3018 Organisms (Don't Need to Know Family Name)

Caudata (order)

salamanders

Plethodontidae (family)

lungless salamanders; nasolabial groove

has five toes on the rear legs

Caudata
Plethodontidae
Eurycea cirrigera
Southern Two-lined Salamander

a yellow undertail and is also less patterned above, much smaller, has 4 toes

Caudata
Plethodontidae
Eurycea quadridigitata
Dwarf Salamander

Less yellow undertail and is more patterned above, much larger

Caudata
Plethodontidae
Eurycea guttolineata
Three-lined Salamander

Anura (Order)

frogs & toads

Bufonidae (family)

toads

3+ large warts in each dark spot, Parotoid touches post-orbital ridge (but sometimes only with a spur, as in American Toad), Dark areas on chest breaking into spots on belly, Cranial crests somewhat prominent

Anura
Bufonidae
Anaxyrus fowleri

Fowler's Toad

Hylidae (Family)

treefrogs & allies

Blunt snout, dark triangle between eyes, ragged strip on thigh, white belly and throat, west side of Mississippi river, anal warts present

Anura

Hylidae

Acris blanchardi

Blanchard's Cricket Frog

Blunt snout, dark triangle between eyes, ragged strip on thigh, white belly and throat, East side of Mississippi River, anal warts present

Anura

Hylidae

Acris crepitans

Eastern Cricket Frog

Pointed snout, dark triangle between eyes, at least one clean strip on thigh, white belly and throat, East side of Mississippi River, toes are mostly free of webbing

Anura

Hylidae

Acris gryllus

Southern Cricket Frog

Light lateral stripes with variable length or absent, small scattered yellowish dorsal spots

Anura
Hylidae
Hyla cinerea
Green Treefrog

Usually more brown, has dark spots between eyes, has no dorsal spots, has no or light lateral strips

Anura
Hylidae
Hyla squirella
Squirrel Treefrog

*Dark X mark shape on back

Anura
Hylidae
Pseudacris crucifer
Spring Peeper

*

Anura
Hylidae
Pseudacris fouquettei
Cajun Chorus Frog

Ranidae (family)

true frogs

Dorsal lateral ridge extend about two thirds length of body

Anura
Ranidae
Lithobates clamitans
Green Frog

Crocodylia (order)

crocodiles and alligators

Alligatoridae (family)

alligators & caimans; short, wide heads

No curved boney ridge in front of eyes, short round snout

Crocodylia
Alligatoridae
Alligator mississippiensis
American Alligator

Testudines (order)

Turtles

Kinosternidae (family)

musk and mud turtles

Rounded shell, two light stripes on head

Testudines
Kinosternidae
Kinosternon subrubrum hippocrepis
Mississippi Mud Turtle

Two light stripes on head, lots of skin in between bottom scutes, square front scute

Testudines
Kinosternidae
Sternotherus odoratus

Eastern Musk Turtle

Redish Stripe on head

Testudines
Emydidae

Trachemys scripta elegans

Red-eared Slider

Testudididae (family)

tortoises

No curved boney ridge in front of eyes, short round snout

Testudines
Testudididae

Gopherus polyphemus

Gopher Tortoise

Squamata (Order)

lizards & snakes

Dactyloidae (family)

anoles

Can be green or brown, color changes, long face

Squamata
Dactyloidae

Anolis carolinensis

Green Anole

Natricidae (family)

harmless live-bearing snakes

2 rows of scales between colored strip and belly

Squamata
Natricidae

Thamnophis proximus orarius

Gulf Coast Ribbonsnake

Phrynosomatidae (family)

horned lizards, Prarie Lizard and allies

Bold light dorsal lateral stripes, blue stomach

Squamata
Phrynosomatidae

Sceloporus consobrinus

Prairie Lizard

Scincidae (family)

skinks

4 lip scales

Squamata
Scincidae

Plestiodon fasciatus

Common Five-lined Skink

5 lip scales, wide center scales by vent, sclace split in half, no small scales in front of ear

Squamata
Scincidae

Plestiodon laticeps

Broad-headed Skink

Sphenomorphidae (family)

forest skinks

Dark dorsal lateral stripes, no light stripes

Squamata
Sphenomorphidae

Scincella lateralis

Little Brown Skink

Colubridae (family)

colubrid snakes

Squamata
Colubridae

Pituophis ruthveni

Louisiana Pinesnake

Squamata
Dipsadidae

Diadophis punctatus

Ring-necked Snake

Natricidae (family)

harmless live-bearing snakes

Squamata
Natricidae

Storeria dekayi

DeKay's Brownsnake

Dorsum black, narrow orange middorsal stripe

Squamata
Natricidae

Thamnophis proximus proximus

Orange-striped Ribbonsnake

2 rows of scales between colored strip and belly

Squamata
Natricidae

Thamnophis proximus orarius

Gulf Coast Ribbonsnake

Didelphimorphia (order)

opossums

Didelphidae (family)

opossums

five toes on all feet, hind foot featuring a unique, clawless, 90-degree opposable thumb, scat is curved with tapered ends

