F&W ECOL 306 - Lab Exam 2

Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians

Coopers Hawk Adult

orange on belly, horizontal stripes

Coopers Hawk Immature

Vertical stripes on belly, brown

Ambystoma laterale (Blue spotted salamander)

costal grooves, Blue spots, smallest salamander

family: Ambystomatidae

ambystoma maculatum (spotted salamander)

lines of yellow spots (organized), costal grooves

family: Ambystomatidae

Ambystoma tigrinum (Eastern Tiger Salamander)

Costal grooves, not organized spots, largest

Family: Ambystomatidae

Notophthalmus viridescens louisianensis (Central newt)

eft stage - red/orange belly, no costal grooves or naso-labial, gray/red back

family: salamandridae

Notophthalmus viridescens louisianensis

adult stage - yellow belly, olive/Green back, distinct tail fin

family: salamandridae

Hemidactylium scutatum (four toed salamander)

smallest salamander, mottled copper/bronze, costal and naso-labial grooves, no red line, constriction at base of tail

family: plethodontidae

Plethodon cinereus (red backed salamander)

small, long and skinny, bright red stripe, costal grooves and naso-labial grooves

family: plethodontidae

Necturus maculosus (mudpuppy)

large, external gills, tail fin

family: proteidae

anaxyrus americanus

warty skin, paranoid gland

family: bufonidae

Acris blanchardi (blanchard’s cricket frog)

smallest frog, textured/warty skin, bright green patches (Green triangle from eyes to nose, long skinny green on back)

family: hylidae

Pseudacris maculata (Boreal chorus frog)

very small, skinny toes, light brown stripes that go the length of the body on a dark background

family: hylidae

Pseudacris crucifer (spring peeper)

small, have a distinct cross on back, no parallel stripes

family: hylidae

Hyla chrysoscelis (cope’s gray treefrog)/Hyla versicolor (Eastern gray treefrog)

Look identical, only difference is their calls and chromosomes

mottled gray, toe pads, size of silver dollar

family: hylidae

Lithobates catesbeianus (American bullfrog)

largest frog, tympanic fold, tympanium x2 size eye, can overlap size with others

family: Ranidae

Lithobates clamitans (Green frog)

a little smaller than lithobates catesbeianus, dorsolateral fold, lacks tympanic fold

family: Ranidae

Lithobates palustris (Pickerel frog)

spots are regular size/shape (squarish) and in 2 lines, bright orange on inner thighs

family: Ranidae

Lithobates pipiens (Northern Leopard Frog)

Irregular spots that are not in two distinct rows and are more circular

family: Ranidae

lithobates septentrionalis (Mink frog)

mottled pattern on back, bright green contrasting lip (also seen in lithobates clamitans), lack dorsolateral and tympanic folds

family: Ranidae

Lithobates sylvaticus (wood frog)

brownish/Tanish, dark mask on face, contrasting White lip

family: ranidae

Carapace

Top of shell

Plastron

bottom of shell

bridge

carapace-plastron connection

scutes

plates on turtle shell (specialized scales)

Vertebral scutes

Scutes down the middle of the shell, the vertebrae are fused to the shell

Costal scutes

Scutes on the side of the middle of the shell

Marginal scutes

Scutes that are a different shape from the middle ones and on the very outside

Nuchel/cervical scutes

The very first vertebral scute, with the marginal scutes

Supracaudal scute

The very last vertebral scutes, two on either side of the tail, within the marginal scutes

Legless lizard vs snake

Legless lizards have: movable eyelids, external ear opening (a small tympanum that you can see), a rigid body (fewer vertebrae), long, autotomous tail (tail can break off between two vertebrae), lateral body grooves

Chelydra serpentina (common snapping turtle)

back edge of carapace is serrated, peaks along tail, reduced plastron

Order: testudines

family: Chelydridae

Sternotherus odoratus (common musk turtle/stinkpot)

smallest WI turtle, highly domed shell, reduced plastron, yellow stripes on head and neck

Order: testudines

Family: Kinosternidae

Glyptemys insculpta (Wood turtle)

Colorful body (red), black spots on the edges of plastron, slight keel, rings like a tree pattern on the shell

order: testudines

family: emydidae

Emydoidea blandingii (blandings turtle)

high domed shell, yellow flecking/polka dots, bright yellow chin, spots on shell, front of plastron is hinged

order: testudines

family: emydidae

Terrapene ornata (ornate box turtle)

hinged plastron (front and back), ornate/decorative pattern on shell, high domed shell

order: testudines

family: emydidae

Chrysemys picta belli (Western painted turtle)

more extensive dark marks on plastron (maple leaf pattern), no keel with smooth scutes, extensive yellow striping on head and arms

order: testudines

family: emydidae

Chrysemys picta marginata (midland painted turtle)

dark marks on plastron only on the midline, no keel with smooth scutes, extensive yellow striping on head and arms

order: testudines

family: emydidae

Graptemys geographica (common/Northern map turtle)

weakly keeled carapace, no knobs on vertebral scutes, lines on scutes that look like contour lines on a map, weakly serrated anterior marginal scute

order: testudines

family: emydidae

Graptemys ouachitensis (Ouachita map turtle)

yellow dot on chin, thicker yellow lines behind eye, prominent keel with black knob at the end of each vertebral scute, strongly serrated anterior marginal scutes

order: testudines

family: emydidae

Graptemys pseudogeographica (false map turtle)

