Reptiles And Amphibians - Neglwatersheds
Amphibiansand ReptilesBy Dennis R. SkadsenThe herpetofauna of northeast South Dakotaincludes one salamander, four species oftoads, five species of frogs, three species ofturtles, one lizard, and five species ofsnakes. Three species of snakes and oneturtle are considered accidental, and onespecies - the mudpuppy, may be extirpated.The following list is compiled from severalreferences including; Backlund (2004),Fisher (1998), Kiesow (2006), andobservations by the author, localconservation officers, and other reliablesources. Common and scientific namesfollow Moriarty and Hall (2014).Western Tiger Salamander (Ambystomamavortium)Eastern Tiger Salamander (Ambystomatigrinum)The tiger salamander is common throughoutnortheast South Dakota but with the recenttaxonomic split it is unclear which speciesthe Western or Eastern tiger salamander isthe most widespread. DNA analysis is theonly sure way to differentiate between thetwo. Salamanders lay their eggs in wetlandswhere the larvae hatch and mature to adults.Most adults are terrestrial; however, someadults remain in the larval or neotenic formspending their entire lives in the water.Neotenic adults can become quite large andoften are mistakenly identified asmudpuppies (see below).Amphibians and ReptilesObserved in Day, Grant,Marshall, and RobertsCounties, South Dakota. AmphibiansTiger Salamander larvae (photo by DennisSkadsen)SalamandersMudpuppy (Necturus maculosus)Tiger Salamander (photo by Dennis SkadsenOver (1923) stated the species is found onlyin Big Stone Lake and E.C. O’Roke (1924)reported collecting a single specimen fromWaubay Lake in 1924; however, neitherreports were confirmed by museumspecimens. In 2016, an unreportedmudpuppy specimen collected from BigStone Lake in 1981 (see photo below) wasfound in a closet at South Dakota StateUniversity. This represents the onlyAmphibians and Reptiles (11/2019)1
confirmed record for the State. Mudpuppieswere not caught during extensive fisheriessurveys conducted by the MinnesotaDepartment of Natural Resources in recentyears on Big Stone Lake and Lake Traverse,and by University of South Dakotaresearchers utilizing Environmental DNAtesting of Big Stone Lake.The severe droughts of the 1930s may havedrastically reduced the distribution of thisspecies and based on recent studies it mayno longer occur in northeast South Dakota.Often the larvae and neotenic adult form ofthe tiger salamander is mistaken formudpuppies; however, mudpuppies havefour toes on the hind feet while the tigersalamander has five toes. Any observationsor specimens of the mudpuppy should bereported to the S.D. Dept. of Game, Fish,and Parks.All three-species listed above are consideredcommon and abundant in northeast SouthDakota. All adults are terrestrial and canoften be found some distance from water.Canadian Toad (photo by Dennis Skadsen)Big Stone Lake Mudpuppy (Photo by DrewDavisWoodhouse’s Toad (photo by Dennis Skadsen)Frogs and ToadsWoodhouse’s Toad (Anaxyrus woodhousii)American Toad (Anaxyrus americanus)Great Plains Toad (Anaxyrus cognatus)Canadian Toad (Anaxyrus hemiophrys)No museum or literature records existedprior to 1998. Fisher (1998) reported thespecies calling in Marshall and RobertsCounties in 1997 and 1998 and collected aAmphibians and Reptiles (11/2019)2
specimen near Rosholt in 1998. However,neither Skadsen nor Jessen could findWoodhouse’s toad during surveys conductedin 2004 (Backlund 2004). This species maybe at the northern limits of its range innortheast South Dakota and populations mayvary from year-to-year.American Toad (Photo by Brandy Fenenga)Cope’s Gray Treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis)Eastern Gray Treefrog (Hyla versicolor)The status of these two frogs in northeastSouth Dakota is still unclear. The only wayto distinguish between the two in the field isby their calls; however, they’re very similar.Karyotyping needs to be completed onseveral specimens from northeast andsoutheast South Dakota to confirm the statusof these two species in the state. TheEastern gray treefrog was once consideredthe only species of treefrog occurring innortheast South Dakota, however Jessen andSkadsen (Backlund 2004) heard Cope’s graytreefrogs calling