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ISSN 0025-4231

BULLETIN OF THE

THacylanb

Rerpetological

0oriety

Department of Herpetology
The Natural History Society of Maryland, Inc.

MdHS . A FOUNDER MEMBER OF THE

Eastern Seaboard Herpetological League

MARCH 1974

VOLUME 10, NUMBER 1

Bulletin of the Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 10 Number 1

March 1974

CONTENTS

Turtles at the brink: our endangered

species . Howard W. Campbell 1

Parasites of reptiles: part II - digenetic trematodes
inhabiting the respiratory and upper digestive tracts of
snakes . Richard Franz 7

Growth and feeding behavior in the endemic Florida scrub

lizard, Sceloporus woodi Stejneger .

....... D.S.Lee, J . B . Funderburg & L.R. Franz 16

Possible role of fire on population density of the Florida

scrub lizard, Soeloporus woodi Stejneger. . . David S. Lee 20

Agonistic behavior of the eastern mud turtle, Kinosternon

subrubrum subrubrum . Louis Rigley 22

Chronological herpetological bibliography of Laurence Monroe

Klauber from 1924 to 1972 . Arnold Powers 23

Snakes of northwestern Pennsylvania .

. . . Donald M. McKinstry & Steven Felege 29

A note on cannibalism in corn snakes, Elaphe guttata

guttata . David M. Hi 11 is 31

A new county record for the four- toed salamander, Hemidactylium

scutatum, in Maryland . William L. Grogan, Jr. 32

Notes on Lampropeltis oalligaster rhombomaculata and Rana

virgatipes . William L. Grogan, Jr. 33

News & Notes:

Editorial Comment . 35

Endangered Species Act . 35

Revised Regul at i ons for import of i nj ur ious wildlife (Lacey Act) 37

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 75-93458

The Maryland Herpetological Society, Department of Herpetology, Natural
History Society of Maryland, Inc,, 2643 North Charles Street, Baltimore
Maryland 21218,

Published By

Photographic Directory PubLtiher&, P0 Box 17 S, Randalls tom, Md. 11133

I *)!«■)

BULLETIN OF THE

mb 1)6

Volume 10 Number 1

The Maryland Herpetolog i cal Society
Department of Herpetology, Natural History Society of Maryland, Inc.

Bui 1 et i n Staff

Executive Editor Herbert S. Harris, Jr.

Associate Editor(s) John Funk, Jr., Brian Leverton

Steering Committee

John E. Cooper
Frank Groves
John D. Groves
Jerry D. Hardy, Jr.

Herbert S. Harris, Jr.

Jeremy Jacobs
Arnold Norden
Mark J . Pr i hoda
Margaret M. Thomas
Peter Wemple

Of f i cers

Pres i dent .

V i ce-P res i dent

Secretary .

T reasurer .

Brian Leverton
John Funk, Jr.
Daniel Carver
Wi 1 1 i am M . Ma rve 1

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 76-93^58

Membership Rates

Active members over 1 8 . . . . $ 1 0 . 00 , under 18. ...$6.00, subscribing members
(outside a 20 mile radius of Baltimore C i ty) . . . . $3 • 00 , Fore i gn . . . . $4 . 00 .

Meet i ngs

The third Wednesday of each month, 8:15 p.m. at the Natural History
Society of Maryland (except May-August, third Saturday of each month,
8:00 a.m.). The Department of Herpetology meets informally on all other
Wednesday evenings at the NHSM at 8:00 p.m.

Bulletin of the Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 10

31 March 1974 Number 1

TURTLES AT THE BRINK: OUR ENDANGERED SPECIES

Howard W. Campbell

The history of life on our pi anet i s marked by the rise and fall of
animal groups and species; like the individual itself, species are born,

1 i ve thei r 1 i ves , and then die. The
cycle is overwhelmingly apparent
at any level of life we wish to
examine and extends as far back
as we have any evidence. The few
kinds of animals which have es¬
caped, temporarily, this cycle are
noteworthy for the i r ra r i ty . The
tuatara of New Zealand, extending
back nearly unchanged 1 50 mi 1 1 ion
years to the late Jurassic, has
survived because of i ts isolation
on islands and protection from
competitors. Crocodilians have
pers i s ted since the lateTriassic,
or about 190 million years. Tur¬
tles, as a class, may hold the
longevi ty record for rept i 1 es w i th
an ancestry that goes back some
210 million years to the early
Tr i ass i c per iod . Many turt 1 e spe¬
cies have come and gone in this
span of time, of course, some ending their lines, others evolving into
others which continued on to replace them in the temporal unfolding of
the evolutionary sequence. Extinction of type is the usual and natural
consequence of the evolutionary process; extinction, in fact, could be
cons i dered the i nev i tab 1 e fate for spec i es as death is for the individual.

Why then, should we be so concerned about the species today which
teeter on this brink? Is an "Endangered Species" of today of greater
concern than the thousands which have suffered this fate over the eons
of geologic time? Our own awareness and concern, of course, add a new
dimension to the problems of extinction. We may simply be disturbed to
lose a bit of diversity and diversion in our environment. But beyond
this, the species we are losing today are not leaving their heritage in
new and un ique stra i ns as did so many of the past species. They represent
the termination, the end, of unique genetic lines. And this is occurring
at an alarming rate. Each species that is lost takes with it a wealth of

Figure 1. Clemmys muhlenburgi, the Bog turtle,
occurs, as its name implies in small colonies in
isolated bogs from Connecticut to North Carolina.
These rare habitats are rapidly being drained and
destroyed for agriculture and urbanization. A flour¬
ishing pet trade further compounds this species'
problems.

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 1

Volume 10 Number 1

March 1974

information about the functioning of ecosystems, the adaptive and evolu¬
tionary processes. As we go blithly along altering our environment and

eliminating i ts components we move
further away from a basic under¬
stand i ng of how it all worked be¬
fore we began to tamper. And the
farther we get , the more difficult
it will be to put it all back
together again when (not if!) we
accept our own ecological role
and recognize that we must have a
healthy ecosystem to have a tol¬
erable human environment.

Habitat lost to humans uses,
pollution of remaining habitats,
and direct economic exploitation
for products and the pet industry
all take their toll. Some of this
is inevitable; human beings and
their necessary support facilities take space and the space used for a
houseorgas sta t ion or h i ghway can not also serve as turtle habitat. The
rabbit-like proliferation of human bodies must be accommodated until
effective control s can be developed; we will continue to see more habitat

I os t to sa t i sfy the s i mpl e need for
human-space. Wise and ecolog ical ly
based land-use planning can min¬
imize, bu t not e 1 imi na te, th i s pres¬
sure on our wildlife populations.

The habitat 1 os t to human-use
is actually small compared to that
befouled by our pollutants. Pol¬
lution is an enormously expensive
luxury that any ecologically sane
society cannot and will not long
subsidize. When the true eco 1 og i c-
al economi cs of pol 1 ut ion are ful ly
appreciated, we can expect that
this problem will be brought under
control . Present efforts may be
too- 1 i 1 1 1 e bu t we hope not too- late.

I I takes only money and the cos t , though great in dollars, is insignificant
for such a gain.

Economic exploitation is an area in which we turtle fanciers must
accept our share of the blame. While most animal species' populations
can tolerate, and many even reguire, some human predation in the sim¬
plified ecosystems we create, those in the "endangered" category cannot.
Yet the very fact of a species' perilous state and low numbers may often
increase the demand on it for pet specimens or on its products by the
more selfish among us. The rarer a species becomes the more it is desired,

Figure 3. The Hawksbill turtle, Caretta caretta,
supplies the jewelry industry with "tortoiseshell".
This market is rapidly driving the species to ex¬
tinction.

Figure 2. Podocnemis cayennensis, a little known
River turtle from South America, is now protected
by the International Convention in Trade.

Page 2

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 10 Number 1 March 1974

a phenomena I call the "rare species spiral". Anyone who participates
in this deadly game bears full responsibility for the steadily growing
1 i s t of spec ies in the endangered
category. We must put our own
houses and priorities in order
beforewecan exert any real pres¬
sure on others to order theirs.

The pressures are growing,
however, and some positive re¬
sponses are becoming effective.

One of the initial steps has been
the eva 1 ua t ion of the status of the
many species to determine which
should be considered endangered.

Therewere, and are, many problems
associated with such a seemingly
simple process. Agreement must
be reached on jus t what condition
a species must be in to deserve
such special attention and what sort of information is required to make
such decisions. Adequate standards and procedures are not yet available
and there is disagreement between and within the various agencies which
are concerned with this problem. There is a 1 so the ques t i on of just what

to do about a species which is
considered to be endangered , es¬
pecially economically valuable
species. if we offer it total
protection we are playing with
some i nd i v i dua 1 1 s economi c live¬
lihood and the more valuable the
species, the greater the poli tical
pressures assoc i a ted w i th remov¬
ing i t from the ma rket . There are
many problems that must be re¬
solved before we develop an effec¬
tive and equitable program. But
the initial s teps a re be i ng taken
and already lists of species in
the endangered category are avail¬
able. The International Union
for Conservation of Nature and
Natural Resources ( I UC N ) has pro¬
duced its influential "Red Book" of endangered and ra re species; several
turtle species appear in this list. The Bureau of Sport Fisheries and
Wildlife of our Department of the I nter i or has created the Office of En¬
dangered Species to deal with these problems and has noted a number of
turtle species in its list of rare and endangered species. The states
now are beginning to respond also and several s tate 1 i s ts have been pre¬
pared. Much more effort at the state level is desperately needed. More
thought at the state level on the basic philosophical question of the
determ i na t ion of cons i s ten t s tandards for eva 1 uat i ng species' populations
is also needed. As lists proliferate the inconsistencies may magnify if

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society Page 3

Figure 5. The Arrau, or South American River
turtle, Podocnemis expansa , is heavily exploited for
meat, eggs, andthe pet trade. It rates strong pro¬
tection under all current laws but is still exploited
in its native habitat.

Figure 4. The Green sea turtle, Chelonia mydas,
the gourmet's favorite for turtle soup and steak, is
declining seriously throughout the world.

Volume 10 Number 1

March 1974

care is not taken to devel op a cons i s ten t philosophy. There may be va r ious
levels of "endangered" which should be recognized, for example. Perhaps
we shou 1 d differentiate between species which are v i r tua 11 y ext i net through¬
out the i r range and those faci ng extirpation within one state's borders but
which are abundant elsewhere. Or the opposite case, where a species is
in serious trouble throughout most of its range, but locally abundant
w i th i n one s tate 1 s borders. Should this state recognize the overall con¬
dition of the species in its decision or should it confine its evaluation
to i ts own pol i t i ca 1 boundaries? What should be a reasonable state decision
when a species is abundant in one section but is being rapidly eliminated
over the other areas? These are all critical issues which should be re¬
solved now before we are burdened with a maze of contrad i ctory deci s ions
at the local levels. Higher level decisions shoul d be based on the local
analyses but only if there is some uniformity in these compilations.

What species of turtles are in the most serious condition? ThelUCN
has published a list indicating which species are protected in various
countries. The I UCN Red Book , vol . I I I , lists the fol lowing spec i es ( taken
from Special Supplement to IUCN Bulletin 3 (6), June 1972, compiled by
R. Honegger). Number in brackets indicates the number of countries in
which the species occurs.

Batagur baskay River terrapin [12]

Pseudemydura umbrina y Short- necked turtle El]

Malaoooherus tornieri y Pancake tortoise [2]

Pyxis araohnoideSy Madagascar spider turtle El]

Testudo g. graeoay Mediterranean spur-thighed tortoise E5]

Testudo radiatay Radiated tortoise [1]

Testudo planioauda3 Madagascar flat-shelled tortoise El]

Testudo yniphoray Madagascar tortoise El]

Testudo geometricdy Geometric tortoise El]

Terrapene oodhuilay Aquatic box turtle El]

Gopherus polyphemus agassiziiy Western gopher tortoise E2]

Gopherus polyphemis berlanderiy Berlandier's gopher tortoise E2]
Gopherus polyphemis flavomarginatus y Mexi can g iant gopher tortoise El]
Clemmys muhlenbergiiy Bog turtle El]

Podoonemis madagasoariensis 3 Madagascar greaved tortoise El]
Podoonemis eayennensisy Red-headed Amazon turtle E5]

Podoonemis dumerilianay Giant river turtle E 4]

Podoonemis expans a 3 Arrau turtle E3 ]

Podoonemis s extub eroulatay Yellow-headed side-necked turtle El]
Podoonemis unifiliSy Terecay turtle E6]

Podoonemis lewyanay Magdalena River turtle E2]

Podoonemis vogliy Orinoco greaved turtle El]

Pseudemys ornata oallirostris s South Amer i can red- 1 i ned turt 1 e E2]

Caretta oarettay Loggerhead turtle

Chelonia my das 3 Green turtle

Chelonia depressus y Flatback green turtle

Eretmochelys imbrioata3 Hawksbill turtle

Lepidoohelys kempiiy Kemp's ridley turtle

Lepidoohelys olivaoeay Olive ridley turtle

Dermochelys ooriacea3 Leathery turtle

Testudo elephantopus y Galapagos tortoise (13 subspecies)

Page 4

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 10 Number 1

March 1974

The U. S. Department of Interior has listed the following foreign
species in the Federal Register as of May 19, 1972:

Testudo elephantopus ^ Galapagos tortoise
Testudo radiata3 Madascar radiated tortoise
Eretmochelys imbricata3 Hawksbill turtle
Lepidochelys kempii 3 Atlantic ridley turtle
Dermochelys coriacea 3 Leatherback turtle
Podocnemis expansa, South American river turtle
Podoonemis unifilis 3 South American river turtle
Pseudemydura umbrina , Short-necked or swamp tortoise

On January 17, 1973 (Dept. Interior News Release) the Secretary of
the I nter ior , Rogers Morton , proposed the add i t i on of Terrapene coahuila >
the Aquatic box turtle, to this list.

In the 1968 edition of Rare and Endangered F i sh and Wi 1 d 1 i fe of the
United States, Resource Pub. #3*+, Bur. Sports Fisheries and Wildlife of
the Department of the I nter i or , no turt 1 es were 1 i s ted as endangered . The
Bog turtle, Clemmys muhlenbergi , was listed as rare, and the Desert tor¬
toise, Gopherus agassizi, was listed as status indeterminate, that is,
requiring additional information.

Few state lists are yet available. California has prepared a list
of its rare and endangered species and placed no turtles on the list al¬
though the Gopher tortoise, Gopherus agassizi is fully protected in the
state. Maryland has placed the Bog turtle ( Clemmys muhlenbergi) and all
spec i es of ma r i ne turtles which frequent its waters on its state list and
New Jersey 1 i s ts the Bog , Wood [Clemmys insculpta) , and Eas tern sp i ny sof t-
shel 1 ( Trionyx s . spiniferus) as rare . Ohio, Pennsy 1 van i a , Texas , Florida,
and Virginia, among others, are currently prepar i ng or cons i der i ng their
own lists of endangered spec i es and thei r dec i s ions a re not yet ava i 1 ab 1 e .

An International Treaty on Trade i n Endangered Spec i es of Wi 1 d Fauna
and Flora has recent ly been signed in Washington, D.C. This is perhaps the
most significant p i ece of 1 eg i s 1 a t i on to date and extends wide protection
to the species fortunate enough to be covered by its provisions. While
we can grieve over their unfortunate status, we should be happy to note
that several species of turtles are now protected by this legislation.
To summarize the treaty very brief ly, two categories of species have been
defined, Category I for those inmost serious s t ra i ts and Ca tegory II for
those which require less stringent protection but are in need of some
regulation. The first category, those considered most endangered, con¬
tains several species of turtles. Both the Atlantic ridley turtle ( Lep¬
idoohelys kempii) and At 1 ant i c Hawksbill turtle ( Eretomochelys imbrioata
imbrieata) are in this category as are all populations of the Galapagos
tortoise ( Geochelone elephantopus) . Others in this category include:

Batagur baska. River terrapin

Geoclemys hamiltoni 3 Black pond turtle

Kaohuga tecta tecta3 Roofed turtle

Geomyda (previously Nicoria) tricarinata

Lissemys punctata punctata 3 Indian soft-shell turtle

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 5

Volume 10 Number 1

March 1974

Trionyx ater3 Cuatro Cienegas soft-shell turtle

Trionyx nigricans

Trionyx gangeticus s Ganges soft-shell turtle
Trionyx hurum

Morenia ocellata, Burma pond turtle
Pseudemydura umbrina, Short-necked turtle
Terrapene coahuila , Aquatic box turtle
Psammobates geometricus3 Geometric tortoise
Geochelone radiata. Radiated tortoise
Geochelone yniphora j Madagascar tortoise

All commerce in these species requires both an export permit from
the country of origin and an import permit for the country for which they
a re des t i ned . These permits can be i ssued only after res pons ible scientists
have j udged that the removal of the specimens will cause no serious damage
to the populations.

Species in Category li re¬
quire only an export permit from
their country of origin. The
turtle species which fall into
this classification are al 1 tor¬
toises, that is, members of the
fam ily Tes tud i n i dae , except those
already listed in Category 1.

This includes all species of the
genera Homopus j Kinixyss Pyxis 3
Acinixys , Malacochersus , Gopherus
PsarmobateSj Chersinas Testudo,
and Geochelone. Also listed are
a 1 1 species of the genus Podoc-
nemis > the river turtles, all sea
turtles not included in Category
! and Clemmys muhlenbergi ^ the
Bog turtle.

This is certainly an impressive listing and the implement ion of the
provisions of this treaty will be a major step in the direction of sal¬
vation for many species! The
treaty has been agreed to by a
total of 80 nations and awaits
only ratification by the respect¬
ive governments. All told this
treaty will essentially ban all
trade in 375 spec i es or genera of
animals and plants and wi 1 1 reg¬
ulate trade i n another 250. The
operation of the permit system
will be monitored by the United
Nations' newly formed environ¬
mental secretariat under Maurice
E. Strong. We can hope for an
early ra t i f i cat ion and implemen¬
tation of this legislation!

Figure 7. Geochelone radiata, Madagascar's Rad¬
iated tortoise, reaches a weight of up to 15 pounds
and brings high prices in the pet trade. It is now
protected on all the recognized lists.

Figure 6. The Indian soft-shelled turtle, Lissemys
punctata, found only in India and Ceylon. This
subspecies (L. £* punctata) is found only in the Indus
and Ganges River systems.

Page 6

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 10 Number 1

March 1974

Jack McCormick & Associates , 860 Waterloo Road , Devon , Pennsylvania 19333.
Present Address: 9905 Renfrew Road , Silver Spring, Maryland.

Received 15 April 1973

PARASITES OF REPTILES: PART II

DIGENETIC TREMATODES INHABITING THE RESPIRATORY
AND UPPER DIGESTIVE TRACTS OF SNAKES

Richard Franz

This paper represents the second in a series dealing with reptilian
paras i tes. The f i rst , enti ties "Paras i tes of Rept i les (Part one: Tapeworms)"
appeared in 1972. It is not the intention of the author, as previously
stated (Franz, 1972), to include new information but rather to rev i ew the
available literature. This report concerns those trematodes which nor¬
mally inhabit the mouth, esophagus, trachea, and lung of North American
snakes (occasionally, these flukes will also inhabit other organs).

Trematodes, commonly known as flukes, belong to the same phylum as
tapeworms and planarians (phylum PI atyhelmi nthes) . Though guite variable
i n morphology , flukes may genera 1 1 y be distingu i shed from the other members
of the phylum by thei r short, flattened bodies and we 1 1 -deve 1 oped digestive
tracts. All members of this class are parasites. The group is divided
into three subclasses - - -Monogenea, Aspidogastrea , and Digenea. The
Monogenea (monogenetic trematodes) are primari ly ectoparas i tes of f i shes .
Members of the second subclass, Aspi dogastrea , are endoparas i tes of fresh¬
water mussels, some fishes, and turtles. Both of these groups usually
reguire only a single host to complete their life cycle. The third and
largest subclass, Digenea (digenetic trematodes) , are i nternal parasites
of vertebrates and are characterized by having one or two suckers, a
digestive tube having two blind internal sacs, and a complex life cycle
involving at least one intermediate host in addition to the definitive
host.

According to Schell (1970), there are 69 families of digenetic tre¬
matodes , but only two (P 1 ag i orch i i dae and Ochetosomat i dae) common 1 y i nfect
the res p i ratory and upper d i ges t i ve tracts of North Amer i can snakes (Table
1). I n reg ions other than North Amer i ca , other fam i 1 i es and genera inhabit
these anatomical areas (Table 2). Flukes in their host may appear as
tiny dark spots in the mouth, esophagus, trachea, or lung. The family
PI ag i orch i i dae contains 11 genera but on 1 y one, Stomatrema, freguents the
anatomical reg ion under study . The other fam i 1 y , Ochetosomat i dae , contains
7 genera and 33 species all of which occur in this region. These two
families differ mainly in the position of the main collecting ducts of
the excretory vesicles. In the PI ag iorch i i dae the ducts are attached to

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 7

Volume 10 Number 1

March 1974

Table I

A list of the genera and species of flukes commonly inhabiting the res¬
piratory and digestive tracts of snakes with notes on the hosts and geo¬
graphic distributions. The list is modified from Byrd and Denton, 1938;
Dubois and Mahon, 1959; Yamaguti, 1971; unpublished species list of S.R.
Telford. The list represents an attempt of the author to summarize the
available information and, no doubt, contains omissions and errors.

Family Ochetosomat i dae
genus Dasymetra

1. D. conferta Nicoll, 1911 ~ Natrix; N.A.

2. D. longicirrus (Odlaug, 1938) - Natrix 3 Thamnophis ; N.S.

3. D. natriais (Hoi 1 and Allison, 1935) - syn. D. nicolli - Natrix: N.A.

4. D. villicaeca Byrd, 1935 - Natrix ; N.A.

genus Lechriorohis

5. L. insignis Parker, 1941 - Thamnophis ; N.A.

6. L. megasorchis Crow, 1913 ~ Natrix-, N.A.

7. L. plesientera Sumwalt, 1926 - Thamnophis-, N.A.

8. L. primus Stafford, 1905 - Thamnophis, Natrix-, N.A.

9. L. proprius (Nicoll, 1914) - Thamnophis-, N.A.

10. L. tygarti Talbot, 1933 ~ Thamnophis-, N.A.

genus Natriodera

11. Natriodera verlatum (Talbot, 193*0 - Natrix-, N.A.

9

enus Ochetosoma

12. 0. aniarum (Leidy, 1891) syn. acetabular e , orula, wardi, natricis , t exanus -

Natrixj Lampropeltis , Seminatrix, Heterodon, Agkistrodon-, N.A.

13. 0. bravoi Brenes Madrigal and Arroyo Guido, I960 - colubrid snake; Costa Rica

14. 0. brevicaecum (Caballero, 1941) - Thamnophis 3 Xenodon; Mexico, Panama.

15. 0. elaphis (Parker, 1941) - Elaphe-, N.A.

16. 0. ellipticum (Pratt, 1903) syn. formosum3 speticus 3 ophioboli 3 adenodermis -

Bothrops 3 Clelioj Coniophanes3 Drymarcnon 3 Orymbius 3 Dryodophis 3 Eryvhrolamprus 3
Heterodon3 Lampropeltis 3 Leptodeira 3 Leptophis3 Micrurus 3 Pliocercus3
Thamnophis 3 Xenodon , Zamenis ; N.A., C.A.

17. 0. elongatum (Pratt, 1903) syn. validus, inermis } abduscens3 magnus 3 heterodontis 3

grandispinus - D-rymarchon3 Heterodon3 Lampropeltis 3 Coluber-, N.A.

18. 0. heterocoelium (Travassos, 1921) - Lachesis 3 Bothrops ; S.A.

19. 0. kansensis (Crow, 1313) syn. georgianum3 serpentis3 elaphis 3 crotali3 floridanum-

Agkistrodon3 Sistrurus3 Diadophis3 Heterodon-, N.A.

20. 0. lateriporus (Stewart, I960)- Coluber; N.A.

21. 0. laterotrema (Byrd and Denton, 1938) - Agkistrodon ; N.A.

22. 0. monstruosum. Braum, 1901 syn. megametricus 3 miladelarocae 3 ancistrodontis -

Erythrolamprus , Bothrops 3 Thamnophis; C.A.

23. 0. sauromates (Poirier, 1 8 85 ) - Elaphe; Europe.

24. 0. validum (Nicoll, 1911) syn. inermis - Heterodon3 Coluber3 Drymarchon; N.A.

25. 0. zschokkei (Volz, 1899) syn. heterodontis - Heterodon; N.A.

genus Paralechriorchis

26. P. bosci (Cobbold, 1859) - Coluber; N.A.

27. P. natricis (Ho 11 and Allison, 1935) syn. L. secundus - Natrix; N.A.

28. P. syntomentera (Sumwalt, 1926) - Thamnophis; N.A.

genus Pneumatophilus

29. P. foliaformis Talbot, 1934 - Natrix; N.A.

30. P. leidyi Byrd and Denton, 1937 - Natrix; N.A.

31. P. variabilis (Leidy, 1 8 56 ) - Thamnophis3 Tropidonotus 3 Pseudemys3 Natrix; N.A.
genus Zeugorchis

32. Z. aeguatus Stafford, 1905 - Thamnophis; N.A.

33* 2. eurinus (Ta 1 bo t , 1933) - Thamnophis; N.A.

Family P 1 ag i orch i i dae

genus Stomatrema

34. S. faranciae Parker, 1941 - Farancia; N.A.

35- S. pusilla Guberleti; 1928, syn. guberleti - Farancia; N.A.
36. S. provitellaria (Bennett, 1938) - Farancia; N.A.

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Table 2

List of genera inhabiting the upper digestive and respiratory tracts of
snakes outside of North America.

