Coluber constrictor

We had a very successful class trip on March 26th. It was sunny and warm, perfect weather to find basking snakes as we did. We flipped over a boat and found a rat snake and black racer (Coluber constrictor) both under it. I immediately recognized the racer by its uniform black dorsum that fades into a white venter and the transition area almost glows. Both snakes are non-venomous so I decided to hold the racer. The racer is diurnal and usually pretty active I was lucky this one was really calm and did not try to bite me at all. Despite the name "constrictor" they do not actually constrict their prey but rather press them to the ground. They have a varied diet and will eat frogs, toads, rodents, lizards, birds, eggs and many other organisms. This individual was about 3 ft. long, close to full length, but some subspecies can reach up to 6 ft. long. So it was a pretty exciting day, we were lucky to encounter such beautiful snakes out there.

Jena Fay, TN

Anolis carolinensis

I was in my backyard today and saw this green anole (Anolis carolinensis) bobbing his head and displaying his dewlap. It was pink in color and can be used to attract females or to defend his territory. Male anoles are usually 5-8 inches in length and have adhesive lamellae on their foot pads which helps them crawl along walls.

Kristie Burr (SC)

Larval Southern Two-lined Salamander

Yesterday (April 2nd) we loaded up the vans and headed to Indian Creek in Riley, Ohio. It was beautiful weather. The temperature was about 65 degrees and the wind was very low. While trudging through the creek, I found this Southern two-lined salamander (Eurycea cirrigera) swimming around under a couple of flat limestone rocks. It was very quick and hard to capture. After getting a hold of it, I realized it was still in the larval stage. The external gill were still present and fanned out when I put water in my hand.
Southern two-lined salamanders are semi-aquatic. The larval stage lasts about 1-3 years. The young salamanders eat mostly invertebrates such as very tiny crustaceans or insect larvae. Sometimes the salamanders will eat vertebrates. Large two-lined larvae have been seen preying on the streamside salamander (Ambystoma barbouri) larvae.

Emily Angner
Miami University, OH

Spring Peepers in Amplexus

Our class was at Meeman Biological Field Station on Thursday, March 26th. The conditions were mild in the mid 60s, and though it was not raining, it had been for the previous couple of days. I was walking in an area near experiments pools our University had set up when I noticed movement. Upon closer examination, I saw amplexus between two spring peepers (Pseudacris crucifer). Though the photos are blurry, one can clearly see the trademark "X" on the backs of the specimens. The bottom photo shows the amplexus.

-Robert Lofton(TN)

Some Pretty Determined Spadefoots

On March 26, 2009, our class took a trip to Meeman Biological Field Station at about 10:00 a.m. It had rained pretty heavily the night before, so the spadefoots and the chorus frogs were calling like crazy! In a vernal pool near the entrance of our class destination site, there were literally hundreds of spadefoots calling and mating. Our T.A. entered the shallow pool with bare feet just so he didn't step on one of the many spadefoot toads, Scaphiopus holbrookii. Even when the female (on the bottom) jumped out of our hands while in amplexus, the male didn't release his hold on her. After we released them at the edge of the pool to return to their environment, these spadefoots still maintained their position... pretty impressive!

-Lindsey Stewart, TN

This is the Eastern Mud Snake, or Farancia abacura. We found him during our field trip to Colleton County on March 31. You can easily identify this snake because of it's shiny black top side and alternating black and red patches on it's belly. The scales are smooth except in the supra-anal region where they are keeled. They usually feed on Amphiumas, other amphibians, and fish. It usually lyes in a loose, horizontal coil when you find it in southern swamps and lowlands. They borrow, but can also swim.
-Shenna McBride, College of Charleston, SC

Today, March 31 2009, the Herpetology class of College of Charleston went on another field trip into the woods and found many different creatures. One herp that we found was the Sternotherus odoratus (Musk Turtle). It was a young turtle because it was only about 2 inches long. Adult Musk turtle's grow to about 5 inches long. They were identified by their small plastron and squarish pectoral scutes. Also, this little one left my hands smelling really really bad!

-Shahila Sriskanda SC