FIELD GUIDE

of the Northwest Territories This identification guide includes all species of and reptiles known to be present in the Northwest Territories. © 2021 Government of the Northwest Territories Recommended citation:

Environment and Natural Resources. 2021. A Field Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles of the Northwest Territories. Environment and Natural Resources, Government of the Northwest Territories. Yellowknife, NT 58pp. The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) would like to thank Joe-Felix Bienentreu, Paul Catling, Mike Fournier, Karl Larsen, Danna Schock, Sharon Irwin and Parks Canada for their contributions to this field guide. Funding for this booklet was provided by the GNWT. Suzanne Carrière, Patricia Lacroix, Johanna Stewart and Joanna Wilson, GNWT, developed the content with help from the resources listed at the end of this guide. We thank the many individuals who provided photos and Lara Mountain for providing illustrations. We are grateful to all others who donated their time and energy to this project in any way. Maps were created by Suzanne Carrière, GNWT based on data from the NWT Wildlife Management Information System, including many locations shared by NWT residents and visitors who are interested in amphibians and reptiles. The maps were designed using level IV ecoregions as defined by the NWT Ecosystem Classification System (www.enr.gov. nt.ca/en/services/ecosystem-classification) following the Ecosystem- based Automated Range mapping method (see www.natureserve.org/ natureserve-network/canada/biodiversity-data/ebar-range-mapping).

Front cover: Wood , credit Aryn Franklin, ENR Back cover: Red-sided garter snake, credit C. Graydon Table of Contents

1 NWT Checklist of and Reptile Species 3 Amphibians and Reptiles in the NWT 4 Anatomy 4 Life Cycle 8 Where to Find Them 12 Viewing and Listening Tips 14 Let Wildlife Be Wild 15 Identification and Photography Tips 17 Report your Sightings 18 Threats to Amphibians and Reptiles 19 What can you do? 21 How to Use This Guide 21 Species Pages 22 Amphibians 23 Wood Frog 27 Northern Leopard Frog – AT RISK 31 Boreal Chorus Frog 35 Western Toad – AT RISK 39 Canadian Toad 43 Long-toed Salamander – PRESENCE EXPECTED 46 Reptiles 47 Red-sided Garter Snake 50 Information Sheet

| iii Checklist

Canadian toad CANADIAN TOAD ENR, GNWT iv | NWT Checklist of Amphibian and Reptile Species

The list is organized by Order and Family. AMPHIBIANS (Class: Amphibia) and Toads (Order: Anura) True Frogs (Family: Ranidae) • (Lithobates sylvaticus) • (Lithobates pipiens) – Wood frog TreeNorthern Frogs (Family:leopard frog Hylidae) AT RISK • (Pseudacris maculata)

ToadsBoreal (Family: chorus Bufonidae) frog • ( boreas boreas) – • (Anaxyrus hemiophrys) Western toad AT RISK SalamandersCanadian toad (Order: Caudata) Mole Salamanders (Family: Ambystomidae) • (Ambystoma macrodactylum) –

Long-toed salamander PRESENCE EXPECTED REPTILES (Class: Reptilia) Snakes (Order: Serpentes) Colubrid Snakes (Family: Colubridae) • (Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis)

Red-sided garter snake

| 1 Red-sided garter snake PAUL PRATT

2 | Amphibians and Reptiles in the NWT Amphibians

are cold blooded with thin, porous skin that requires moisture. Many amphibians spend part of their life in water and part on land. The free swimming larvae, called tadpoles in toads and frogs, breathe through gills. Adult amphibians breathe with lungs as well as through their skin. There are three frog species and two toad species known to occur in the Northwest Territories (NWT). One salamander speciesReptiles may also occur here, but this has not been confirmed. are also cold blooded animals. They have scales on their body and retain moisture,