. ■* if’* • VIRGINIA HERPETOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN NUMBER SIXTY-TWO

REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS OF YORK CO., VA., AND THE NEWPORT NEWS-HAMPTON AREA

by: Glen A. ENGELING LTJG, USNR; VHS Yorktown,Virginia

Very little collecting and Among the species which were preserving of herpetofauna has observed and preserved are: 5 been done in YORK County, Va. frogs and toads, 3 salamanders, In view of this, the writer 4 lizards, 7 snakes, and 7 tur® has collected specimens in the ties. Several of the snakes county and in nearby Newport and turtles were not listed as News and Hampton areas (these records for YORK County in the areas were formerly known as VHS Special Bulletins (#38 and- Warwick and Elizabeth City Co.) #58). (See listing, - next page.) since September 1968. It is i":. i 1 O ii . . hoped that this paper may fill Editor’s Note: in some of the gaps which have Preserved specimens for which. . existed in the knowledge of oc­ adequate locality data may be currence of amphibians and rep­ obtained will be placed on the tiles in the Commonwealth of VHS distribution maps. FJT Virginia.

A large portion of the U.S. In order to add to the list Naval Weapons Station, near of reptiles and amphibians for Yorktown, Va., is located in YORK County those found in the YORK County. The station, be­ Newport News - Hampton area, a ing in an isolated section, is list of collected species was excellent for collecting both prepared. All Newport News - reptile and amphibian species. Hampton specimens, both alive and preserved, are located in Most of the specimens that the Peninsula Junior Nature Mu­ were collected in YORK County seum in Newport News, Va. Half have been preserved and, are of all species listed are pre­ presently located in the col­ served in the Nature Museum's lection of the Peninsula Jr. collection; the other half are Nature Museum which is on the alive at the time of this writ­ Mariners’ Museum grounds in ing. (September 1969 for the Newport News, Va. Several YORK,.Co., material, and July specimens were kept alive in / 1969 for the Newport News and terrariums and aquariums in the Hampton area material.) See - Nature Museum. (Color slides page two for list of reptiles were made of most specimens.) and amphibians collected. ...

1 VHS BULLETIN No. 62 July-August 1969 (mailed in Dec.)

COLLECTING NOTES: YORK COUNTY AND NEWPORT NEWS— HAMPTON, Va.

AMPHIBIANS: Salamanders YORK N1

Amphiuma m. means Two-toed Amphiuma X Desmognathus f. fuscus Northern Dusky Salamander X X Eurycea b. bislineata Northern Two-lined Salamander X Eurycea 1. guttolineata Three-lined Salamander X Notophthalmus v. viri- descens Red-spotted Newt X Plethodon c. cinereus Red-backed Salamander X

i } Frogs and Toads

Acris c. crepitans Northern Cricket Frog ; X Acris g. gryllus Southern Cricket Frog X Bufo w. fowleri Fowler's Toad . . . . x X Hyla c. crucifer Northern Spring Peeper * k ' . • t X Hyla v. versicolor Eastern Gray Treefrog X Rana c. melanota Green Frog X X Rana p. sphenocephala Southern Leopard Frog X X -sylvatdLca •— Errefee-r-n Wood-fhrpg" ^

• REPTILES Lizards

Eumeces fasciatus Five-lined Skink x Eumeces inexpectatus SE Five-lined Skink X Lygosoma laterale Ground Skink X Sceloporus u. hyacinthinus Northern Fence Lizard X

Snakes + (poisonous species)

Agkistrodon c . mokasen Northern Copperhead -r Agkistrodon p^_ piscivorus Eastern Cottonmouth -}- x : j .) Carphophis a. amoenus Eastern Worm Snake x X Cemophora coccinea copei Eastern Scarlet Snake X Coluber c. constrictor Northern Black Racer Crotalus h. atricaudatus Canebrake Rattlesnake -!* X Diadophis p^ punctatus Southern Ringneck Snake X Elaphe o. obsoleta Black Rat Snake X Heterodon p latyrhinos Eastern Hog-nosed Snake X Lampropeltis gj_ get ulus Eastern ICingsnake x X Natrix s_. sipedon Northern Water Snake X Opheodrys aestivus Rough Green Snake X Storeria d. dekayi Northern Brown Snake X Thamnophis _s. sauritus Eastern Ribbon Snake X Thamnophis s_. sirtalis Eastern Garter Snake X

