Wildlife and Your Land 37

Reptiles and amphibians, collectively knownas “herptiles” or “herps” for short, are cold-blooded animals unlike the warm-bloodedmammals and birds. The reptiles includesnakes, lizards and turtles; amphibiansinclude frogs and salamanders. Most snakes,all lizards and some turtles prefer to live onland. Most turtles prefer a life in or nearwater. However, all amphibians must laytheir eggs in water or very damp habitats.Therefore, wetlands—from marshes, swampsand moist woodlands to lakes, streams,ponds and temporary pools—are essential tothe survival of amphibians. Many reptiles, onthe other hand, are not as dependent onwetlands as are the amphibians. Because thethick, hard scales which cover reptilianbodies provide protection from drying air andsun, most Wisconsin snakes and lizards livefar from water. Still, aquatic turtles andwater snakes are very dependent onwetlands.

Amphibians are also different from reptilesin that they go through a metamorphosis, orchange in body shape. Just think about frogsin their early tadpole stage. Lastly, allWisconsin herptiles are silent creaturesexcept for the unique vocalizations of thefrogs. Who has not appreciated hearing thejingling of spring peepers or the trilling oftoads on a warm spring night?

Herps are very beneficial to people. Severalkinds of snakes, for instance, consume largequantities of rodents each year. Only two,fairly rare kinds of snakes are poisonous: thetimber rattlesnake found in the rugged bluffcountry along the Mississippi and LowerWisconsin Rivers, and the Massasauga, ashy, retiring rattler of the swamps. Frogs andtoads also do their best to reduce the supplyof insects including mosquitoes, black flies,and other pesky flying insects. As with birdsand mammals, herps are important in theirown right. Both reptiles and amphibians

serve as food for other, larger animals, so allplay a critical role in the circle of life and thecycles of nature.

Landowners don’t often think of attractingreptiles or amphibians to their property.These cold-blooded, “slimy” or “scaly”creatures just don’t seem to have theaesthetic appeal that the “warm fuzzy” birdsand mammals have. Nevertheless, since thisgroup of animals plays an invaluable role inthe ecological scheme of things on theWisconsin landscape, you may want to plansome projects to encourage their presence.You could, for instance, restore a wetland onyour property where one once existed andmay have been filled in or plowed under. Or,consider improving your woodland by leavingdowned timber on the woodland floor,especially in moist lowland woods wheresalamanders and some frogs would benefit.Your property’s biodiversity and overallnatural health will be greatly increased.

Read more about reptiles and amphibians inNatural History of Amphibians and Reptilesin Wisconsin by Richard Carl Vogt, published1981 by the Milwaukee Public Museum andFriends of the Museum.

Green frog

Reptiles and Amphibians

38 Wildlife and Your Land

Mudpuppy

Spiny Softshells

Musk Turtle

Painted Turtle

Blandings Turtle

Ornate Box Turtle

Wood Turtle

Snapping Turtle

Map Turtle

TigerSalamander

Red-backedSalamander

Wildlife and Your Land 39

Blandings Turtle

Ornate Box Turtle

Map Turtles (3 kinds)

Musk Turtle

Painted Turtle (2 sub-species)

Snapping Turtle

Soft-shelled Turtles (2kinds, Spiny is mostcommon)

Wood Turtle

Mudpuppy

Red-backed Salamander

Tiger Salamander

Prefers crayfish, insects,earthworms, vegetation,berries

Insects, cactus andother succulent plants,berries

Fish, insects, snails

Insects, fish, carrion inwater

Aquatic vegetation,snails, crayfish, insects,fish, carrion, tadpoles

Insects, crayfish,mollusks, worms,leeches, fish, frogs,birds, aquatic plants

Fish, crayfish, aquaticinsect larvae

Insects, earthworms,berries, vegetation

Worms, and otheraquatic invertebrates,insects, small fish

Small insects and insectlarvae

Earthworms, cricketnymphs, grasshoppers,moths, flies, spiders,beetles, cicadas

Shallow, weedy bays ofrivers, lakes andmarshes

Dry, sandy floodplain,prairies adjacent to thelower Wisconsin River

Lakes, rivers with slowto moderate current

River backwaters andlakes

Ponds, shallow lakes,and slow moving rivers

Lakes, rivers, creeks,ponds and marshes

Primarily rivers, largelakes and reservoirs

On land or water nearfast moving streams inforested areas

Bottoms of rivers andlakes during every stageof life cycle

Damp litter and rottedlogs in woodlands,sphagnum bogs

Breeds in prairie ponds,marshes, kettlepotholes, lakes,woodland ponds, farmponds

Seeks shelter insideshell or on marshbottom or in submergedvegetation

Hibernates in self-excavated or mammalburrows; hides underbushes or in burrows

Hide in deep areasunder sunken logs,occasionally in aquaticvegetation; hibernatebehind logs and rockson riverbottom