from most sites surveyed in2004. Jessen (2005) states he heard onlyone Eastern gray treefrog calling in BigCoulee, Roberts County during a 2005survey. Skadsen heard Cope’s graytreefrogs calling at the West Unit of thePickerel Lake State Recreation Area in June2009, and the east unit of the park in 2017.Jessen (in Backlund 2004) heard a treefrogcalling at Hartford Beach State Park in 2004but was unsure as to which species he washearing; however, in June 2009 Skadsenheard Cope’s gray treefrogs calling at CampIyataka a few miles north of Hartford Beachalong Big Stone Lake.Observations of treefrogs were onceconfined to the wooded coulees locatedalong the eastern escarpment of the PrairieCoteau. However, in recent years they havebeen heard and captured as far west asPickerel Lake State Recreation Area, and asfar east as the city of Wilmot, SD.Treefrogs most likely have expanded theirrange due to the extremely wet conditions ofthe last twenty years.Gray Treefrog (photo by Doug Backlund)Amphibians and Reptiles (11/2019)3
Northern Leopard Frog - Burnsi variety (photoby Dennis Skadsen)Boreal Chorus Frog (photo by Dennis Skadsen)Boreal Chorus Frog (Pseudacris maculata)Common throughout northeast SouthDakota. Our smallest frog is the mostfrequently heard species, calling from lateApril through early June from all types ofwetlands.Northern Leopard Frog (Lithobatespipiens)Common throughout northeast SouthDakota. All three color morps, normal,burnsi and kandiyohi have been observed inthis area.Northern Leopard Frog – Kandiyohi variety(photo by Dennis Skadsen)Northern Leopard Frog – normal color (photo byDennis Skadsen)Amphibians and Reptiles (11/2019)4
Wood Frog (photo by Dennis Skadsenwetlands near Rosholt, SD in northeastRoberts County (Backlund 2004). In Mayof 2016, a single juvenile wood frog wascollected by the author on the Ortley GameProduction Area along Owen’s Creek nearOrtley, SD. This site is located four mileseast of the 1929 Blue Dog Lake collectionsite, and it is possible a population of woodfrogs remained undetected in this area until2016. In 2019, several hundred wood frogswere heard calling on the Ortley GameProduction Area in April. Male wood frogswere also heard calling at two locations inGrant County, the first reported for thiscounty. Figure 1 shows current andhistorical collection sites.Wood Frog (Lithobates sylvaticus)Prior to the severe droughts of the 1930swood frogs were apparently commonthroughout northeast South Dakota. Over(1923) reported the species as common inthe coulees of Marshall and RobertsCounties but no museum specimens fromthese areas have been found. Confirmedmuseum specimens include five wood frogscollected near the outlet of Blue Dog Lake(Day County) in 1929; and one specimencollected at Hartford Beach along Big StoneLake (Roberts County) in 1923. In 1960,Fishbeck and Underhill (1960) reported thatwood frogs no longer occurred in thecoulees of Marshall and Roberts Counties asreported by Over, and surmised droughts, aswell as over-harvesting of lumber andgrazing of the coulees, may had led to thespecies demise in northeast South Dakota.The wood frog’s status in the state wasunknown until 1997 when Fisher (1998)found the species during surveys innortheast Roberts County. Further surveysby Jessen and Skadsen in 2004 found callingwood frogs at Cottonwood Lake and severalAmphibians and Reptiles (11/2019)5
ReptilesTurtlesSnapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentia)Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta)The snapping turtle and painted turtle areboth common throughout northeast SouthDakota and can be observed in a variety ofaquatic habitats that include streams, rivers,wetlands, and lakes. While the paintedturtle is usually docile, the snapping turtlecan inflict a nasty bite if improperly held orcornered while on land. They usually do notbite humans while in the water.Snapping Turtle laying eggs along Owen’sCreek (photo by Dennis Skadsen)Painted Turtle (photo by Dennis Skadsen)Spiny Softshell female (photo by LindaSimmons)Spiny Softshell (Apalone spinefera)The spiny softshell’s range is restricted tothe lower reaches of the Yellowbank andWhetstone Rivers in Grant and RobertsCounties. May also occur in Big StoneLake.Amphibians and Reptiles (11/2019)6
