Herpetology Identification For Final Exam

Northern Ravine Salamander

Has a brassy-like flecking on its sides and dorsum, a slender body with short limbs compared to its body size, and costal grooves.

Eastern Tiger Salamander

Has a dark-colored body that is covered with splotches of yellowish color, not spots and not in any uniform pattern.

Long-Tailed Salamander

Has a much longer tail compared to its body and compared to the tail sizes of other salamanders within the same family.

Eastern Red-Backed Salamander

Has a red to reddish-brown colored stripe down the center of its back.

Spotted Salamander

Has a dark-colored body with two parallel-like rows of yellowish spots running down the length of its body.

Eastern Red-Spotted Newt

Has reddish-orange spots of coloration outlined by black along its back as well as a bright body coloration overall.

Southern Two-Lined Salamander

Has two distinct, bold lines running down the center of its back in a parallel formation.

Northern Dusky Salamander

Have a slightly raised ridge along their tail and have remnants of larval dorsal spotting found in a band along the adult.

Marbled Salamander

Has a distinctive pattern of white banding along its black body.

Small-Mouthed Salamander

Has a small head relative to its body size with a compressed snout and has a grayish-black body color overlain with grayish lichen-like patches.

Northern Slimy Salamander

Has a dark-colored body with many small, white spots of patterned coloration.

Jefferson Salamander

Has a dark gray colored body with bluish-white flecks along its limbs and underside.

Four-Toed Salamander

Has a vibrant white belly patterned with black spots and has four toes on its hind limbs.

Spring Salamander

Has red feathery gills extending from slits along the head and patches of dark coloration along its body that form no specific pattern.

Green Frog

Has dorsolateral skin folds unlike the bullfrog that it is often compared to.

Mountain Chorus Frog

Has dark curved stripes along its back and has a dark-colored triangle underneath their eyes.

Gray Tree frog

Relatively large size for a tree frog.  Light gray coloration with some spots.  Toes with sticky discs that allow for climbing.

Spring Peeper

Has a distinct “X”-shaped mark along its back and has rounded toe pads.

Pickerel Frog

Brown coloration that sets it apart from the leopard frog.  Two rows of squarish spots on the back.  Stripes on the legs.

Blanchard’s Cricket Frog

Has dark stripes along the legs, the upper jaw is longer than the lower jaw, and the toe disks are not wider than the toes themselves.

Leopard Frog

Leopard-like spots on back, sides, and legs. 

American Bullfrog

Large size, speckled belly pattern, and large, protruding eyes.

American Toad

Prominent cranial crests, enlarged tibial warts, short legs, warty skin. 

Eastern Spadefoot

Has a structure on the back of his hind legs specifically used for digging, actively displayed digging behavior, and has a vertical pupil.

Dekay’s Brown Snake

Has two rows of dark spots running along its brown-colored back.

Common Garter Snake

Has a pattern of yellow stripes on a black-green body coloration.

Kirtland’s Snake

Has a bright red underbelly with a row of black spots on either side.

North American Racer

Has a uniform dark gray to black coloration.

Ring-necked Snake

Has a yellow-colored band around its neck near its head.

Queensnake

Has a long, yellow-colored stripe running along the length of its body near the base of each of its sides and brown stripes along the underbelly.

Eastern Milk Snake

Has a checkered pattern on its underbelly and V-shaped blotch at the base of its neck.

Common Watersnake

Variable in pattern and color.  Usually have brown, black, or gray backs with red or light brown spots or bands.

Gray Ratsnake

Have a colored dorsal pattern that appears on the skin between the scales.