PARASITE

HABITAT

HOST

RANGE

Glossidiella

1 ung

Euneotes 3 Cyclagvas

Braz i 1

Bievia

1 ung

Liophis

Braz i 1

Encyolometva

esophagus
s tomach

Hatvix

As i a

Leptophallus

esophagus

Hatvix, Nay a

Europe, Africa

Metalep topha llus

esophagus

Hatvix

probably Europe

Macvodeva

1 ungs

Hatvix y Colubev

Europe

Opis thogonimus

mouth

Dvyophylax, Liophis ,
Xenodon, Philodvyas,
Ophis, Bothvops,
Chivonius, Tomodon

South America

Liophis tvema

1 ung

Liophis

Brazi 1

Westella

esophagus

Philodvyas

B raz i 1

Sticholecitha

esophagus

Chivonius

Sur i nam

Glossidioides

1 ungs

Eunectes, Cyclagvas

Braz i 1

Hap lome troides

mouth

Elaps (?), Rappia

Paraguay (?) , Liberia

Aliptrema

esophagus

Liophis

Brazi 1

Oesophagioola

esophagus
s tomach

Latioauda

Ryukyu Island

(compiled from Yamaguti.)

the distal ends of the vesicles, whereas in the Ochetosomat i dae , they are
attached laterally (Schell, 1970). I have found it much simpler to iden¬
tify these animals directly to genus rather than to first classify them
as to family. All eight genera found in the areas under discussion are
distinct and are readily identified from either Schel 1 1 s or the enclosed
key (Figure 1 ) .

Classification of the ochetosoma t i d flukes.

The literature dealing with the taxonomy of ochetosoma t i d flukes is
still horribly confused. There is a great deal of disagreement between
authorities concerning not only the validity of certain species' names
but also the relationships among species, genera and families. As in
most taxonomic groups there are "splitters" and "lumpers" creating or
synonymizing new and old names. As an example, in 1902 Pratt established
the subfamily Reniferinae in the family P 1 ag i orch i i dae for the ochetoso-
matid flukes. Later this subfami ly was g i ven familial status (Baer, 1924)
but then returned to the subfami ly level by Mehra (1931)- Today ochetoso-
matid f 1 ukes are aga i n in their own family--the Ochetosoma t i dae . Generic
names have a 1 so fluctuated. Price (1935, 1936) noted that genus Zeugorchis
contained several species which were not congeneric with the type Z.
aeguatus ; for these he created the new genus Pseudovenifer . Byrd and
Denton (1938), besides describing numerous new species, split the then-
existing genera Renifer (today's genus Ochetosoma ) into Renifer and
Neorenifer f and Lechriorchis into Lechoriorchis and Paralechriorchis .

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KEY TO THE DIGENET 1C TREMATODA OF THE FAMILY OCHETOSOMAT I DAE

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Figure 1. Illustrated key to the genera of flukes (family Ochetosoma t i dae)
i nhab i t i ng the mouth , esophagus, trachea, 1 ungs and occas iona 1 1 y other organs
of snakes. Key is modified from Schell (1970).

March 1974

Volume 10 Number 1

They also felt that Pseudorenifer was cons pec i f i c w i th Renifev elliipticus
and hence not valid. This is not a complete picture, as there were at
least ha 1 f a dozen or so other investigators who expressed their thoughts
on the taxonomy of these flukes. Today, with the publication of Dubois
and Mahon's paper (1959) and Schell's monograph ( 1970) , we have a cl earer
idea of the species and genera al i gnmen ts within this f am ily. Nevertheless,
the battles of splitters and lumpers still rage today. Hopefully with
the new techniques ava i 1 ab 1 e to the taxonomist (b iochemi s try and computer
analysis) these problems will soon be solved, enabling the ecologist to
d i s cover what ro 1 es these unique pa ras i tes p 1 ay not on 1 y i n the i r internal
environments but also in their external environment as well.

Preparation of Flukes for Study.

Flukes can be successful ly gathered from the mouth of a living snake
or from the mouth, esophagus, trachea, and lungs of a freshly killed
specimen. Sha rp- po i n ted forceps are sugges ted for collecting. Although
dissections are usually made as soon as possible after the death of the
host, they may be delayed up to 6 hours with refrigeration. Freezing or
preserv i ng s nakes i n forma lin should be avoided if possibleas these pro¬
cedures often create problems. After freezing or preserving, the para¬
sites are d i f f i cu 1 1 to d i s t i ngu i sh from pieces of tissue. Preservatives
cause the flukes to die unrelaxed which results in distorted specimens.
This may obscure the view of i mportan t organs necessary for identification.

After removing the worms from their hosts, place them in saline
solution (0.7 percent sodium chloride) and freeze. After several hours
in the freezer, remove and thaw slowly. Using this technique the worms
die slowly and their bod ies are relaxed. Preserve the worms in FAA . When
you are ready to stain, rinse the parasites in distilled water. If a
water-based stain is used, the parasites must be stained at this point;
if an alcohol stain is used, it can be applied when the worms are in 70
percent ethanol. I recommend Semichones Carmine, an a 1 cohol -based stain
(see Franz, 1972 for precise directions in staining). Af ter r i ns i ng , the
worms are dehydrated in ethanol solutions, stained, and cleared in oil of
wintergreen, mounted on glass slides with Permount, dried, and labelled.
A label should contain the following information: hostname, collection
site within host (mouth, lung), da te of co 1 1 ect i on , collector, and stain
used. You may also want to include a slide number and the identification
of the parasite (if known). Do not place the slide vertically until the
Permount is thoroughly dry (up to a week) or the worms will tend to drift
together at the bottom of the cover glass. Specimens can be temporarily
stored unmounted in oil of wintergreen.

Morphology of respiratoryand upper digestive tract t remat odes of snakes .

D i genet i c t remat odes are flattened dor so -ventral ly and general ly have
oval to elongate bodies. Usually oral and ventral (acetabulum) suckers
are present. Although superficially the internal anatomy appears quite
different from one genus to the next, as a group, the digenetic trematodes
are basically similar. Generally, there is an alimentary tract consisting
of a mouth located in the anterior (oral) sucker, a muscular pharynx, a
short esophagus , and two blind caeca. Adult worms feed on s 1 oughed cells,
lymph, b 1 ood , and organ i c debris present in the snake's mouth, esophagus,

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trachea and lungs. Food passes from the mouth into the intestinal caeca
where it is digested (Cheng, 1964). Some nut r i ents are al so absorbed thru
the tegument (Forrester, personal communication) . Each worm contai ns both
mal e and femal e reproductive organs. The position and shape of the single
ovary, the two testes, the uterus, the genital pore and the vitellaria
are important taxonomic characters.

Members of the family Ochetosoma t i dae a re qu i te diverse in the struc¬
tural arrangements and shapes of thei r organs. Various taxa are separated
on the bases of length and shape of the uterus, length of the intestinal
caeca, groupi ng of the vi tel lar ia , si ze and shape of the two suckers, shape
of the testes , and length of the ci rrus sac. The largest genus, Oohetosoma ,
is d i st i ngu i shed from other related genera by its obvious lateral genital
pore. 0 . aniarum , a common species in Matrix of north central Florida,
is probably the most distinct species in the genus. Its vitellaria are
divided i n to two f i e 1 ds (Figure 2a). Genus Pneumatophilus > one of the most

a

b

Figure 2. (a) Oohetosoma aniarum from the mouth of Natrix oyclopion (not i ce
the divided vitelline follicles); (b) Stomatrema pusilla from Faraaioia
abaoura.

unusually shaped members of the family, resides in the trachea and upper
lung area. Its extremely f 1 a t and pos ter i or 1 y-expanded , leaf-shaped body
enables it to survive without impairing the respiration of the host. The
genus has been divided into several species based on the shape of the testes
and the relat i ve pos i t i on of the caeca. Themonotypic Natrioderay another
lung parasite, i s a 1 so unusual i n tha t the body i s extreme 1 y el onga te , and
the testes are found in the rear of the worm. Other genera-- i nc I ud i ng
Dasymetra , Leohriorohis , Paraleohriorohis , and Zeugorohis--are s imi 1 ar in
general appearance but d i ffer i n the pos i t ion of v i tel 1 a r i a and testes and
in the thickness of the ascending uterus. Zeugorohis has testes in the
pos ter i or port i ons of the body ; Leohriorohis and Dasymetra have th i ck uteri
and Paraleohriorohis a thin uterus. Dasymetra can be distinguished from
Leohriorohis by the relative length of the vitellaria.

The genus Stomatrema y the only plagiorchiid genus found in the area
under discussion, can be distinguished from all ochetosoma t i d genera by
its anter i or 1 y- 1 oca ted vitellaria and its thin, tightly-coiled uterus
(Figure 2b). Also, i t i s appa ren 1 1 y res t r i cted to a single host, Faranoia

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abacura. Pneumatophilus cf. variabilis occur sympatrical ly with Stomatrema.

Host speci f ici ty is apparently common among these flukes (Sogandares -Bernal
and Grenier, 1972) and may be a useful device in eliminating many species
poss ib i 1 i t ies .

Life Histories and Ecological Roles of Ochetosomat ? d and

Plagiorchiid Trematodes in Snakes.

From the available information, it appears that snake trematodes of
both families undergo similar developmental histories. McCoy (1928),
investigating the life cycles of Ochetosoma kansensis 3 Dasymetra confer ta9
and Pnematophilus variabilis found that each species requi red three hosts--
a snail of the genus Physa as its first intermediate host, a tadpole or
catfish as its secondary larval host and, of course, the snake as its
definitive or final host. In 1933, Talbot described the development of
several species of Lechriorchis ; later Byrd (1935) published an account
of the life histories of Ochetosoma aniarum and Dasymetra villicaeca. In
all cases both snails and tadpoles were required as intermediate hosts.

In order for the reader to fully apprec ia te the compl ex i t i es of the
life histories and the difficulties encountered in investigating them,

I present Byrd's description (Byrd, 1935) of the life eye 1 e of Ochetosoma
aniarum . Byrd obtained numerous trematodes from the mouths of Matrix
sipedon 3 M. erthryogaster, M, rhomb ifer and N. cyclopion col 1 ected around
New Orleans. The worms, when placed in tap or distilled water, readily
d i scharged thei r eggs. The eggs were fed to sna i 1 s, Physa and Pseudo sue cine a.
They hatched within one hour after i nges t ion , usua 1 1 y i n e i ther the esoph¬
agus or "stomach" of the snail. The failure of the larvae to develop in
the snail Pseudosuccinea i nd i cated some degree of host-specificity. The
newly-hatched larvae or miracidia (sing, miracidium) quickly penetrated
the gut wall of the phys id snails. Within two to five days the parasite,
in the form of a young mother sporocyst, had entered the digestive gland.
This stage required from 15 to 25 days to develop daughter sporocysts.
From 12 to 20 additional days were required for the development of cer-
cariae within the daughter sporocysts. The cercariae ruptured walls of
the parent to escape and soon afterward entered the lymphatic system of
the snail. Eventual ly the cercariae migrated to the snail's exterior and
escaped through the mantle cavity. After emergence from the snail, the
cercariae settled to the bottom of the aquarium (or pond) and waited for
a suitable host. Cercariae swam by means ofawhip-like ta i 1 and act i vel y
attempted to invade any object with which they came in contact. If this
happened to be an an i ma 1 havi ng sof t sk i n (a tadpole), penetration occurred
within three to eight minutes. Once inside, the cercaria migrated into
the deeper tissues and encysted; the cyst survived the tadpole's meta¬
morphosis. The vertebrate host was then eaten by a snake. The snake's
gastric juices, mixed with pancreatic juices, dissolved the cyst's wall
and rel eased the 1 arval trematode. After rema i n i ng i n the snake ' s duodenum
for several days, the young fluke mi grated up the alimentary canal to the
mouth, the habi tat of the adul t. The enti re cycle from egg to gravid adult
took 35 days .

After reviewing the life cycle of these f 1 ukes , one wonders how any
manage to survive these rigors. Nevertheless this group i s par t i cu 1 a r 1 y
successful. At certain localities in northern Florida, every Matrix

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oyolopion and N. fasoiata examined was infected withfromone to 300 worms
of several different genera. Even with tremendous infections, the snakes
appear healthy and unaffected.

Little information is ava i 1 ab 1 e on the natural h i story of trematodes
under field conditions. There is a tremendous potent i a 1 for exc i t i ng re¬
search in this area. At this time there are no studies available which
depict populational trends over the course of a year. A study of this
type could be carried out entirely with snakes ki 1 1 ed on h ighways across
swamps and thereby eliminate yet another mass slaughter for scientific
purposes. It might be i nteres t i ng to compare infection rates and paras i te
seasonality among several snake species that occur side by side in the
same swamp. A wealth of information could be gathered on not only the
paras i tes but also the definitive hosts . Fat body and 1 i ver wei gh t surveys ,
sex ratios, reproductive conditions, food types and age structure of the
hosts could be recorded as well. In fact, one or more of these could
affect the distribution of the parasites. For example, pregnancy and the
associated hormonal changes in the host could play a role in regulating
parasite populations. No one knows. From these beginnings, laboratory
experiments might be initiated. By staining the mouth flukes with some
vital stain, i t mi ght be concei vab le to mon i tor individual movements within
the mouth . S tud i es i n host spec i f i ci ty at var ious 1 evel s (snail, tadpol e,
snake) would also be extremely rewarding. There is simply no end to the
investigations which could be explored. The absence of any base line in¬
formation leaves the field wide open for scientific studies.

Literature Cited

Baer, J. G.

1924. Descr i pt ion of a new genus of Leptodermat i dae (Tremadoda) with
a systematic essay on the family. Parasitology 16: 22-31

Byrd, E. E.

1935. L i fe h i story stud i es of Ren i fer i nae (Trematoda , D i genea) para-
si t i c i n Rept i 1 i a of the New Orleans area. Trans. Micro, Soo .
54 ( 3) : 1 36-225 •

Byrd, E. E. and J. F. Denton.

1938. New trematodes of the subfami 1 y Ren i feri nae , wi th a d i scuss ion
of the systematics of the genera and species ass i gned to the
subfamily group. J . Parasit. , 24 (5) : 379"402 .

Cheng, T. C.

1964. The b iol ogy of an ima 1 parasites. W. B. Saunders Co.3 Phila. ,
Pa. V-727.

Dubois, G. and J. Mahon.

1959. Etude de quelques trematodes Nord-Amer i ca i ns , suivie d 1 une
revision des genres Galactosomum Looss 1899 et Oohetosoma
Braum 1 901 .

Franz, R.

1972. Paras i tes of Rept i 1 es , part I tapeworms. Bull. Md. Herp. Soo.

8( 0:6-13.

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March 1974

McCoy, 0. R.

1928. Life history studies on trematodes from Missouri . J, Parasit¬
ology 14: 207-228.

Mehra, H. R.

1931- A new genus ( Spinometra ) of family Lepoderma t i dae Odhner
(Tremadoda) f rom a tor to i se , with a systematic discussion of
the family. Paras it, 23 : 1 57" 1 78 .

Pratt, H. S.

1902. Synops i s of North Ameri can i nvertebrates . XII. The trematodes.

Part II. The Asp i docoty 1 ea and the Ma 1 acocoty 1 ea , or d i genet i c
forms. Amer, Nat, 35:887-910.

Price. E . W .

1935. A restudy of Stafford's types of the trematode genera Lech-

riorohis and Zeugorohis, J. Parasitology 21:k37.

1936. Redescriptions of the type species of the trematode genera

Lechriorchis Stafford and Zeugorohis Stafford. Proo, Helminth,
Soo., Washington 3: 32- 3A.

Schel 1 , S . C .

1970. How to know the trematodes. Wm, C, Brown Co, Publishers ,
Dubuque , Iowa, V- 355.

Soganda res-Berna 1 , F. and H. Grenier.

1972. Life cycles and host specificity of the plagiorchiid tre¬
matodes. Oohetosoma kansensis (Crow, 1913) and 0, laterotrema
(Byrd + Denton, 1938). J. Parasit,

Ta 1 bot , S . B .

1933. Life history studies on trematodes of the subfamily Renifer-
inae. Parasitology 25:518-5^5*

Telford, S. R.

List of trematodes, occurrence in reptiles. (unpublished)

Yamagu t i , S .

1971* Synposis of digenetic trematodes of vertebrates. Keigaku
Piubl, Co,, Tokoyo, pp. 107A.

Florida State Museum, University of Florida, Gainsville, Florida 32611,

Received 19 January 197A

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March 1974

GROWTH AND FEEDING BEHAVIOR IN THE ENDEMIC FLORIDA
SCRUB LIZARD, SCELOPORUS WOODI STEJNEGER

David S. Lee, John B. Funderburg and L. Richard Franz

Since Stejneger ( 1 9 1 8) first described Sceloporus woodi the species
has received little attention. Except for a brief characterization of
its habits and habitat (Carr, 1940) , and an elaboration of the taxonomic
descriptions (Smith, 1946), the only new information on this lizard ex¬
tended its range to the south and southwest of Stejneger's previously
recorded localities (Barbour , 19 19 ; Jones , 1 927) . Later accounts repeated
and summarized the findings of these authors.

The data reported here on the growth of this lizard were obtained
from populations occurring on the Lake Wales Ridge near Winter Haven,
Polk County, Florida. Specimens used for growth data were marked by toe
clipping. Our period of study extended from June 1965 to July 1968. In
addition, between July 1963 and December 1967 fifty scrub lizards, from
four selected 1 ocal i t i es , were col 1 ected i n order to determi ne the feeding
habits of this lizard. Small samples of juvenile and adult lizards
(26-54 mm S-V length) were collected in such a manner as to evaluate
seasonal fluctuation in food items. Lizards were preserved in 10% for¬
maldehyde at the time of capture.

GROWTH

The recapture and multiple recapture of approximately 50% of 144
marked and rel eased scrub lizards (f rom nea r Wi nter Haven , Pol k Co . ) which
were being used for popul at ion and home range studies indicate that some
individuals may achieve sexual maturity in one year. Preliminary data
i nd i cate that many June hatchlings were 30-35 mm SVLbyfall and 35“40 mm
by midwinter; at least some of the males of this group were sexually
mature by the following summer. Females, and those young hatching after
July, probab 1 y do not reproduce the following year. Figure 1. represents
the SVL plotted against the months of col 1 ect ion for 144 captures i n th i s
popu 1 at ion and home range study. L i nes connect i ng pi ot ted po i n ts i nd i ca te
known growth of wild individuals.

The maximum size reached by this species is apparently 58 mm SVL.
Sexually mature females ranged from 39“ 58 (46.8) mm SVL, males 40-55
(46.3) mm SVL.

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March 1974

Dec.

Nov.

Oct.

Sept.

Aug.

July

June

May

April

Mar.

Feb

Jan.

Fig. 1. Size distribution and growth based on 144 captures of _S. woodi during 1967 and 1968
near Winter Haven, Polk Co. , Florida, h = hatchling with umbulical scar still present.
O = juvenile, ® = adult, A = adult in reproductive condition (i. e. , females with shelled
eggs, males with breeding colors and full sperm ducts). / = known growth of marked
and recaptured individuals. Bottom scale represents SVL in mm.

FEEDING BEHAVIOR

Fifty lizards were examined for food items. There was an average
of 13-9 items per lizard. Only one stomach was empty. No parasites were
found in this samp 1 e , bu t pa ras i t i c nematodes were seen i n severa 1 stomachs
which were casually examined in 1964.

In order to determine possible variation in feeding behavior, four
sample sites were selected. Two of these sampling sites (1/4 mi. S.
Auburndale and 1/2 mi. SW of Jan Phyll Village, Polk County) were typical
sand pine-rosemary scrubs, a habitat with which S. woodi has been char¬
acteristically associated. Here the plant communities were composed
mostly of shrub- 1 i ke Quercus (3 species), Lyonia 3 Gavberia, Serenoa3 and
Ceratiola . Scattered Sand Pines {Linus olausa ) were not a dominant part
of the plant community.

A third sampling site ( 1 /2 m i . N . Pompano Beach , Broward County) was
superfically similar to the ones mentioned above. This site was compar¬
able to the Atlantic dune scrubs mentioned by Lee and Funderburg (1970)
These scrubs were formed on old inland pleistocene Pamlico beach dunes.
It should be pointed out that the term "dune scrub" is not intended to
imply a salt res i s tan t p 1 an t commun i ty assoc i ated w i th act i ve beach dunes.
At this s i te Linus clausa was the domi nan t pi ant and dense stands of these
trees allowed for little understory except in peripheral areas, and in
places which had been partially cleared. Most scrub lizard activity was
confined to these zones.

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March 1974

The fourth sampling site (2.5 mi. E. Lake Hami 1 ton , Polk County) was
in a sandhill habitat. Here many of the scrub index plants were lacking
or existed only in small number. Oaks (Q. laevis and Q. geminata) and
widely scattered 1 ong 1 eaf pine (P. palustris) formed the overs tory . The
ground remained relatively free of herbaceous growth due to frequent
ground fibres. Clumps of saw palmetto ( Serenoa repens) and wire grass
(Aristida stricta) were sporadically distributed through the area.

At the first three sites, S, woodi appeared to be terrestrial in
its foraging activities although occasional lizards were seen climbing
on trees 2-5 feet above the ground. At the fourth site lizards appeared
to be much more arboreal. Scrub lizards were frequently observed basking
and feeding several feet above the ground on the trunks of oaks. Only
on a few occasions were lizards encountered on the ground.

Sceloporus woodi is an opportunistic feeder. Prey, even in the
Lake Hamilton specimens, consisted mostly of ground dwelling arthropods
(ants, short-horned grasshoppers, cutworms, spiders, ground beetles,
dung beetles, etc. See table l). Although there may be differences in
the insects at the generic or species 1 evel s , no obvious differences were
noted i n the type of food i terns from any of the sampl e s i tes . Ants (72.1%),
short-horned grasshoppers (2.6%) and lepidopteran larvae (2 . 1 %) were the
most abundant prey at all four collection sites.

Specimens were col lected du r i ng a 1 1 four seasons (21 spr i ng , 9 summer ,
16 fall, 4 winter). We noted little seasonal change in feeding except
for a slightly smaller variety of prey species in winter. There were
fewer ants in the stomachs of lizards collected during the winter (62%
of total food items) compared to summer specimens (75%). Both of these
observations may be due to the small sample size.

Literature C i ted

Barbour, Thomas.

1919. Distribution of Sceloporus woodi in southern Florida. Copeia
1919 ( 70) : 48-51 -

Carr, A . F .

1940. A contribution to the herpetology of Florida. Univ. Florida
Pub.3 Biol . Ser. 3:1-118.

Lee, D. S. and J. B. Funderburg.

1970. The geographic and ecological distribution of the florida
scrub 1 i zard , Sceloporus woodi S tej neger. ASB Bulletin 17 ( 2) : 52 .

Jones, J. P.

1927. An extension of the range of Sceloporus Woodi S tej neger.
Copeia 1927: 8 1 8-1 82.

Smith, H. M .

1946. Handbook of lizards. Comstock Publishing Co.3 New York .
Stejneger, Leonhard.

1918. Description of a new snapping turtle and a new lizard from
Florida. Proc . Biol . Soc . Wash . 32:89“92.

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March 1974

Table 1: Food items of 50 Sceloporus woodi .

# of food items

°]o of food items

# of stomachs

°]o of stomach;

Insecta

Coleoptera

Carabidae

11

1. 6

8

16

Cerambycidae

4

. 6

2

4

Chrysomelidae

3

.4

2

4

Curculionidae

5

. 7

3

6

Elateridae

1

. 1

1

2

Scarabaeidae

11

1.6

7

14

Dermaptera

Forficulidae

4

• 6

1

2

Diptera

Syrphidae

3

.4

3

6

Hemiptera

Miridae

7

1.0

4

8

Pentatomidae

2

.3

1

2

Homoptera

Cicadellidae

9

1.3

4

8

Cercopidae

1

. 1

1

2

Hymenoptera

Diprionidae

3

.4

3

6

Formicidae

• 504

72.1

40

80

Isoptera

Kalotrrmitidae

23

3.3

1

2

Lepidoptera

(Larvae)

15

2.2

10

20

Odonata

Libellulidae

1

.1

1

2

Orthoptera

Acrididae

18

2. 6

8

16

Arachnida

Araneida

12

1.7

9

18

Chelonethida

1

. 1

1

2

Indistinguishable

61

8.7

12

24

Total

699

99.9

III

III

Department of Mammalogy, Natural History Society of Maryland, 2643 North
Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland; Department of Biology , Randolph- Macon
College, Ashland, Virginia; and Florida State Museum, Gainsville, Florida .

Received 25 July 1973

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The Possible Role of Fire on Population Density of the
Florida Scrub Lizard, Soeloporus woodi Stejneger

As part of a long-term investigation on the life history of the
endemic Flori da scrub 1 i zard , Soeloporus woodi (Lee and Funderbu rg , 1970;
Lee, Funderburgand Franz, 1974) populations at severa 1 se 1 ected 1 ocal i t i es
were intensively studied. One unexpected outcome of these studies is the
data presented here on the possible effect of fire on the population size
of these 1 i za rds .

AREA OF STUDY

The most dramatic evidence of the rol e of f i re was observed i n a ten
acre study plot near Lake Hamilton, Polk County, Florida. Information
presented here will pertain to this particular 1 oca 1 ity, unless otherwise
stated. The site is a sandhill habitat where most of the scrub index
plants are lacking, or, exist only in small numbers. Spanish moss
{Tillandsia usneoides) covered oaks ( Quercus laevis and Q. geminat a) and
widely-scattered long leaf pine ( Sinus palustris) form the overstory.
Because of periodic ground fires the ground normally remains relatively
free of herbaceous growth and debris. Clumps of prickly pear cactus
( Opuntia sp.), saw palmetto ( Serenoa repens) , and wire grass ( Aristida
stricta ) are spo radical ly distributed th roughou t the a rea . The terrestrial
vertebrate fauna of the area is diverse because of the ecotonal nature
of the commun i ty . Species wi th wi de ecological tol erances as wel 1 as those
cha racteristiclyassociatedwith both pine fl a twoods and sand pi ne- rosemary
scrubs, are found here.

