1. Amphibians and Reptiles: An Introduction to Herpetofauna
Eastern Hognose Snake (photo by Pierson Hill), Green Tree Frog(Photo by Aubrey Heupel)
Edited for Virginia by Mike Clifford, Virginia Herpetological Society
Eastern Hognose Snake
Green Tree Frog

2. Amphibians and Reptiles
Ectothermic
Regulate temperature from outside sources
Water temperature
Basking
Photos by J.D. Willson
Northern Watersnake, Yellowbelly Slider
Yellow-bellied Slider
Northern Watersnake

3. Amphibians and Reptiles
Cryptic
Very abundant but their presence is largely unknown
Timber Rattlesnake
Timber Rattlesnake
Timber Rattlesnake (Canebrake) (Photo by J.D. Willson), Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake (Photo by M.E. Dorcas), Timber Rattlesnake (Canebrake) (Photo by Wayne VanDevender)
Northern Copperhead

4. Amphibians and Reptiles
Green Salamander
Important to the ecosystem
An important prey item for:
Raccoons, opossums, birds
An important predator of:
Mice, rats, insects
Spring Peeper
Spring Peeper(photo by J.D. Willson), Spring Salamander (Photo by K. Cecala), Ringneck Snake (Photo by J.D. Willson), Green Salamander (Photo by J.D. Willson), Stream photo by Kristen Cecala
Spring Salamander
Ringneck Snake

5. Amphibians 78 Species in Virginia (51 salamanders & 27 frogs & toads)
SE U.S. - greatest salamander diversity in the world!
Huge Biomass
Biomass: Total weight of all amphibians in an area
One isolated wetland produced 3 tons of amphibians
Spotted Salamander
Photos by J.D. Willson
Spotted Salamander, Three-Lined Salamander, Southern Leopard Frog
Three-lined Salamander
Southern Leopard Frog

6. Amphibian Characteristics
Permeable skin
Permeable: allows the transfer of oxygen and carbon dioxide to allow respiration
Can allow the uptake of chemicals in the environment
Good olfaction
Olfaction: Sense of smell
Prey upon:
Insects, other amphibians, anything small enough to fit into their mouths, even mice
Green Frog
Spring Salamander
Green Frog (Photo by J.D. Willson), Spring Salamander (Photo by K. Cecala)

7. Spring Peeper Metamorph
Frogs
Spring Peeper Metamorph
Tadpoles when they are born
Lose their tails as adults
Two main types:
True Frogs
Tree Frogs
Toe-pads
Bronze Frog
Green Tree Frog
Upland chorus Frog, Pickerel Frog, Bronze Frog (Photos by J.D. Willson), Spring Peeper metamorph (Photo by K. Cecala), Green Tree Frog (Photo by J.D. Willson), Grey Treefrog (Photo by Aubrey heupel)
Grey Tree Frog
Upland Chrous Frog
Pickerel Frog

8. Toads Similar to frogs Tail-less as adults Warty skin
Have large glands behind each eye that secretes toxin
American Toad
American Toad, Fowler’s Toad
Photos by J.D. Willson
Fowler’s Toad

9. Salamanders
Spring Salamander
Plethodontids: Don’t have lungs and must breathe entirely through their skin
Ambystomatids: Have lungs, but can also breathe through their skin
Salamanders can lay eggs in:
Streams
Wetlands
Soil
Marbled Salamander
Spring Salamander (Photo by Pierson Hill), Marbled Salamander (Photo by K. Cecala), Two-Lined Salamander (Photo by Pierson Hill)
Two-lined Salamander

10. Caecilians Live in the tropics Leg-less and blind
Look very similar to a worm
Caecilian
Caecilian
Photos by Shannon Pittman, and J.D. Willson
Caecilian

11. Amphibian Life Cycle
Upland Chrous Frog
Frog Eggs
Spring Peeper
Cricket Frog
Spring Peeper Metamorph
Pine Woods Tree Frog Tadpole
Frog Eggs (J.D. Willson), Pine Woods Tree Frog Tadpole (J. D. Willson), Spring Peeper tadpole/metamorph (K Cecala), Cricket Frog (K. Cecala), Spring peeper(Aubrey Heupel), Upland Chorus Frog (J. D. Willson)

12. Amphibian Defense Mechanisms
Green Frog Tadpole
American Toad
Poison in skin
Toads and Newts
Producing large numbers of offspring
Producing noisy squawks when attacked
Red-Spotted Newt
Photos by J. D. Willson
American Toad, Red-Spotted newt, Green Frog Tadpole