Didelphimorphia
Didelphidae

Didelphis virginiana

Virginia Opossum

Cingulata (order)

armadillos

Dasypodidae (family)

armadillos

3 to 5 long-clawed toes, often appearing as distinct, narrow, V-shaped, scat is tapered ends or appearing marble-like, composed of undigested insect parts, soil, and debris

Cingulata

Dasypodidae

Dasypus mexicanus

Nine-banded Armadillo

Artiodactyla (Order)

even-toad ungulates, whales

Cervidae (Family)

deer

Heart shaped track, nipple-dimple to oval shaped pellets

Artiodactyla

Cervidae

Odocoileus virginianus

White-tailed Deer

Eulipotyphla (order)

shrews and moles

Soricidae (family)

shrews

5 toes on both front and hind feet, small, scat resembling rice grains, corkscrew shape,

Eulipotyphla

Soricidae

Blarina carolinensis

Southern Short-tailed Shrew

Carnivora (Order)

carnivores

Canidae (family)

dogs

Scat is mostly black hair with bones, tips tapered into long tails. Claws are present in tracks, front foot larger than back

Carnivora
Canidae

Canis latrans
Coyote

Scat is pointed at one end, partly segmented, and packed with fur, bones, and berries.

Carnivora
Canidae

Urocyon cinereoargenteus  
Common Gray Fox

Felidae (family)

cats

large housecat print, four toes, no claw marks, Segmented, very firm or hard in texture, contains fur and small bone fragments

Carnivora
Felidae

Lynx rufus  
Bobcat

Mephitidae (family)

skunks

five-toed prints that often resemble miniature bear tracks, characterized by long, distinct claw marks on the front feet, scat typically contains undigested insect parts, berry seeds, fur, or feathers

Carnivora
Mephitidae

Mephitis mephitis
Striped Skunk

Mustelidae (family)

weasels, badgers and otters

Track is a large webbed foot, Scat contains fish remains and is oily and smells like fish

Carnivora
Mustelidae

Lontra canadensis 
Northern River Otter

Procyonidae (Family)

ringtail, raccoon, and coati

Five slender toes that are slightly bulbous on the ends, scat is black and even in diameter with blunt ends

Carnivora

Procyonidae

Procyon lotor

Northern Raccoon

Rodentia (Order)

rodents

Castoridae (family)

beaver

5-toed, webbed hind feet, smaller 5-toed front feet that often show claw marks, cylindrical pellets or balls of sawdust, wood chips, and plant fibers

Rodentia
Castoridae
Castor canadensis
American Beaver

Cricetidae (family)

New World rats and mice

four-toed front foot and a five-toed hind foot, with the hind foot usually being larger, scat is spindle-shaped pellets, roughly the size of a grain of rice

Rodentia
Cricetidae
Sigmodon hispidus
Hispid Cotton Rat

Echimyidae (family)

Neotropical spiny rats

5-toed, webbed hind feet, smaller 4-toed, unwebbed front feet, rat-like tail dragging between the footprints, dark green, brown, or black, cylindrical droppings

Rodentia
Echimyidae
Myocastor coypus
Nutria

Sciuridae (Family)

squirrels, chipmunks, marmots, prairie dogs

*4 toes on front foot and 5 on back foot, scat is small shapeless black masses

Rodentia

Sciuridae

Sciurus carolinensis

Eastern Gray Squirrel

four toes on the front feet, five toes on the larger hind feet, dark brown to blackish, barrel-shaped or oval pellets

Rodentia
Sciuridae
Sciurus niger
Eastern Fox Squirrel

two large, elongated hind prints appearing ahead of two smaller, rounder front prints, fibrous,, and light brown to dark brown, round-to-oblong pellets,

Lagomorpha
Leporidae
Sylvilagus aquaticus
Swamp Rabbit

Anseriformes (order)

Water fowl

Anatidae (family)

swans, geese, ducks

*

Anseriformes
Anatidae
Dendrocygna autumnalis
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck

Long neck and large head

Anseriformes
Anatidae
Branta canadensis
Canada Goose

Anseriformes
Anatidae
Cairina moschata var. domesticus
Muscovy Duck

Anseriformes
Anatidae
Aix sponsa
Wood Duck

Anseriformes
Anatidae
Anas platyrhynchos
Mallard

Head is obviously peaked

Anseriformes
Anatidae
Aythya collaris
Ring-necked Duck

Head is less peaked, all grey beak

Anseriformes
Anatidae
Aythya affinis
Lesser Scaup

Males have yellow eyes

Anseriformes
Anatidae
Lophodytes cucullatus
Hooded Merganser

Columbiformes (order)

Pigeons and doves

Columbidae (family)

Pigeons and doves

Heavily scalloped, in flight wings flash rufus

Columbiformes
Columbidae
Columbina inca
Inca Dove

Apodiformes (order)

Hummingbirds and Swifts

Trochilidae (family)

Hummingbirds

Slightly shorter bill, brighter green, tail stays still

Apodiformes
Trochilidae
Archilochus colubris
Ruby-throated Hummingbird