Herpetology for Master Naturalists Henry M. Wilbur [email protected] Outline of Topics • Taxonomy of reples and amphibians • Key characteriscs used to idenfy reples and amphibians • The natural history and basic biology of reples and amphibians • The diversity and distribuon of reples and amphibians in Virginia • Some common reples and amphibians occurring in the local ecosystems • The role of reples and amphibians in Virginia ecosystems Topics (Connued) • The adaptaons of reples and amphibians and how these relate to environmental factors • The basic principles of reple and amphibian management • Threats and/or issues relang to reples and amphibians in Virginia • Appropriate techniques and methods for studying reples and amphibians • Rare or special species that indicate habitat qualies Added Value • Bibliographic Resources • Web Resources • Local Sites Taxonomic Diversity of Virginia Herps 60 Families 40 Genera Number Species 20 0 Geographical Species Density 45 40 Tidewater 35 30 Piedmont 25 Mountins Species 20 15 10 5 0 Taxonomy • Taxonomy – Nomenclatural system for classifying evoluonary units. – Lan binomials • Class Amphibia • Order Anura • Family Hylidae • Genus Pseudacris • Species crucifer – Genus always capitalized, species never – Common name: Spring Peeper Systemacs • Systemacs – The quest to develop a classificaon that reflects the evoluonary history of lineages. • Tools of the systemacist – Morphology – Development – Genecs – Phylogeny Reconstrucon – The Web hp://tolweb.org/tree/ Phylogeny of the Extant Tetrapoda Amphibia Amniota Frogs and Salamanders Mammals Reples and Birds Evolved in the Devonian from lobe-finned fishes Tetrapoda Aer: hp://tolweb.org/Terrestrial_Vertebrates/14952 Phylogeny of Living Amphibians Gymnophiona Saliena Caudata (Caecilians) (Frogs and Toads) (Salamanders and Newts) Lissamphibia © 2005 Teague O'Mara Characteriscs of Amphibians • Anura – Tailless jumping machine – Nine or fewer presacral vertebrae – Postsacral vertebrae fused as urostyle – Radius and ulna fused as radioulna – Tibia and fibula fused as biofibula • Saliena – Tail in larva, juveniles, and adults – Two pairs of limbs – Many technical skeletal characters Frogs Families of Virginia • Scaphiopidae – Spadefoot Toad • Bufonidae - American Toad • Microhylidae – Narrow-mouthed Toad • Hylidae – Spring Peeper • “Ranidae” - Bullfrog The Anuran Life Cycle Egg Larva Adult (Tadpole) Juvenile Anuran Eggs Anuran Larvae • Filter-feeders • Rasping mouthparts • Coiled intesne Role of Anurans in Aquac Food-webs Fish Salamanders Snakes Insects Birds Tadpoles Periphyton Phytoplankton Role of Anurans in Terrestrial Foodwebs • Juvenile and Adult Frogs Eat Insects – Adult Bullfrogs eat Crayfish and Smaller frogs • Juvenile and Adult Frogs Are Eaten By Many mesopredators – Mammals: Raccoons, skunks, mink, etc. – Snakes: Gartersnakes, watersnakes, etc. – Birds: Herons, hawks, grebes, etc. Species of Frogs in Albemarle County • Toads – American Toad – Fowler’s Toad • Tree Frogs – Upland Chorus Frog – Spring Peeper – Grey Treefrog True Frogs of Albemarle County • True Frogs – Bullfrog – Green Frog – Leopard Frog – Pickerel Frog – Wood Frog Fowler’s Toad American Toad eang a Fence Swi American toads in amplexus Spring Peeper Opmal Timing of Metamorphosis The balance between growth opportunies and mortality risk Upland Chorus Frog virginiaherpetologicalsociety.com Grey Tree Frog Flash Colors Turbo Tadpoles Range of Gray Treefrog Bullfrog and Green Frog Pickerel Frog Wood Frog Range of Woodfrog Salamander Families of Virginia • Sirenidae: Siren • Cryptobranchidae: Hellbender • Necturidae: Necturus (mudpuppy) • Salamandridae: Newts • Ambystomadae: Mole salamanders • Amphiumidae: Amphiuma (Conger eel) • Plethodondae: Woodland salamanders Salamander Life Cycles • Primi>ve Condi>on: Aquac Egg → Aquac Larva → Terrestrial Juvenile → Terrestrial Adult • Direct Development: Female lays a clutch of a few large eggs in a terrestrial site where she aends them. The larval stage and metamorphosis are completed within the egg capsule. Salamanders of Albemarle County • Salamandridae – Red-spoed Newt • Ambystomadae – Marbled Salamander – Spoed Salamander • Plethodondae - lungless Plethodonds of Albemarle County • Plethodondae – Red-backed Salamander – Slimy Salamander – Two-lined Salamander – Northern Dusky Salamander – Seal Salamander – Mud Salamander – Red Salamander – Spring Salamander Red-spoed Newt Red-spoed Newt Egg Paedo- Larva morph Adult