Retreats to bottom orhides in densesubmerged vegetation

Burrows or lays onbottom during winter;hides in densesubmergent vegetation

Stays on muddybottoms of ponds indense aquaticvegetation

Hide in sandy or muddybottoms; nest nearwaters edge

Hibernates under cutbanks or in deeper poolswith at least moderatecurrent

Hides amongst rocks onbottom of rivers andlakes

Hides under logs andleaf litter, in sphagnummoss or under ground

Spends much of the yearunderground inwoodlands; migrates tobreed on first rainynights associated withfrost-out

Statewide except for sixnorth-central counties,THREATENED

Southwest and south-central, ENDANGERED

Mostly restricted tosouth-central,southwest and west

Southern one-fourthand along Mississippifrom La Crosse south

Statewide

Statewide

Primarily western two-thirds, abundant in theBlack, Chippewa,Mississippi, andWisconsin rivers

Primarily northern two-thirds, THREATENED

Statewide

Northern half

Central, southeasternand northwestern

Turtles Food Habitat Shelter Distribution

Salamanders Food Habitat Shelter Distribution

40 Wildlife and Your Land

Bullfrog

Western Chorus Frog

Blanchards Cricket Frog

Green Frog

Northern Leopard Frog

Mink Frog

Pickerel Frog

Spring Peeper

Eastern American Toad

Eastern TreefrogCopes Treefrog

Wood Frog

Insects, small fish, otherfrogs, small turtles

Mites, midges,caterpillars, spiders,beetles, ants, spiders

Small insects,invertebrates

Insects, invertebrates

Insects, invertebrates

Insects, invertebrates

Insects, invertebrates

Small insects

Earthworms,mealworms, gardeninsects

Small insects,invertebrates

Insects

Permanent bodies ofwater

Prairies, marshes,riverbottom forests,woodland pools nearshallow or temporarywater or semi-openareas

In or near permanentwater with submergedplants and low, gradientshorelines with low,sparce vegetation

All types of permanentwater; prefers tallshoreline vegetation,including brush

Breeding: lakes, streams,rivers, ponds; Foraging:fields and wet prairies

Lives at or near theedges of bogs associatedwith lakes and streams

Cool, clear waters ofspring-fed lakes andstreams

Wooded areas withtemporary or semi-permanent ponds,swamps and marshes

A variety of habitatswherever there areinsects, moisture andshallow waters forbreeding

Eastern: forest interiorand edges; Copes: oaksavannas, woodland orbrushy field edges

Lowland hardwoodforests and other largetracts of moist woods

Hides in shorelinevegetation or insubmerged vegetation

Hides under vegetation,climbs on shrubs andgrasses; hibernatesunder rocks, logs andground litter

Leaps in zigzag patternto escape predators;rapidly jumps intowater and then back toland; may hide undersubmerged vegetation

Near waters edgeriparian areas; hides inshoreline vegetation orin debris on lake bed

Often found far fromstanding water duringthe summer; hibernatesunder water

Hides under sphagnummats or in emergentvegetation; flees acrossthe water surface anddives

Takes shelter inshoreline vegetation andin the water; often hidesin water cress; breeds inwarmer adjacent pondsor backwaters

Hides under damp leaflitter, under logs andbark

Breeds in wateranywhere; burrowsunder leaf litter, underlogs or in loose soil

Eastern: hides in treesand under bark; Copes:hides on underside ofleaves in brush or inleaf litter; both breed intemporary andpermanent ponds

Hides among forest floorleaf litter

Statewide but patchy

Statewide

Extreme southwest,ENDANGERED

Statewide

Statewide

Northern thirdto half

Scattered statewideexcept extreme north-central counties

Statewide

Statewide

Statewide

Nearly statewide exceptfor extreme southcentral counties

Frogs Food Habitat Shelter Distribution

Wildlife and Your Land 41

Spring Peeper

Chorus Frog

Cricket Frog Eastern Tree Frog

Toad

Leopard Frog

Mink Frog

Wood Frog

Pickerel Frog

Green Frog

Bullfrog

42 Wildlife and Your Land

Blue Racer

Brown SnakeBullsnake

Garter Snake

Hog-nosed Snake

Massasauga

Milk Snake

Fox Snake

Ring-necked Snake

Smooth Green Snake

Timber Rattler

Northern Water Snake

Wildlife and Your Land 43

Blue Racer

Brown Snakes (2 kinds,Red-bellied andNorthern are bothcommon)

Bullsnake

Garter Snakes (5 kinds,Eastern is mostcommon)

Eastern Hog-nosed Snake

Massasauga Rattlesnake

Milk Snake

Fox Snake

Racerunners and otherlizards, snakes, frogs,insects, small birds,rodents

Earthworms, smallinsects, invertebrates

Mostly rodents,sometimes groundnesting birds and eggs

Frogs, insects,salamanders, earth-worms, small fish, smallmammals

Toads, frogs, largeinsects

Small rodents, smallbirds, frogs

Mostly rodents, oftenother snakes, includingrattlesnakes

Mostly small rodents,sometimes small birds

Open fields, open oakwoodlands, dry rockysouthwest facing slopes,dry prairies, oaksavannas