This particular locality was originally selected as a study area
because of its unusually large population of Soeloporus. In the spring
of 1964, when I first visited the area, itwas not uncommon to see 20 or
more adult scrub lizards in a single hour. In the winter of 1967~1968
I began a territorial, home range, and growth study of the lizards in
this area, us i ng a mark-recapture system. Popul at ion est imates , (Lincoln
Index; Lincoln, 1930) made from data gathered at this time, indicated
10 to 23 (14.3) adult and sub adult lizards per acre. In late March of
1968, a fire removed all of the ground vegetation and other cover, and
scorched and killed many of the smaller oaks. A census of the lizards
in late April of the same year showed the species still to be numerous,
although population sizes were difficult to estimate, since nearly all
of the lizards had shifted their home ranges and many unmarked adults
were believed to have come from areas outside established study plots.

METHODS

Data presented in fig. 1 represents information accumulated from
field noted and collections made between 1965 and 1971- The month of
April is one of the best for observing scrub lizard act i v i ty and was the
month for which I seem to have the most complete records (the 1965 data

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March 1974

was from June). Therefore, all data presented apply to that month. It
shou 1 d be po i nted out that fig. 1 represents only observed activity. It
may not represent true relative population size. However I believe that
over all population trends are illustrated inspite of several variables
which were not taken into account. Observat ions were made between 9 : 30-
11:00 a.m. and 2:30-4:30 p.m. , times in which spring temperatures appear
to stimulate maximum activity. All data was obtained on sunny days when
there was little or no wind. Ai r temperatures ranged from approximately
25 to 30° C. Again, this represents cond i t i ons of opt imum activity. All
points plotted in fig. 1 represent averages of 8 to 22 field hours.

Fig. 1. Observed population variations of S. woodi 1965-1972. Vertical axis
represents average number of adult S. woodi observed per man- field
hour in Lake Hamilton (Polk Co. , Fla.) study plot. Dates of earlier
fires in this area are not known, but photographs taken in 1964 showed
relatively little ground cover.

DISCUSSION

The accumulation of leaf-litter and other debris, along with in-
increasing growth of Aristida > Andropogon and other grasses, has a det"
rimental effect on populations of S. woodi . In 1972, when the grasses
had achieved their maximum observed growth, these lizards were all but
absent from the community.

I suspect that hea 1 thy popul at i ons of Soeloporus woodi demand hab i tats
relatively clear of ground cover. I have also noted scrub lizard pop¬
ulations in citrus groves. These lizards were on 1 y assoc i ated with young
groves that are frequently disked (a method of removing ground vegetation) .
Older groves produce a sol i d canopy and probably woul d not provi de enough
sunning sites. In one case, I was aware of a small grove which had not
been disked for over a year. Here the S. woodi population, which I had
observed the previous two years, was no longer present. In well-estab-

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lished pine-rosemary scrubs, the classic habitat for S. woodi, the
vegatation often becomes so dense that the lizards are only encountered
in peripheral areas. Telford (1959) not i ced a s imi 1 ar local distribution
of Neoseps reynoldsi , another central Florida endemic.

I would conclude that S. woodi favors open areas; in certain plant
communities fire may be an essential tool for maintaining these con¬
ditions. In habitats where the debris and ground vegetation becomes too
dense, the population suffers.

L i terature C i ted

Lee, D. S. and J. B. Funderburg.

1970. The geographic and ecological distribution of the Florida
scrub lizard, Sceloporus woodi Stejneger. ASB Bulletin 17
(2):52.

♦ , J. B. Funderburg and R. L. Franz.

197^ • Growth and feeding behavior in the endemic Florida scrub

lizard. Sceloporus woodi Stejneger. Bull . Md. Herp. Soo .

20(0:16-19.

Lincoln, F.
1930.

C.

Calculating water fowl abundance on the basis of band return.

Circ. U. S . Dept. Agric. 188: 1-14.

Telford, S.
1959.

R.

A study of the sand skink, Neoseps reynoldsi.
(2) :110-119.

Copeia 1959

— -David S. Lee, Department of Mammalogy, Natural History Society of
Maryland, 2643 N. Charles Street, Baltimore.

Received 25 July 1973

Agonistic Behavior of the Eastern Mud Turtle

Kinosternon subrubrum subrubrum

The Eas tern Mud Tu rt 1 e , Kinosternon subrubrum subrubrum , is common to
the ma rshes and swamps of southern Maryland. While collecting in a small
swamp i n Char 1 es County, Maryland, two eastern mud turtles were observed
displaying agonistic behavior. The sky was clear and water temperature
approximately 75° F. The observat i on took pi ace 14 June 1973- The water
averaged 3-5 cm deep and the bottom was soft mud and free of vegetation.
The display took place in a shaded area under large maple trees. When
first observed, the two turtles were pushing each other back and forth
in a head to head orientation. The back and forth movement ranged from

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March 1974

severa 1 cm to about 50 cm. Af ter 1 0 m i nutes , one turt 1 e reversed direction
and began moving away from the area. The second turtle immediately gave
chase and g rasped the f ] ee i ng turtle by the left hind leg. Both remained
still for about 5 mi nutes . At th i s po i n t , the f 1 eei ng turtle appea red to
struggle and both turtles moved slowly forwa rd for an add i t i ona 1 1 0 mi nutes .
They then separated and the fleeing turtle continued moving away. Both
were captured and it was d i scovered that the fleeing turtle had its left
hind leg amputated at the knee joint. The attacking turtle retained the
severed limb in its mouth. Neither turtle raised its head to breathe
during the encounter. Both turtles were released. The sex of the turtles
was not recorded.

- Louis Rigley, Biology Department s Charles County Community College 3

LaPlata > Maryland 20646

Received 19 September 1973

Chronological Herpetological Bibliography of
Laurence Monroe Klauber from 1924 to 1972

This bibliography encompasses all of the published herpetological
contributions of L.M. Klauber (1882-1968) from 1924 to 1972. It includes
all titles noted by Grant (1945) in his bibliography of 73 titles for
Klauber from 1924 to 1945. No new ones for that period are added here,
but the list is completed with a total of 113 items. Two titles,
"Classification, Distribution, and Biology of the Venomous Snakes of
Northern Mexico, The United States , and Canada : Crotalus and Sistrurus 11
(1971), and "Rattlesnakes: Their Habits, Life Histories, and Influence
on Mankind" 2nd Edition (1972), were published posthumously.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1924. Notes on the Distribution of Snakes in San Diego, California.
Bull. Zool . Soc. San Diego 1:1-23, figs. 1-4, map. tables 1-3*

1924 . Tantilla eiseni Reported from Lower Cal i forn i a . Cope ia 1 924 (131) : 62 .

1926. Field Notes on Xantusiahenshawi, Cope i a 1 926 ( 1 52) : 1 1 5" 1 1 7 . (Trans¬
lation by F.Mol le i n B1 aet . Aquar. Terra., jahrg 39, 11:216-218).

1926. The Snakes of San Diego County, California. Specimens Collected
for the Zoological Society Jan. 1, 1923 to Dec. 31, 1925. Copeia
1926(155) : 1 44 , table.

1927. Report of the Curator of Reptiles and Amphibians (San Diego Nat.
Hist. Soc.). Annual Report San Diego Society Natural History
for 1926:23.

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March 1974

1927. Some Observations on the Rattlesnakes of the Extreme Southwest.
Bui 1 . An t i ven i n I ns t . of Am. 1 (l) :7“21 , figs. 1-9, map , tables 1 - 2 .

1927. Notes on the Salamanders of San Diego County, California. Bull.
Zool . Soc. San Diego 3:1“4, fig. 1.

1928. The Collection of Rattlesnake Venom. Bull. Antivenin Inst, of
Am. 2(1) : 1 1 - 1 8 , figs. 1-9.

1928. The Trimorphodon (Lyre Snake) of California with Notes on the
Species of the Adjacent Areas. Trans. San Diego Soc. Nat. Hist.
5(11) : 183-194, plates 22-23, map.

1928. A list of the Amphibians and Reptiles of San Diego County, Cal¬
ifornia. Bull. Zool. Soc. San Diego 4:1-8.

1929. Range Extensions in California. Copeia 1 929 ( 1 70) : 1 5“22 .

1930. New and Renamed Subspecies of Crotalus confluentus Say, with
Remarks on Related Species. Trans. San Diego Soc. Nat. Hist.
6(3) : 9 144, plates 9“ 1 2 , map.

1930. A List of the Amphibians and Reptiles of San Diego County, Cal¬
ifornia, Second Edition. Bull. Zool. Soc. San Diego 5 - 1 — 8 .

1930. Differential Characteristics of Southwestern Rattlesnakes Allied
to Crotalus atrox. Bui 1 . Zool . Soc. San Diego 6:1-72, plates 1-6,
maps 1-3, tables 1-12.

1931 . A New Subspecies of the California Boa with Notes on the Genus
Liohanura . Trans. San Diego Soc. Nat. Hist. 6 (20) : 305"31 8 , plate
21 , map .

1931* A Statistical Survey of the Snakes of the Southern Border of Cal¬
ifornia. Bull. Zool. Soc.SanDiego 8:1-91, figs. 1-8, maps 1 — 3 »
tables 1-8.

1931- Crotalus tigris and Crotalus enyo . Two L i tt 1 e Known Rattlesnakes
of the Southwest. Trans . San D i ego Soc . Nat. Hist. 6 (24) : 3 53 - 3 70 ,
plate 23, map, table.

1931* Notes on the Worm Snakes of the Southwest with Descriptions of Two
New Sub spec ies. Trans. San Di ego Soc . Nat. Hist. 6(23):333“352, map.

1931- A New Spec i es of Xantusia from Arizona with a Synops i s of the Genus.
Trans. San Diego Soc. Nat. Hist. 7(1) :1-16, plate 1, map.

1931* An Add i t i on to the Fauna of Lower California. Copeia 1931 (3) :141 .

1932. A Herpetolog i cal Review of the Hopi Snake Dance. Bull. Zool. Soc.
San Diego 9 - 1 ”93 » plates 1-5.

1932. Notes on the Silvery Footless Lizard, Anniella pulohra. Copeia
1932(0:4-6.

1932. The FI a t - ta i led Horned Toad in Lower California. Cope i a 1 932 (2) : 1 00 .

1932. A Coral King Snake of Pecu 1 i a r Coloration. Yosemite Nature Notes
1 1 (9) : 1 .

1932. Amphibians and Reptiles Observed Enroute to Hoover Dam. Copeia
1932(3) : 1 1 8-1 26.

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March 1974

1933.

1934.

1934.
1 935.

1935.
1935.
1935.

1935.

1936.

1936.

1936.

1936.

1936.

1936.

1937.

1938.

1938.

1939.

1939.

1939.

Notes on Liohanura. Copeia 1 933 (4) : 21 4-5 .

An Addition to the Fauna of New Mexico and a Deletion. Copeia
1934(0:52.

Annotated L i st of the Amph i b i ans and Rept i 1 es of the Southern Border
of California. Bull. Zool . Soc. San Diego 11:1-28, figs. 1-8.

A New Subspecies of Crotalus oonfluentus , the Prairie Rattlesnake.
Trans. San Diego Soc. Nat. Hist. 8(13) : 75“90 , plate 8, map.

Phyllorhynohus 3 the Leaf-nosed Snake. Bull. Zool. Soc. San Diego
12:1-31 , figs. 1-4.

Notes on Herpeto 1 og i ca 1 Field Collecting. San Diego Soc. Nat.
Hist., Coll. Leafl . 1:1-10, figs. 1-4.

The Status of the Sonoran Horned Toad , Phrynosoma goodei Stejneger.
Copeia 1935(4) : 178-9-

The Feeding Habits of a Sea Snake. Copeia 1935(4) :182.

Crotalus mitohellii s the Speckled Rattlesnake. Trans. San Diego
Soc. Nat. Hist. 8 ( 1 9) : 1 49- 1 84 , plates 19-20, figs. 1-3, map.

The California King Snake, a Case of Pattern Dimorphism Herpeto-
1 og i ca 1 (1) : 1 8-27, figs. 1-2.

The Horned Toads of the Coronation group. Copeia 1936 (2) : 1 03~1 1 0 ,
figs. 1 -2 .

A Statistical Study of the Rattlesnakes. I. Introduction; II. Sex
Ratio in Rattlesnake Populations; III. Birth Rate. Occ. Papers
San Diego Soc. Nat. Hist. 1:2-24.

Key to the Rattlesnakes with Summary of Cha racter i s t i cs . Trans.
San Diego Soc. Nat. Hist. 8 (20) : 1 83“ 276 , figs. 1-112, table.

A Statistical Study of the Rattlesnakes. IV. The Growth of the
Rattlesnake. Occ. Papers San Diego Soc. Nat. Hist. 3:1-56, figs.
3-6, tables 5“ 1 6 .

A New Snake of the Genus Sonora from Mexico. Trans. San Diego Soc.
Nat. Hist. 8(27) :363-366.

A Statistical Study of the Rattlesnakes. V. Head D i mens ions . Occ .
Papers San Di ego Soc. Nat . Hist. 4:1-53, figs. 7- 1 6 , tables 17-21.

Notes from a Herpetolog i cal Diary, I. Copeia 1938(4) : 191-197.

S tud i es of Rept i 1 es in the Arid Southwest. I. N i gh t Co 1 1 ect i ng on
the Desert with Ecological Statistics; II. Speculations on Pro¬
tective Coloration and Protective Reflectivity; III. Notes on
Some Lizards of the Southwes tern United States. Bull. Zool. Soc.
San Diego 14:1-100, map, tables 1-19.

A Statistical Study of the Ratt 1 esnakes . VI. Fangs. Occ. Papers
San Diego Soc. Nat. Hist. 5:1-61, figs. 17-46, tables 22-30.

Three New Worm Snakes of the Genus Leptotyphlops . Trans. San Diego
Soc. Nat. Hist. 9(14) : 59 ~ 66 , figs. 1-3.

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1939* A Further Study of Pattern D imorph i sm i n the Ca 1 i forn i a Ki ng Snake .
Bull. Zool . Soc. San Diego 15-1“ 23 » figs. 1-7.

1939. A New Subspecies of the Wes tern Worm Snake . Trans. San Diego Soc.
Nat. Hist. 9(l^a) :67”68.

19^0. Notes from a Herpetolog i ca 1 Diary, II. Copeia 1 9^0 ( 1 ) : 1 5" 1 8 .

19^0. The Worm Snakes of the Genus Leptotyphlops in the United States
and Northern Mexi co. Trans . San Diego Soc. Nat . Hi st. 9 ( 1 8) : 87" 1 62 ,
plate 6, figs. l-8, maps 1-2.

19^0. The Lyre Snakes (Genus Trimorphodon) of the United States. Trans.
San Diego Soc. Nat. Hist. 9 ( 1 9) : 1 63" 1 9^ , plate 7, map.

19A0. Two New Subspecies of Phyllorhynohus , the Leaf-nosed Snake with
Notes on the Genus . Trans. SanDi ego Soc . Na t . Hist. 9 (20) : 1 9 5" 21 4 ,
plate 8, map.

19^0. A Statistical Study of the Rattlesnake. VII. The Rattle, Part. I.
Occ . Papers San D i ego Soc .Nat. Hist. 6:1-62, figs. 47” 73, tables 31 ”33 •

19^0. Rattl esnake Bi te. Health 7 (8) : 1 7 + 23" 24 , fig. 1. (Th i s compr i ses
quotations from the 1936 "Key to the Rattlesnakes").

19^0. The Rattlesnakes, Genera Sistrurus and Crotalus : A Study in Zoo¬
geography and Evolution (A Review). Copeia 1 9^+0 (3) • 206-7 .

19^1. Variations and Relationships in the Snakes of the Genus Pituophis
(A Review). Copeia 1 9^1 ( 1 ) : 57"60 .

19^1. The Long-nosed Snakes of the Genus Rhino oheilus . Trans. San Diego
Soc. Nat. Hist. 9(29) :289"332, plates 12-13, map.

19^1. A New Species of Rattlesnake from Venezuela. Trans. San Diego
Soc. Nat. Hist. 9 (30) : 3 3 3 “ 3 36 .

19^1. The Frequency Distribution of Certain Herpeto 1 og i ca 1 Variables.
Bull. Zool. Soc. San Diego 1 7 2 5” 3 1 » figs. 1-5.

19^1. I 1 1 ustrat ions of the Relationship between Popu 1 at ions and Sampl es .
Bull. Zool. Soc. San Diego 17: 33“ 71 -

19^1. The Correl at ion between Seal at ion and Life Zones i n San D i ego County
Snakes. Bull. Zool. Soc. San Diego 17«73“79*

19^1 . The Rattl esnakes Listed by Li nnaeus in 1758. Bull. Zoo 1 . Soc . San
Diego 17:81-95.

19^2. The Status of the Black Whip Snake. Copeia 19^2 (2) : 88-97 •

19^3. The Correlation of Variability Within and Between Rattlesnake
Populations. Copeia 1 9^3 (2) : 1 1 5”1 1 8, tables 1-3.

19^3. Tail-length Differences in Snakes with Notes on Sexual Dimorphism
and the Coefficient of Divergence. Bull. Zool. Soc. San Diego
18:1-60, fig. 1, tables 1-19.

19^+3. A Graphic Method of Showing Relationships. Bull. Zool. Soc. San
Diego 18:61-76, figs. 1-3*

19^3. A New Snake of the Genus Sonora from Lower California. Trans. San
Diego Soc. Nat. Hist. 10(4) : 69 ” 70 .

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19^3. A Desert Subspecies of the Snake Tantilla eiseni. Trans . San D i ego
Soc. Nat. Hist. 10(5) :7W4.

1943 . The Coral King Snakes of the Pacific Coast. Trans. San Diego Soc.
Nat. Hist. 10(6) :75"82.

1943 . The Subspecies of the Rubber Snake, Charina . Trans. San Diego
Soc. Nat. Hist. 10(7) :83"90.

1944. The California King Snake: A Further Discussion. Amer. Midi.
Nat. 31 (1) : 85-87 .

1 944 . The S i dew i nder Crotalus cerastes , wi th Descr i pt ion of a New Spec i es .
Trans San D i ego Soc . Nat. Hist. 10(8) :91 — 1 26 , plates 5“ 6 , map , f i g . 1 .

1945. Herpetolog i cal Correlations. I. Correlations i n Homogeneous Pop¬
ulations. Bull. Zool . Soc. San Diego 21:1-101, tables 1 - 5 1 •

1945. The Geckos of the Genus Coleonyx , with Descriptions of New Sub-
spec i es . Trans . San Diego Soc . Nat . Hist. 1 0 ( 1 1 ) : 1 33” 2 1 6 , 2 maps .

1945. Herpetolog i cal Papers of Laurence M. Klauber from 1924 to 1945.
Herpetolog i ca 2 ( 7“ 8) : 1 43" 1 50 .

1945. Some Herpetol og i ca 1 Book Prices Then and Now. Herpetol og i ca
2(7-8) : 151-174.

1945. A Lacepede Reprint. Herpetol og i ca 3(1) :19.

1946. A New Book on Lizards. Zoonooz 19(7): 5.

1946. The Glossy Snake, Arizona , with Descriptions of New Subspecies.
Trans. San Diego Soc. Nat. Hist. 10:31 1 “ 39 3 » map, pis. 7"8.

1946. The Gopher Snakes of Baja California with Descr i pt ions of New Sub-
spec i es of Pi tuophis catenifer. Trans. San Diego Soc. Nat. Hist.
1 1 ( 1 ) : 1 - 40 , plates 1-2, map.

1946. A New Gopher Snake ( Pituophis ) from Santa Cruz Island, California.
Trans. San Diego Soc. Nat. Hist. 11 (2) :4l - 48 , plate 3-

1946. Handbook of Lizards (A Review). Amer. Nat. 80 (795) : 6 5 1 “653 •

1947. How the Hopi Handle Rattlesnakes. Plateau 19(3) : 37- 39 •

1947. C 1 ass i f i cat i on and Ranges of the Gopher Snakes of the Genus Pituophis
in the Western United States. Bull. Zool. Soc. San Diego 22:1-81
figs. 1-6.

1948. Some Misapplications of the Linnaean Names Applied to American
Snakes. Copeia 1 948 ( 1 ) : 1 - 1 4 .

1948. Earliest Printed Illustrations of Rattlesnakes. Isis 39(4),
118:234-5.

1948. The Truth About the Speckled Band. The Baker Street Jour. 3(2):
149-157.

1949. The Relat ionsh i p of Crotalus ruber and Crotalus lucasensis . T rans .
San Diego Soc. Nat. Hist. 11(5): 57-60.

1949. Some New and Reviewed Subspecies of Rattlesnakes. Trans. San
Diego Soc. Nat. Hist. 11 (6) :6l — 116, plates 4-6.

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1949. The Subspecies of the Ridge-nosed Rattlesnake, Crotalus willardi.
Trans. San Diego Soc. Nat. Hist. 1 1 (8) : 121-lio.

1949. Bibl iography of Animal Venoms (A Review). Amer. Midi. Nat. 42 (3):76l “5.

1951. The Shovel-nosed Snake, Chionaotis with Descriptions of Two New
Subspecies. Trans . San Diego Soc. Nat. Hi st. 1 1 (9) : 1 4 1 - 204 , plates
9-10.

1952. Taxonomic Studies of the Rattlesnakes of Mainland Mexico. Bull.
Zool . Soc. San Diego 26:1-143, figs. 1-12.

1952. Proposed Use of the Plenary Powers--” to preserve - polysticta by

Suppress i ng---multimaculata. Bull. Zool. Nomencl . 6:236-8.

1952. Proposed Use of the Plenary Powers---to preserve- --ate?# by Sup¬
pressing - cinereous . Bull. Zool. Nomencl. 6:234-6.

1954. Hobby Hitching Post. The Rotarian 84 (4) : 62-63 $ 2 figs.

1955. Proposed Use of the Plenary Powers to Preserve for the Western
Diamond Rattlesnake the Trivial Name: atrox Baird and Girard,
1853. Opinion 365, Int. Comm. Zool. Nomen 11:215-230.

1955. Proposed Use of the Plenary Powers to Preserve the Trivial Name:
polysticta Cope, 1865. Opinion 366, Int. Comm. Zool. Nomen.
11 : 231“244 .

1955. Rattlesnakes: Their habits, 1 i fe h i stor i es , and influence on man¬
kind. Uni v. of Cal if . Press , Berkel ey and Los Angel es , 2 vol s . :xxix
+ 708; xv i i + 709-1476.

1956. Some Factors Affecting the Gravity of Rattlesnake Bite. Venoms,
Pub. 44, AAAS:321-322.

1956. (Discussion of Paper by J. Moura Goncalves). Venoms, Pub. 44,
AAAS: 273-274.

1956. Rattlesnake Book, a Report for Grandchildren. Univ. of Calif.
Press .

1957* Agkistrodon or Ancistrodonl Copeia 1957 (4) : 258-259 .

1957- Don' t Bel ieve These Tal 1 Tales about Rattlesnakes . Popular Science
Magazine, 170(4) : 1 1 5“ 11 7 , 242, 4 figs.

1957. The Gila Monster and Its Allies: The Relationships, Habits, and
Behavior of the Lizards of the Family Helodermatidae (A Review).
Copeia 1957(1) :63-64.

1958. Reptiles Round the World (A Review). Science 1 27 (3297) : 525 •

1961. Venomous Rept i 1 es . Rei nhol d Encyc loped i a of the Biological Sc i ences
Edited by Peter Gray : 1053“ 1 055 .

1962. Foreword. Toxicon 1:1-3.

1963. A New Insular Subspeci es of the Speckled Rattlesnake. Trans. San
Diego Soc. Nat. Hist. 13(5) : 73“ 80 , figs. 1-2.

1984. The Amphibians and Reptiles (of the Torrey Pines State Reserve).
Torrey Pines State Reserve : 37“ 39 .

Page 28

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 10 Number 1

March 1974

1965. Rattlesnake. Encyclopedia Americana, Americana Corp . , New York,
23:230f-230g, 5 figs.

1966. A Statistical Study of the Rattlesnakes. IN: Kormondy , A Book of
Readings 2:118-121 .

1971* Classification, Distribution, and Biology of the Venomous Snakes
of Northern Mexico, the United States, and Canada: Crotalus and
Sistrurus, IN: Venomous Animals and Their Venoms by W. Bucherl
and E. E. Buckley. Academic Press, New York.

1972. Rattlesnakes: The i r Hab i ts , L i fe H i s tor i es , and Influence on Man¬
kind. Univ. of Cal ifornia Press , Berkeley and Los Angeles, 2 Vols.
(2nd Ed i t i on) :xxx + 7^0; xvi i + 7^1 " 1 533 •

- Arnold Powers, Biology Department j University of Colorado 3 Boulder

80302

Received 6 October 1973

Snakes of Northwestern Pennsylvania

A rich herpetofauna , perhaps due to a great diversity of habitats
and an abundance of moisture, exists in northwestern Pennsylvania. We
are unaware of recent pub 1 i cat ions on snakes of this reg ion and thus have
studied the occurrence of these reptiles.

About 70 daytime collecting trips were made in Erie County between
May 1971 and Augus t 1973* Most trips were to the Howard Eaton Reservoir-
Bull Dam, Behrend Col lege campus , and Presque Isle State Parkareas. All
specimens were col 1 ected by hand. The identity, 1 eng th , we i ght , state of
health, and habitat of each snake were recorded. Most snakes were then
marked and released.

