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HerpetologyforMasterNaturalistsHenryM.Wilbur

salamander@virginia.edu

OutlineofTopics•  Taxonomyofrep>lesandamphibians•  Keycharacteris>csusedtoiden>fyrep>lesandamphibians

•  Thenaturalhistoryandbasicbiologyofrep>lesandamphibians

•  Thediversityanddistribu>onofrep>lesandamphibiansinVirginia

•  Somecommonrep>lesandamphibiansoccurringinthelocalecosystems

•  Theroleofrep>lesandamphibiansinVirginiaecosystems

Topics(Con>nued)

•  Theadapta>onsofrep>lesandamphibiansandhowtheserelatetoenvironmentalfactors

•  Thebasicprinciplesofrep>leandamphibianmanagement

•  Threatsand/orissuesrela>ngtorep>lesandamphibiansinVirginia

•  Appropriatetechniquesandmethodsforstudyingrep>lesandamphibians

•  Rareorspecialspeciesthatindicatehabitatquali>es

AddedValue

•  BibliographicResources•  WebResources•  LocalSites

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Number

Taxonomic Diversity of Virginia Herps

Families

Genera

Species

0 5

10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45

Species

Geographical Species Density

Tidewater

Piedmont

Mountins

Taxonomy•  Taxonomy–Nomenclaturalsystemforclassifyingevolu>onaryunits.– La>nbinomials• ClassAmphibia•  OrderAnura•  FamilyHylidae•  GenusPseudacris•  Speciescrucifer

– Genusalwayscapitalized,speciesnever– Commonname:SpringPeeper

Systema>cs•  Systema>cs–Thequesttodevelopaclassifica>onthatreflectstheevolu>onaryhistoryoflineages.

•  Toolsofthesystemacist– Morphology– Development– Gene>cs– PhylogenyReconstruc>on– TheWebhWp://tolweb.org/tree/

PhylogenyoftheExtantTetrapodaMammals

AmniotaRep>lesandBirds

AmphibiaFrogsandSalamanders

Tetrapoda AYer:hWp://tolweb.org/Terrestrial_Vertebrates/14952

EvolvedintheDevonianfromlobe-finnedfishes

PhylogenyofLivingAmphibians

Salien>a(FrogsandToads)

Caudata(SalamandersandNewts)

Gymnophiona(Caecilians)

©2005TeagueO'MaraLissamphibia

Characteris>csofAmphibians•  Anura–Taillessjumpingmachine– Nineorfewerpresacralvertebrae– Postsacralvertebraefusedasurostyle– Radiusandulnafusedasradioulna– Tibiaandfibulafusedas>biofibula

•  Salien>a– Tailinlarva,juveniles,andadults– Twopairsoflimbs– Manytechnicalskeletalcharacters

FrogsFamiliesofVirginia•  Scaphiopidae–SpadefootToad•  Bufonidae-AmericanToad•  Microhylidae–Narrow-mouthedToad•  Hylidae–SpringPeeper•  “Ranidae”-Bullfrog

TheAnuranLifeCycle

Egg

Larva(Tadpole)

Juvenile

Adult

AnuranEggs

AnuranLarvae•  Filter-feeders•  Raspingmouthparts•  Coiledintes>ne

RoleofAnuransinAqua>cFood-webs

Tadpoles

Periphyton Phytoplankton

FishSalamandersSnakesInsectsBirds

RoleofAnuransinTerrestrialFoodwebs

•  JuvenileandAdultFrogsEatInsects– AdultBullfrogseatCrayfishandSmallerfrogs

•  JuvenileandAdultFrogsAreEatenByManymesopredators– Mammals:Raccoons,skunks,mink,etc.– Snakes:Gartersnakes,watersnakes,etc.– Birds:Herons,hawks,grebes,etc.