LizardsPlains Hog-nosed Snake (photo by DennisSkadsen)Prairie Skink (photo by Dennis Skadsen)Prairie Skink (Plestiodon septentrionalis)The only lizard found in northeast SouthDakota appears to be common despite thecontinuing loss of grassland habitat. As thename implies this skink is found on nativeprairies and other grasslands. The skink hasan interesting defense mechanism to escapepredators. When handled incorrectly orcaptured by a predator the skink’s tail willdetach. The wiggling detached tail willdistract the predator allowing the skink toescape unharmed although tail-less. The tailwill eventually re-grow.Plains Hog-nosed Snake (Heterodonnasicus)This species has only been observed alongthe western slope of the Coteau in DayCounty in the area locally known as theCrocker-Crandall Hills. The upturned snoutof the Western hog-nosed snake is used likea shovel to dig burrows in sandy soil.Strictly nocturnal, this species is hard todetect.SnakesSmooth Greensnake (Opheodrys vernalis)Reportedly uncommon, but this may be dueto this snake’s secretive manner. The greensnake is relatively small with an averagelength of only 16 inches. It is most oftenencountered in grasslands sunning on pocketgopher mounds or flat rocks.Smooth Greensnake (photo by Dennis Skadsen)Amphibians and Reptiles (11/2019)7
Common Gartersnake (photo by DennisSkadsen)Northern Red-bellied Snake (photo by DennisSkadsen)Northern Red-bellied Snake (Storeria o.occipitomaculata)The Northern red-bellied snake is commonthroughout northeast South Dakota insuitable habitat. This snake is one of oursmallest seldom reaching a length longerthan ten inches. This species can be foundalong the wooded shorelines of area lakesand in forested coulees like Sica HollowState Park.Plains Gartersnake (Thamnophis radix)Common Gartersnake (Thamnophissirtalis)Both species common throughout northeastSouth Dakota, however the commongartersnake is more apparent in the lowlandslike the Little Minnesota and WhetstoneValleys of Roberts and Grant Counties. Accidental SpeciesBlanding’s Turtle (Emydoidea blandingii)Accidental. A Blanding’s turtle observed innorthern Robert’s County in 2005 was likelyan escaped or released pet. There are noknown natural populations of this species innortheast South Dakota and only a fewrecords exist for the southeast corner of thestate where the species is consideredextremely rare.Dekay’s Brownsnake (Storeria dekayi)Accidental. The only South Dakota recordof the brownsnake is for a specimencollected near Big Stone City in 1922. Anextensive survey for the species in 2004found no evidence the species is extant innortheast South Dakota.Amphibians and Reptiles (11/2019)8
Gophersnake (Pituophis catenifer)Accidental. A gophersnake (or bullsnake)was captured near Pickerel Lake in 1969.Another gophersnake was observed severalmonths later near Bitter Lake; however, thePickerel Lake specimen may have beenreleased at that locale.MudpuppyCope’s Gray TreefrogEastern Gray TreefrogWood FrogSpiny Softshell TurtleBlanding’s TurtleSmooth Green SnakeNorthern Redbelly Snake Suggested ReferencesAmphibians and Reptiles in MinnesotaBy John J. Moriarty and Carol D. Hall2014. University of Minnesota Press,Minneapolis.Prairie Rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis)Accidental. Monument located east of BlueDog Lake denotes the date, place, andperson who killed a prairie rattlesnake in1935. A descendant of the man who placedthe marker in his pasture believes the snakewas brought in with hay transported fromwestern SD. Endangered and ThreatenedSpeciesNone of the above species are currentlylisted as state or federally endangered at thistime. However, the following species aretracked by the South Dakota NaturalHeritage Program managed by the SD Dept.of Game, Fish, and Parks. Observations ofthese species should be reported to the SDGFP.Field Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles ofSouth Dakota.By Alyssa M. Kiesow2006. S.D. Dept. of Game, Fish, and Parks,Pierre.(Includes a CD of calls and songs for allfrogs and toads occurring in South Dakota)Peterson Field Guide to Reptiles andAmphibians, Eastern/Central NorthAmerican, 4th Ed.By Roger Conant and Joseph T. Collins.1998. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston. Literature CitedBacklund, Doug. 2004. South DakotaStatewide Herpetology Survey. S.D. Dept.of Game, Fish, and Parks, Pierre. 68 pp.Fishbeck, Dale. W. and James C. Underhill.1960. Amphibians of Eastern South Dakota.Herpetologica 16:131-136.Amphibians and Reptiles (11/2019)9
