After chasing a small armadillo through the pine forests of Donnelly Wildlife Management Area, I trudged back towards the group, peering under fallen logs and peeling back the bark of some of the larger trees along the way. Just when I had almost given up hope of finding a snake on any of our field trips, I pulled back the loose bark of a prostrate pine tree and uncovered a fairly small Black Racer (Coluber constrictor) which was understandably perturbed over being disturbed. While I figured it was C. constrictor because of the species prevalence in the region, morphological features like the large round eyes, smooth body, and white chin confirmed the identification. As I mentioned earlier, it was rather small (25-30") which leads me to believe that it was only two or three years of age. However, the gray middorsal pattern present on most juveniles was absent, so it was most likely a mature adult. Regardless, this little guy caused its' share of trouble. Along with angrily nipping my fingers a few times, it nearly brought about the loss of a classmate's eye. Although this created quite a scare, all was well and the defensive, little snake released.
The Plethodontid in the other picture was caught earlier this year, during an especially rainy period. This moist, humid weather, along with the undisturbed locale of a swampy forest in Eutawville, SC enabled me to find a bunch of different amphibians and a snake on this trip. Snapping a photo of the little snake with my phone was pointless, due to its lack of technological functions; however I believe it was a Redbelly Snake (Storeria occipitomaculata). Later, I found this slender black salamander with many white flecks down its side and back. It was impossible to ignore its extremely slimy skin, which made my fingers stick together, and the costal grooves on its' sides. After flipping through the field guide a bit, I was positive that it was a member of the Plethodon glutinosus complex, however distinguishing between these species seemed impossible since they all look so similar. It was only after consulting Dr. Welch that I was able to narrow it down to the Atlantic Coast Slimy Salamander (Plethodon chlorobryonis) based on the range of the species. Unfortunately, I did not think to check for a mental gland, so I do not know the sex of the animal. Despite this, it seemed that this particular individual was on the move, which surprised me since I usually only find them under logs, etc. It was probably taking advantage of the moist environment, in search of a mate or either prowling for food.
Phillip Carson (SC)
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