RNR Reptiles and Amphibians

Reptiles and Amphibians

Class reptilia (4 orders) and Amphibia (3 orders), ectothermic vertebrates (cold-blooded), water important for life history and physiology, terrestrial, semi-aquatic, and aquatic environments, low metabolic rates and food requirements, low fecundity (except for frogs), little post-reproductive parental care

American Alligator

What is the common name: native Southeastern U.S. alligator found in wetlands and smaller lentic habitats (nasal disc breathing), 5 toes in front, 4 back, dorsal scutes; dimorphic, generalist carnivore, crepuscular/nocturnal sit and wait predator at water’s edge (engulfing or drowning/tearing)

Common name: American Alligator

Family: Alligatoridae

Genus: Alligator

Species: mississippiensis

What is the common name, family, Genus, species: maturity at 10-12 yrs, polygynous, male bellowing, courtship behavior, highly territorial; 35-90 eggs, covered with vegetation, extended female parental care, temperature-dependent sex determination (warm→female, cold→ male); female larger at hatching and grow faster early, fitness advantage for early reproduction, tunneling, brumation (dormancy state) in winter

Alligator mississippiensis

What is the scientific name of the American Alligator?

Alligator Snapping Turtle

What is the common name: large aquatic turtle with 3 dorsal ridges on the carapace, long neck, powerful jaws, generalist scavenger/carnivore (turtles, mammals, fishes), pink undulating tongue used to “fish,” annual or biannual clutches, polygynandrous, 8-50 eggs, no parental care

Common name: Alligator Snapping Turtle

Family: Chelydridae

Genus: Macrochelys

Species: temminckii

What is the common name, family, Genus, species: Temp-dependent sex-determination, can stay submerged for 40-50 min, prefer areas with cover and overhead canopy, listed as vulnerable by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) due to exploitation and habitat impacts; nesting success naturally low; restricted, protected, or of conservation concern throughout range

Macrochelys temminckii

What is the scientific name of the Alligator Snapping Turtle?

Red-eared Slider

What is the common name: lentic turtle with low dorsal keel, male smaller with longer tail, characteristic red slash behind eye, generalist herbivore (90%) as adult (underwater feeding, duckweed, water hyacinth, invertebrates); female swims in front of male and vibrates claws on head and neck prior to mating, 4-23 eggs, no parental care

Common name: Red-eared Slider

Family: Emydidae

Genus: Trachemys

Species: scripta elegans

What is the common name, family, Genus, species: brumation when Temp. < 10C, will emerge to bask during warming periods, active in March in South, commonly domesticated species (salmonellosis common problem w/ inadequate sanitation), often released in novel habitats, listed among world’s top 100 invasive species

Trachemys scripta elegans

What is the scientific name of the Red-eared Slider?

Northern Spiny Softshell Turtle

What is the common name: one of 6 subspecies of lotic/lentic habitats, soft, ridged carapace w/o scutes, tubular snout, marginal spine locations, color patterns variable among subspecies; generalist predator (aquatic insects, crayfish, fish)

Common name: Northern Spiny Softshell Turtle

Family: Trionychidae

Genus: Apalone

Species: spinifera spinifera

What is the common name, family, Genus, species: polygynandrous, 1+ clutches/year, spring mating, 4-32 eggs, no parental care; brumation in deep water, cutaneous, pharyngeal respiration, handle with care

Apalone spinifera spinifera

What is the scientific name of the Northern Spiny Softshell Turtle?

Apalone spinifera pallida

What is the scientific name of the Pallid Spiny Softshell Turtle?

Gopher Tortoise

What is the common name: terrestrial burrowing tortoise native to longleaf Pine and dry Oak sandhills; broad head, domed carapace, unhinged plastron, gular scutes (underside) obvious, scaled, broad front legs; generalist herbivore/frugivore

Common name: Gopher Tortoise

Family: Testudinidae

Genus: Gopherus

Species: polyphemus

What is the common name, family, Genus, species: 1 clutch/year, spring mating (male head bobbing), heat from sun for nest important, 5-9 eggs, high egg/juvenile mortality (90%), burrowing activity critical as keystone (foundation) species, many burrows a year, home to 360+ species of vertebrates and invertebrates, significant threats from development/habitat loss

Gopherus polyphemus

What is the scientific name of the Gopher Tortoise?

Louisiana Pinesnake

What is the common name: non-venomous habitat-specific constrictor that is closely related to Bull snake, interocular (usually) and postocular (sometimes) band; semi-specialist gopher predator, 60% of time spent underground in burrow systems of Baird’s Pocket Gopher; gopher abundance=loose, sandy soils and herbaceous ground cover=open canopy forest

Common name: Louisiana Pinesnake

Family: Colubridae

Genus: Pituophis

Species: ruthveni

What is the common name, family, Genus, species: extremely low reproductive rate, oviparous, 3-5 eggs, neonates (newborn); IUCN endangered due to restricted distribution, declining abundance w/in fragmented populations, semi-specialist gopher predator

Pituophis ruthveni

What is the scientific name of the Louisiana Pinesnake?

Pituophis catenifer

What is the scientific name of the Bull snake?

Geomys breviceps

What is the scientific name of Baird’s Pocket Gopher?

Water Moccasin (Cottonmouth)

What is the common name: nominotypical subspecies (3 subspecies; size, post-ocular band) of venomous aquatic snake; triangular head with blunt snout distinct from neck; fangs small, scales keeled; loreal pit (heat-seeking) obvious; generalist predator of terrestrial and aquatic prey

Common name: Water Moccasin

Family: Viperidae

Genus: Agkistrodon

Species: piscivorus piscivorus

What is the common name, family, Genus, species: annually monogamous (?, male competition), 1 litter/year, April-May mating, placental gestation, neonates stay w/ female for few days, juveniles highly colored (yellow tail used as lure), swimming with much of body above waterline

Agkistrodon piscivorus piscivorus

What is the scientific name of the Water Moccasin (Cottonmouth)

Alligatoridae

What is the family of the American Alligator?

Chelydridae

What is the family of the Alligator Snapping Turtle?

Emydidae

What is the family of the Red-eared Slider?

Trionychidae

What is the family of the Northern Spiny Softshell Turtle?

Testudinidae

What is the family of the Gopher Tortoise?

Colubridae

What is the family of the Louisiana Pinesnake

Viperidae

What is the family of the Water Moccasin (Cottonmouth)?