One hundred and ninty specimens comprising nine species were col -
lected as follows: (a) eastern garter snake, Thamnophis s. sirtalis;
(b) northern brown snake, Storeria d. dekayi ; (c) northern water snake,
Natrix s . sipedon ; (d) eastern milk snake, Lampropeltis t. triangulum ;
(e) northern red-bellied snake, Storeria o. oeoipitomaoulata; (f) east¬
ern ribbon snake, Thamnophis s. sauritus ; (g) northern ringneck snake,
Diadophis p. edwardsii ; (h) eastern smooth green snake, Opheodrys v.
vemalis ; (i) queen snake, Regina s. septemvittata . The numbers and
dimensions of these specimens appear in Table 1 while the habitats,
usually in rather close proximi ty to streams , ponds , or marshes were several
types of habitats adjoined, appear i n Table 2. A1 1 snakes observed were
captured with exception of eight northern water snakes and severa 1 east¬
ern garter snakes.

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 29

Volume 10 Number 1

March 1974

Table 1: Numbers and dimensions of snakes collected
in northwestern Pennsylvania

Species

No.

Length (cm)

wt. (g)

T.

s.

sirtalis

93

49a

l6-73b

4la

20- 1 6 1 b

S.

d.

dekayi

42

28

13-38

8

1-22

N.

s.

sipedon

15

57

30-106

99

6-544

L.

t.

triangulum

17

49

23-91

42

3-190

S.

o.

ooaipi tomaeu lata

10

30

25-35

8

27-39

T.

s.

sauritus

5

70

42-96

57

9-120

D.

p-

edwardsii

6

35

18-42

9

2-16

0.

V.

vemalis

1

38

8

R.

s.

septemvittata

1

35

8

a

Avg .

b

Range

Table 2:

Hab i tats

of

snakes col 1 ected

i n

northwes tern

Pennsy 1 van i a

No

. i n

each habitat

kyp6.,.

Speci

es

A

B

C

D

E F

G H

i

J K

T.

s.

sirtalis

19

4

18

1

1 8

36 0

5

0 1

S.

d.

dekayi

29

0

0

0

0 1

10 1

1

0 0

N.

s.

sipedon

3

0

0

9

0 0

0 1

0

0 2

L.

t.

triangulum

1 1

1

0

0

0 0

0 1

4

0 0

S.

0.

oooipitomaeulata

4

3

3

0

0 0

0 0

0

0 0

T.

s.

sauritus

0

0

0

0

0 5

0 0

0

0 0

D.

p •

edwardsii

2

3

0

0

0 0

0 0

0

1 0

0.

V.

vemalis

0

0

0

0

0 0

0 0

1

0 0

R.

s.

septemvittata

not

recorded

A under rock, plank, or bark in
overgrown field.

B under bark on dead forest tree
C on woodland trail or clearing

D swimming in pond or stream (or
under/on rocks at edge)

E on dirt road
F on grassy sandy lake shore

G on grassy sandy plain near lake
(some specimens found under boards)

H on or under bark on dead trees in
swamp

I 1 awn

J under dead leaves in woods
K on large rocks of dam

All specimens appeared healthy. Occasionally minor skin lesions,
scars, or absence of tails were noted. The eastern garter snakes,
northern water snakes, and eastern milk snakes often attempted to bite
when captured. The northern red-bellied snakes, upon capture, lifted

Page 30

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 10 Number 1

March 1974

the upper labials and laterally exerted the teeth of the upper jaw as
described by Wright and Wright (1957)* The other species collected did
not display aggressive behavior.

All species collected in our survey are reported for northwestern
Pennsylvania in recently publ ished distribution summaries and the lengths
and habitats of our specimens are within normal limits (Barbour, 1971;
Cochran and Goin, 1970).

The following species, reported for northwestern Pennsylvania
(Barbour, 1971; Cochran and Goin, 1970), were not observed: eastern
hognose snake ,Heterodon platy rhinos ; black rat snake, Elaphe o. obsoleta;
northern black racer, Coluber o. constrictor. Perhaps these species
are either uncommon or exist in isolated pockets in our locality.

Presque isle State Park, a 3100 acre peninsula which extends into
Lake Erie, yielded only eastern garter snakes (in abundance), northern
brown snakes , and eas tern ribbon snakes. This area, composed of ponds,
marshes, sandy plains, and forests, offers ideal habitats for the nine
species observed in this survey. The reason for the apparent scarcity
of different species on this peninsula was not determined.

The donat ion of specimens to this survey by the students and staff
of Behrend College is greatly appreciated.

L i terature C i ted

Barbour, R. W.

1971 . Amphibians and reptiles of Kentucky. The University Press
of Kentucky j Lexington , Kentucky , 1 - 33^*

Cochran, D. M. and C. J. Goin.

1970. The new field book of rept i 1 es and amph i b i ans . G. P. Putnam’s
Sons, New Yorkt 1 - 359.

Wright, A. H. and A. A. Wright.

1957. Handbook of snakes , Vol . 2. Comstock Publishing Associates ,
Ithaca. , New York , 565- 1105.

- Donald M. McKinstry and Steven Felege, Department of Biology, The

Pennsylvania State University , Behrend College, Erie, Pennsylvania, 16510.

Received 6 October 1973.

A Note on Cannibalism in Corn Snakes,

Elaphe guttata guttata

On 19 May 1973, a female corn snake, Elaphe guttata guttata, 89 cm
in length, was collected near Cape Henlopen State Park, Delaware. On
12 June 1973 the snake laid ten eggs, all of which hatched during the
period of 23 to 2A August. Five of the hatchlings were returned to the
Cape Henlopen State Park area and released.

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

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Volume 10 Number 1

March 1974

Three of the hatchlings were kept together in the same cage. They
spontaneously ate infant mice, Plethodon oinereus oinereus 3 Anolis
carolinensis carolinensis , Lygosoma laterale 3 Soeloporus undulatus
hyacinthinus and Eumeces fasoiatus.

Just after feeding on 9 October 1973, one of the young snakes was
found attempt i ng to swal low a cage mate. Only the head had been swallowed,
so they were manually separated and each was apparently unharmed. On
22 October six days after having been fed, one of the snakes consumed a
co-hatchling. The swallowed snake was not regurgitated, but digested
normally. Both snakes measured 30 cm in length prior to the consumption.
One of the snakes from this clutch is catalogued R 1802 NHSM in the
collection of the Natural History Society of Maryland.

Young rat snakes are known to eat a large variety of food items,
but cannibalism is uncommon. It must be taken into account that the
snakes were confined in captivity, as an incident like this might not
happen in nature.

— David M. Hi 11 is, 510 W, Joppa Roadj Towson ^ Maryland 21204

Received 14 November 1973

A New County Record for the Four-Toed Salamander,

Hemidaoty Hum sautatum 3 in Maryland

Duri ng the summer of 1969 , Paul Bys trak and Wa 1 ter J. Nixon collected
a spec imen of the four-toed sal amander , Hemidactyl&pm soutatum from wi th i n
a rotting log just off of Md. Rt. 662, 3 mi. S of Wye Mills, Talbot County,
Maryland. This specimen was released and would have represented a new
county record had it been preserved in a Museum collection.

On 12 March 1973, Paul Bystrak and I attempted to obta i n additional
specimens at the above locality. Four gravid female Eemidaotylium were
found in a seepage area hiding under heavy growths of 1 i verwort (Fig. 1).

Fig. 1. A Four-toed Salamander,
Hemidactylium scutatum, photographed
on the liverwort from within which it
was taken in Talbot County, Maryland.
Photograph by Paul Bystrak.

Apparently the salamanders were
utilizing this habitat as a sub¬
stitute for sphagnum which was
stunted and scarce in this area.
Two specimens are now catalogued
A 2773-^* NHSM in the collection
of the Natural History Society of
Maryland. According to Harris
(1969), these specimens represent
a new county record for th i s spe¬
cies in Talbot County.

Additional localities with
similar habitat were visited in
Queen Anne 1 s County ( 1 2 March) and
Somerset County (17 March) where
this species has not been recorded,
but no other specimens were seen.

Page 32

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 10 Number 1

March 1974

Thanks are due Paul Bystrak for providing the photograph, and for
accompanying me on the collecting trips.

L i terature C i ted

Harris, H. S. Jr.

1969. Distributional survey: Mary land and the District of Columbia.
Bull, Md, Herp. Soc. 5(4):97-161.

- William L. Grogan, Jr., Department of Entomology, University of

Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742

Received 12 December 1973

Notes on Lampropeltis oalligaster rhombomaculata

and Rana virgatipes

Cooper (1961), i nd i cates that a specimen of Lampropeltis oalligaster
rhombomaculata taken from Charles County, Maryland on 1 November I960
probably represents the latest recorded active date for this species
from Maryland. At 1:00 p.m. on 10 November 1973 an adult male L, c,
rhombomaculata was found DOR by William V. Horvath on Rt. 32 near its
junction with the B & 0 Railroad, Jessup , Anne Arundel County, Maryland.
The specimen with a snout-vent and total length respectively of 842 and
982 mm was freshly killed. It is interesting to note that at the time
it was found the approximate air temperature was 39° F and that tem¬
peratures during all of the preceeding week were below normal for this
time of year. The specimen was d i ssected and found to contain large fat
deposits, an indication that it was well prepared for winter. This
specimen is now catalogued R 1803 NHSM in the collection of the Natural
History Society of Maryland. Another spec imen was taken by Robert Ludwig
on 17 November 1973 as it was crossing Muirkirk Road near the junction
of Md. Rt. 197 and the Bal t imore-Wash ington Parkway, 3 mi. S of Laurel,
Prince Georges County, Maryland. This spec imen , a fema 1 e has snout-vent
and total lengths respectively of 642 and 735 mm.

Cooper et al. (1973) recently remarked on the paucity of records
for Rana virgatipes from Mary 1 and and on its apparent precarious position
as a member of the herpetofauna of the state. Because there are few
records of R, virgatipes from Mary 1 and and no new records for many years,
the following may be of interest.

It was recently brought to my attention by Paul Bystrak that he and
his brother Danny heard choruses of R, virgatipes on 18 June 1966 along
Powell Creek halfway between Welbourne, Worcester County, Maryland and
Greenbackv i 1 1 e , Accomack County, Virginia. Spec imens were heard calling
in both Maryland and Virginia but no attempts were made to collect them

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 33

Volume 10 Number 1

March 1974

as the Bystraks were running a breeding bird survey and were on a timed
schedule. They have never returned to the area in an attempt to secure
specimens, however, I feel that this locality should be reported as a
possible habitat for this elusive species and efforts should be made to
find it there. Other localities that may provide suitable habitat for
R. virgatipes within Maryland are the cypress swamp SW of Pocomoke City,
Worcester County and the cedar swamps W of Federal sberg in Dorchester
and Caroline Counties.

Literature Cited

Cooper, J. E.

1961. The d i s t r i bu t ion of the mo 1 e snake i n Ma ry 1 and . Herpetologica
17:141 .

. , L.R. Franz, F. Groves, J.D. Hardy, Jr., H.S. Harris, Jr.
D.S. Lee, P. Wemple and R.G. Tuck.

1973. Endangered amphibians and reptiles of Maryland. Bull . Md.
Herp. Soc. ^ (3) : 42- 1 00 .

- William L. Grogan, Jr., Department of Entomology, University of

Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742

Received 12 December 1973

Page 34

Bulletin Maryland He rpe to logical Society

Volume 10 Number 1

March 1974

News & Notes

Editorial Comment

Man's populations continue to burgeon and, with th i s , h i s demands on
the Earth's physical and biological resources are becoming ever more vo~
racious. Forests are being felled, deserts i rr i gated , and ponds , swamps,
and marshes f i 1 1 ed and dra i ned to satisfy our need for sui table land areas .
Associated with our occupation and use of the land we pollute and poison
adjacent areas in ever widening circles. All of these activities, our
physical al terat ions and occupat ion of space , are reduc i ng 1 and and hab i tat
areas previously occupied by a d i vers i ty of an i ma 1 and pi ant species. This
competion for space, coupled in many cases with our di rect exploi tat ion of
species' populations for food, clothing, or other purposes, is resulting
in a general decrease in the populations of many, if not most, animal and
plant species over the surface of the earth.

Many spec i es are a 1 ready reduced to level s where their continuance is
in jeopardy and , wi thout doubt , many more will soon reach these levels. A
loss of an animal species is an irrevocable event and a sad commentary on
our own wisdom and foresight. What valuable ecological component has been
lost? What wealth of undeciphered knowledge did that species represent
which we will never know?

This is an issue of major concern with agencies at the international
and federal level and, more recently, at the level of the i nd i vi dua 1 states.
Li sts of species cons i dered to be i n ser ious trouble, “Endangered Species'1,
are now being prepared and plans are underway in many cases to remedy or
avert the problems which affect many of these species.

This problem deserves broad publicity and support. We need a view of
the probl em i n genera 1 and of the specific problem(s) af feet i ng each of the
official and potential “Endangered Species" and what can be or is being
done to alleviate these problems.

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 35

Volume 10 Number 1

March 1974

ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT OF 1973

The Endangered Species Act of 1973 was recently passed by Congress
and signed by President Nixon on December 28, 1973- This is a sweeping
revision of the old 1969 Act and contains many new provisions. The ful 1
ram i f i ca t i ons of th i s legislation will not be understood for quite awhile
apparently; it will take considerable effort to devel op a worki ng set of
regulations and to determine exactly how some of the definitions may be
interpreted biologically.

A brief overview of this significant pieceof legislation indicates
poi nts of spec ia 1 interest: (1) it impl ements the 1 973 Convent ion on Trade
in Endangered Flora and Fauna and will thus have considerable impact on
commercial exploitation of herps, (2) it prov i des for Federa 1 protection
of U . S . endangered species if the individual States do not develop accept-
able endangered species programs within 15 months — the 1969 Act did not
prov i de for Federa 1 protection except through habitat purchase, (3) it
makes Land and Water conservation Funds available again for purchase of
these habitats, (4) it provides for a Federal Aid program to support
State endangered species projects, (5) it establishes two official cat¬
egories, endangered and threatened with endangerment , instead of the one
endangered category of the 1969 Act (previous "threatened" and "rare"
categories of times past were just informal), (6) it expands the govern¬
ment 1 s concern beyond "species" and "subspecies", taxonomi cal 1 y recogn i zed
to "populations", thus raising the specter of a real biological nightmare
but al lowing for the protection of b i ogeograph i ca 1 ly significant i sol a ted ,
etc., populations which have never been blessed with a formal name in the
capricious application of taxonomic rigor, (7) it provides for a reason¬
able "management" approach to threatened species, i nstead of the r i gorous
protectionist approach required for truely endangered species; that is,
a threatened species might still have special regulations written for it
which will allow for reasonable "harvest" by scientists or, in the case
of game species, hunters, while still protecting it from commercial ex¬
ploitation. This allows for a more flexible approach to the whole issue
of "endangered species" and points 5 and 6, in tandem, may well be the
salient features of this 1973 Act from the herpetologist's viewpoint.

This Act has many other points of interest, too many to go into in
detail here, and anyone wishing more information may request a copy from
the Director, Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife, U.S. Department of
the Interior, Washington, D.C. 20240.

Received January 1974

Page 36

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 10 Number 1

March 1974

REVISED REGULATIONS FOR IMPORT OF INJURIOUS WILDLIFE (LACEY ACT)

A revision of the regulations cover i ng the importat ion of injurious
wi 1 dl i fe was pub 1 i shed i n the Federa 1 Reg i s ter on December 20, 1973 (Volume
38, Number 244, Part IV) by the Department of the Interior. The purpose
of this revision is to create a "clean list" of animals which are con¬
sidered low-risk, to replace the previous system of ma i nta i n i ng a "black
list" of species known to be hazards to the U.S. ecology, economy, or
publ ic health. Obviously, the goal here is to prevent new introductions.
The previously used system essential ly prohi b i ted the import of a species
after it had become an established problem in the U.S.

This proposed regulation has received much bad publicity generated
pr i ma r i 1 y from ves ted commercial i nterests who fear for the i r profits from
animal importation. The impact of pressure from the aquarium industry
can be clearly seen in just a casual review of the proposed 1 ist of "clean"
species. I n cont ras t to the long list of supposed "cl ean" f i sh , no rept i 1 es
and onl y two amph i b i ans are considered "clean". Can we rea 1 1 y , on reason¬
able biological data, argue that the herp list should be extended? The
Department of the I n ter ior wou 1 d like to hear from you on this if you have
any arguments.

The issue that has probab 1 y been most mi srepresented by the opponents
of this proposal is the impact itwill have on leg i t imate scientific, ed¬
ucational, and zoological programs. The rumors being circulated suggest
that these programs would be hamstrung by th i s proposal. There can be no
argument that this proposal, if passed, will introduce a new and perhaps
somewhat i nconven i en t paperwork hurdle to legitimate scientists who des i re
to import live specimens for research or display. The disadvantages of
this added paperwork, however , shou 1 d be considered against the positive
gains in the prevent ion of potent i a 1 1 y disastrous species introductions.

This proposal is not d i rected at regu 1 at i ng research on foreign spe¬
cies, but only in assuring that these species , i f imported, will not escape.
Thus the primary grounds for issuing import permits will be the adequacy
of the holding and transport facilities and the responsibility of the
worker. The information requested in permit appl i cat i ons i s essent ia 1 1 y
aimed at establ i shing these points. The qua 1 i ty , pert i nence , etc . , of the
research program i tsel f wi 1 1 only be evaluated for appl icat ions to import
species which are of outstanding concern, such as endangered species. In
those cases the permit applications will be reviewed by an independent,
professional, review panel, as they are now.

If you or your associates want to go in the official record with
comments , pro or con, on this proposal, please direct your comments (pre¬
ferably in t r i pi i ca te) to the Director (FS F/LE) , Bureau of Sport F i sher i es
and Wildlife, Washington, D.C. 20240.

Received January 1974

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 37

Volume 10 Number 1

March 1974

C 1 oth patches of the Mary 1 and Herpetol og i ca 1 Society (as illustrated
above) are still ava i 1 ab 1 e to members or non-members at the cost of $2.00
each or 3 for $5.00. They are in limited suppl y so order promptly. These
patches are of the finest quality and look very good on field jackets...
order yours now!

Send check or money order, made payable to the:

Maryland Herpetological Society
Department of Herpetology
Hatural History Society of Maryland j Inc .

2643 North Charles Street
Baltimore s Maryland 21218

Page 38

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Society Publications

Back issues of the Bulletin of the Maryland
Herpetol og i ca 1 Society, where available, may be
obta i ned by wr i t i ng the Execu t i ve Editor. A list
of available issues will be sent upon request.
Individual numbers in stock are $2.00 each.

The Soc i ety a 1 so pub 1 i shes a News 1 etter on a
somewhat irregular basis. Theseare distributed
to the members h i p free of charge . Also published
are Maryland Herpetofauna Leaf 1 ets and these are
available at $. 05/page.

Information for Authors

All correspondence should be addressed to
the Executive Editor. Manuscripts being sub¬
mitted for publication should be typewritten
(double spaced) on good quality 8^x11 inch
paper, with adequate margins. Submit original
and first carbon, retaining the second carbon.
Indicate where illustrations or photographs are
to appear in text. Cite all literature used at
end in alphabetical order by author.

Major papers are those over 5 pages (double
spaced, elite type)andmust i nc 1 ude an abs t ract .
The authors name should be centered under the
title, and the address is to fol low the L i tera ture
Cited. Minor papers are those papers with fewer
than 5 pages. Author's name is to be placed at
end of paper (see recent issue). For add i t i ona 1
information see Style Manual for Biological
Journals (1964) , Amer i can I ns t i tu te of Biological
Sciences , 3900 Wi scons in Avenue,N.W. , Washi ngton,
D.C. 20016. Price is $3.00.

Repr i nts are ava i 1 ab 1 e at $.01 a page ($.02
a page with photographs) and should be ordered
when manuscr i pts are submi tted or when proofs are
returned. Minimumorder is 100 reprints. Either
edited manuscript or proof will be returned to
author for approval or correction. The author
will be respons i b 1 e for a 1 1 cor rect ions to proof ,
and must return proof preferably within 7 days.

The Maryland Herpetological Society
Department of Herpetology
Hatural History Society of Maryland, Inc .
2643 North Charles Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21218

ISSN 0025-4231

BULLETIN OF THE

HRarylanb

f)erpetologkal

©ociety

Department of Herpetology

The Natural History Society of Maryland, Inc,

MdHS . A FOUNDER MEMBER OF THE

Eastern Seaboard Herpetological League

JUNE 1974

VOLUME 10, NUMBER 2

Bulletin of the Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 10 Number 2 June 1974

CONTENTS

The Argentine land tortoise, Geoohelone chilensis , an

endangered species . Marcos A. Freiberg 39

The leatherback ( Dermochelys ooriaoea) , one of the

largest living reptiles . A. J. Zwinenberg 42

Effects of photoperiod on diel rhythm and rate of oxygen
consumption in juvenile blue granite lizards, Sceloporus
cyanogenys . . .John H. Songdahl 50

The systematic status of Trimorphodon lyrophanes Cope on

Cerralvo Island, Gul f of Ca 1 i forn i a , Mexico. . . Arnold Powers 53

A pre-Columbian record of cannibalism in the

rattlesnake . Benjamin H. Banta 56

First records of the eastern tiger salamander, Ambystoma

tigrinum tigrinum Creen, in Virginia. . .

........ . J . B . Funderburg , C .H .Hotchki ss , P.Hertl 57

The wood frog, Rana sylvatica Le Conte, in the Virginia

coastal plain. .... J . B. Funderburg , C .H. Hotchkiss , P.Hertl 58

Some amphibians and reptiles from Iran . . .

. . . . . Robert G. Tuck, Jr. 59

News S Notes:

Eastern Seaboard Herpetological League Meeting . 66

Careers in Biological Systematics. ...... . .. 68

Important paper reprinted . . . 68

Sea turtles and the turtle industry . . 69

National Swedish Herpetological Association. ........ .70

Reptiles and amphibians of the Pacific. . . . 72

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 76-93458

ERRATA: Acknowledgement was unintentional ly omitted to Dr. Roberts. Sim¬
mons for the fine turtle photographs he provi ded for the article
"Turtles at the brink: our endangered species" i n the 1 as t issue
of the Bulletin of the Mary land Herpetological Society (Vol.10,
No. 1). The editor was soley responsible for this error.

HSH .

The Maryland Herpetological Society , Department of Herpetology * Natural
History Society of Maryland s Inc,, 2642 North Charles Street, Baltimore
Maryland 21218 .

Published By

PkotogAapfUc VlA.e,ctoA,y PubtUka/a, PC Box 178, RandaZl&tom, Md. 21133

BU L LET I N OF THE

Volume 10 Number 2

30 June 1974

The Maryland Herpetolog i cal Society
Department of Herpetology, Natural History Society of Maryland, Inc.

Bui let in Staff

Executive Editor Herbert S. Harris, Jr.

Associate Editor(s) John Funk, Jr., Brian Leverton

Steering Committee

John E. Cooper
Frank Groves
John D. Groves
Jerry D. Hardy, Jr.
Herbert S. Harris, Jr.

Jeremy Jacobs
Arnold Norden
Mark J . Pr i hoda
Margaret M. Thomas
Peter Wemple

Of f i cers

President . Brian Leverton

Vice-President . John Funk, Jr.

Secretary . Daniel Carver

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The third Wednesday of each month, 8:15 p.m. at the Natural History
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■

■

Bulletin of the Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 10 30 June 1974

Number 2

THE ARGENTINE LAND TORTOISE, GEOCHELONE CHILENSIS

AN ENDANGERED SPECIES

Marcos A. Freiberg
(Photos by Rogelio Gutierrez)

An important factor some¬
times endangering the survival
of a species i s man 1 s preference
for keeping it as a pet, hence,
its charm in captivity chan-
lenges its existence.

This is exactly what is
happen i ng to the Argentine land
tortoise, Geoohelone ohilensis
(Figure 1), found also in Par¬
aguay. This tortoi se has scutes
concentrically engraved and de¬
corated with black stripes a-
round the edges. This feature
is more prominent in younger
specimens (Figure 2) and has
made them the object of active

Their appearance and ha¬
bits are similar to those of
the tortoises bel ong i ng to the
genus Gopherus. This is an ex¬
ample of convergent evolution
as they both live in similar
habitats. They are found i n the
semi-dry provinces of Argen¬
tina and are especial ly common
in Cordoba and Santiago del
Estero, i n the center and north
of the country. Other tor¬
toises found in Argentina are
shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5.

Fig. 2. Geoohelone ohilensis (Gray),
young, from Cordoba , Argent i na
(Carapace length 6 cent.)

Fig. 1. Geoohelone ohilensis (Gray),
from Cordoba, Argentina.
(Carapace length 32 cent.)

trade, which has resulted in
great damage to this species
in the last few years.

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

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Volume 10 Number 2

June 1974

Although, as wildlife,
Geochelone ohilensis is pro¬
tected by Law No. 13,908 and its
regulating decree No. 15,501/53,
it is subjected to an openly
active t rade , be i ng f reel y ex¬
hibited in pet shops in the
city of Buenos Aires. This
violation of the law is not
stopped by the pertinent agency
the Direction de Caza y Conser¬
vation dela Fauna which depends
on the Direction de Recursos
Naturales, thus prov i ng whol 1 y
inoperative in this respect.

The adul t female may reach
36 cm in length and the somewhat smaller male is narrower with parallel
lateral edges and a slightly concave plastron.

Geochelone ohilensis is predominantly vegetarian. 1 1 enjoys eat i ng
the cactus plants abounding in its habitat, swallowing them, without any
apparent discomfort from the thorns. it also feeds on 1 eaves , grass and
fruit, and in captivity itwill
readily take pieces of meat.