Adult E Adult Red-spoed Newts eang eggs of a Tiger Salamander The Mole Salamanders Marbled Salamander Marbled Salamander Life Cycle • Adults move to dried pond basins in early fall • Courtship is on land in September • Females lay eggs and aend them in fall • Pond floods with autumnal rains • Larvae hatch when flooded • Larvae winter in pond • Larvae metamorphose and leave pond in June Spoed Salamander Spoed Salamander Eggs Spoed Salamander Life Cycle • Males move to ponds soon aer ice leaves • Females move to pond early spring rain • Courtship and egg deposion in water • Males and females leave following rain • Eggs hatch late spring • Larvae metamorphose and leave pond in mid summer Tiger Salamander Tiger Salamanders are Endangered in Virginia and other states on the East Coast Red-backed Salamander Plethodon cinereus complex • P. shenandoah – Stony Man, Hawksbill, The Pinnacles of SNP. • P. hubric – Peaks of Oer • P. nengi – Cheat Mountain, WV • P. cinereus – widespread in surrounding habitats White-spoed Slimy Salamander Two-lined Salamander Eggs of the Two-lined Salamander Embryos of the Two- lined Salamander Dusky salamander of the genus Desmognathus Seal Salamander Red Salamander Red Salamander Spring Salamander Amphibian Conservaon Biology • Threats – Habitat Loss (breeding sites, foraging areas) – Pollu>on (pes>cides) – Disease (chytrid fungus, ranovirus) – Predaon (fish, feral cats) • Remediaon – Wetland restoraon – Cover habitats – Fish removal Natural Populaons Methods to Study Amphibians:Experimental Populaons Break! Extant Groups of Amniotes • Birds and Crocodylians • Turtles and Tortoises • Squamates (Lizards and Snakes) • Tuatara • Mammals Phylogeny of the Amniotes:The Terrestrial Vertebrates Synapsida Anapsida: Testudines Romeriida: Diapsida (Mammals) (Turtles) Birds, Lizards, Snakes hp://tolweb.org/Amniota/14990 The Amnioc Egg Turtles of Virginia • Chelydridae – Snapping Turtle • Kinosternidae – Mud Turtle – Snkpot • Emyidae – Painted Turtle – Eastern Box Turtle copyright © E. S. Gaffney Temperature-Dependent Sex Determinaon The sex of many turtles, lizards, snakes, and alligators is determined by temperature during a crical period of development in the nest. Painted Turtle in Nebraska Snapping Turtle Snkpot hp://www.cnah.org/namesList.aspx#ad-image-0 Painted Turtle Eastern Box Turtle Spoed Turtle hp://www.cnah.org/namesList.aspx#ad-image-0 Conservaon Biology of Turtles • Threats – Habitat Destrucon (wetlands and nesng sites) – Highways – Pollu>on by pes>cides – Climate Change? • Remediaon – Natural areas – Educaon Phylogeny of the Diapsida Archosauromorpha Lepidosouromorpha (Crocodilians and Birds) (Lizards, Snakes, Tuatara) Dinosaurs Diapsids have a large suborbital fenestra Sauria hp://tolweb.org/Diapsida/14866 Lizards of Albemarle County • Teiidae – Six-lined Racerunner • Iquanidae – Eastern Fence Swi • Scincidae – Five-lined Skink – Broad-Headed Skink Eastern Fence Swi Five-lined Skink Broad-headed Skink Range of Broad-headed Skink Six-lined Racerunner Conservaon Biology of Lizards • Threats – Habitat Destrucon – Feral Cats – Pes>cides • Remediaon – Natural Areas Poisonous Snakes of Albemarle County • Crotalidae – Copperhead – Timber Ralesnake Yellow Phase Black Phase Northern Copperhead Juvenile Copperhead Geographic Range of Coonmouth Range of Northern Watersnake First Aid for Snakebite • Stay calm • Treat for Shock • Elevate bien limb • Get Paent to a Hospital for Anvenin Nonpoisonous Snakes of Albemarle • Colubridae – Black Ratsnake – Black Racer – Corn Snake – Milk Snake • Dipsadidae – Wormsnake – Ring-necked Snake • Natricidae – Ribbon Snake – Garter Snake – Northern Watersnake Red Cornsnake Common Kingsnake Mole Snake Greensnake Hog-nosed Snake Hog-nosed Snake “Dead” Hog-nosed Snake Sandhills Hog-nosed Snake Really Dead? Eastern Gartersnake Conservaon Biology of Snakes • Threats – Habitat Destrucon – Human Ignorance • Remediaon – Natural Areas – Educaon Educaonal Resources • Bibliographic • Web – Tree of Life Project hp://tolweb.org/tree/ – hp://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/taxa/verts/diapsida.php – hp://www.cnah.org/ • Local Experts – Butch Brodie – Bob Cox – Reid Harris Find More Informaon www.dgif.state.va.us/ Books worth having • Atlas of Amphibians and Reples in Virginia by Joseph C. Mitchell and Karen K. Reay • The Reples of Virginia by Joseph C. Mitchell • Peterson’s Field Guide to Reples and Amphibians by Roger Conant and Joseph T. Collins .