Dry to slightly moistareas such as surfaceleaves on open woodlandfloors, southern lowlandhardwood forest,marshes, old fields,under rubbish or vacantlots

Loose sandy soil in dryprairies, oak savannas,pine barrens, and oakopenings; south andwest slopes in bluffsalong Wisconsin andMississippi rivers

Lake, creek and rivermargins, grassy fields,sedge meadows, bogs,wet prairies andhillsides

Open fields, hillsides,especially open sandyareas, also southernlowland hardwood forestnear rivers duringsummer months

Marshy areas, bogs,lowland hardwoodforests and more openswamps with sunny, dryopen fields nearby

Moist forest edges nearopen woods andgrasslands; alsowoodlots and pasturesnear streams and rivers

Marshes, farmlands,open moist woodlands,southerly exposed slopesof bluffs

Seeks shelter under flatrocks or in limestonecrevasses, or inmammal burrows

Hibernate in desertedanthills, rock crevassesand buildingfoundations

Hibernates in deep rockfissures on SW exposedhills, burrows of pocketgophers or groundsquirrels; seeks summershelter in dense groundcover, flat rocks andmammal burrows

Hides underground,under logs, infoundations and under avariety of litter

Seeks shelter in its ownburrows which it makesin sand or else seeksshelter in abandonedrodent burrows

Hibernates in mammalburrows, especiallycrayfish burrows

Hibernates infoundations or otherburied rock structures;found under boards andlogs in summer

Found in trees and hidein the holes of oak andhickory; hibernatesunderground in naturalrock structures, rock-lined dug wells anddeep rock foundations;in summer, often hidesunder boards and piecesof metal

Southern half

Statewide

Southwest and West

Statewide for EasternGarter Snake only

Statewide except fornorthcentral counties

West and West-central,ENDANGERED

Southern two-thirds

Statewide

Snakes Food Habitat Shelter Distribution

44 Wildlife and Your Land

Northern Ring-neckedSnake

Prairie Ring-necked Snake

Smooth Green Snake

Timber Rattlesnake

Northern Water SnakeQueen Water Snake

Western Slender GlassLizard

Six-lined Racerunner

Five-lined SkinkNorthern Prairie Skink

Small salamanders,earthworms, smallsnakes, lizards

Insects, earthworms,small invertebrates

Primarily rodents andother small mammals

Frogs, salamanders,fish, crayfish, largerinvertebrates

Insects, small lizards,small snakes, bird eggs

Insects, smallinvertebrates

Insects, smallinvertebrates

Northern: Moistdeciduous forests;Prairie: Southwestfacing bluffsides alongWisconsin andMississippi rivers

Open grassy fields andgrassy woodlots

Rocky, open or woodedhillsides and nearbyfields and lowlands, oakwoodlands

Borders of creeks, riversand lakes

Open meadows, drymesic prairie, oaksavanna with sandysoils

Dry sandy areas in openfields and on rockyhillsides

Dry, sandy areas inopen fields and oak andpine barrens

Both: Hide under rocks,bark, fallen trees;Northern: hides in logsor leaf litter by day,forages at night;Prairie: by day, baskson dry prairie hillsides

Found under logs ormetal

Found along bluffsassociated with theMississippi andWisconsin rivers

Takes refuge in thewater

Hides in sedge clumpsand animal burrows

Hides in brush, grassclumps, and its ownburrows

Hides in stumps, rottinglogs, slab and sawdustpiles; may climb treesand low brush to forageand escape predator

Northern: northernthirdPrairie: southwest

Mostly statewide,except along extremewestern counties andsouthwest

West and southwest

Northern: statewideRESTRICTED

Queen: extremesoutheastENDANGERED

West and central,ENDANGERED

Southwest

Prairie: northwestFive-lined: central andnortheast

Lizards Food Habitat Shelter Distribution

Wildlife and Your Land 45

Glass Lizard

Six-lined Racerunner

Five-lined Skink

Prairie Skink

46 Wildlife and Your Land

Notes

Wildlife and Your Land 47

Notes

Wildlife and Your Land Staff: Mary K. Salwey, Project Director; JanetL. Hutchens, Project Assistant; Todd Peterson, Chief, Public Service andUser Program Section. Editorial assistance by Robert Hay, Cold-bloodedSpecies Manager; Sumner Matteson, Avian Ecologist; Scott Craven,UW-Extension; Adrian Wydeven, Mammalian Ecologist; and KeithWarnke, Upland Wildlife Ecologist. Graphics and layout by KandisElliot. Published by the Bureau of Wildlife Management, WisconsinDepartment of Natural Resources, P. O. Box 7921, Madison, WI, 53707.

Federal Aid Projectfunded by your purchase

of hunting equipment

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