Not much is known about
th i s attract i ve tortoi se. Data
show that in November and De¬
cember the male becomes ag res-
sive toward his rivals and woos
the female by pushing her gent¬
ly until they mate. A month
later the female digs a hole
with her hind feet and in it
lays up to six round white eggs
(ca.A.Scm in diameter) which
she then covers with earth.

When cond i t ions are favor¬
able incubation may take as little as four months , but otherwi se may take
a year. When the young do hatch, they may have to wait for the rain to
soften the earth so that they can escape their subterranean entrapment.

Young specimens seen in the pet trade were probably originally col¬
lected in the province of Cordoba and Santiago del Estero and then sent
by the thousands to Buenos Aires. During transportation, they are pack¬
ed in bags with no precautions taken to assure their comfort or health
and a large proportion does die, unable to survive such rough treatment.

The sale of the survivors is still prof i table for these animal peddlers
who do not res tr ict their trade to these reptiles alone, but are devoted
to a large traffic in numerous wild species whose sale is equal ly forbidden.

Fig. A. Geochelone donosohavvosi

Freiberg, from Patagonia,
Argent i na.

(Carapace length A3 cent.)

Fig. 3* Geochelone ohilensis (Gray),
(foreground), and Geochelone
donosobarrosi Freiberg, (rear)

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Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 10 Number 2

June 1974

In the i nterior of the country the adult specimens, not sent to the
cap i tal , are eaten by the 1 ocal inhabitants who roast them alive claiming
that they have a better taste when cooked in this fashion. The shell is
used for a variety of purposes

The practices described
here are endangering the sur¬
vival of this species and it
will surely disappear i f urgent
measures are not taken immed¬
iately. These measures would
requi re only the enforcement of
existing laws. If this is not
done, an attractive and harm¬
less species, characteristic of
the southern hemisphere, wh i ch
has been respected by the pass¬
ing of eons, will disappear,
thanks to the action of man
who, in his folly, wipes it
from existence.

Fig. 5. Geoohelone petersi Freiberg,
from La Banda, Santiago del
Estero, Argentina.

(Carapace length 18 cent.)

Departamento de Biologie , Universidad de Buenos Aires 3 Buenos Aires,
Argentina .

Received 12 November 1973

Accepted 31 March 1 97^

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

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Volume 10 Number 2

June 1974

THE LEATHERBACK (DERMOCHELYS CORIACEA),
ONE OF THE LARGEST LIVING REPTILES

A. J. Zwinenberg

INTRODUCTION

If there is one reptile which people usually find attractive, it is
the sea turtle. Its graceful motion and appealing look can be seen to
advantage in the large aquaria worldwide. These wonderful creatures e-
vol ved f rom land-dwel 1 i ng rept i 1 es wh ich 1 a id eggs, and have retained this
one vital linkwith life on land. The femal es come ashore on sandy beaches,
dig holes with their flippers, and deposit their round "ping-pong ball"
shaped eggs. During i ncubat ion many nests are destroyed by predators , in¬
cluding mammals and other reptiles (Loveridge, 19^+6). Hatchling turtles
are usually attacked by gul 1 s , frigate b i rds and other an ima 1 s before they
can reach the sea. The few that succeed i n reach i ng the ocean are general ly
attacked and usual ly eaten by fish or sharks (Schulz, 1968). Only one in
a thousand enter i ng the sea will survive to maturity! Unfortunately, sea
turtles are very useful to man. They have been hunted by coastal peoples
for many thousands of years for fl esh and shel 1 . Turtle eggs are taken for
food and of fered for sale on local markets. The shell is used for "tor¬
toiseshell", the cal i pee for soup and the oi 1 for cosmetics. Young turtles
are stuffed for sale as souvenirs to tourists (Zwinenberg, 1972). Most
species of sea turtles are threatened wi th extinction in large areas of their
range. One of the rarest of these turtles, is the 1 eatherback or 1 eathery
turtle.

CLASSIFICATION AND SUBSPEC I AT I ON

There are six species of sea turtles; five belonging to the family
Cheloniidae and one, the 1 eatherback, to the family Dermochel i dae . These
two families form the superfamily Cheloniodea, which in turn belongs to
the sub-order Cryptodira.

The leatherback, Devmochelys coviaoea (Linnaeus, 1766) is the largest
of all sea turtles. It is found in tropi cal and subtropica 1 seas all over
the world. Some herpetologists recogn i ze two subspeci es (Worrell, 1963),
an Indo-Pacific race [Devmochelys c. schlegelii ) and an Atlantic race
[D. c. coviaoea). Others however, do not consider it necessary to re¬
cognize subspecies, because of the absence of adequate samples for valid
comparison. The main differences reported between the two races are as
f o 1 1 ows :

D.c. coviaoea is darker and less spotted than D.c. schlegelii ; D,c. sch¬
legelii has a somewhat greater skull length than does D.c. coviaoea . I
agree with Pritchard (1971), who proposed to call all leatherbacks Dev-
mochelys coviaoea until reliable subspecific character differences are
descr i bed .

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June 1974

DESCRIPTION

The leatherback lacks the horny carapace scutes found in other sea
turtles. The streamlined shell is covered instead with a thick, leathery,
oily skin that un i tes a mosa i c of hundreds of sma 1 1 separate bones. There
are seven prominent longitudinal ridges on the carapace and five on the
plastron. The forefl i ppers are very 1 arge and paddl e- 1 i ke , wh i 1 e the h i nd-
flippers, which are mostly employed as balancers and for steering, are
much shorter. The limbs have lost their claws completely. The head is
large. The upper jaw margin bears two tooth-like projections flanked by
deep cusps (Fig. l). The surfaces of the upper and lower jaw are simple
cutting edges, and are devoid of the crush i ng or chew i ng plates known in
other sea turtles. The nostrils are situated on the tip of the snout so
that they can be raised above the surface for breathing. They are closed
by fleshy valves as the reptile submerges. Males are recognizable from
females, by the tail, which is much longer.

COLOR

The upper surfaces are usual ly dark brown or black wi th numerous white
or bluish spots. The spots on the head are usually larger than those on
the shell. The throat, plastron and ventral surfaces of the limbs are
pinkish-white in color, with variable amounts of black vermi cul at ion .
Hatchlings are covered with small lizard-like scales. They are blue-
black dorsally with white longitudinal stripes and spots which are pale
bluish at their margins.

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Volume 10 Number 2

June 1974

SIZE AND WEIGHT

The leatherback is the largest sea turtle and one of the largest living
reptiles. Pritchard (1971) obtained detailed measurements of 192 mature
female leatherbacks from French Guiana. The smallest specimen had a car¬
apace length of 54 inches (137 cm), while the largest measured 71 inches
(180 cm). The carapace 1 ength of about one hundred specimens varied from
61 to 64 inches (154.9 “ 162.6 cm). Deraniyagala (1953) gives the de¬
mens ions of four Ceylon (currently known as Sri Lanka) leatherbacks as
fol lows :

Adul t Turtles

lgth. (cm) carapace

lgth. (cm) plastron

weight (kg)

?

165

115

448

?

147.5

109

301

s

155

107

8

156

124

The total length of adul t leatherbacks may vary fromaboutl80 to 250
cm. A dead specimen (male) washed ashore at Ameland in the Netherlands
in 1968. Its total length was 244 cm and its weight 485 kg. Records of
weights of adult leatherbacks vary enormously. According to Pritchard
(1971) the reliable records are within 295 to 590 kg (650 to 1300 lbs).
Newspaper accounts of leatherbacks caught on the Atlantic coast of the
Uni ted States of America mention weights of 657 and even 726 kg. Even heavier
specimens are reported on the Pacific coast. These records are not re¬
liable; it is 1 i kely that the weights are estimated and not actual ly meas¬
ured. A 1 arge 1 ea therback caught near Laa i pi ek (western South Africa) was
measured by an amer i can herpetolog i st and found to weigh 644 kg (Pritchard,
1971).

FOOD

The stomach contents of 1 eatherbacks indicate that they feed on soft
bodied, slow-moving animals (Burton, 1970). The diet consists mainly
of jellyfish (Scyphomedus i dae) and sea squirts (Tunicates) (Rose, 1950,
Pritchard, 1971). Blue-green algae and sea-grass have al so been reported
as well as amphipods and small fishes (Worrell, 1963), but it is most
1 i kely that these were i ngested accidental ly when the turt les were feed i ng
on something else. There is one record of a 1 eatherback stomach conta i n i ng
the remains of large numbers of hatchling ridleys, another sea turtle
species.

DISTRIBUTION

The leathery tu rt 1 e i s found i n a 1 1 trop i ca 1 seas and may wander into
temperate waters as wel 1 . I nd i vi dua 1 s are caught at sea i n col d , northern
waters more frequently than any other species of sea turtle. Specimens
have been recorded from the coastal waters of New England and Canada
(25x from Nova Scotia - Bleakney, 1965). Leatherbacks are known from

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Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 10 Number 2

June 1974

European shores as well. They have been seen as far north as Norway and
Iceland (Burton, 1970).

The leatherback is also a visitor to the Mediterranean (Mertens and
Wermuth , 1 960) . Records i ncl ude Tun i s ia , A1 ger i a , Morocco and Yugoslavia.
Numerous records ex i st from Japanese waters , especi a 1 1 y from the Japan Sea
coast of Honshu < The southern border of Dermoohelys 's range runs a 1 ong the
west coast of northern New Zealand, the south coast of Australia, Cape of
Good Hope to the mouth of the Rio de la Plata on the Atlantic coast of
Uruguay. In the south-east Pacific, leatherbacks are known from Chile
as far south as Chiloe island.

BREEDING BEACHES

The leatherback normally breeds within 20° latitude both north and
south of the equator. Females come ashore to lay eggs on speci f i c beaches
all over the world, including:

North America (Atlantic coasts): Florida (very rarely).

Central America (Atlantic coasts): beaches of Veracruz and Yucatan ,
British Honduras, Nicaragua (near San Juan del Norte) and Costa Rica
(north of the mouth of the Matina River).

Caribbean and South America (At 1 ant i c coasts ) : Panama (rarely), Co-
lombia (occasionally), Venezuela (at Punta Playa), Trinidad (good
nesting beaches; breed i ng season between March/April - July/August),
Tobago, Guyana (on Shel 1 Beach) , Surinam (Bigisanti and Ei lanti ) and
French Guiana (near Cayenne and the mouth of the Organabo River).

West Africa: very little nesting takes place on the coasts of West
Africa. There are only a few records for this area. Females are
known to have come ashore occas ional ly in L iberia and the Ivory Coast.

Bulletin Maryland Herpetolog i cal Society

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Volume 10 Number 2

June 1974

Indian Ocean: two good nesting beaches exist in this area. The
first is on the Tongaland coast of Natal (East Africa), the second
on Ceylon (Sri Lanka).

Southeast Asia: there is an important leatherback nest i ng beach i n
Malaysia. In 1 9 6 1 a hatchery was founded to i nsure hatching success.
During the first few years the hatching success was approximately
35 percent , but i n 1967 no less than 68 per cent of a total of 20,000
eggs hatched. Other nesting grounds exi st on the coast of New Guinea
and Tha i > and .

Central and South America: Mexico (on about 1 0 d i f ferent pi aces along
the Pacific coast) and Peru (though not proven). Nesting probably
occurs sporadically along the entire Pacific coast of Central A-
merica.

REPRODUCTION

Females crawl upon the sandy beach, usually, late at night (around
ll.p.m.), in small groups, about two to four times a season. In Ceylon,
f ishermen have noted a specimen wi th only three f 1 i ppers , wh i ch came ashore
to lay eggs a’.out once every three months (Deran iyaga 1 a , 1953) . Pritchard
(1971) reports that the largest French Guiana specimens he saw, 70 and 71
inches in length, were so heavy that they could hardly move on land. The
animal 1 s breathing was distinctly audible from a distance of several yards.

A female starts digging a nest hoi e after reach i ng dry sand . A hollow
i s excavated with all f^ur f 1 i ppers and s i deway movements of the shel 1 unt i 1
the turtle is largely hidden. Then sand is thrown back with the powerful
front flippers, but after some minutes the female turns around and uses
her clawless hind flippers for digging an egg pit. About 50 to 150 soft
shelled eggs (2-2^ inches in diameter) are laid at a time. Some nests,
contain some undersized, yolkless or otherwise malformed eggs.

The eggs are most 1 y wh i te , like those of other sea turt 1 es , but some¬
times they are fl ecked with green. When the clutch is completed the rep¬
tile sweeps sand into the nest cavity with her hind flippers. When the
cavity is full and the nest spot completely hidden, the exhausted animal
makes her way back to the sea 1 eavi ng a track on the beach of about A to 6
feet wide. The nests hatch after 60-68 days in Surinam (Pritchard, 1969),
58-72 days (average 67 days) in Ceylon, 56-72 days in Tongaland and 53~60
days in Malaysia.

EMERGENCE FROM THE NEST

Herpetologists have always been cur ious to learn how the hatchlings
penetrate through the two to four feet of sand after hatching. Dr. A. Carr,
one of the foremost American authorities on sea turtles, kept several
clutches of eggs in a glassfronted box with sand, and was able to record
thi s for the f i rst t ime . Hughes (1969) describes Carr' s records on hatch i ng
as follows (abbreviated):

"After the turtles have cut their way through the now brittle egg-shel 1
by means of the egg-tooth situated on the upper half of the beak, they

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Bulletin Maryland Herpetolog i cal Society

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June 1974

s tra ighten out from the curl ed embryolog i cal pos i t ion . With hatching there
is a decrease in total volume of space occupied by the eggs alone, and
this prov i des an a i rchamber , which presumably supplies sufficient oxygen
for the requi rements of the hatchl ings once they become real ly active. After
the bul k of hatch 1 i ngs have hatched the activity s tarts wi th thresh i ng the
flippers. The young at the top of the nest attempt to scramble up the
side of the a i rchamber and th i s bri ngs sand down from the sides and roof of
the chamber. This sand is now filtered through the entire group of
scrambling hatch 1 i ngs unt i 1 it reaches the floor of the nest chamber where
it starts to form a new floor. Slowly the main body of hatchlings starts
to rise towards the surface of the beach as the floor of the chamber be¬
comes th icker and th i cker , bury i ng the unhatched eggs, the egg-shells and
the unfortunate hatchlings that e i the r possess some gross infirmity or were
slow to hatch. They die, because they are unab 1 e to make their own way to
the surface."

The young generally emerge at night and make for the sea as fast as
they can move (Schulz, 1968).

ENEMIES

Eggs are sometimes lost to ghost crabs (Ooypode sp.) but they often
are dug up by monitor lizards (in Ceylon and Tongaland) and dogs . Hatch¬
lings are ki 1 led by the thousands by ghost crabs (in Surinam and Tongaland) ,
genet cats, mongooses (Tongaland), vultures - Coragyps atratus and Cath-
artes aura { Surinam (Schulz, 1968) and the Guianas), f r i ga te b i rds , gu 1 1 s ,
fera 1 dogs and other predators . The few young that reach the sea are usually
attacked by large fishes (rock cods), octopi and sharks . Even adults are
not safe i n the water . They of ten carry scars of bi tes from past encounters
wi th sharks , and sometimes one or even two f 1 i ppers are lost i n the struggle
for life. The uncontrolled col lect i ng of the eggs by man, however, causes
the greatest damage (Janssen, 1972, Petzoldt, 1972) . Fortunately, the flesh
of adults is regarded as inedible. Pritchard (1971) estimates that there
are between 29,000 and A0,000 breeding female leatherbacks in the world.
An es t imate of the number of males i s unava i lab le ; since, the males never
come ashore, they cannot be counted.

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June 1974

CONCLUSION

We do not know much about the hab i ts and wander i ngs of th i s remarkable
reptile. It spends most of its time in open sea and is one of the swiftest
of testud i nates . 1 1 i s al so one of the rarest of al 1 sea turtles - a total
of less than 40,000 breeding females for a world-ranging species is not
great - and it will soon be threatened with extinction in large areas of
its range if not given FULL PROTECTION!!!

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would 1 ike to thank Dr. P . C .H . Pr i t chard , the we 1 1 -known marine turtle
special i st of the Un i vers i ty of FI or i da , for send i ng me valuable i nformat ion
on the leatherback, and Mr. P. A. Teunissen at Paramaribo (Surinam) for
allowing me to use photographs of the Dienst's Landsbosbeheer and for his
help in genera 1 .

Li terature C i ted

Bleakney, J. S.

1965. Reports of mar i ne turtles from new engl and and eastern Canada,
Can . Field Nat. 79(2) : 120-128.

Burton, M.

1970. Purnell's encyclopedia of animal life, BFCFubl., London s
pp. 1293-1294.

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June 1974

Deran i yagal a , P. E. P.

1953. A colored atlas of some vertebrates from Ceylon - tetrapod
reptilia, Ceylon Government Press , pp. 6-21.

Hughes, G.

1969. Marine turtle hatchlings of Tonga land, African Wildlife 23: 5" 19.

Janssen, J. J.

1972. Zeesch i 1 dpadden aan de st randen van Sur i name , Lacerta 31 : 3“ 1 2 .

Loveridge, A.

1946. Reptiles of the Pacific world, MacMillan Comp. , New York,
pp. 13-27.

Mertens, R. and H. Wermuth.

I960. Die Amphib ien and Repti 1 Jen Europas, Ver lag W. Kramer, Frank¬
furt am Main, pp. 67-73.

Petzoldt, T. R.

1972. Zeesch i 1 dpadden , Schakels 78: 12-16.

Pritchard, C. H.

1969. Sea turtles of the Guiana, Bull, of the Florida State Museum
13:85-140.

1971. The 1 eatherback or 1 eathery turtle, J. U.C.N. Monograph no. 1,
Morges, Switerland.

Rose, W.

1950. The rept i 1 es and amph i b i ans of southern Afr ica , Maskew Miller,
Cape Town , pp. 327-329.

Schulz, J.P.

1968. Zeesch i 1 dpadden in Suriname, Dienstrs Landsbosbeheer, Para¬
maribo, pp. 1-120.

Worrel 1 , E .

1963. Rept i 1 es of Austral ia , Angus and Roberts on, Sydney, pp . 6— 11.
Zwinenberg, A. J.

1972. The marine turtles of Ceylon, Herpetology
Bomeostraat 23, Vlaardingen, The Netherlands

Received 12 February 1974
Accepted 27 February 1974

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

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June 1974

Effects of Photoperiod on Diel Rhythm
and Rate of Oxygen Consumption in
Juvenile Blue Granite Lizards,
Sceloporus oyanogenys

The rate of oxygen consumption, VO2 , in animals is modified by many
factors including body size, sex, reproductive stage, nutrition, activity,
temperature and photoperiod. Organisms in their natural environments also
show rhythms of activity which are reflected in metabolic rate changes,
thus changes in VO2. Exogenous rhythms occur as a response to environ¬
mental change and do not cont i nue i n constant conditions. However, rhythms
which pers is t when an env i ronmental condition is held constant, when it is
known that the condition can, when fluctuating, affect or determine the
form of the rhythm are called endogenous rhythms (Harker, 1958).

This study was conducted to determi ne a mean rate of oxygen consump¬
tion and if the diel rate or rhythm of VO2 in these 1 i zards was i nf 1 uenced
by photoperiod.

Nine juveni le blue grani te lizards, Soeloporus oyanogenys were ac¬
climated to 25°C + 1°C and LD 1 6 : 8 photoperiod in a Sherer environmental
chamber. The animals were born and ma i nta i ned under these conditions and
were 7 “10 days old when used in the study. VO2 was mon i tored wi th Warburg
constant-volume respirometers containing NaOH in the sidearm, at 25°C +
0 .5°C . Read i ngs were made in low i ntens i ty red 1 ight and taken at 30 minute
intervals cont i nuousl y for 24 hours. I n an add i t iona 1 study nine juvenile
lizards from a second brood were used . These animals were born inconstant
light, 25°C + 1°C and were ma i nta i ned under these cond i t ions for four days
prior to being monitored over 24 hours. Prior to use all animals were
weighed to the nearest 0.01 g and had a mean weight of 0.82 g.

The mean VC 2 of the animals under the LD .16:8 photoperiod was 97-1
jj! g“l hr""1 while animals under constant light had a mean of 124.4 jj 1 g"1
hr”1 with the difference significant at the .001 level (student's "t")
(Fig. 1). Higher metabolic rates under longer photophases would be ex¬
pected in a diurnal animal. However, not only is the VO2 higher but the
complete cycle is elevated.

L i ttl e work has been publ i shed on VO2 in juveni le 1 izards. Bartholomew
and Tucker (1964) concluded that the relation of we ight to metabol i sm at
a body temperature of 30 °C could best be descr i ued by the formula 02g“1hr“1 =
0.82 W”°*38 where W is body weight in grams. Mueller (1969) reported the
VO2 of a 1.0 g lizard, S, graoiosus at 30°C as 240 jjlg-ihr-1 which would
be approximately 30% of the val ue pred i cted from the formul a . Another species
with a small body weight, Lygosoma laterale , had a VO2 of 310 jj! g”1 hr-1
or approximately 40% of the predicted value (Hudson and Bertram, 1966).
The values obta i ned i n th i s study are cons iderably lower than the predicted
value but probably represent a better approximation of a mean value. In

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June 1974

TIME (EST)

Fig. 1. Diel VO2 of juveni le Soe loporus oyanogenys . Upper curve,
animals run under constant light. Lower curve, animals
run under L9 1 6 : 8 photoper iod .

an earlier study (Songdahl, 1971) cf V 02 of juvenile S . oyanogenys 1 ob¬
tained a value of 177 JJl g-lh r-1 at 25°C which would closely approximate
those of Mueller (19&9) if the temperature d i fference i s cons i dered . How¬
ever, Muel ler 1 s study was conducted over several two hour periods wi th read¬
ings taken at 15 minute intervals. Periods of 2 - 5 hours are frequently
used in deriving mean VO2 values. 1 bel ieve these abbreviated determinations
are frequently unrealistic in that the animals undoubtedly reflect the trauma
of the situation in increased VC 2« Furthermore, photoperiod effects and
diel variations, whjch have been shown to be significant (Songdahl and
Hutchison, 1972) in VC2 stud ies , cannot be cons i dered when us i ng attenuated
tests .

There appeared to be a bimodal rhythm of Vp2 in the animals acclimated
to the LD 16:8 photoperiod. A high level of VO2 occurred S' me time prior
to the onset of the scotophase. A similar rhythm has been shown in adult
lizards acclimated to changing light. (Songdahl and Hutchison, 1972).

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June 1974

The animals under constant light did not exhibit a bimodal rhythm.
However , a not i cab 1 e rise in VO2 is shown in the ea r 1 y afternoon . Aschoff
(1963) found that day-active birds exposed to constant light conditions
showed an acceleration in start of activity. These lizards seem to ex¬
hibit this trend. Increased metabolic activity commenced approximately
two hours prior to those acclimated to changing light.

Th i s work was compl eted wh i 1 e the author hel d a tra i neesh i p provided
by NIH training Grant T01-S00104.

Li terature C i ted

Aschoff, J.

1963. Comparative physiology: diurnal rhythms. Ann . Rev. Physiol .
25: 581-600.

Bartholomew, G. A., and V. A. Tucker.

1964. Size, body temperature, thermal conductance, oxygen consump¬
tion, and heart rate i n Aus tra 1 ian varanid lizards. Physiol .
Zool. 37: 341-354.

Harker, J. E.

1958. Metabolic rhythms. Biol, Rev, 33: 1-52.

Hudson, J. W. and F. W. Bertram.

1966. Physiological response to temperature in the ground skink,

Lygosoma laterale. Physiol, Zool, 39: 21-29.

Muel ler , G. F.

1969. Temperature and energy character i st ics of the sagebrush lizard
Soeloporus graoiosus in Yellowstone National Park. Copeia
1969 ( 1 ) : 1 53- 1 60 .

Songdahl , J . H .

1971- The role of the parapineal in oxygen consumption cycles of
the b 1 ue gran i te lizard, Soeloporus cyanogenys (Cope). Ph.D
Dissertation University of Rhode Island.

Songdahl, J. H. and V. H. Hutchison.

1972. The effect of photoper i od , par i eta 1 ectomy and eye enucleation
on oxygen consumption in the blue granite lizard, Soeloporus

cyanogenys. Herpetologica 27 (2) : 1 48- 1 56 .

- John H. Songdahl, Department of Zoology 3 University of Rhode Island 9

Kingston Rhode Island 02881.

Present Address: Nichols College _, Dudley Mass. 01570.

Received 3 April 1974
Accepted 9 Apr i 1 1 974

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Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 10 Number 2

June 1974

The Systematic Status of Trimorphodon
lyrophanes Cope on Cerralvo Island, Gulf of
California, Mexico

Banks and Farmer (1963) fi rst reported Trimorphodon lyrophanes from
Cerralvo Island, Gulf of California, Mexico. This was the first record
for the genus on any of the islands in the Gulf of California. The first
lyre snake, a male (SDNHM 44395) , was col lected 26 May 1962, approximately
one hour after sundown at the edge of dense brush, north of the salt flat
near the southwest end of the island. A second juvenile male specimen
(CAS 93015) was col lected 29 May 1962 from rocks near the adjacent beach.
The third specimen, an adult female Trimorphodon lyrophanes (R 1835 NHSM) ,
was collected 12 January 1974 by Senor Pancho Aviles about dusk from a
steep rocky arroyo located near the northwest end of Cerralvo Island.
The food of these venomous rear-fanged snakes consists, in part, of small
mammals, as is evidenced by the remains found in the stomach of this
adult female specimen.

