Reptiles and Amphibians

Wildlife and Your Land 37 Reptiles and Amphibians Reptiles and amphibians, collectively known serve as food for other, larger animals, so all as “herptiles” or “herps” for short, are cold- play a critical role in the circle of life and the blooded animals unlike the warm-blooded cycles of nature. mammals and birds. The reptiles include snakes, lizards and turtles; amphibians Landowners don’t often think of attracting include frogs and salamanders. Most snakes, reptiles or amphibians to their property. all lizards and some turtles prefer to live on These cold-blooded, “slimy” or “scaly” land. Most turtles prefer a life in or near creatures just don’t seem to have the water. However, all amphibians must lay aesthetic appeal that the “warm fuzzy” birds their eggs in water or very damp habitats. and mammals have. Nevertheless, since this Therefore, wetlands—from marshes, swamps group of animals plays an invaluable role in and moist woodlands to lakes, streams, the ecological scheme of things on the ponds and temporary pools—are essential to Wisconsin landscape, you may want to plan the survival of amphibians. Many reptiles, on some projects to encourage their presence. the other hand, are not as dependent on You could, for instance, restore a wetland on wetlands as are the amphibians. Because the your property where one once existed and thick, hard scales which cover reptilian may have been filled in or plowed under. Or, bodies provide protection from drying air and consider improving your woodland by leaving sun, most Wisconsin snakes and lizards live downed timber on the woodland floor, far from water. Still, aquatic turtles and especially in moist lowland woods where water snakes are very dependent on salamanders and some frogs would benefit. wetlands. Your property’s biodiversity and overall natural health will be greatly increased. Amphibians are also different from reptiles in that they go through a metamorphosis, or Read more about reptiles and amphibians in change in body shape. Just think about frogs Natural History of Amphibians and Reptiles in their early tadpole stage. Lastly, all in Wisconsin by Richard Carl Vogt, published Wisconsin herptiles are silent creatures 1981 by the Milwaukee Public Museum and except for the unique vocalizations of the Friends of the Museum. frogs. Who has not appreciated hearing the jingling of spring peepers or the trilling of toads on a warm spring night? Herps are very beneficial to people. Several kinds of snakes, for instance, consume large quantities of rodents each year. Only two, Green frog fairly rare kinds of snakes are poisonous: the timber rattlesnake found in the rugged bluff country along the Mississippi and Lower Wisconsin Rivers, and the Massasauga, a shy, retiring rattler of the swamps. Frogs and toads also do their best to reduce the supply of insects including mosquitoes, black flies, and other pesky flying insects. As with birds and mammals, herps are important in their own right. Both reptiles and amphibians 38 Wildlife and Your Land Tiger Mudpuppy Salamander Spiny Softshells Musk Turtle Red-backed Salamander Painted Turtle Blandings Turtle Ornate Box Turtle Wood Turtle Snapping Turtle Map Turtle Wildlife and Your Land 39 Turtles Food Habitat Shelter Distribution Blandings Turtle Prefers crayfish, insects, Shallow, weedy bays of Seeks shelter inside Statewide except for six earthworms, vegetation, rivers, lakes and shell or on marsh north-central counties, berries marshes bottom or in submerged THREATENED vegetation Ornate Box Turtle Insects, cactus and Dry, sandy floodplain, Hibernates in self- Southwest and south- other succulent plants, prairies adjacent to the excavated or mammal central, ENDANGERED berries lower Wisconsin River burrows; hides under bushes or in burrows Map Turtles (3 kinds) Fish, insects, snails Lakes, rivers with slow Hide in deep areas Mostly restricted to to moderate current under sunken logs, south-central, occasionally in aquatic southwest and west vegetation; hibernate behind logs and rocks on riverbottom Musk Turtle Insects, fish, carrion in River backwaters and Retreats to bottom or Southern one-fourth water lakes hides in dense and along Mississippi submerged vegetation from La Crosse south Painted Turtle (2 sub- Aquatic vegetation, Ponds, shallow lakes, Burrows or lays on Statewide species) snails, crayfish, insects, and slow moving rivers bottom during winter; fish, carrion, tadpoles hides in dense submergent vegetation Snapping Turtle Insects, crayfish, Lakes, rivers, creeks, Stays on muddy Statewide mollusks, worms, ponds and marshes bottoms of ponds in leeches, fish, frogs, dense aquatic birds, aquatic plants vegetation Soft-shelled Turtles (2 Fish, crayfish, aquatic Primarily rivers, large Hide in sandy or muddy Primarily western two- kinds, Spiny