prominent keel with black knobs on each vertebral scute, thin yellow line behind eye, no chin spots, slightly weaker keel than graptemys ouchitensis

order: testudines

family: emydidae

Apalone mutica (smooth softshell turtle)

leading edge of carapace is smooth, leathery shell, heavily webbed feet, long pointy head

order: testudines

family: trionychidae

apalone spinifera (spiny softshell turtle)

leading edge of carapace is spiny, leathery shell, heavily webbed feet, long pointy head, nostrils in C shape

order: testudines

family: trionychidae

Ophisaurus attenuates (slender glass lizard)

legless, visible tympanum, tanish/copper body with thin brown stripe right down center and black stripes on the sides, can blink

order: squamata

suborder: lacertilia

family: anguidae

Aspidoscelis sexlineatus (six-lined race runner, prairie whiptail)

6 yellow lines, slender body, especially long tail, rough scales, stripes do not go onto head

order: squamata

suborder: lacertilia

family: teiidae

plestiodon faciatus (five-lined skink)

5 lines, mid-dorsal line that forks on top of head, tail blue in young that fades with time, shiny and smooth scales

order: squamata

suborder: lacertilia

family: scincidae

plestiodon septentrionalis (prairie skink)

two black stripes on back, two white stripes on side, two thick black stipes on back, dorsal stripe does not go onto head, shiny and smooth scales

order: squamata

suborder: lacertilia

family: scincidae

Crotalus horridus (timber rattlesnake)

many small scales on top of head, is the larger viperid, rusty line on back, striped pattern, rattle, keeled scales

order: squamata

suborder: serpents

family: viperidae

sistrurus catenatus (Eastern massasuga)

smaller viperid, large scales on head, spots, rattle, keeled scales

order: squamata

suborder: serpents

family: viperidae

carphophus vermis (Western wormsnake)

pink belly, gray back, sharp spur on the tip of the tail, unkeeled scales

order: squamata

suborder: serpents

family: colubridae

diadophis punctatus arnyi (prairie ringneck snake)

yellow/orange anterior belly that transitions into a red/dark orange posterior belly, black spots on belly, yellow belly color continues onto a yellow ring around the neck, small snake, unkeeled scales

order: squamata

suborder: serpents

family: colubridae

diadophis punctatus edwardsii (Northern ring necked snake)

small, yellow belly, yellow ring neck, unkeeled scales

order: squamata

suborder: serpents

family: colubridae

heterodon platirhinos (Eastern hognose snake)

upturned rostral scute (nose), short and fat for colubridae, yellow with black spots, keeled scales

order: squamata

suborder: serpents

family: colubridae

Opheodrys vernalis (smooth green snake)

smallish, bright emerald green, yellow chin

order: squamata

suborder: serpents

family: colubridae

Coluber constrictor (north American racer)

larger than opheodrys vernalis, pale blueish-green on back, yellow on belly, fairly large and long, much more dull than opheodrys vernalis

order: squamata

suborder: serpents

family: colubridae

Pantherophis spiloides (gray ratsnake)

dark gray/black on back, young have some mottling, all white chin, 5-6 feet (larger)

order: squamata

suborder: serpents

family: colubridae

pantherophis vulpinus (Eastern or Western Fox snake)

gold/tan color with black spots, foxy colored head with no markings

order: squamata

suborder: serpents

family: colubridae

pituophis catenifer (bullsnake)

very large (take 2 people to hold), yellow background, 3 part pattern of markings (dark on head, different patterns of spots in middle and at end)

order": squamata

suborder: serpents

family: colubridae

lampropeltis triangulum (milk snake)

pale gray with brick red markings, on the back of the head there is a triangle gray spot

order: squamata

suborder: serpents

family: colubridae

Thamnophis butleri (butlers garter snake)

yellow chin (garter snake), yellow lateral stripe on row 2, all of row 3, and part of row 4

order: squamata

suborder: serpents

family: colubridae

thamnophis radix (plains gartersnake)

yellow chin (garter snake), row 3 and 4

order: squamata

suborder: serpents

family: colubridae

thamnophis sirtalis (common garter snake)

yellow chin (garter snake), part of row one, row 2 and 3

order: squamata

suborder: serpents

family: colubridae

thamnophis proximus (Western ribbon snake)

white chin (ribbon snake), 8 labial scales

order: squamata

suborder: serpents

family: colubridae

thamnophis sauritus (Eastern ribbon snake)

white chin (ribbon snake), 7 labial scales

order: squamata

suborder: serpents

family: colubridae

Tropidoclonion lineatum (lined snake)

half moons on belly, lines that make it look like a brown garter snake, white dorsal stripe

order: squamata

suborder: serpents

family: colubridae

Storeria dekayi (DeKay’s brownsnake)

small, brown with black spots, some have tan dorsal stripe

order: squamata

suborder: serpents

family: colubridae

Storeria occupitomaculata (red bellied snake)

Tiny, red belly, red spot on head (partial ring neck)

order: squamata

suborder: serpents

family: colubridae

regina septemvittata (queen snake)

2 distinct black stripes on belly, olive gray back with some striping, white chin that goes into white stripe

order: squamata

suborder: serpents

family: colubridae

nerodia sipedon (common water snake)

tan/gray background with red-brown stripes, white underside, bright red half moons and speckling

order: squamata

suborder: serpents

family: colubridae