Hello from the SC Thursday Herpetologists!

A chilly day in the Francis Marion. But well worth it! (Allison Welch, SC)

First field trip to the Francis Marion National Forest

We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day for our first Herpetology field trip. After what seemed like an eternity of rain Mother Nature provided us an awesome afternoon full of sun, clear skies, and mild temperatures. We left downtown Charleston around 2:00 PM and traveled north to the Francis Marion National Forest, arriving around 2:30PM. Our mission was to check several minnow traps our fearless leaders (Dr. Welch and TA extraordinare Keith Hanson) deployed the previous day.

The wetland we sampled was a typical pond cypress (Taxodium ascendens) pond embedded within a long leaf pine (Pinus palustris) forest. Typical shrub species were seen in the wetland, such as fetter bush (Lyonia lucida) and red bay (Persea borbonia), and with all the rain the water depth was on average 3'.

Our first few minnow traps yielded some usual suspects, several eastern mud minnows (Umbra pygmaea), and one or two crayfish, presumably in the genus Procambarus. A few amphibians were caught during our visit, and hopefully others will produce some great pictures of them! I was able to capture a picture of the last catch of the day, a southern cricket frog (Acris gryllus). This individual was pretty small, approximately 0.5" in length. Due to its small size I couldn't make out its sex, and despite the cold temperatures it was doing a pretty good job of trying to evade me! This was an easy ID, where the backward pointing triangle between the eyes and the X marking on its back stood out like a sore thumb.

Southern cricket frogs are common to the southeastern US, and are typically found in aquatic habitats, or surrounding them, such as Carolina Bays, swamps, and vegetated wetlands. This species has a typical anuran life history, where eggs are deposited into wetlands, then hatch into tadpoles. Tadpoles typically take 2-3 months to metamorphose into juveniles. Southern cricket frogs usually hang out around wetlands feeding on invertebrates, but may venture off into surrounding uplands.

Unfortunately, my picture isn't that great, but hopefully its clear enough to make out the X marking on the back of the southern cricket frog. I included a picture of the crayfish and of several eastern mud minnows for funsies. Hopefully as warmer temperatures approach I'll get to see a great diversity of amphibians and reptiles this semester! Good luck herping!

(Ryan M. Wenzel, Charleston SC)

Introducing the SC Tuesday Herpetologists!

Dipnets and hip waders, a sunny day and a swamp. Ah, the adventures that await.... (Allison Welch, SC)

Welcome!

Welcome TN and SC Herpetologists! This site is the 2011 edition of an electronic interstate herpetology community. Our goal is to share interesting information about the animals that we will see this semester in two different locations -- western TN and the coastal plain of SC.

Why, you ask? Well, because learning is fun and we thought you all might enjoy learning about some amazing animals across a broader geographic range. Plus, we each have some unique herps in our respctive locations. It is our dream here in SC that you Volunteer State Herpers will find an alligator snapping turtle and share the thrill with us! Meanwhile, we will keep our eyes (and ears) peeled for carpenter frogs, rainbow snakes, and other southeastern lovelies, which we will happily and electronically share with you.

Actually, we hope that you will share anything and everything. Happy herping and happy blogging!

(Allison Welch, SC)

What a Find!

(photo from Dayton Daily)

This photo comes from the Dayton Daily News. At Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio a biologist found eleven smooth green snakes that have not been documented in the southwest Ohio area since 1871. The biologist was using cover-boards to catch massassauga rattlesnakes (Sistrurua catenatus) and stumbled upon the smooth green snake that had been hidden for more that one hundred years. As the light at the end of the tunnel the biologist, Jeff Davis is now being funded to study the local population and in turn finding out what can be done to help conserve this species!

Smooth green snakes (Opheodrys vernalis). Is mostly terrestrial, preferring grassy areas where it can blend into the environment. If approached it will sprint away, and if caught they will not bite. but release a musk. This species solely eat insects, which makes it possible that their decline is due to pesticide use.

(Anna Paraskos)

Elaphe obsoleta

A local herp that we have not yet seen is the black rat snake (Elaphe obsoleta). This one of Ohio's largest snake, reaching 4 to 6 feet in length. The chin and throat are a plain white or cream color. The scales are weekly keeled with dark stripes extending backwards from the eye to the mouth. They are excellent climbers and usually reside in the hollow trees, which is probably why we have not encountered them on our field study. If we had encountered this snake it would freeze in its position and attempt to blend into the environment. They would not attempt to move until they were first touched by rapidly vibrating their tail.

The black rat will often hibernate between March and May and will seek out the crevice of rocks with other snakes. The black rat will seek out mating partners from late April to Early June. They also play a central role in controlling destructive rodents.

(Anna Paraskos)

A few reptiles from Kenya

Last summer I traveled to Kenya with the Biodiversity of Kenya class offered at Miami and saw an amazing amount of organisms, including a handful of really neat reptiles. Here are three of my favorites: This a type of flap necked chameleon (Camaeleo dilepis) we found crossing the road near Tsavo National park. Our guide helped it get off the road and onto some bushes, where it immediately changed from the color in the picture to a very dark green - that was pretty awesome to watch. Chameleons famous for being able to change their color by moving melanopores in their skin that differ in their ability to reflect certain colors of light, and often do so more according to their mood than to match the habitat around them.

This is the well known Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) we saw in the Talek river in the Masi Mara National Reserve. They have a very wide range in Africa, are estimated to have an average size of around 5 meters and live up to 45 years.

It was really, really exciting to have seen this black spitting cobra (Naja nigricollis) in the Mara. It was a fairly large individual (4 or 5 feet at least) that we spotted just lying out in a fairly open area next to a stream, though it eventually slithered into some shrubs. This cobra is able to exject venom from its fangs (spraying rather than spitting, as certain muscles are used to squeeze the venom glands which projects the venom out of holes in the fangs) if threatened with very good accuracy up to 2 meters...the venom causes severe burning and pain in eyes, maybe causing permanent blindness.

(Posted by Paula Cimprich)