Having examined the three available specimens of Trimorphodon lyro¬
phanes from Cerralvo Island, I find significant differentiation from the
penisular populations only in the number of anterior scale rows, 26 as
compared to 23, and temporals, 4+4 as compared to 3+4. Klauber (1940),
reports that there i s an unusua 1 1 y large number of Trimorphodon specimens
having an even number of seal e rows, as compared with most other colubrid
snakes, which seldom have an even number. This results from, either a
spl i tt i ng of the mid-dorsal row to convert the normal 23 to 24 or the sup¬
pression of the mid-dorsal to 22. Dorsal, rather than the usual lateral
condensat ions , are ev ident in Trimorphodon . One specimen (CAS 93015) was
found to have an increased number of dorsal tail spots, 21 as compared
to 10-18 for peninsular specimens. Essentially the dorsal body pattern
of Cerralvo Island specimens consists of a series of brown or gray-brown
dorsal spots on a grayish to tan background; each spot is divided by a
transverse lighter bar much the same as in peninsular specimens.

|

Fig. 1. An adult female Trimorphodon

Fig. 2. Close-upof the ante-

lyrophanes from Cerralvo Is¬
land (R 1835 NHSM) .

rior portion of the
body of R 1835 NHSM.

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

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Volume 10 Number

June 1974

O

Since itwill probably be some time before a 1 a rge series from Cerra 1 vo
Island will become available for study, morphometric data for the three
currently available specimens are presented and compared with available
pub 1 i shed morphometric data provided by Klauber (1928, 1940). See Table 1.

TABLE 1. Variation in Trimorphodon lyrophanes from Cerralvo Island com¬
pared with Baja California peninsular specimens.

CERRALVO ISLAND BAJA CALIFORNIA

SDNHM

44395

CAS

93015

NHSM

1835

(Klauber 1928,

1940)

Age

Juven i 1 e

Juven i 1 e

Adul t

Adult

Sex

(5

6

?

6

¥

Total length
(mm)

283

275

785

-

-

Vent ra 1 s

231

229

239

222-235 222-243

Cauda 1 s

77

73

67

71-86

63-76

Supra labials

9-8

10-9

9-9

8-10

1 nf ra 1 ab i a 1 s

10-10

12-11

13-13

10-14

Tempora 1 s

4+4

4+4

3+4

2+3 or 3+4

Body Spots

27

33

31

21-34

Tail Spots

17

21

13

10-18

Scale Rows

26-23-18

26-23-18

26-24-17

23-22-16 (typical)

Note: A1 1

Cerra 1 vo

Island specimens counted

by author.

When more specimens are available, variation in morphometric data com¬
bined with the geographical isolation from the most similar populations
on the Baja California peninsula, with the high degree of endemism found
in other reptiles occurring on Cerralvo Island, could possibly provide
the basis for nomenclatorial recognition of a distinct geographic race.

y/'s /

I am i ndebted to Senores Ismael and Pancho Aviles, shark fishermen,
from El Sargento, Baja California Sur for their valuable assistance in

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Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 10 Number 2

June 1974

collecting spec imens from Cerra 1 vo Island; to Mr. Herbert S. Harris, Jr.
and Dr. Robert S. Simmons, Natural History Soc i ety of Mary 1 and (NHSM) for
partial financial field ass i stance and mot i vat ion ; to Dr. Thomas H. Fritts
and Mr. Clark R. Mahrdt, San Diego Natural History Museum (SDNHM) and Dr .
Alan E. Leviton, California Academy of Sciences (CAS) for the loan of
specimens; to Dr. Benjamin H. Banta, Biology Department, United States
International University for guidance; and to Dr. Hobart M. Smith, EPO
Biology Department, University of Colorado for editorial suggestions.

Literature Cited

Banks, R. C. and W. M. Farmer.

1963. Observations on repti les of Cerral vo Island, Baja California,
Mexico. Herpetologica 18 (4) : 246-249 .

Klauber, L. M.

1928. The Trimorphodon (lyre snake) of California, with notes on
the spec i es of the adjacent areas. Trans . San Diego Soc . Nat .
Hist. 5(11) : 1 83-194, pis. 22-23.

19^0 . The lyre snakes (genus Trimorphodon) of the United States.
Trans. San Diego Soc. Nat. Hist. 5(19) : 163“194, pi. 7, map.

- Arnold Powers, EPO Biology Department, University of Colorado, Boulder,

Colorado 80302.

Received 17 April 1974

Accepted 9 May 1974

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

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Volume 10 Number 2

June 1974

A Pre-Columbian Record of Cannibalism in the Rattlesnake

Powers (1972) has recently commented on a case of cann i bal i sm i n the
southern Pacific rattlesnake, Crotalus viridis helleri , and has reviewed
other comparable i nstances of cann 1 bal i sm wh i ch have been reported i n the
literature. That this phenomenon has been observed before by American
Indians inhabiting what is now Mexico many years before the arrival of
Europeans to the New World is documented by figure 18 by Martin del Campo
(1936) wh i ch i s reproduced in figure 1. This figure represents what coul d

Fig. 1. A pre-Columbian drawing of cannibalism
in rattlesnakes (from Martin del Campo
(1936) • figure 18) .

be cons i dered an older snake beg inning to i ngest a much younger one , j udg i ng
by the size and number of terminal rattles. This should help allay the
concept that only Western Europeans were concerned with detailed descrip¬
tions which lead inevitably to the development of Western Science as we
now know i t .

Literature Cited

Martin del Campo, R.

1936. Los batracios y reptiles segun los codices y relatos de los
antiguos mexicanos, Anales del Instituto de Biologia 7(A):
489-512.

Powers, A.

1972. An instance of cann i ba 1 i sm i n capt i ve Cvotdlus vividis helleri
with a brief review of cannibalism in rattlesnakes, Bulletin
Maryland Eerpetological Society 5(3)- 60-61 .

- Benjamin H. Banta, Department of Biology , United States International

University a 10455 Pomerado Road, San Diego, California 92131 .

Received 31 April 1974

Accepted 31 April 1974

Page 56 Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 10 Number 2

June 1974

First Records of the Eastern Tiger Salamander,
Amby stoma tigrinum tigrinum Green, in Virginia

Although the eastern t iger salamander, Ambystoma tigrinum tigrinum ,
has been found four miles south cf the North Carolina line and less than
ten miles north of the Potomac River in Maryland, intensive collecting
has heretofore fa i 1 ed to reveal the presence of th i s sa 1 amander in Virginia
(Burger, 196l;Tobey, 1973). However two separate discoveries during 1973
finally added the ti ger salamander to the official State 1 i s t of rept i 1 es
and amphibians.

On 23 March 1973, we found two freshly laid egg masses of this sal¬
amander in Jones Pond, located alongside State Road 54, ten miles west of
Ashland, Hanover County , V i rg i n i a . Both egg masses were attached to cl umps
of soft rush, Junous effusus , growing i n two feet of water. The margin of
Jones Pond i s 1 i ned by a narrow stri p of smooth al der , Ulnus serrulata, and
Junous . There are a few isolated clumps of Junous growing in deeper water
and the egg masses were attached to two of these cl umps . We brought the eggs
into the laboratory but they fa i 1 ed to devel op beyond the ta i 1 bud stage.
We preserved the egg masses and deposited them in the collection of the
Natural History Society of Maryland. David S. Lee, who is working with
the tiger salamander in Maryland, ver i f i ed our i dent i f i cat ion of the eggs .

On 13 Octoter 1973, an adult tiger sal amander was col lected by Thomas
H. Groff at Tabb, York County, Virginia. Mr. Groff dug up two of these
salamanders in his garden but one escaped. The captive specimen is alive
at the Peninsula Nature and Science Center (Collection Number PBT731013“1).
Photographs and col lection data have been deposi ted with the Virginia Herp-
etological Society (Tobey, 197*0.

The York and Hanover County local ities are approximately 80 airline
miles apart; both are within the James-York drainage system. However,
York County lies in the Lower Coastal Plain while the Hanover site is
located on the Lower Piedmont Plateau, approximately ten miles west of
the Fall Line.

Jones Pond is located in an area of ha rdwood forest with white oak,
Querous alba , and tulip poplar, Liriodendron tulipifera , as dominants.
This pond differs quite markedly from the transient field ponds located
in depressions preferred by these sal amanders in Mary 1 and (St i ne , et . a 1 . ,
195**). The authors are familiar with Golts and Massey Ponds in Kent
County, Maryland, the only active breeding sites of the tiger salamander
in Maryland. Neither of these ponds has fish in it. We have been unable
to find A. tigrinum larvae in Jones Pond. We feel that predation by a
large population of fish, such as crappie, b 1 ueg ill, and bass, in the
pond is the most likely reason for the absence of larvae.

Literature Cited

Burger, Lesl ie W.

1961. A spr i ng research project for Vi rginia naturalists , Va, Herps,
Bull . 23: 4-6.

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

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Volume 10 Number 2

June 1974

Stine, Charles J.,Jr., James A. Fowler and Robert S. Simmons.

1954. Occur rence of the eastern tiger salamander, Ambystoma tigrinum
tigrinum (Green) in Maryland with notes on its life history,

Annuals of the Carnegie Museum 33: 1 45" 148.

Tobey, Franklin J., Jr.

1973* Personal Communication.

1 97^ • Personal Commun i cat ion .

— — John B. Funderburg, Charles H. Hotchkiss, and Peter Hertl , Depart¬
ment of Biology, Randolph-Maoon College, Ashland, Virginia 23005 .

Received 11 May 1974
Accepted 14 May 1974

The Wood Frog, Rana sylvatica Le Conte,
in the Virginia Coastal Plain

The wood frog, Rana sylvatiea , is a northern species whose southern
limit is reached i n northern Virginia except in the mounta i ns where i t occurs
as far south as South Carolina (Wright, 1 9^9 ; Conant, 1953). Sn the Del-
marva Peninsula i t is found as far south as Somerset and Worcester Counties,
Maryland (Harris, 1939).

On 10 March 1973, the authors were col lecti ng repti les and amphibians
along Crump Creek, one mile east of the junct ion of th i s creek and State
Road 651 in Hanover County, Virginia, in a pothole on the floodplain of
the creek we found three egg masses of the wood frog attached to sticks
which protruded above the surface. The eggs had hatched but we col lected
the jelly masses and preserved them. They have been deposited in the col¬
lection of the Natural History Society of Mary land . Efforts to secure tad¬
poles from this pothole were not successful nor did we find either eggs of
frogs at this site in 1974.

Dur i ng the afternoon of 6 March 1974, we found two freshly laid wood
frog egg masses 1/2 mile north of the junction of US 301 and State Road 601
in Carol ine County, Virginia. These egg masses were found in a di tch flowing
through a culvert under US 301. We did not d I s turb the eggs and returned
to the site that evening and captured an adult female wood frog floating
near the eggs. We also col lected a sma 1 1 egg sample. Both the female and
eggs are depos i ted i n the col 1 ect ion of the Biology Department at Randol ph-
Macon Col lege.

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Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

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June 1974

These collecting si tes are both located on the Upper Coastal Plain near
the Fall Line. They are approximately 25 miles apart. Since the wood frog
is common i n the lower port ion of the Eastern Shore of Mary 1 and , i t i s quite
1 i kely that more in tens i ve col lect i ng in the Lower Ccastal PI a i n of V i rg i n i a
will reveal other disjunct populations of this frog.

Literature Cited

Conant, Roger.

1958. A field guide to repti les and amphibians, Houghton Mifflin Co,
Harris, Herbert S., Jr.

1969. Distributional survey: Mary 1 and and the D i str i ct of Col umb i a ,
Bull, Md, Herp, Soo, 5 (A) : 97“ 1 6 1 .

Wright, A. H. and Anna Wright.

19*+9. Handbook of frogs and toads, Comstock Publ, Co,

- John B. Funderburg, Charles H. Hotchkiss, and Peter Hertl , Depart¬
ment of Biology 3 Rondo Iph-Maoon College 3 Ashland 3 Virginia 23005,

Received 11 May 197*+

Accepted 15 May 197*+

Some Amphibians and Reptiles from Iran

Iran i s a mounta i nous country in southwest Asia whose nearly one and
two-thirds mi 1 1 icn square ki lometres represent a 1 and area nearly the s i ze
of France, England, I re 1 and, Italy, and Spain taken together ( F I rouz, 1971 ) .
Arid, interior steppes and extreme deserts occupy large parts of the Central
Plateau; mountain peaks reach to almost 5800 metres in the Alborz range,
while elevations along the Caspian Sea dip to 26 metres below sea level.
Varied hab i tats and cl imates throughout the country support approximately
185 described species of amphibians and rept i 1 es , of wh i ch five forms (a
salamander, a frog, two lizards, and a snake) have been added since my
account less than three years ago (Tuck, 1971)* S. C. Anderson (pers .
comm.; Tuck, 1973) is in the process of publishing descriptions of two
new Iranian geckos, and J. Eiselt (pers. comm.) has communicated to me
notice of his having discovered another new Iranian gecko.

Photographs presented here depi ct only a very few members of the rich
Iranian herpetofauna . Most examples have been preserved in the Muze-ye
Tarikh-e Tab i 1 i (-National Museum of Natural History) (MMTT), Department
of the Env i ronment , Teheran; the tortoi se and the seasnake are s t i 1 1 alive
as of this writing.

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

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Volume 10 Number 2

June 1974

I thank His Exce 1 1 ency , Mr . Eskanda r Firouz, D i rector of the Depart¬
ment of the Environment, for permission to present this material. All
specimens were collected by various members of the Department during the
course of official research and field work.

Southern Crested Newt,

Triturus eristatus kccrelinii

This form, which ranges from the eastern Balkans in Europe to the
southern end of the Caspian Sea area, is one of the five species known
or believed to inhabit the mountains of Iran. This individual, now pre¬
served as MMTT 205 , measured hi mm snout-vent length. It may be a topotype,
having been col lected in the Dashte-Naz National Park, Mazandaran Province,
apparently near the type locality; it was collected 6 November 1973.

Iberian Tortoise,

Testudo graoea it era

This form, wh i ch ranges from south-eastern Europe and adjacent Asian
areas into central Iran, is one of the five species of turtles generally
1 isted for the land, fresh and brackish waters of the country. Several sea
turtles a 1 so v i si t parts of the southern coast . This living example measures
about 205 mminoarapace length. It was captured about 20 km north of the
town of Shahpour, West Azarbaijan Provi nee, on 10 July 1973, and is still
thriving in captivity.

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June 1974

This species extends from Egypt to Rajputana and prefers arid habitats .
It is one of the 34 or more species of geckos believed to inhabit Iran.
This tiny (36mm snout-vent length) individual (MMTT 197) is a juveni le taken
i n one of the Department 1 s of f i ces in the city of Teheran , Central Province,
on 10 October 1973-

Brill i ant Agama

Agama agilis

This species i s bel ieved to range from eastern Iraq and northeastern
Arab ia to southwestern Afghanistan and western Rajasthan, but the current
studies of S. C. Anderson (pers. comm. ) may i nd i cate a d i fferent concept of
the d i st r i but ion of this form. The Brilliant Agama i s but one of seven spec i es
generally ass i gned to the Iranian Agama representatives. This individual
(MMTT 186) measured 73 mm in snout-vent length; i t was col lected 25 September
1973 on the road to Na'in, about 60 km east of Esfahan , Esfahan Province.

I kept it alive for several weeks and one day inadvertantly placed it with
an example of Persian Steppe Lacerta, Eremias velox persica ; the tragic
result is represented by Photograph No. 5-

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

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June 1974

Brilliant Agama eating
Persian Steppe Lacerta

The victim of the Agama 1 s appet i te was col lected i n the Mohammed Reza
Shah National Park on 24 September 1973; the Park is in Mazandaran and
Khorasan Provinces.

Toad-head Agama

Phrynocephalus helioscopus helicscopus

Superficially similar to the fami 1 iar North American Horned Lizards,
genus Phrynosoma , this species ranges from parts of the Soviet Union into
Mongolia, northern I ran , and northeastern Turkey. Seven other species of
Toad-head Agamas are considered part of the Iranian Herpetof auna . This
example, MMTT 184, measured 48 mm snout-vent length and was col 1 ected about
25 km north of the town of Pahlavidezh, Mazandaran Province, on 25 Sep¬
tember 1973.

Green-bellied Lacerta

Lacerta chlorogaster

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

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Volume 10 Number 2 June 1974

Iran shares this forest-dwelling lizard with adjacent parts of the
Soviet Union in the general area of the Caspian Sea. This example, MMTT
1 82 , measured 64 mm snout-vent length, and i t was col 1 ected in the M hammed
Reza Shah Nat ional Park, Mazandaran Prov i nee, on 24 September 1973. Five
other species of the genus Laoerta are part of the Iranian herpetofauna .

Balkan Grass Snake

Matrix natrix persa

This wide-ranging form is distributed from Greece, Bulgaria, Albania,
Yugoslavia, Turkey, Cyprus , and Transcaucas i a to northern Iran and south¬
west Turkemen i stan. Unlike North American representat i ves of the genus,
this species lays eggs. Furthermore, after displaying typical Natrix ha¬
bits when captured, individual s may feign convul s ions and death very con¬
vincingly, as did this specimen (MMTT 1 87) dur i ng one of the photograph i ng
sessions. This i nd i vi dua 1 was coll ected i n the M i ankal eh Protected Reg ion ,

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Snake-eyed Lacerta

Ophisops elegans

Lack of eyel ids characterize members of th i s small species, which is
distributed from Asia Minor to parts of the USSR, Iran, Iraq, and Sinai
Peninsula. It is common in stony plains and on rocky hillsides. This
specimen, MMTT 198, was taken on Arezou Island, in Lake Rezaiyeh Protected
Region, West Azarbaijan Province, 1 0 October 1 973 . It measured 52 mm snout-
vent length.

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Volume 10 Number 2

June 1974

Mazandaran Prov i nee, on 27 September 1973. It measured 535 mm snout-vent
length.

Iberian Cat Snake

Teles copus fallow ibevicus

Because it is rear-fanged and smal 1 , the Iberian Cat Snake is not con¬
sidered dangerous. It ranges from the Caucasus area, eastern Turkev, and
northern I raq into northwest I ran. This form prefers smal 1 I izards, and this
individual (MMTT 1 83) ate a hatchl i ng Caucasus Agama ( Agama causoasica) in
captivity. This example was collected on Kabudan Island, Lake Rezaiyeh
Protectee1 Region, West Azarbaijan Province, 1 September 1973. It measured
248 mm snout-vent length.

Pelagic Seasnake

Pelamis platurus

Although this species, like all seasnakes, is highly venomous, vil¬
lagers and f i shermen contended itwas quite harmless when I went to various
elaborate means of picks ng up and handling specimens for which they would

Page 64

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 10 Numebr 2

June 1974

take no precautions. This living individual was taken in addition to a
preserved series (MMTT 199 ~ 204) . It was one of the smaller examples
collected, measuring about 500 mm snout-vent 1 ength , and was found on the
beach of Hormoz Island, S t ra i t of Hormoz (between the Persian Gulf and the
Sea of Oman), 22 January 197^.

Literature Cited

Firouz, E.

1971. Conservation and wildlife management in Iran. Teheran, Game
and Fish Department of Iran (now, Department of the Environ¬
ment). 63 pp., illustrated.

Tuck, R. G. , Jr.

1971 • Amph ib ians and repti les from Iran in the Uni ted States National
Museum col lection. Bull. Md. Herp. Soc. 7{ 3 ) : 48- 86 , 9 fig., 23
maps, 1 table.

1973 Additional notes on I ran ian rept i 1 es i n the Un i ted States Nat¬
ional Collection, ibid., P(1):13”1^.

Robert G. Tuck, Jr., Curator/Advisor, Muze-ye Melli-ye Tarikh-e Tabi'i ,
Department of the Environment , P. 0. Box 1430, Teheran, Iran.

Received 27 February 197^

Accepted 2 March 197^

Ed . Note : Th i s paper and s 1 i des were presented by proxy at the March 2,197^,
Eastern Seaboard Herpetolog i cal League meet i ng in Baltimore.

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

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Volume 10 Number 2

June 1974

News & Notes

EASTERN SEABOARD HERPETOLOG I CAL LEAGUE MEETING
Sponsored by the Maryland Herpetological Society, held 2 March 1 97^

The March 2nd, 197^ meeting of the Eastern Seaboard Herpetological
League (ESHL) was held in Bal timore, at the Essex Community College. This
meeting was well attended despi te the energy crisis. The MdHS apologizes

for only giving slightly over a
months notice that the meeting
would be held at this college.
More time to plan the trip to
Baltimore may have hel ped atten-
dence some. Several of the ESHL
constituent groups were not in
attendence . . . despi te the fact
that the city and date were known
since last October's ESHL meet-
i ng .

The log book, located at the
door of the aud i tor i urn , conta i ned
the names of 91 persons who had signed in. The following participating
groups were represented: Connect i cut Herpetolog i cal Society (CtHS) , Mas¬
sachusetts Herpetological Society (MaHS) , Maryland Herpetolog ical Society
(MdHS) , Philadelphia Herpetological Society (PHS) , Virginia Herpetological
Society (VaHS) , Wash i ngton Herpetological Society (WHS) . Congratulations
are in order to CtHS and MaHS for charter i ng a bus to attend this meeting
in Baltimore, thus saving gasoline.

Displays were arranged by Jeff Thomas
(MdHS), Ricky Czarnowsky (MdHS) and Howard
Schwartzman (MdHS). Mr. Czarnowsky and Mr.
Thomas's exhibit displayed alternate meth¬
ods of clearing amphibians and reptiles,
while Mr. Schwartzman 1 s exhibit concerned
poisonous snake bite. Mr. Czarnowsky also
worked on this exhibit.

Page 66

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 10 Number 2

June 1974

Mr. Robert G. Tuck, Jr. (past Pres i den t of MdHS and past coordinator
of ESHL) presented an i 1 1 us tra ted s 1 i de presen tat i on "Some amphibians and
rept i .1 es f rom I ran" at the meet i ng by proxy . His presentation is presented
elsewhere in this issue.

Abstracts of the talks presented at the March 2, 197*+ ESHL meeting are
as follows:

Jerry D. Hardy, Jr. (MdHS) - "Frogs, Islands and Evolution

in the Caribbean"

Abstract-

The possible interrelationship of the various
species of Eleutherodaotylus occurring in the
southeastern Car i bbean were d i scussed . Primary
emphasis was placed on Tabago and Guadeloupe.

A northward dispersal pattern was suggested.

David S. Lee (MdHS) - "Maryland's Endangered Species"

Abstract-

Maryland has a diverse flora and fauna. This
is because of marked differences in the state's
ecosystems and dra i nage patterns. Various fac¬
tors affecting these ecosystems and their in¬
habitants were discussed.

William and Donna Marvel (MdHS) - "Speciation is the

Garter Snakes"

Abstract-

Some possible causes of speciation and 1 ines of
evolution among U.S. forms of Thamnophis were
discussed. SI ides were shown of most native spe¬
cies and of representative geographical races.

Herbert S. Harris, Jr. & Robert S. Simmons (MdHS) - "Rattlesnakes

of the World"

Abstract-

Photographs represent i ng 71 of the 77 current ly
recognized subspecies (30 of 31 species) and 8
new proposed subspecies were shown. Brief notes
on evolution, distribution and phylogeny were
d i scussed .

Mr. Earl Baysinger of the United States Department of the interior
discussed and explained the recent proposed legislation controlling the
importation of wildlife . . . Injurious Wildlife (Lacey Act). He also
d i scussed the recent 1 y passed Endangered Species Act of 1973* A question
and answer period followed the discussions.

The program went into overtime and left 1 i tt 1 e time for the "Meeting
of Designated Representatives", as the participants departure times had

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

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Volume 10 Number 2

June 1974

been preset. Since this is the purpose for ESHL meetings, future programs
should perhaps schedule the meeting of Designated Representatives early
in the day. In all, this meeting was a success.

The New York Herpetolog i cal Society has volunteered to host the
October 197^ Meeting. See you in New York!

Where were you March 2, 1974 . . . NYHS, TMG , ACTT !!!

Careers in Biological Systematics

The Society of Systemat ic Zoology has just published a sixteen-page, il¬
lustrated brochure for persons who are considering a career in animal or
plant systematics. The field of systematics is described, together with
examples of current research; other sections of the booklet deal with
employment, training and recommended readings . Single copies are ava i lable
free of charge by writing SSZ, c/o Department of Entomology, National
Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D. C.
20560, U.S.A.

Important Paper Reprinted

Raymond Cowl es and Char 1 es Bogert's "Preliminary Study of the Thermal Re¬
quirements of Desert Reptiles" has now been reprinted by the Society for
the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, together with a preface by Harvey
Pough that summar i zes recent 1 i terature on the topic. The paper was orig¬
inally published as a Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History >

Page 68

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 10 Number 2

June 1974

volume 83, pages 261-296, 11 plates, 1944. This pioneering work is still
of continuing interest to physiologists, ecologists, behaviorists and
herpetologists; single copies cost $1.00 post-paid but instructors who
wish to make copies available to students may purchase quantities at re¬
duced prices (20-49 copies, 75 C each; 50 or more, 50c each). Send orders
to Dr. Henri C. Seibert, Publications Secretary, SSAR, Department of Zoo¬
logy, Morton Hall, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio 45701, U.S.A.

0)

UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI PRESS

Drawer 90 8 8 * Coral Gables, Florida 33124 • Phone 305/ 2 84-5 885

SEA TURTLES AND THE TURTLE INDUSTRY
of the West Indies, Florida, and the

Gulf of Mexico.

by Thomas P. Rebel
Publication date: March 22, 1974
Price: $10. 00s
Pages: 250

Illustrated: ISBN 0-87024-217-2

SEA TURTLES, summa r i zes the current knowledge on taxonomy, life history,
the fight for survival from man who pursues them endlessly for food and
shel 1 and who 1 s ever-increasing civi 1 izat ion is encroaching their remain¬
ing nesting beaches, conservation measures to protect them, etc., of our
marine turtles. Over 800 published sources were consul ted for i nformat ion
on life histories, and the data sorted by species for easy reference.
Breeding habits, behavior, physiology, diet, growth, distribution and
migration, enemies and taxonomy are discussed. Also covered are fishing
methods, cultivation efforts, administration of turtle fisheries in the
Caribbean and legislative measures taken to protect them. In general,
this book brings together our current knowl edge of the marine turtles and
presents the data in an easy to understand format that every one can com¬
prehend .