SpeciesofFrogsinAlbemarleCounty•  Toads– AmericanToad– Fowler’sToad

•  TreeFrogs– UplandChorusFrog– SpringPeeper– GreyTreefrog

TrueFrogsofAlbemarleCounty

•  TrueFrogs– Bullfrog– GreenFrog– LeopardFrog– PickerelFrog– WoodFrog

Fowler’sToad

AmericanToadea>ngaFenceSwiY

Americantoadsinamplexus

SpringPeeper

Op>malTimingofMetamorphosis

Thebalancebetweengrowthopportuni>esandmortalityrisk

UplandChorusFrog

virginiaherpetologicalsociety.com

GreyTreeFrog

FlashColors

TurboTadpoles

RangeofGrayTreefrog

BullfrogandGreenFrog

PickerelFrog

WoodFrog

RangeofWoodfrog

SalamanderFamiliesofVirginia

•  Sirenidae:Siren•  Cryptobranchidae:Hellbender•  Necturidae:Necturus(mudpuppy)•  Salamandridae:Newts•  Ambystoma>dae:Molesalamanders•  Amphiumidae:Amphiuma(Congereel)•  Plethodon>dae:Woodlandsalamanders

SalamanderLifeCycles

•  Primi>veCondi>on:Aqua>cEgg→Aqua>cLarva→TerrestrialJuvenile→TerrestrialAdult

•  DirectDevelopment:FemalelaysaclutchofafewlargeeggsinaterrestrialsitewheresheaWendsthem.Thelarvalstageandmetamorphosisarecompletedwithintheeggcapsule.

SalamandersofAlbemarleCounty

•  Salamandridae– Red-spoWedNewt

•  Ambystoma>dae– MarbledSalamander– SpoWedSalamander

•  Plethodon>dae-lungless

Plethodon>dsofAlbemarleCounty•  Plethodon>dae– Red-backedSalamander– SlimySalamander– Two-linedSalamander– NorthernDuskySalamander– SealSalamander– MudSalamander– RedSalamander– SpringSalamander

Red-spoWedNewt

Red-spoWedNewt

Egg

LarvaPaedo-morph

EYAdult

Adult

AdultRed-spoWedNewtsea>ngeggsofaTigerSalamander

TheMoleSalamanders

MarbledSalamander

MarbledSalamanderLifeCycle•  Adultsmovetodriedpondbasinsinearlyfall•  CourtshipisonlandinSeptember•  FemaleslayeggsandaWendtheminfall•  Pondfloodswithautumnalrains•  Larvaehatchwhenflooded•  Larvaewinterinpond•  LarvaemetamorphoseandleavepondinJune

SpoWedSalamander

SpoWedSalamanderEggs

SpoWedSalamanderLifeCycle

•  MalesmovetopondssoonaYericeleaves•  Femalesmovetopondearlyspringrain•  Courtshipandeggdeposi>oninwater•  Malesandfemalesleavefollowingrain•  Eggshatchlatespring•  Larvaemetamorphoseandleavepondinmidsummer

TigerSalamander

TigerSalamandersareEndangeredinVirginiaandotherstatesontheEastCoast

Red-backedSalamander

Plethodoncinereuscomplex

•  P.shenandoah–StonyMan,Hawksbill,ThePinnaclesofSNP.•  P.hubric8–PeaksofOWer•  P.ne9ngi–CheatMountain,WV•  P.cinereus–widespreadinsurroundinghabitats

White-spoWedSlimySalamander

Two-linedSalamander

EggsoftheTwo-linedSalamander

EmbryosoftheTwo-linedSalamander

DuskysalamanderofthegenusDesmognathus

SealSalamander

RedSalamander

RedSalamander

SpringSalamander

AmphibianConserva>onBiology•  Threats– HabitatLoss(breedingsites,foragingareas)– Pollu>on(pes>cides)– Disease(chytridfungus,ranovirus)– Preda>on(fish,feralcats)

•  Remedia>on– Wetlandrestora>on– Coverhabitats– Fishremoval

NaturalPopula>ons

MethodstoStudyAmphibians:ExperimentalPopula>ons

Break!