13. Reptiles
Copperhead
Eastern Painted Turtle
62 species in Virginia from 3 groups (30 snakes, 10 lizards including one introduced, 22 turtles)
Antarctica the only continent without reptiles
Snakes have no legs, but still tetrapods
Evolutionary loss of legs
Boas still maintain a pelvic girdle
Copperhead, Eastern Painted Turtle, Five-Lined Skink (Photos by J. D. Willson), American Alligator (Photo by M.E. Dorcas)
Five-lined Skink

14. Reptile Characteristics
Ectothermic behavior
Maintain a narrow temperature range
Maintained through behavioral activities such as basking or burrowing
Brummation
Hibernation in ectotherms
Fence Lizard, River Cooters
River Cooters
Fence Lizard

15. Crocodilians
American Alligator – not native to Virginia but is found just to the south in North Carolina
Photo by J. D. Willson
American Alligator
American Alligators

16. Olive Ridley Sea Turtle
Turtles
Snapping Turtle
Box Turtle
Vertebrae incorporated into shell
Have a beak instead of teeth
Omnivorous
Temperature sex determination
Found in a variety of habitats:
Marine
Freshwater
Terrestrial
Eastern Painted Turtle
Snapping Turtle (M.E. Dorcas), Box Turtle (J.D. Willson), Eastern Painted Turtle (J. D. Willson), Olive Ridley Sea Turtle (Michael Jenson)
Olive Ridley Sea Turtle

17. Lizards Extremely diverse and variable Do they all have legs?
Broadhead Skink
Extremely diverse and variable
Many islands have endemic species
Endemic: Species found in one location but no where else
Do they all have legs?
Glass Lizards/Leg-less lizards/Jointed Snakes
How do you tell Glass Lizards from Snakes?
Ear openings, eyelids, tail length
Fence Lizard
Slender Glass Lizard
Green Anole, Broadhead Skink (J. D. Willson), Fence Lizard (K. Cecala), Slender Glass Lizard, Slender Glass Lizard (J.D. Willson)
Slender Glass Lizard

18. Snakes 30 species in Virginia 3 venomous species
Copperhead, Cottonmouth, Timber Rattlesnake.
Most species are non-venomous
Scarlet Kingsnake –
non-venomous
Photos by J.D. Willson: Scarlet Kingsnake, Ringneck Snake, Black Rat Snake.
Copperhead photo by Mike Clifford.
Ringneck Snake – non-venomous
Copperhead - venomous
Black Rat Snake – non-venomous

19. Snakes All lack legs Lack ear openings Shed their skin to grow
Hear vibrations through the ground
Shed their skin to grow
Eastern Hognose Snake
Ringneck Snake
Eastern Hognose Snake, Ringneck snake, Coachwhip, Redbelly Watersnake, Black Racer
Timber Rattlesnake
Black Racer
Redbelly Watersnake

20. Snake Feeding Entirely carnivorous Swallow prey whole
Can eat prey much larger than themselves
Some use venom to immobilize prey
Some constrict their prey
Some actively forage for prey
Some sit and wait for prey to approach them
Eastern Cottonmouth eating a mouse
Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake eating a Cottontail Rabbit, Scarlet Kingsnake eating a Green Anole
Northern Watersnake eating a fish

21. Snake Defense Mechanisms
Cottonmouth
Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake
Eastern Hognose Snake
Crypsis: Staying camouflaged
When detected:
Flee, musk, gape, rattle
When these do not work, snakes may strike
This occurs only when a snake feels threatened and has no other option to protect itself
Cottonmouth (J.D. Willson), Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake (Eric Stine), Eastern Hognose Snake (Pierson Hill), Brown Watersnake (K.Cecala)
Brown Watersnake

22. Conservation Many amphibians are in decline
Grey Tree Frog
Many amphibians are in decline
32% of amphibians endangered versus 12% of birds or 23% of mammals
43% of amphibian populations are declining
Few populations are known to be increasing
Red Salamander
Grey Tree Frog, Red Salamander (K Cecala), Eastern Kingsnake (J.D. Willson)
Eastern Kingsnake

23. Causes of Decline Habitat destruction Disease Pollution
Over-exploitation
Climate change
Invasive species
How many are human caused?
Photos by Steve Price

24. What can you do? Enjoy finding and observing amphibians and reptiles
Don’t keep wild amphibians and reptiles as pets
Don’t kill snakes
Make sure you know a venomous species looks like before handling snakes, and NEVER touch or threaten a venomous snake
Don’t release any amphibian or reptile pet into the wild

25. Questions?
Corn Snake
Corn Snake