H.S.H.

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 69

Volume 10 Number 2

June 1974

NATIONAL SWEDISH HERPETOLOG I CAL ASSOCIATION

The National Swedish Herpetol og i ca 1 Association , NSHA (Sveriges Herpeto-
logiska Ri ksforen i ng) i s a un ion of f i ve local societies, viz. Malmo Ter-
rar ieforen i ng/MTF, Goteborgs Herpetol og i ska Foren i ng/GHF, Stockholms Herp-
etologiska Foren i ng/SHF, Linkopings Te rrar ieforen i ng/LTF and Uppsala Herp-
etologiska Foren i ng/UHF . The number of members are 55, 55, 70, 25 and
20, respectively.

The association was formed 1971 by four al ready existing local societies.
It publishes a journal, Snoken (the Colubrid), that appears five times
per year. The journal, written in Swedish, contains articles on husban¬
dry, observat ions on ecology and behaviour, reports from travels abroad,
reviews of different groups, debates etc.

The deciding body of the association is the congress that meets twice a
year. Between the congresses it is represented by an executive committee
of three persons.

Activities in the local societies include; lectures, often by members of
the other societies, excursions and exhibitions.

Most members are interested in keeping and studying live animals, par¬
ticularly 1 i zards but al so snakes and frogs. There is a growing interest
for the study of the local faunas. Many members also make travels abroad,
also to other continents, to study herps. In general the members are
amateurs, a few are studying b iology at uni vers i ties , among them some do
research on herpetolog i cal subjects. Two members also have permanent ex¬
hibit i ons for the public, in Kolmarden (near Norrkoping) and Helsingborg
(nea r Malmo).

The associat ion can be contacted through the address ; SHR, c/o Jon Loman,
Ekol og i huset , Zool . Inst., University of Lund, 22362 LUND, Sweden.

Following, is an appeal we received from the National Swedish Herpetolog i ca 1
Association. It is presented here so that interested members may also
respond ......

Lund 20/2 197^

The National Swedish Herpetolog i cal Association is interested
to know whether your organization could consider to take part
in a joint action against those animals dealers that offer am¬
phibians and reptiles that are threatened with extinction for
sale. As it has appeared that a large number of dealers offer
such animals we consider some kind of action urgent.

Page 70

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 10 Number 2

June 1974

We suggest that each society sends a letter similar to the one
below to all dealers known to them. Please inform us if you
take part in this action.

On behalf of NSHA, sincerely yours

SHR, c/o Jon Loman, Ekol og i huset , Zool . Inst., University of
Lund, 223 62 LUND, Sweden.

(Suggested letters to animal dealers; only the valid part is
to be sent or the invalid overlined)

Dear sir:

After reading your stock list, dated _ _ , we find that you

offer the following species of amphibians and reptiles, that
according to the Red Data Book (obtainable from IUCN, Morges,
Switzerland) are threatened with extinction:

We will inform our members of this and recommend them not to
trade from you until you have ceased offering these animals.
We will be glad to hear from you when you have done so.

On behalf of _ _ , sincerely yours

Dear Sir:

After read i ng your stock list, dated . . , we are glad to find

that you are not offer i ng any threatened species for sale. We
will inform our members of this fact.

On behalf of _ , sincerely yours

The MdHS has informed the NSHA that we will part i c i pate i n th i s endeavor.
This act ion was sanct ioned at the Steering Committee and Business Meeting
held March 27, 1 97^ by the officers and members present.

The SSAR Conservation Committee has praised the NSHA for their concern
and idea, which the committee feels could be an effective approach to
discouraging trade in endangered and threatened species.

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 71

Volume 10 Number 2

“Loveridge
REPTILES (and Amphibians) OF THE PACIFIC

271 pages 3 7 plates 3 1 double-page map3 index (originally published in 1946 by
Macmillan Company 3 New York)

THIS BOOK treats the herpetofauna of a vast region including Indonesia, the
'Philippines and Japan, Australia, New Guinea and New Zealand, and an enormous
array of islands including Hawaii and the Galapagos. With such isolated land
masses, the fauna is predictably diverse and includes the tuatara, several croco¬
diles, various lizards including the Komodo dragon, flying lizards and the Gala¬
pagos iguanas, numerous pythons, the king cobra and other poisonous elapids and
vipers, the wide-ranging marine turtles and sea snakes, caecilians, the giant
salamander, and many frogs and toads.

Authoritative yet written in a clear and untechnical manner, this book is
the standard reference on the Pacific herpetofauna and is equally useful to pro¬
fessionals and amateurs'. Each species is described and its range noted, together
with a discussion of its life history and remarks on capture, captive specimens,
reproductive habits, and use as food. There are identification keys to families
and species, illustrated with seven diagnostic plates. Finally, there are chap¬
ters on snake bite and its treatment, economic aspects and conservation, collect¬
ing techniques, procedures for shipping living and preserved specimens, and an
annotated bibliography.

Mr. Loveridge, now retired, was formerly curator of herpetology at Harvard
University, and is a noted authority on the amphibians and reptiles of Africa and
the South Pacific.

prices

SSAR members before publication: $10 paperbound, $12 clothbound
Institutions and non-members: $15 paperbound, $17 clothbound

to order

Orders may be placed now. This book will be published in fall 197^; to take ad¬
vantage of special prices, SSAR members must place their orders before publication.
Please circle edition desired and send with payment to Dr. Henri C. Seibert, Morton
Hall, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio 1*5701, U.S.A. Make checks payable to: "SSAR."
Receipt sent on request only.

Please mark these boxes if you want information on SSAR membership n or a complete
list of Society publications D . Publications issued by the Society include the
Journal of Herpetology 3 Facsimile Reprints in Herpetology 3 Herpetological Review 3
Herpetological Circulars 3 Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles 3 and the
several series published by SSAR’s predecessor, The Ohio Herpetological Society.

Page 72

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Society Publications

Back issues of the Bulletin of the Maryland
Herpetolog i cal Society, where available, may be
obta i ned by wr i t i ng the Execut i ve Editor. A list
of available issues will be sent upon request.
Individual numbers in stock are $2.00 each.

The Soc i ety a 1 so pub 1 i shes a News 1 etter on a
somewhat irregular basis. Theseare distributed
to the membersh i p free of charge . Also published
are Maryland Herpetofauna Leaflets and these are
available at $. 05/page.

Information for Authors

All correspondence should be addressed to
the Executive Editor. Manuscripts being sub¬
mitted for publication should be typewritten
(double spaced) on good quality 8^x11 inch
paper, with adequate margins. Submit original
and first carbon, retaining the second carbon.
Indicate where illustrations or photographs are
to appear in text. Cite all literature used at
end in alphabetical order by author.

Major papers are those over 5 pages (double
spaced, elite type) and must i ncl ude an abstract .
The authors name should be centered under the
title, and the address is to fol low the Li terature
Cited. Minor papers are those papers with fewer
than 5 pages. Author's name is to be placed at
end of paper (see recent issue). For add i t i ona 1
information see Style Manual for Biological
Journals (1964) , Amer i can I ns t i tute of Biological
Sc i ences , 3900 Wi scons i n Avenue , N . W. , Wash i ngton ,
D.C. 20016. Price is $3.00.

Reprints are available at $.025 a page and
shoul d be ordered when manuscripts are submitted
or when proof s are returned . Minimum order is 100
reprints. Either edited manuscr i pt or proof will
be returned to author for approval or correction.
The author wi 1 1 be res pons ible for a! 1 corrections
to proof, and must return proof preferab 1 y w i th i n
7 days.

The Maryland Herpetological Society
Department of Herpetology
Hatural History Society of Maryland 3 Inc .
2643 Horth Charles Street
Baltimore s Maryland 21218

of Maryland

OCT 17 W4

BULLETIN OF THE ISSN 0025"4231

TRacylanb

Rerpetologkal

©oriety

Department of Herpetology
The Natural History Society of Maryland, Inc,

MdHS, . A FOUNDER MEMBER OF THE

Eastern Seaboard Herpetological League

SEPTEMBER 1974

VOLUME 10, NUMBER 3

Bulletin of the Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 10 Number 3 September 1974

CONTENTS

A prel iminary ecological survey of the Mattaponi-Polecat Creek

swamp in Carol i ne County, Vi rg in ia . John B. Funderburg 73

A range extension for the carpenter frog, Rana virgatipes

Cope, in the Chesapeake Bay Region .

. ,J . B. Funderburg , PoHertl , W.M.Kerfoot 77

An Aneides aeneus nest in West Vi rg in ia . Arnold W. Norden 79

Noteworthy herpetolog i cal records from North Carol i na .

. W. A. Palmer, A.L . Braswel 1 , D.L. Stephan 81

Death-feigning in Hyla regilla on Santa Cruz Island, Santa

Barbara County , Cal i forn ia . Benjamin H. Banta 88

Thomas Bai 1 1 ie MacDougal 1 , Natural ist-Col lector, 1896-1973* * * *

. Hobart M. Smith 89

News & Notes:

"Metric Manual" . . . 95

Reptiles and amphibians of the Pacific . 96

Society for the study of amphibians and repti les . . . 97

Eastern Seaboard Herpetological League Meeting . 98

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 76“93**58

Editor's Note: In: First records of the eastern t iger sal amander, Ambys-
toma tigrinum tigrinum Green, in Virginia by Funderburg,
Hotchkiss & Hertl ( 1 974 , Bull, Md, Herp . Soc, 10 ( 2):57~
58), no mention was made of an earlier published record
....Tirrell, Peter B., 197**. Tiger salamander found in
York County, Virginia. Va, Herp , Soc, Bull, 74: 1. The
latter Involved one of the records reported by Funderburg ,
et . al .

The Maryland Herpetological Society > department of Herpetology, Natural
History Society of Maryland , Inc,, 2643 North Charles Street s Baltimore
Maryland 21218,

Published By

Photographic Vlwctosiy PubtukeAA, PC Box 178, Randatt&tom, Md, 21133

BULLETIN OF THE

Volume 10 Number 3

30 September 1974

The Maryland Herpetol og i ca 1 Society
Department of Herpetology, Natural History Society of Maryland, Inc.

Bui 1 et ? n Staff

Executive Editor Herbert S. Harris, Jr.

Associate Editor(s) John Funk, Jr., Brian Leverton

Steering Committee

John E. Cooper
Frank Groves
John D. Groves
Jerry D. Hardy, Jr.
Herbert S. Harris, Jr.

Jeremy Jacobs
Arnold Norden
Mark J. Prihoda
Margaret M. Thomas
Peter Wemple

Off i cers

Pres i dent .

V i ce-Pres i dent

Secretary .

T reasurer .

Brian Leverton
John Funk, Jr.
Daniel Carver
William M. Marvel

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 76“93458

Membership Rates

Active members over 18. .. .$10.00, under 18. ...$6.00, subscribing members
(outside a 20 mile radius of Baltimore C i ty) . . . . $3 . 00 , Fore i gn . . . . $4 . 00 .

Meet i ngs

The third Wednesday of each month, 8:15 p.m. at the Natural History
Society of Maryland (except May-August, third Saturday of each month,
8:00 a.m.). The Department of Herpetology meets informally on all other
Wednesday evenings at the NHSM at 8:00 p.m.

Bulletin of the Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 10 30 September 1974

Number 3

A Preliminary Ecological Survey of the
Mattaponi - Polecat Creek Swamp in Caroline County, Virginia

The Mattaponi - Polecat Creek Swamp in east-central Virginia is an
interesting ecological area. Our preliminary observations indicate that
future studies of this swamp, which is located in a “suture zone" (Rem¬
ington, 1968) between the northern and southern biotas, may well play a
significant role in developing our understanding of the distributional
patterns of reptiles and amphibians in the Chesapeak Bay region.

The swamp is located astride US 301, eight miles south of Bowling
Green and 32 miles north of Richmond. It is easily accessible to her¬
petologists traveling through Virginia. 1 feel that present ing a general
ecological descript ion of the area at the present time would help expedite
the analys is of data col lected by natural i sts who study the area since it
would give them a fami 1 iar i ty wi th the relationship of the swamp on US 301
to the overall drainage system.

The Mattaponi River , on the Coastal PI ain of Carol ine County, is formed
by the confluence of the Matta, the Po and the Ni Rivers. The headwaters
of these three rivers lieonthe rolling, heavily dissected terrainof the
Piedmont of Spotsylvania County. These rivers maintain their integrity
as they cross the Fall Line, but merge as soon as they flow down onto the
Upper Coastal Plain.

Polecat Creek, whose headwaters rise in southwestern Carol ine County,
flows parallel to the Mattaponi and crosses US 301 a half-mile south of
the Mattaponi bridge. Polecat Creek then joins the Mattaponi about one-
half-mile east of these bridges. After some thirty miles the Mattaponi
joins the Pamunkey River to make up the York River in the Lower Coastal
Plain. Thus this drainage system can be considered a transect along the
rocky, swift-flowing creeks of the Piedmont, down the slow-moving, muddy
rivers of the Coastal Plain to the tidal marshes and brackish waters of
lower Chesapeake Bay.

At US 301 the swamp is five miles wide. It is bordered on both sides
by white oak ( Querous aZ&a)-— mockernut hickory ( Carya tomentosa) climax
forest. Much of this forest has been cut and replanted to loblol ly pine,
(Pinus taeda) . Higher areas in the swamp itself are also dominated by
loblol ly pine.

Most of the swamp is subject to intermittent flooding but the most
productive areas, as far as wildlife is concerned, are those areas that
remain flooded because of dams bu i 1 1 by beavers . A1 though the water levels
vary somewhat, large areas of the swamp on the west side of the highway
are kept under water by beavers which utilize highway fill as a dam. On
the western side of the highway there is a pile of debr is at every culvert

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 73

Volume 10 Number 3

September 1974

under the highway. This debris is placed there by the highway department
in an effort to keep water flowing through these culverts. However, our
observations Indicate that as fast as highway personnel clear the cul verts
the beavers plug them up again. There are numerous beaver dams elsewhere
in the swamp also.

The water of the swamp is dark-stained but clear. The staining is
is derived from a heavy layer of leaves and decomposing vegetation over¬
laying the muddy bottom. It is slightly acid with an average pH of 6.4.

Sn many places, particularly along the river banks, there are thick
depos i ts of coarse-gra i ned sands and pebbles brought down from the Pied¬
mont by periodic floods.

Our initial contact with the swamp was the result of a letter from
Hr. Franklin J. Tobey, Secretary of the Virginia Herpetolog I cal Society,
informing me that Dr. Roger Conant had written him about a tape made of
a frog chorus in this swamp in 1967 by Dr. Ann Pace of the University of
Hichigan. Included in this chorus were calls of the carpenter frog, Rana
virgatipes, and Tobey asked me to try to secure specimens of this frog.
During the fall of 1973, we found these frogs to be rather common in the
swamp (Funderburg, et. al., 1974a).

Sn late February and March, 1974, we col lected northern spring peepers,
Hyla c . crucifer, upland chorus frogs, Pseudacris triseriata feriarum,
and Brimley's chorus frogs, Pseudacris brimleyi , along with carpenter frogs
which were also active at that time. On later trips we secured American
toads, Bufo terrestris americanus , bul 1 frogs, Rana cate sbiena, green frogs,
Rana clamitans melanota , pickerel frogs , Rana palustris, northern leopard
frogs, Rana pipiens , northern cricket frogs, Acris c. crepitans , south¬
ern cr icket frogs , Aeris g, grylluSj and three- 1 i ned salamanders, Eurycea
l. guttolineata . The only repti les secured thus far have been the eastern
mud turtle, Kinostemon s. subrubrum , the stinkpot , Stemotherus odoratus ,
the eastern painted turtle, Chrysemys p . picta , the spotted turtle, Clemmys
guttata, a nd the eastern box turtle, Terrepene c. Carolina . We also found
the wood frog, Rana sylvatica , one mile south of the swamp but have not
found it in the swamp itself although it undoubtedly occurs there (Fun¬
derburg, et. al., 1974b.)

In late January and early February, the only aquatic cover for car¬
penter frogs was a dense growth of Spirogyra . Almost every frog we saw
was floating in an opening in this thick mat of algae which covered most
of the surface. By late April, whenthewater was much warmer, Spirogyra
was dying and a dense growth of the submerged stems and leaves of blad-
derwort, Utricularia inf lata, and mats of Bacopa monnieri offered cover
for amphibians.

The overs tory of the swamp is composed of sweet gum, Liquidambar
styraciflua , and willow oak, Quercus phellos , with occasional loblolly
pines, Pinus taeda, andredoaks, Quercus rubra, growing on more elevated
areas. The understory is made up of red maple, Acer rubrum, and river
birch, Betula nigra . There is a well developed shrub 1 ayer of fetterbush,
Leucothoe axillaris, highbush blueberry, Vaccinium corymbo sum , and iron-
wood, Carpinus caroliniana, on slight elevations, which are very moist

Page 74

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 10 Number 3

September 1974

but above water during most of the year. These shrubs are intertwined

with vines of Smilax herbaoea .

Where the shrub layer is absent, there are patches of rushes, Junous
aouminatus and Juneus elliotti , as well as scattered clumps of the sedge,
Cavex intumesoens. Large patches of sphagnum moss covers the mud between
these clumps of grasses. There are branches and rotting logs everywhere
in the swamp.

Birds found in the swamp are typically those of southern swamplands.
They include chuck-wi 1 1 1 s-widow, Caprimulgus oavolinensis , prothonotary
warbler, Pvotonotaria oitrea , hooded warbler, Wilsonia oitrea , Kentucky
warbler, Oporomis formosus , Louisiana water thrush, Seiurus motaoilla ,
yel low-breasted chat, Ioteria virens, blue-gray gnatcatcher, Polioptila
oaerulea , Carolina wren, Thyrothorus ludovioianus , Carolina chickadee,
Parus oavolinensis* and the tufted titmouse, Parus bicolor..

Meanley (1951) discussing the carpenter frog in Maryland stated:
"...This is but one of a number of Austror iparian animals and plants that
occur in the Pocomoke Swamp. Some other examples are Swainson's warbler,
Lirmothylypis swainsonii * red bay, Pevsea borbonia, horse sugar, Symplooos
tinotoria , cross-vine, Bignonia oapreolata, and bald cypress, Taxodium
distiohum ."

Thus far none of these species has been found in the US 301 region
of the Mattaponi -Polecat Creek Swamp. All of the pi ants and an imal s studied
so far indicate that the swamp is located in the Carolinian division of
the Upper Austral Zone (Murray, 1952).

Plant names used in this paper follow Radford, et. al., (1964) and
specimens of these plants have been placed in the herbarium of Ran do 1 ph-
Macon College. Names of repti les and amphibians follow Conant (1958) and
those of birds follow Murray (1952). Specimens of repti les and amphibians
collected have been deposited in the collection of the United States
Museum and Randolph-Macon College.

It would be most helpful if herpetologists from other States who
collect the Caroline County area (or any other area in Virginia) would
send a report on thei r col lections to the Virginia Herpetolog i cal Society.
The Society is gathering data for a series of publications on the her¬
petology of the state and would welcome reliable data from any source.

Literature Cited

Conant, Roger.

1958. A field guide to reptiles and amphibians. Houghton Mifflin
Co.* XVIII + 366 pp.

Funderburg, John B. , Peter Hertl and William M. Kerfoot.

1974a. A range extension for the carpenter frog, Rana virgatipes Cope,
in the Chesapeake Bay region. Bull. Md. Herp. Soc. 10(3) : 77-79

» Charles A. Hotchkiss and Peter Hertl.

1974b . The wood frog , Rana sylvatioa LeConte, in the V i rg i nia Coastal
Plain. Bull. Md. Herp. Soo. 10 ( 2) : 58-59 •

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 75

Volume 10 Number 3

September 1974

Mean ley, Brooke.

1951. The carpenter frog, Rana virgatipes, on the coastal plain of
Maryland. Proo. Biol . Soo. Wash ., 64: 59.

Murray, Joseph J.

1952. A check-1 i st of the birds of Virginia. Virginia Soc. of Orn¬
ithology .

Radford, Albert E., Harry E. Ahles and C. Ritchie Bell.

1 964 . Manual of the vascular flora of the Carol inas. University of
North Carolina Press.

Remington, Charles L.

1968. Suture-zones of hybrid interaction between recently joined
biotas. Evolutionary Biol., 2: 32 1 -428 .

Tobey , Frankl i n J .

1973. Personal communication.

— John B. Funderburg, Department of Biology, Rando Iph-Macon College,
Ashland, Virginia 23006.

Present address: North Carolina State Museum of Natural History, Raleigh,
N. C. 27611.

Received 12 June 1974
Accepted 24 July 1974

Page 76

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 10 Number 3

September 1974

A Range Extension for the Carpenter Frog,
Rana virgatipes Cope, in the Chesapeake Bay Region

The carpenter frog, Rana virgatipes, has been cal 1 ed a "coastal plain
endemic" (Conant, 1947). In the Chesapeake Bay region, (Fig. l), it has
previously been known only from three counties in Maryland (1), all located
on the southern part of the Eastern Shore (Meanley, 1946; Harris, 1959),
and from the Dismal Swamp Region (4) in Virginia (Werler and McCall ion,
1951; Tobey, 1974). The only other record for the species in the Bay area
was a questionable verbal report of this frog from Stafford County (5),
Virginia (Tobey, 1973a.).

Fig. 1. Distribution of the carpenter frog, Rana
virgatipes , in the Chesapeake Bay Region
(# - specimen record, O - questionable
record) .

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 77

Volume 10 Number 3

September 1974

In June 1973, Dr. Roger Conant wrote Mr. Franklin J. Tobey, Secretary
of the Vi rginia Herpetolog i cal Society and Herbert S. Harris, Jr. about an
early voice record of the carpenter frog from Vi rginia. Dr. Conant wrote:
"Dr. Ann Pace, a recent Ph. D. from Michigan (Ann Arbor), now teaching at
Queens College, tells me she has a tape recording of this species from
Caroline County, Va. It was taken on April 13, 1967, about 8 miles south
of the junction of U.S. Rt. 301 and Va. Rt. 2 and about a mile south of
the Mattaponi River and Polecat Creek. The tape is in the sound library
at Ann Arbor. " Mr. Tobey notified the senior author and Harris notified
Jerry D. Hardy of the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory , Solomons , Maryland
of this record and suggested that attempts be made to secure specimens
(Tobey, 1973b, Harris, 197*0 • Jerry D. Hardy (1973) and the authors have
now secured specimens from this locality (10 July, 1973 and Fall, 1973
respectively). Specimens are on deposit in the National Museum of Natural
History (USNM 195859 " Hardy, 1973) and the senior author's collection.

I n March and Apr i 1 197**, we studied the habitat of the Caroline County
carpenter frog popul at ion (2) and made an i ntens i ve search for these frogs
in the eastern part of Hanover County, which al so lies in the Coastal Plain.
On 28 April, we heard two carpenter frogs calling on Crump Creek where
the creek crosses State Road 605 (3). On 30 April, 197**, we col lected two
carpenter frogs at this locality. One of these frogs has been deposited
at the United States National Museum, and the other in the senior author's
col lection.

These local i t ies not onl y represent a significant range extension for
the carpenter frog in the Bay area, but are also important in that both
are within ten miles of the Fall Line (Figure 1).

Interestingly enough , we have secured the onl y specimens of the wood
frog, Rana sylvatioa , known outside the mountains of Virginia at these

same two sites (Funderburg, Hotchkiss and Hertl , 197**). This is not a
result of limited collecting, as we have made an intensive study of the
herpetofauna of this section of Virginia over the past three years.

Literature Cited

Conant, Roger.

1 9**7 . The carpenter frog in Maryland. Maryland 27 (4) : 72-73.

Funderburg, John B., Charles A. Hotchkiss and Peter Hertl.

197**. The wood frog , Rana sylvatioa Le Conte , in the V I rg in ia Coastal
Plain. Bull. Md . Herp. Soc. 10(2) : 58-59 .

Hardy, Jerry D.

1973. Geographic distribution: Rana virgatipes. Hiss News Jour.
7 (5) : 1 53 .

Harris, Herbert $., Jr.

1959. Distributional survey: Maryland and the District of Columbia.
Bull. Md. Herp. Soc. 5 (4) : 97“ 1 61 .

T1 fpTT Personal communication.

Page 78

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 10 Number 3

September 1974

Mean ley, Brooke.

1951. The carpenter frog, Rana virgatipes , on the coastal plain of
Maryland. Proa . Biol . Soc. Wash . 64: 59.

Tobey , Frankl i n J .

1973a. Personal communication. List of repti les and amphibians known
from Hanover County.

1973b. Personal communication. Letter from Roger Conan t.

" 1 97^ - A new county record for Carol i ne County, Va. Va . Herp . Soc .

£wZ7. 73:4.

Werler, John E. and James McCall ion.

1951* Notes on a collection of reptiles and amphibians from Prin¬
cess Anne County, Virginia. Amer. Midi. Nat. 45 ( l):245"252.

— John B. Funderburg, Peter Hertl and Wi J 1 iam M. Kerfoot, Department of
Biology, Randolph-Maaon College, Ashland, Virginia.

Present address: (Senior author) Director, North Carolina State Museum
of Natural History, Raleigh, N.C. 27611.