Fisher, Tate D. 1998. Anura of EasternSouth Dakota: Their Distribution andCharacteristics of Their Wetland Habitats,1997-1998. Masters thesis, South DakotaState University, Brookings. 93 pp.Jessen, Tom. 2005. Herpetological Surveyof Eastern South Dakota, 2005 SpeciesAccount. SD Dept. of Game, Fish, andParks, Pierre.Kiesow, Alyssa M. 2006. Field Guide toAmphibians and Reptiles of South Dakota.S.D. Dept. of Game, Fish, and Parks, Pierre.178 pp.Moriarty, John J. and Carol D. Hall. 2014.Amphibians and Reptiles in Minnesota.University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis.370 pp.O’Roke, E.C. 1924. The Amphibians ofSouth Dakota. Proc. S.D. Acad. Sci. 9:1315.Over, William H. 1923. Amphibians andReptiles of South Dakota. SD Geologicaland Natural History Survey Bulletin 12.University of South Dakota. 34 pp.Amphibians and Reptiles (11/2019)10
Amphibians and Reptiles (11/2019) 1 . Amphibians and Reptiles By Dennis R. Skadsen . The herpetofauna of northeast South Dakota includes one salamander, four species of toads, five species of frogs, three species of turtles, one lizard, and five species of snakes. Three species of snakes and one turtle are considered accidental, and one
discover more about amphibians and reptiles in the wild. 2 discover 3 leap forward 4 leapone giant Get ready by learning how to identify the UK's reptiles and amphibians. Where to look for amphibians and reptiles plus some of the threats they face. Find out about helping reptiles and amphibians in your patch. Getting closer to amphibians
amphibians and reptiles. Herpetology erpetology is the study of amphibians and reptiles. Herps is the name given to the large group of amphibians and reptiles. They are closely related and have some shared characteristics be-cause reptiles most likely evolved from the amphibians. However, they also have distinct differences. H
A) Fish to Amphibians B) Amphibians to Reptiles C) Reptiles to Mammals Textbook reference: Levin 7th edition (2003) Chapters 10, 11, 14; Levin 8th edition (2006) Chapters 12, 13, 16 A) Fish to Amphibians Before we get started on the evolution of the vertebrates, it's perhaps best to restate how the vertebrates are classified.
The role of amphibians and reptiles . in forest ecosystems. Amphibians and reptiles serve critical roles in forest ecosystems (Table 1) and can be sensitive to habitat disturbances such as those caused by forest . management techniques. Collectively known as herpetofauna or "herps," amphibians and reptiles often
Amphibians and reptiles serve critical roles in forest ecosystems (Table 1) and can be sensitive to habitat disturbances such as those caused by forest management techniques. Collectively known as herpetofauna or "herps," amphibians and reptiles often are grouped together but represent two distinct animal groups. All amphibians and reptiles .
amphibians and 36 reptiles). Based on our surveys, as well as literature and museum specimen review, we estimate an overall inventory completeness of 92% for Death Valley and an inventory completeness of 73% for amphibians and 95% for reptiles. Key Words: Amphibians, reptiles, Death Valley National Park, Inyo County, San Bernardino County .
Amphibians and Reptiles in South Wales Amphibians and reptiles are two ancient groups of animals that have been on the planet for a very long time. The study of amphibians and reptiles is known as Herpetology. To simplify matters, both groups of animals will be referred to throughout this booklet collectively as Herpetofauna. Examples of both .
influence of ideological values on the policies and practices of America’s criminal justice systems. Recently, however, a trend toward critical analysis of the behavior of police, courts, and corrections has emerged that focuses exclusively on ideology as the analytical tool of choice. For example, Barlow (2000), and Bohm and Haley (2001) include extensive discussion of the influence of .
