 22. V. H. HUTCHINSON, Cat. Amer. Amphib. 12. s. c. BISHOP, Copeia 19«: 1-5 (19«). Rept.: 24.1-24.2 (1966). 13. R. A. BUNDON aad ]. H. BLACIt, Copeia 23. H. A. DUNDEE, Cat. Amer. Ampbib. Repc.: 1970: 388-391 (1970). 2I;l·21·2 (1965).