AA guideguide toto thethe ReptilesReptiles andand AmphibiansAmphibians ofof UniversityUniversity FarmFarm Squire Valleevue and Valley Ridge Farms Case Western Reserve University Dr. Ana B. Locci, Director Prepared by Jacob R. G. Kribel, June 2005 ImportantImportant notesnotes onon thisthis guideguide ThisThis isis anan introductoryintroductory guideguide toto thethe reptilereptile andand amphibianamphibian speciesspecies ofof UniversityUniversity farm.farm. ItIt listslists thethe speciesspecies presentpresent oror possiblypossibly present,present, andand attemptsattempts toto provideprovide baselinebaseline informationinformation thatthat willwill bebe usefuluseful toto anyoneanyone wishingwishing toto learnlearn moremore aboutabout thethe reptilesreptiles && amphibiansamphibians foundfound here.here. TheThe physicalphysical descriptionsdescriptions areare ofof thethe mostmost commoncommon forms,forms, asas therethere isis variationvariation withinwithin somesome species.species. MakeMake suresure youyou havehave aa goodgood fieldfield guideguide inin handhand beforebefore settingsetting offoff toto discoverdiscover thethe reptilesreptiles && amphibiansamphibians ofof thethe farm!farm! ImportantImportant notesnotes onon thisthis guideguide ThroughoutThroughout thisthis guideguide youyou willwill findfind notesnotes onon thethe conservationconservation statusstatus ofof species,species, bothboth inin thethe statestate ofof OhioOhio andand worldwide.worldwide. Extirpated: A species that occurred in Ohio at the time of European settlement and has since disappeared from the state. Extinct: A species that occurred in Ohio at the time of European settlement and has since disappeared worldwide. Endangered: A species in immediate danger of becoming extirpated or extinct. Threatened: A species that, with increased or continued danger, will become endangered. Species of Concern: A species that, with increased or continued danger, will become threatened. Currently,Currently, therethere areare nono reptilesreptiles oror amphibiansamphibians ofof OhioOhio thatthat areare listedlisted asas extirpatedextirpated oror extinct.extinct. ClassClass ReptiliaReptilia -- ReptilesReptiles ColdCold bloodedblooded YoungYoung hatchhatch fromfrom eggseggs YoungYoung areare ““miniatureminiature adultsadults””,, resemblingresembling adultsadults inin appearanceappearance fromfrom thethe momentmoment theythey hatchhatch SkinSkin coveredcovered withwith scales,scales, shieldsshields oror platesplates ToesToes havehave clawsclaws (except(except thethe leatherbackleatherback seasea turtle)turtle) IncludesIncludes crocodilians,crocodilians, turtles,turtles, lizards,lizards, andand snakessnakes ChelydraChelydra serpentinaserpentina SnappingSnapping turtleturtle ClassClass ReptiliaReptilia Order Testudinata Suborder Cryptodira Family Chelydridae FoundFound inin anyany permanentpermanent bodybody ofof freshfresh waterwater LongLong ““sawsaw toothtooth”” tail,tail, pointedpointed carapacecarapace ObservedObserved inin mostmost pondsponds andand thethe fieldsfields betweenbetween them;them; commoncommon onon propertyproperty Source: http://www.naturealmanac.com/archive/snappers/sn.jpg ChrysemysChrysemys pictapicta MidlandMidland paintedpainted turtleturtle ClassClass ReptiliaReptilia Order Testudinata Suborder Cryptodira Family Emydidae FoundFound inin shallowshallow waterwater withwith soft,soft, muddymuddy bottombottom ScutesScutes inin straightstraight rowsrows onon back,back, yellowyellow spotsspots onon sideside ofof headhead ObservedObserved inin allall ponds;ponds; abundantabundant onon propertyproperty Source:http://www.cortland.edu/herp/keys/images/turtles/cpictalg.jpg TerrapeneTerrapene carolinacarolina carolinacarolina EasternEastern boxbox turtleturtle Species of concern in Ohio ClassClass ReptiliaReptilia Order Testudinata Suborder Cryptodira Family Emydidae FoundFound inin woodedwooded areasareas beneathbeneath logs,logs, mostmost mobilemobile afterafter rainsrains VariableVariable coloration;coloration; ““landland”” turtleturtle withwith highhigh domeddomed shellshell OneOne sightingsighting nearnear WadeWade Source: http://marriageequalityca.org/events/2004/nationalrally/ pond;pond; apparentlyapparently scarcescarce stories/coyote/img/2004-10-14/eastern-box-turtle-lg.jpg onon propertyproperty EumecesEumeces fasciatusfasciatus FiveFive--linedlined skinkskink ClassClass ReptiliaReptilia Order Squamata Suborder Sauria Family Scincidae CommonlyCommonly foundfound underunder oror aroundaround decayingdecaying woodwood BlueBlue tailtail ofof juvenilesjuveniles fadesfades inin adulthoodadulthood OneOne possiblepossible sightingsighting reportedreported onon thethe property;property; Source: http://fwie.fw.vt.edu/VHS/Southeastern%20Five- likelylikely scarcescarce lined%20Skink%20(Eumeces%20inexpectatus).JPG ColuberColuber constrictorconstrictor constrictorconstrictor BlackBlack racerracer ClassClass ReptiliaReptilia Order Squamata Suborder Serpentes Family Colubridae FoundFound inin woodswoods andand fields,fields, climbsclimbs whenwhen corneredcornered PlainPlain blackblack onon toptop andand bottombottom OneOne possiblepossible sightingsighting reportedreported onon thethe property;property; Source: http://www.pitt.edu/~mcs2/herp/snake.pics/racer.jpg likelylikely scarcescarce ElapheElaphe obsoletaobsoleta obsoletaobsoleta BlackBlack ratrat snakesnake ClassClass ReptiliaReptilia Order Squamata Suborder Serpentes Family Colubridae CommonlyCommonly foundfound inin virtuallyvirtually anyany uplandupland sitesite BlackBlack toptop (sometimes(sometimes mottled)mottled) withwith graygray--whitewhite bottombottom OneOne possiblepossible sightingsighting reportedreported onon thethe property;property; Source: http://www.bio.davidson.edu/people/midorcas/research/Field%20trips/SREL% likelylikely scarcescarce 20'02/Elaphe%20obsoleta%20-%209.20.02%20-%20SREL,%20SC%20-%204.jpg NerodiaNerodia sipedonsipedon sipedonsipedon NorthernNorthern waterwater snakesnake ClassClass ReptiliaReptilia Order Squamata Suborder Serpentes Family Colubridae FoundFound inin swamps,swamps, marshesmarshes && edgesedges ofof streams,streams, pondsponds andand lakeslakes VariableVariable appearance,appearance, butbut thisthis isis thethe onlyonly largelarge waterwater snakesnake inin thethe areaarea ObservedObserved inin severalseveral ponds;ponds; likelylikely abundantabundant Source: http://rol.freenet.columbus.oh.us/Reptiles_NWSnake.gif onon thethe propertyproperty ReginaRegina septemvittataseptemvittata QueenQueen snakesnake ClassClass ReptiliaReptilia Order Squamata Suborder Serpentes Family Colubridae FoundFound inin smallsmall stonystony creekscreeks andand riversrivers YellowYellow stripestripe onon side,side, 44 brownbrown stripesstripes onon yellowyellow bottombottom OneOne possiblepossible sightingsighting onon thethe property;property; likelylikely scarcescarce Source: http://www.neherp.com/img/jw/queen_snakeC.jpg ThamnophisThamnophis sirtalissirtalis sirtalissirtalis EasternEastern gartergarter snakesnake ClassClass ReptiliaReptilia Order Squamata Suborder Serpentes Family Colubridae FoundFound almostalmost anywhereanywhere VariableVariable markings,markings, normallynormally havehave threethree yellowishyellowish stripesstripes onon top/sidestop/sides withwith blackblack spotsspots betweenbetween themthem ObservedObserved inin almostalmost Source: http://www.bio.davidson.edu/people/midorcas/research/ everyevery areaarea ofof property;property; Field%20trips/SREL03/Thamnophis%20sirtalis%20sirtalis.JPG abundantabundant StoreriaStoreria dekayidekayi dekayidekayi NorthernNorthern brownbrown snakesnake ClassClass ReptiliaReptilia Order Squamata Suborder Serpentes Family Colubridae FoundFound inin urbanurban andand moistmoist ruralrural sites,sites, thoughthough oftenoften hidinghiding BrownBrown withwith twotwo parallelparallel rowsrows ofof blackblack spotsspots onon backback Source: http://www.clemson.edu/cef/Herp%20Images%20for NoNo verifiedverified sightingssightings onon %20web%20site/Serpentes/Storeria%20dekayi%202.jpg property,property, butbut isis likelylikely abundantabundant LampropeltisLampropeltis triangulumtriangulum triangulumtriangulum EasternEastern milkmilk snakesnake ClassClass ReptiliaReptilia Order Squamata Suborder Serpentes Family Colubridae FoundFound inin ruralrural buildings,buildings, fields,fields, riversrivers andand hillsideshillsides StronglyStrongly patterned;patterned; differsdiffers fromfrom copperheadcopperhead inin thatthat patternspatterns continuecontinue ontoonto headhead NoNo verifiedverified sightingssightings onon property,property, butbut isis likelylikely Source: http://www.herpnet.net/IowaHerpetology/images/snakes/eastern_milksnake.jpg commoncommon SummarySummary ofof ReptilesReptiles atat thethe UniversityUniversity FarmFarm ClassClass ReptiliaReptilia Order Testudinata Order Squamata (contd.) Suborder Cryptodira Suborder Serpentes Family Chelydridae Family Colubridae Chelydra serpentina C Coluber constrictor constrictor S Family Emydidae Elaphe obsoleta obsoleta S Chrysemys picta A Nerodia sipedon sipedon A Terrapene carolina carolina S Regina septemvittata S Order Squamata Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis A Storeria dekayi dekayi P Suborder Sauria Lampropeltis triangulum triangulum P Family Scincidae Eumeces fasciatus S A = abundant C = common S = scarce P = possible to see, though not previously reported ClassClass AmphibiaAmphibia