is most insect larvae lakes and reservoirs bottoms; nest near thirds, abundant in the common) waters edge Black, Chippewa, Mississippi, and Wisconsin rivers Wood Turtle Insects, earthworms, On land or water near Hibernates under cut Primarily northern two- berries, vegetation fast moving streams in banks or in deeper pools thirds, THREATENED forested areas with at least moderate current Salamanders Food Habitat Shelter Distribution Mudpuppy Worms, and other Bottoms of rivers and Hides amongst rocks on Statewide aquatic invertebrates, lakes during every stage bottom of rivers and insects, small fish of life cycle lakes Red-backed Salamander Small insects and insect Damp litter and rotted Hides under logs and Northern half larvae logs in woodlands, leaf litter, in sphagnum sphagnum bogs moss or under ground Tiger Salamander Earthworms, cricket Breeds in prairie ponds, Spends much of the year Central, southeastern nymphs, grasshoppers, marshes, kettle underground in and northwestern moths, flies, spiders, potholes, lakes, woodlands; migrates to beetles, cicadas woodland ponds, farm breed on first rainy ponds nights associated with frost-out 40 Wildlife and Your Land Frogs Food Habitat Shelter Distribution Bullfrog Insects, small fish, other Permanent bodies of Hides in shoreline Statewide but patchy frogs, small turtles water vegetation or in submerged vegetation Western Chorus Frog Mites, midges, Prairies, marshes, Hides under vegetation, Statewide caterpillars, spiders, riverbottom forests, climbs on shrubs and beetles, ants, spiders woodland pools near grasses; hibernates shallow or temporary under rocks, logs and water or semi-open ground litter areas Blanchards Cricket Frog Small insects, In or near permanent Leaps in zigzag pattern Extreme southwest, invertebrates water with submerged to escape predators; ENDANGERED plants and low, gradient rapidly jumps into shorelines with low, water and then back to sparce vegetation land; may hide under submerged vegetation Green Frog Insects, invertebrates All types of permanent Near waters edge Statewide water; prefers tall riparian areas; hides in shoreline vegetation, shoreline vegetation or including brush in debris on lake bed Northern Leopard Frog Insects, invertebrates Breeding: lakes, streams, Often found far from Statewide rivers, ponds; Foraging: standing water during fields and wet prairies the summer; hibernates under water Mink Frog Insects, invertebrates Lives at or near the Hides under sphagnum Northern third edges of bogs associated mats or in emergent to half with lakes and streams vegetation; flees across the water surface and dives Pickerel Frog Insects, invertebrates Cool, clear waters of Takes shelter in Scattered statewide spring-fed lakes and shoreline vegetation and except extreme north- streams in the water; often hides central counties in water cress; breeds in warmer adjacent ponds or backwaters Spring Peeper Small insects Wooded areas with Hides under damp leaf Statewide temporary or semi- litter, under logs and permanent ponds, bark swamps and marshes Eastern American Toad Earthworms, A variety of habitats Breeds in water Statewide mealworms, garden wherever there are anywhere; burrows insects insects, moisture and under leaf litter, under shallow waters for logs or in loose soil breeding Eastern Treefrog Small insects, Eastern: forest interior Eastern: hides in trees Statewide Copes Treefrog invertebrates and edges; Copes: oak and under bark; Copes: savannas, woodland or hides on underside of brushy field edges leaves in brush or in leaf litter; both breed in temporary and permanent ponds Wood Frog Insects Lowland hardwood Hides among forest floor Nearly statewide except forests and other large leaf litter for extreme south tracts of moist woods central counties Wildlife and Your Land 41 Spring Peeper Chorus Frog Cricket Frog Eastern Tree Frog Toad Leopard Frog Bullfrog Mink Frog Wood Frog Green Frog Pickerel Frog 42 Wildlife and Your Land Blue Racer Brown Snake Bullsnake Hog-nosed Snake Garter Snake Milk Snake Massasauga Ring-necked Snake Fox Snake Smooth Green Snake Timber Rattler Northern Water Snake Wildlife and Your Land 43 Snakes Food Habitat Shelter Distribution Blue Racer Racerunners and other Open fields, open oak Seeks shelter under flat Southern half lizards, snakes, frogs, woodlands, dry rocky rocks or in limestone insects, small birds, southwest facing slopes, crevasses, or in rodents dry prairies, oak mammal burrows savannas Brown Snakes (2 kinds, Earthworms, small Dry to slightly moist Hibernate in deserted Statewide Red-bellied and insects, invertebrates areas such as surface anthills, rock crevasses Northern are both leaves on open woodland and building common) floors, southern lowland foundations hardwood forest, marshes,

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