Herpetology Practical 2

agamidae

agamids, old world lizards

Agamidae (think aged …agamids…old world)

• flying lizards

  • beared dragons

chameleonidae

chameleon

Iguanidae

iguanas

• figi iguana: brachylophus

• marine iguana: amblyribynchus cristatus

gekkonidae

wall climbing geckos

• day gecko, leopard geckoand nocturnal lizards.

teiidae

racerunners/whiptails

• think… racing don’t want to tie

skinkidae

skinks

a diverse family of lizards characterized by their smooth, shiny scales and elongated bodies, often burrowing or semi-fossorial in nature.

anguidae

leggless lizards

• think … angry (anguidae) bc they don’t have legs

helodermatidae

gila monster and bearded lizard

• only venomous lizard

varanidae

monitor lizard

• think… mrs. kipling monitors the vary crazy children in the penthouse

typhlopidae

blind snakes

• brahamy blind snake: amblyribynchus cristatus, only unisexual sp

• think… they phlop around bc they’re blind

boidae

boas

• emerald tree boa (convergent evolution ev w/ green tree python)

• boa constrictor

• green anaconda- heaviest snake in world

pythonidae

pythons

• ball python

• reticulated python- longest snake in world

• pythons in austrailia

viperidae

vipers and pitvipers

• rattlesnakes

• copperheads

• cottonmouths

• bushmaster

  • hinged fangs

  • venom=blood clotting, structural damage\

  • heat sensing pit

elapidae

elapid snakes

• cobras: Naja species —> snake eating

  • king cobra

• sea snakes

• coral snakes

  • neurotoxin

colubridae

common snakes

Common Gartersnake (Thamnophis sirtalis)
Common Watersnake (Nerodia sipedon)
DeKay’s Brownsnake (Storeria dekayi)
Eastern Milksnake (Lampropeltis triangulum)
Eastern Ribbonsnake (Thamnophis sauritus)

North American Racer (Coluber constrictor)
Red-bellied Snake (Storeria occipitomaculata)
Ring-necked Snake (Diadophis punctatus)
Smooth Greensnake (Ophiodrys vernalis)
Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus)

common gartersnake

Thamnophis sirtalis

• think… sir, is that a garter snake holding up your socks?

Common Watersnake

Nerodia sipedon

• thinks… posiedon looks like sipedon = water

DeKay’s Brownsnake

Storeria dekayi

Eastern Milksnake

Lampropeltis triangulum

• Checkboard patterned belly (black and white)

• think… don’t leave milk under a lamp or it will get triangular

Eastern Ribbonsnake

(Thamnophis sauritus)

• think… you will be sore (saur) from the ribbon on your neck

North American Racer

Coluber constrictor

• babies look like milk snake… be able to distinguish will ask on practical

• think… if the american doesn’t win the race they will be colubered and constricted

Red-bellied Snake

Storeria occipitomaculata

• brown, reddish brown or gray above

• Two parallel rows of darker brown stripes along the center of back

• 3 light tan spots behind head (one behind each ear & one on neck)

• Underside is bright red or orange, sometimes yellow or black

• think… you get a red belly while you work at the store

Ring-necked Snake

Diadophis punctatus

• grey above with distinct orange ring on neck

• belly orange/yellow

• think… the ring-neck snake has a diamond necklace and it can puncture its neck

Smooth Greensnake

Ophiodrys vernalis

• bright Green

• belly white/pale yellow

  • Specimens turn blue in jars

• think… ophilia gets vertigo and turns green if she spins

Timber Rattlesnake

Crotalus horridus

• think…the sound of the rattlesnake’s rattle is horrid

Trionychidae

Softshell

• think…try on this softshell taco, chida

kinosternidae

mud/musk

• Musk Turtle/Stinkpot (Sternotherus odoratus)

  • think… kino, don’t be stern because they smell bad

chelydridae

snappers

• think… chely will snap at you

  • alligator snapper

  • Snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina) - think… chely and tina are mean

emydidae

pond turtles

Maine: Painted turtle (Chrysemys picta)
Maine (introduced): Red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta)
Maine (introduced): Box turtle (Terrapene carolina)
Maine: Blandings turtle (Emydoidea blandingii)
Maine: Spotted turtle (Clemmys guttata)
Maine: Wood turtle (Glyptemys insculpta)

painted

Chrysemys picta

• think… picta is painted

Red-eared slider

Trachemys scripta

• your ears get red if you mess up the script

Box turtle

Terrapene carolina

• caroline has a box of penne

Blandings turtle

Emydoidea blandingii

Spotted turtle

Clemmys guttata

• think… guttata sounds fast, like making dots

Wood turtle

Glyptemys insculpta

• think… shell looks like its sculpted from wood

chelonidae

sea turtles

pleurodira

side necked

Cryptodira

(retracted vertically) - necks go back straight

• Mata mata from s america

spring peeper

• black moddling

american bullfrog

• yellow fins

• spotted

• black/green body

american toad

• black body

• transluscent fins

• streamlined face

wood frog

• more round, plump face

• black body

• transluscent fins

gray treefrog

• only one with orange

pickeral

• dark fins with lighter mottling

Eastern newt

american bullfrog

• greenish

frog eye placement

hylids

• lateral (side) (L’s close to front)

ranids

• dorsal (back) (R’s close to front)

frog vs salamander diet

frog = herbivore —> carnivore

salamander = carnivore —> carnivore

tadpole anatomy

• keratinous beak and tooth rows

amniotic egg

yellow vs blue spotted larvae

wood frog vs spotted salamnder eggs

spotted salamander has second protective jelly layer around egg mass