(Editor's note: The Eastern Cottonmouth (-;-) is recorded from the vicinity of the Hampton Reservoir and the Patrick Henry Airport in the Newport News - Hampton, Va., area. Check with O.K. Goodwin, Moyer Rd., Newport News, a co-founder of VHS and one of our early officers of VHS. (See VHS B# 37-38). FJT VHS BULLETIN NO. 62 July-August 1969 (mailed in Dec.) COLLECTING NOTES: YORK COUNTY, AND NEWPORT NEWS - HAMPTON, VA. Reptiles, continued: ~ ' Turtles YORK Co. NN-H ,yt (j i Che Ionia m. mydas Atlantic Green Turtle X Chelydra s. serpentina Common Snapping Turtle X X Chrysemys p. picta Eastern Painted Turtle X X Chrysemys r. rubriventris Red-bellied Turtle X Chrysemys s. scripta Yellow-bellied Turtle X Clemmys guttata Spotted Turtle X Kinosternum s. subrubrum Eastern Mud Turtle , •, X X Malaclemmys t. terrapin Northern Diamondbacked X X i i ‘L Sternotherus odoratus Stinkpot X Terepene c. Carolina Eastern Box Turtle X X j ■> (It should be noted that the genus "Pseudemys" has been dropped and those species formerly appearing within that grouping have been placed in the genus Chrysemys. This reclassification was based on studies published in the scientific literature since VHSB#56.) FJT : V- * / 1 i' % , ' } r . • * v r. ,. .• • C Acknowledgements; Many people assisted the writer in the YORK Co., and Newport News=Hampton projects. Without their help, these records could not have been compiled. Especially deserving of hearty thanks are: ■ ' i , Brad Hawkins William Allen Russell Vaughn Hugh Clark Sue Millirons John Sistare Jim Hall l* " .J • . • a. (LTJG) Glen A. Engeling Box 42 Skiffes Creek Annex U.S. Naval Weapons Station Yorktown, Virginia 23491 ■ . ' ■ j j i . . . REFERENCES j_

4 - Z ' ' ' . > *i'.*?.,* ...!0 ( -v CONANT, Roger "Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians." (1958)

, Special Bulletins: "Snakes of Virginia" (VHS B#37-38, 1964) "Turtles of Virginia" (VHS B#57-58, 1968) Regular Bulletin: "List of Va. Amphibians and Reptiles" (VHS B#56, 1968). •J r . - , . : -i « Mi I .

- 3 - VHS BULLETIN No. 62 July-August 1969 (mailed in Dec.)

VA. COLLECTING NOTES, VALLEY AND RIDGE i ... NOTES FROM THE SMITHSONIAN VIRGINIA LIMESTONE CAVES INSTITUTION'S DIVISION OF REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS Other specimens from Va. caves ,v placed in the USNM Collection: .. '

Three snakes, all DOR+ , from AMHERST Co.,Va., collected and In VHS B#61, p.5, we noted an deposited in the National Col­ extension of the range of Cave lection by Mr. W.H. Martin III Salamander (Eurycea lucifuga). of Leesburg, Va. A specimen, brought in to the U.S. National Museum by Mr. J. Elaphe guttata. Corn Snake, on R. Holsinger, which had been Blue Ridge Parkway, \ mile S _ taken at.Ogden's Cave on Cedar of Rice Mountain overlook, in Creek, FREDERICK Co., Va.,This AMHERST Co.,Va. Coll. 30 Aug.1 specimen is in the US National 1969 (USNM# 167,177)' Collection (USN1# 160,487) col­ lected on 1 Oct. 1961. Accord­ Lampropeltis _t. triangulum, an ing to Dr. Victor Hutchison of Eastern Milk Snake, taken on -• the University of Rhode Island, Blue Ridge Parkway, Otter Cr., authority on cave salamanders, AMHERST Co., Va. 31 Aug. 1969 the most northerly locality re­ (USNM# 167,178). cord previously known for cave 1 J,. , \ salamander (E. .lucifuga) is a Opheodrys vernalis, Eastern specimen in the Carnegie Museum Smooth Green Snake, Blue Ridge collection, Pittsburgh, Pa., Parkway, 100ft. S of Bluff Mt. ; (Cl# 5342) from Milpoint, W.Va. Tunnel, AMHERST ,Co., V a . Elev. -- a distance of about 100 mi. 1,797 feet above sea level. It was collected on 8 August 1969. (USNM# 167,169) deposited on 19 November 1969 in U.S. Nat­ Northern Dusky Salamanders -- ional Museum. (R.G. Tuck, Jr.) (Desmognathus fuscus) Ware's Cave, ALLEGHANY Co., Va. coll. +D.O.R. = "Dead on the Road." 21 July 1962, (USNM# 160,483 t o ' USNM# 160,486).