ExtantGroupsofAmniotes

•  BirdsandCrocodylians•  TurtlesandTortoises•  Squamates(LizardsandSnakes)•  Tuatara•  Mammals

PhylogenyoftheAmniotes:TheTerrestrialVertebrates

Synapsida(Mammals)

Anapsida:Testudines(Turtles)

Romeriida:DiapsidaBirds,Lizards,Snakes

hWp://tolweb.org/Amniota/14990

TheAmnio>cEgg

TurtlesofVirginia•  Chelydridae– SnappingTurtle

•  Kinosternidae– MudTurtle– S>nkpot

•  Emyidae– PaintedTurtle– EasternBoxTurtle

copyright©E.S.Gaffney

Temperature-DependentSexDetermina>on

PaintedTurtleinNebraska

Thesexofmanyturtles,lizards,snakes,andalligatorsisdeterminedbytemperatureduringacri>calperiodofdevelopmentinthenest.

SnappingTurtle

S>nkpot

hWp://www.cnah.org/namesList.aspx#ad-image-0

PaintedTurtle

EasternBoxTurtle

SpoWedTurtle

hWp://www.cnah.org/namesList.aspx#ad-image-0

Conserva>onBiologyofTurtles

•  Threats– HabitatDestruc>on(wetlandsandnes>ngsites)– Highways– Pollu>onbypes>cides– ClimateChange?

•  Remedia>on– Naturalareas– Educa>on

PhylogenyoftheDiapsida

Sauria

Archosauromorpha(CrocodiliansandBirds)

Lepidosouromorpha(Lizards,Snakes,Tuatara)

hWp://tolweb.org/Diapsida/14866

Diapsidshavealargesuborbitalfenestra

Dinosaurs

LizardsofAlbemarleCounty•  Teiidae– Six-linedRacerunner

•  Iquanidae– EasternFenceSwiY

•  Scincidae– Five-linedSkink– Broad-HeadedSkink

EasternFenceSwiY

Five-linedSkink

Broad-headedSkink

RangeofBroad-headedSkink

Six-linedRacerunner

Conserva>onBiologyofLizards

•  Threats– HabitatDestruc>on– FeralCats– Pes>cides

•  Remedia>on– NaturalAreas

PoisonousSnakesofAlbemarleCounty

•  Crotalidae– Copperhead– TimberRaWlesnake

YellowPhase

BlackPhase

NorthernCopperhead

JuvenileCopperhead

GeographicRangeofCoWonmouth

RangeofNorthernWatersnake

FirstAidforSnakebite

•  Staycalm•  TreatforShock•  ElevatebiWenlimb•  GetPa>enttoaHospitalforAn>venin

NonpoisonousSnakesofAlbemarle•  Colubridae–  BlackRatsnake–  BlackRacer–  CornSnake– MilkSnake

•  Dipsadidae– Wormsnake–  Ring-neckedSnake

•  Natricidae–  RibbonSnake–  GarterSnake–  NorthernWatersnake

RedCornsnake

CommonKingsnake

MoleSnake

Greensnake

Hog-nosedSnake

Hog-nosedSnake

“Dead”Hog-nosedSnake

SandhillsHog-nosedSnake

ReallyDead?

EasternGartersnake

Conserva>onBiologyofSnakes

•  Threats– HabitatDestruc>on– HumanIgnorance

•  Remedia>on– NaturalAreas– Educa>on

Educa>onalResources•  Bibliographic•  Web–  TreeofLifeProjecthWp://tolweb.org/tree/–  hWp://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/taxa/verts/diapsida.php–  hWp://www.cnah.org/

•  LocalExperts–  ButchBrodie–  BobCox–  ReidHarris

FindMoreInforma>onwww.dgif.state.va.us/

Booksworthhaving

•  AtlasofAmphibiansandRep2lesinVirginiabyJosephC.MitchellandKarenK.Reay

•  TheRep2lesofVirginiabyJosephC.Mitchell•  Peterson’sFieldGuidetoRep2lesandAmphibiansbyRogerConantandJosephT.Collins