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TRANSCRIPT
HerpetologyforMasterNaturalistsHenryM.Wilbur
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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60
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