V • •« • .ru ;.dV.= " • v i ... • • > Long-tailed Salamanders CAVE_SAIA1IANDERSX cont (Eurycea JL. longicauda) , Old Green Salamander (Aneides aeneus) Mill Cave, MONTGOMERY Co.,Va. Coll. 29 July 1962 (USNM# 160,489). Johnson's Cave No.2, RUSSELL Co., Va.,coll. 13 July 1961 ...... Wehrle's Salamander (Plethodon w. (USNM# 160,493) Horton's Cave, SCOTT Co., Va., 2 wehrlei), Old Mill Cave, Mont­ gomery Co., Va. coll. 29 July '62 specimens (USNM# 160,494/160,495). (USNM# 160,490). Miller's Cove Cave, ROANOKE Co., Va., 2 specimens, coll. 30 June PROVIDE YOUR COLLECTING NOTES ON 1962, (USNM# 160,491/160,492). PRESERVED SPECIMENS IN PERMANENT COLLECTIONS TO THE EDITOR, VHS B. (Continued in lefthand column...)

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ADDITIONAL NOTES ON THE REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS OF NEWPORT NEWS -HAMPTON This report is a supple­ OTHER COLLECTING NOTES: ment to the first report: pages 1-3* VHSB #62 cover­ by: GLEN A. ENGELING, JAMES CITY COUNTY, VA. ing the Newport News and LTJG, USNRj VHS Hampton area of the Lower A Red-bellied Turtle Peninsula of Virginia. Chrysemys r. rubriventris December 15* 1969 was found along Interstate Several additional spec­ Rte #61|, near Williamsburg, imens of local herpeto- Va. 01 2 June 69 by James fauna have been collected All the collecting data R. Rilea. This specimen— from this area. Some of for each of the specimens given to Glen A. Engeling- the species listed aren’t of herpetofauna listed in was brought in to the Pen­ listed as county records this report and for those insula Jr. Nature Museum for the Newport News and listed on pages 2 and 3, for identification a»d Hampton area (former War­ are on file in the museum. preservation. wick and Elizabeth City Each preserved specimen is Counties) in VHSB #38 and catalogued, identified, ISLE OF WIGHT COUNTY, VA. VHSB #58. tagged, and a color slide of each species is main­ A Smooth Earth Snake, The species collected and tained in the museum for Virginia v. valeriae, was preserved are as follows: ready reference. donated to tho Peninsula Jr. Nature Museum by Nat Canebrake Rattlesnake This data is available and Jim Webb on 9 April 69. Crotalus h. atricaudatus also for those species The specimen was identifi­ carried in the list for ed and preserved by Glen A. Six-lined Racerunner York County, Va. (pp.2-3). Engeling. The exact lo­ Cnemidophorus sexlineatus cality is not known. The extremely fine and de­ Red-bellied Turtle tailed color slides were ERRATUM ------Chryoemys r. rubriventris photographed by Russell Vaughn, Newport News, Va. - - - - Please drop the Stinkpot Several persons made valu­ Wood Frog (Rana sylvatica) Stermothaerus odoratus able specimen donations from the list of forms in to the writer. He wishes the amphibian column p. 2 Rough Earth Snake to thank: Carolyn Bosta, VHSB #62, mailed Dec. ’69. Virginia striatula David Baker, Robert (Later mailings corrected.) Berenson, H. V. Hooper, Red-%ellied Water Snake R. H. Kayton, Stan Piland. My address, while on Navy Natrix e. erythrogaster duty, has been in the York- References: town, Va., area. E y tour At least one example of of duty has ended unexpec­ each species listed above Conant’s Field Guide to tedly early. I would ap­ is preserved. Preserved Reptiles and Amphibians' preciate it if you would specimens are located in {of Eastern U.S7J 1958.• continue to send the VHS the Peninsula Jr. Mature BULLETINS to me along Museum, 52l* J. Clyde List of Va. Amphibians and with comments from readers. Morris Blvd. Newport News, Reptiles (VHSB #56, 1968). Va., near Mariners Museum. Glen A. Engeling,LTJG,USNR This page to be filed with

VHS BULLETIN No. 62