Received 12 June 1974
Accepted 24 July 1974

An Aneides aeneus nest in West Virginia

Little is known of the biology of the green salamander, Aneides aeneus,
i n the northern portion of its range. This species is currently afforded
rare and endangered status in Maryland and, since information concerning
all aspects of its life history is desirable for effective management, the
following note is of interest. On 4 September 1972, while observing the
large colony of Aneides I n Cooper 1 s Rock State Forest, Monongalia County,
West Virginia (Netting and Richmond, 1932), we found a single female
attending a group of newly hatched young. The adult (54 mm snout-vent)
was loosly coiled around the young, which were noticed only after the female
had been removed fromalong, narrow (15mm), horizontal crevace ina large
sandstone mass. The crevace was heavily shaded by great laurel, Rhodo¬
dendron maximum , but was not particularly damp. The young were extremely
active and could not be collected. Four hatchlings were noted but more
may have been nearby. In North Carolina this species lays from 10 to 26
eggs (Gordon, 1952) and Lee and Norden (1973) found that adult females
from this same West Virginia population contained from 20 to 32 unpig-
mented eggs in May.

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When the crevaoe had been cl eared of sal amanders a deteriorating egg
mass was found on the floor of the cavity about three inches from the en¬
trance. It was not tightly attached and, when removed , was found to con ta i n
one additional salamander which was embedded in the matrix but not coiled
within an egg membrane. The salamander died soon after col lect ion and has
been deposited in the col lection of the Natural History Society of Maryland.
It measures 19.1 mm in total length and has the stomach noticeably dis¬
tended with yolk. There seems to be an unnatural curvature of the spine
in the pelvic region which may have prevented normal hatching.

The conditions under which this nest was found agree well with the
information recorded by Gordon (1952) from his studies of Aneides aeneus
in North Carolina. Numerous other adul t salamanders were observed on thi s
same day but no other hatchling sal amanders or s igns of nests were noticed.
This meager data suggests that the hatch ing and, subsequently, the mating
and egg laying time for this species in West Virginia and Maryland are
the same as they are in the southern parts of its range.

Literature Cited

Gordon, Robert E.

1952. A contr ibut ion to the life history and ecology of the pletho-
dontid salamander Aneides aeneus (Cope and Packard). Amer .
Midi. Naturalist 47 (3) : 666-701 .

Lee, David S. and Arnold W. Norden.

1973. A foodstudy of the green salamander , Aneides aeneus . J. Herp.
7( 1):53-54.

Netting, M. G. and N. Richmond.

1932. The green salamander, Aneides aeneus , in northern West Vir¬
ginia. Copeia 1932(2) : 101-102.

— -Arnold W. Norden, Dept, of Biology, Towson State College, Towson, Md .
and John D. Groves, Philadelphia Zoological Gardens, Philadelphia, Pa.

Received 16 August 197**

Accepted 17 August 197**

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Noteworthy Herpetological Records from North Carolina

Since the publication of A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians
(Conant, 1953), we have assembled from North Carolina notable records,
range extens ions , or revi s ions for 1*t species and subspecies (five sala¬
manders, one toad, four frogs, and four snakes). So that these records
may be included on the maps in Dr. Conant's forthcoming revision of the
Field Guide, and in an effort to stimulate others to report significant
records from the state, we submit the following annotated list.

Specimens included are contained in the American Museum of Natural
History (AMNH) , Char 1 eston Museum (ChM) , Duke University (DU), Louisiana
State University Museum of Zoology (LSUMZ) , National Museum of Natural
History (USNM) , North Carolina State Museum of Natural History (NCSM) ,
Univers i ty of Michigan Museum of Zoology (UMMZ) , and University of North
Carolina at Wilmington (UNCW) .

Siren intermedia intermedia LeConte. Collette and Gehlbach (1961) first
recorded this aquatic salamander in North Carolina from one locality each
in the Cape Fear, Neuse, Pee Dee, and Waccamaw river systems . Other speci¬
mens have been reported in the Neuse (Bruce, 1971) and Pee Dee (Hardy,
1969a,b) drainages. Lesser si rens now are avai Table (DU, NCSM) from various
localities in all of these systems; however, only marginal inland records
and one new drainage record are listed:

Bertie County.— Roanoke dra inage , Hoggard Mi 1 1 Cr ., 6 mi . NE Windsor
(NCSM 13242). Harnett County . — Cape Fear dr., 0.75 mi. NNE Lillington
(NSCM 13325~26(2)). Johnston County. — Neuse dr., Holt's Lake, near
Smithfield (NCSM 11834(3), 12873(2), 13307). Moore County. — Pee Dee
dr., 6.2 mi. WSW Pine Bluff (DU A8965) ; 4 mi. S Pine Bluff (DU A8966).
Richmond County.— Pee Dee dr. , Broadacres Lake, 1 mi . S Hoffman (DU A4178,
A626¥-65(2)T:

The specimen from Bertie County represents the first record of the
species from the Roanoke drainage, and extends the range approximately
75 ai rl i ne mi les north of the nearest reported loca 1 i ty in the Neuse system
(Bruce, 1971 ) * and about 40 ai rl i ne mi les south of the Nasemond-Southampton
counties, Virginia border.

Amby stoma mabeei Bishop. Since its original description (Bishop, 1928),
there have been few reports of spec i f i c localities for A. mabeei in North
Carolina. Bishop (1943) reported a specimen from near Wilmington, pre¬
sumably in New Hanover County. Populations subsequently were recorded on
Roanoke Island, Dare County, and from the Laur i nburg-Maxton area, Scot¬
land County, by Hardy (1969a, b) , who provided the only life history
i nformat ion for the species. Hardy and 01 mon (197*0 later reported larvae
from one locality each in Bruswick, Columbus, and Scotland counties.

S i nee A . mabeei apparent 1 y rema i ns poor 1 y known , and because specimens
are rare inmost collections (Hardy and Anderson, 1970: 81.2), all unre¬
ported North Carolina records known to us are listed:

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Bertie County. - 2 mi. N Windsor (ChM 56. 65.1). Bladen County. -

town of Wh i te Lake v i c i n i ty (DU A626-29(4), A631 (97 1 arvae) , A21 09 , A6220-
22(3); 1 mi. NW Council (DU A21 1 0-1 1 (2) ) . Brunswick County.— 13.5 mi.
SWShallotte (ChM 55.15.2(2)); 1.7 mi. SE Supply (ChM 55.15.3); 6 mi. NNW
Supply (LSUMZ 7086) . Carteret County. — Newport vicinity, Croatan National
Forest (ChM 53.171.13(2), NCSM 1147-49(3), 9102-05(4)). Col umbus County .—
near Old Dock (DU A61 18); 1 3-1 8 mi . S Hal 1 sboro (DU A6223); 7.5mi . S Bolton
(NCSM 9234 (5 larvae)). Cumberland County.- — near Linden (NCSM 13075,

13121) . Dare County . - Roanoke Island (NCSM 1900-03(4) ) . Jones County . -

5.1 mi . S Pol locksvl lie (ChM 53 • 1 74 .18(2)) . New Hanover County. — • 10 mi .
N Wi lmi ngton (NCSM 1145); near Seabreeze (NCSM 4282-83 (female and eggs) ) ;
near Wilmington (NCSM 6084, UNCW SA251 (7) , SA252(4), SA253 (2) , SA255) .

Perquimans County. — 4 mi . NE Bel vi dere (NCSM 1146) . Ri chmond County . -

3 mi. N Hamlet (ChM 56.76.13 (4 larvae)). Robeson County .— Maxton (USNM

138534). Sampson County. - 1 mi . S Delway”(NCSM 1 3704 (8 larvae)). Scot"

1 and County . — 5 m i . SE Hof fman (ChM 56. 76. 18); Laur i nburg v i c i n i ty (NCSM
3746-47 (2) , 7312-14(3), 11185 (8 larvae)); near Maxton (NCSM 3742-43(2)) ;
3.75 mi. SW Wagram (NCSM 11045).

The specimen from Perquimans County, found beneath a board near a
sawdust pile in pinewoods, extends the range north of Albermarle Sound
and less than 20 a i r 1 i ne mi 1 es south of the Nasemond County , Virginia border .

Ambystoma tigvinum tigvinum (Green). The occurrence in the state of the
eastern tiger salamander currently is based on literature records from
seven count i es (Brimley, 1907, 1915, 1944; Eaton, 1953; ana Hardy, 1969b),
all of which probably are valid but only one of which (Hardy, 1969b) is
corroborated by a specimen. Because this species isfossorial and usually
active on the surface onlyat night during a short breeding period in winter,
its presumed rarity may be more apparent than real. Despite recent in¬
tensive efforts, however, A . tigvinum has been col 1 ected from few local¬
ities:

Richmond County.— 2 mi. N Hamlet (NCSM 12519). Robeson-Scot 1 and
County 1 i ne Laur i nburg -Max ton Air Base vicini ty (NCSM 4790) . Scotland

County. - Laurinburg vicini ty (NCSM 6173 (eggs and hatching larvae) , 6174

(larvae), 6182-83(2), 7319"23(5), 1 1020-21 (2), 11030 (larva)); lOmi.NW
Wagram (NCSM 1 1024-27 (4) ); about 3-5 mi . NW Wagram (NCSM 1 2443 (1 5 larvae),
12447 (4 larvae)).

Neoteny is rare in this subspecies and larvae usually metamorphose
at 45"85 mm snout-vent length (Gehlbach, 1967:52.1-52.2). However, NCSM
11030 is neotenic in that transformation obviously has been delayed and
the specimen has retained all external larval characters. Whether it is
sexual ly mature i s not known. When fresh, and before f ixat ion i n forma 1 i n ,
this specimen measured 190 mm total length. After more than two years in
solution, it measures 102 mm snout-vent length.

Pseudotvitonvubevvubev (Latreille). The status of the northern red sal¬
amander in eastern North Carolina is uncertain. There are few records and
most ear 1 i er reports probabl y resul ted from m i s i dent i f i ed specimens of P.
montanus (Brimley, 1917; 1918). Bishop (1943) excl uded the red salamander

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September 1974

from the Atlantic Coastal Plain south of northern Virginia, although Dunn
(1926) earlier recorded a specimen from Goldsboro. Funderburg (1955) re¬
ported two specimens from New Hanover County, but Conant (1958, Map 188)
excluded the species from the extreme southeastern Coastal Plain while
depicting its range over the rema inder of the state. While many specimens
are preserved from localities along the Fall Line (DU, NCSM), we have
located only three individuals from the Coastal Plain, two of which are
from the Sandhills along the southwestern periphery of the province.
Additional specimens are much desired.

Moore County. - 7*5 mi. W Aberdeen (NCSM 4997) • Scotland Co. — -

outlet oT Scotland Lake, about 10.75 mi. NW Wagram (DU A4 1 87) • Wayne

County. - Gol dsboro (USNM 8339) . Th i s specimen was reported by Dunn (1926)

as USNM 8839; the number was later changed because of a duplication in
the USNM catalog (R. Crombie, pers. oornm . ).

Manoulus quadvidigitatus (Holbrook). The dwarf salamander is typically
a species of the Coastal Plain, invading the extreme eastern Piedmont as
far north as Raleigh, Wake County (Mittleman, 1967-44. 1-44.2) . An adult
(NCSM 1 2434) from 0.9 mi. E Pittsboro, Chatham County, extends the range
about 25 airl ine mi les inland; and three adul ts (NCSM 9797, 12866(2)) from
2.5 mi. SSE Badin, Stanly County, represent a range extension into the
interior southern Piedmont about 85 airline miles WSW Raleigh.

Bufo fowlevi Hinckley. Although Funderburg (1955) reported this toad as
common i n New Hanover County , Conant (1958, Map 211) later excluded it from
the southeastern corner of the state. In our experience, B. fowlevi is
rare in extreme southeastern North Carolina whence only nine specimens
have been located, al l from the v i cin i ty of Wi lmi ngton , New Hanover County
(AMNH 2 1 363“64 (2 ) , ChM 51. 44.8(7)). Other more northern southeastern
records are:

Bladen County.- — White Lake (DU A38O-8I (2) , A*»27, A823); 1 mi. NW
Council (DU A4371 J ; 7.5 mi. NNE Carvers (DU A51 62) ; about 9.25 mi. ESE
Carvers (DU A6378) ; 7 mi . N Elizabethtown (NCSM 5352); 3 mi. ESE White

Oak (UMMZ 129113-14(2)). Onslow County. - 6.5 mi. NW Verona (DU A232A

(2)); about 3 mi. NW Haw (DU A2353) ; Camp Davi s at Hoi ly Ridge (UMMZ 91952).
Pender County. - Topsail Island (DU A2364(5)).

Hyla femovdlis Latreille. This tree frog , occurring throughout the Coastal
Plain (Conant, 1958; Map 220) where it is locally abundant , has been col¬
lected i n the Piedmont from Chatham County at the B. Everett Jordan Reservoi r
(under construction) near Farrington (NCSM II383, 1 1 603~04 (2) ) , and 1 .75
mi. WNW Wilsonville (NCSM 1 1 665 ) .

Hyla gratiosa LeConte. Although generally considered a species of the
lower Coastal Plain (Conant, 1958; Map 227), this large hylidisnow known
from several localities in the interior Coastal Plain and eastern Pied¬
mont, the most marginal of which are listed:

Frankl i n County. - 1 . 5 mi . NW P i lot (NCSM 11530). Greene County.—

no precise locality (NCSM 3521-24(4)); 3 mi . E Snow Hill (NCSM 11401).

Harnett County. - 2.5 mi . E town of Buies Creek (NCSM 7779-80(2)) . Johnston

County. — - Clayton (NCSM 3433). Richmond County. - 1 mi . W Norman (DU

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September 1974

A2283). Wake County . — - 6.5 mi. SW Raleigh (NCSM 6472) ; 5.25 mi. WNW
Raleigh (NCSM 13862). Other specimens were observed but not collected by
Dr. A. J. Bullard ( pevs . comm.) in Harnett County about 1 mi. E Pineview,
and in Montgomery County 1.5 mi. ESE Emery.

Hyla squivella (Latreille). The distribution of this hylid in the state
is s imi 1 ar to that of E. femovalis (Conant, 1958; Maps 220 and 223) . Note¬
worthy records from the Piedmont and from marginal Fall Line localities
are :

Chatham County. - Near Merry Oaks (NCSM 1 3893“94 (2) ) . Frankl i n

County.— 1 mi. SE Riley (NCSM 11539)- Union County.— Monroe (NCSM
12354-55(2)) . Wake County.— Raleigh vicinity (NCSM 445 , 7273“75 (3) ) ;
5 mi. S Rolesv i 1 1 e (NCSM 6590-91 (2)) .

Rana areolata oapito LeConte. Since this species has been reported only
from Beaufort (Brandt, 1936) and Jones counties (Schwartz and Ether i dge,
1954), all other records known to us are listed:

B1 aden County. - 4 mi . ENE town of Whi te Lake (DU A544-45 (2) ) . Bruns¬
wick County . — Orton Plantation (NCSM 3091 ) ; 16 mi . NE Bol ivia (NCSM 4309) ;
near Supply (NCSM 11155). Carteret County.— Newport vicinity, Croatan
National Forest (DU A535“43 (9 ) » NCSM 9118-19(2)). New Hanover County.' —
near Carol ina Beach (AMNH 62101-03(3), NCSM 3807-I6TT0), 6150-51 (2) ; Wi 1-
mi ngton vicinity (NCSM 7463 , 7482-84 (3) , 7770-74 (5) ) - Scotland County.—
2 mi. SW Wagram (DU A10463); 3-5 mi. NW Wagram (NCSM 12228, 12232-33 (2) ) .

Natrix taxispilota (Holbrook). Although Conant (1958, Map 94) confined
the range of this large water snake to the eastern Coastal Plain, N,
taxispilota also occurs in ponds and lakes of the interior Coastal Plain
and in certain rivers and impoundments of the interior southern Piedmont.

Johnston County." Stewart's Pond, 7-25 mi. SSW Smithfield (NCSM
10868J. Mecklenburg County.— Charlotte (NCSM 2660) . Moore County . —
5 mi. S Carthage (DU R 1 227) • Scotland County.— 7 mi . W Wagram (NCSM
11229). Stanly County.' — Lake Tillery, 3-5 mi. SE Bad in (NCSM 9216 (skin
only) , 9323? 1Q359TTwi Ison County. — Si lver Lake, near Wi Ison (NCSM 3192).

Miorurus fulvius fulvius (Linneaus). Conant (1958, Map 141 ) outlined the
range of the eastern coral snake throughout the Coastal Plain south of
Albemarle Sound. This species has been collected, however, only in the
southern Coastal Plain. The most inland record, which probably is erroneous,
is Wilson County (Brimley, 1944). According to information available to
us, this record was based upon a snake seen but not collected by a lay¬
man and unfortunately accepted by Dr. Brimley. 3n North Carolina, the
distribution of M. fulvius Is closely associated with that of the sandy
pine and scrub oak community which extends north along the coast at least
as far as Neuse River. However, the northernmost acceptable record is
that of a coral snake seen but not collected in Onslow County near the
mouth of New River by Harry T. Davis, former d i rector of the State Museum
of Natural History. This local i ty is approximately 125airline miles south¬
west of Albemarle Sound. Along the southern border of the state, the
distribution extends inland i nto the Sandh i 1 1 s about as far north and west
as southern Harnett and Moore counties. All localities supported by spec¬
imens were plotted by Palmer (1974).

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Volume 10 Number 3

September 1974

Agkistrodon piscivorus piscivorus (Lacepede). As i nd i cated by Conant (1958,
Map 143), the range of the cottonmouth i n North Carolina extends through¬
out the eastern Coastal Plain with an isolated record at about the Fall
Line. This interior record probably was based on a snake killed in 1891
al ong the Neuse River near Raleigh, Wake County (Brimley, 1895). Our few
recent records extend the range inland i nto the eastern Pi edmont and al ong
the Fal 1 Line:

Franklin-Warren County line.- — Shocco Cr., 2.5 mi. NE Wood (NCSM
14109). Johnston County. — Lake Wendell, 3 mi . NE Archer Lodge (NCSM
2392-93(2), 2658). Wake County.- — Buffalo Cr., 4 mi. E Knightdale (NCSM
7293). Warren County.- — about 4.5 mi. NW Littleton (NCSM 10255); about
6.5 mi. NE Macon (NCSM 12014).

The two specimens from Warren County were col lected a long Lake Gaston,
an impoundment of Roanoke River, at local i ties approximately three to four
a i rl i ne mi 1 es south of the Brunswick County, V i rg i n ia border. Al 1 local i t ies
supported by specimens were plotted by Palmer (1974).

Crotalus adamanteus Beauvois. Based on earlier unsupported records from
Albemarle-Paml ico Sound Peni nsul a and vi ci n i ty (Brimley, 1944), the dis¬
tribution of C. adamanteus in the state has been incorrectly stated by
most later workers. Reports of this species from Beaufort, Tyrrell, and
Washington counties (Brimley, 1944) were received from various lay observers
and probably were based on mi s identi f ied specimens of C. horridus atricau-
datus , a form which is common in the region and which is frequently con¬
fused by residents with C. adamanteus . Excluding a specimen (USNM 252)
reputedly from Jackson, Northampton County, but probably cataloged in error
or collected el sewhere and sent to the Smithsonian from Jackson (Brimley,
1944), the most northern locality for C. adamanteus is the vicinity of
New Bern, Craven County (NCSM 2274, 9844, 10500) . All localities supported
by specimens were plotted by Palmer (1974),

Acknowledgments.--- For various help we wish to thank Stanley Alford,
J.R. Bailey, A.J. Bui 1 ard , Roger Conant , R. Crombie, George Foley, Julian
R. Harr i son, C .A. Lelbrandt, J.F. Parnell, Albert E. Sanders, David White¬
hurst, and George R. Zug.

Literature Cited

Bishop, S. C.

1928. Notes on some amphibians and reptiles from the southeastern
states, with a description of a new salamander from North
Carolina. J. Elisha Mitchell Sci. Soc . 43{3/h) : 153-1 70.

1943. I Handbook of salamanders. Comstock Publ. Co,s Ithaca * New York .

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

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Brandt, B. B.

1936. The frogs and toads of eastern North Carolina. Copeia 1936
(4) : 21 5-223 .

Brimley, C. S.

1895. List of snakes observed at Raleigh, N.C. Amer. Nat. 29:56-57.

1907. The salamanders of North Carolina. J. Elisha Mitchell Sci.
Soc. 23: 150-156.

1915. List of repti les and amphibians from North Carolina. J. Elisha
Mitchell Sci. Soc. 30(h): 3-14.

1917. The two forms of red Spelerpes occurring at Raleigh, N. C.

Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington 30: 87*88.

1918. Eliminations f rom and addi tions to the North Carol i na list of
repti les and amph ib ians . J. Elisha Mitchell Sci. Soc. 34(3):
148-149.

1944. Amphibians and reptiles of North Carolina. Reprinted from
Carolina Tips (1939-1943). Carolina Biol. Supply Co.9 Elon
College 9 North Carolina.

Bruce, R. C.

1971. Life cycl e and popul at ion structure of the salamander Stereo-
chilus marginatus in North Carolina. Copeia 1971 (2) : 234-246.

Collette, B. B., and F. R. Gehlbach.

1961. The salamander Siren intermedia intermedia LeConte in North
Carolina. Eerpetologica 17 ( 3):203”204.

Conant, R.

1958. A field guide to reptiles and amphibians. Houghton Mifflin
Co.j Boston.

Dunn, E. R.

1926. The salamanders of the family Plethodontidae. Smith College 9
Northampton j Massachusetts.

Eaton, T. H.

1953. Sal amanders of Pi tt County , North Carolina, J . Elisha Mitchell
Sci. Soc. 69 ( 1):49"53.

Funderburg, J. B., Jr.

1955. The amphibians of New Hanover County, North Carol ina . J. Elisha
Mitchell Sci. Soc. 7l( 1):19"28.

Gehlbach, F. R.

1987. Amby stoma tigrinum. Cat. Amer. Amphib. Rept: 52.1-52.4.

Hardy, J . D. , Jr .

1969a. A summary of recent stud ies on the sal amander, Amby stoma mabeei.
Ref. No. 69”20. Chesapeake Biol. Lab.9 Solomons 9 Maryland.

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September 1974

1969b. Reproductive activity, growth, and movements of Amby stoma
mabeei Bishop in North Carolina. Bull. Maryland Herpetol.
Soc. 5 (2) :65"76.

, and J. D. Anderson.

1970 Amby stoma mabeei. Cat. Amer. Amphib. Rept: 81.1-81.2.

, and J. Olmon.

1974. Restrict ion of the range of the frosted salamander, Ambystoma
eingulatum based on a comparison of the larvae of Ambystoma
oingulatum and Amby stoma mabeei. Herpetologioa 30(2) : 156-160.

Mittleman, M.

1967. Manoulus and M. quadridigitatus . Cat. Amer. Amphib. Rept:
44.1-44.2 .

Palmer, W. M.

197^. Poisonous snakes of North Carolina. State Mus. Nat. Hist.,
Raleigh, North Carolina .

Schwartz, A., and R. Etheridge.

195^. New and additional herpetolog s cal records from the North
Carolina Coastal Plain. Herpetologioa 20:167“171.

— Wi 1 1 iam M. Palmer, Alvin L . Braswel 1 , and David L. Stephan, Section of
Ichthyology and Herpetology, North Carolina State Museum of Natural
History, Raleigh 27611.

Received 23 August 197^

Accepted 26 August 197^

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September 1974

Death-Feigning in Hyla regilla on Santa Cruz Island
Santa Barbara County, California

On the west slope of Santa Cruz Island, Santa Barbara County, Cal¬
ifornia, popul at ions of what Jamison, Mackey and Richmond (1966) described
as Eylaregilla desertioola are extremely common in many of the steep-wal led
V-shaped stream beds. Adults were heard on 10-13 May 1974 and many tad¬
poles of various developmental stages were observed in various intermittent
pools which were very common.

Tree frogs were extremely widespread and abundant on Santa Cruz Island .
Of 4 arroyos in the central portion of the Island which I followed along
most of their main course, only 1 small one did not contain observable
tadpoles or adults near or around the intermittent pools along its main
course. In the stream bed just to the south of the frog less one, I made
the following observations:

On 11 May 1974 I was making ecological observations in a dry arroyo
on the southwest side of Santa Cruz Island. There were 8 ephemeral pools
of vary ing s izes along the almost stra ight east to west course of the stream
bed. I spotted an adult Eyla regilla on a prickly pear cactus ( Opuntia
cf. littoralis) pad overhanging approximately 1.3 meters above a 1 meter
wide "perfect triangular" shaped pool. The tree frog had a green border
with a light gray mid-trunk. The cactus pad was 1 of 3 branching horizon¬
tal ly from a stem pad wh ich appeared to be precariously rooted to the steep
almost vertical rock wall. This animal did not move when I placed a wooden
stick point over and around it on each side, front and rear. Nor did it
appear to move when I dangled a fish 1 ine noose over and around it. I gained
the qu ick impress ion that the tree frog had des iccated in situ on the cactus
pad or even that it had perhaps become impaled by cactus spines. That
these alternative explanations were not valid was soon demonstrated as I
tried to grasp the animal with my fingers. The frog then jumped quickly
into the pool below. This observation supports a hypothesis that death-
feigning behavior does i ndeed on occas ion occur in Santa Cruz Island Eyla
regilla. I have not made comparable observations in any mainland pop¬
ulations although I have attempted comparable experiments with numerous
individuals occurring in my vegetable garden in Solana Beach.

Literature Cited

Jamison, D. 1., J. P. Mackey, and R. C. Richmond

1966. The systemat ics of the paci f i c tree frog , Eyla regilla . Proo.
California Acad. Soi. (4)33(19) * 551 -620 9 13 figs. , 17 tables.

—Benjamin H. Banta, Biology Department , United States International
University 3 10455 Pomerado Roads San Diego 3 California 92131.

Received 28 August 19/4
Accepted 28 August 1974

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September 1974

THOMAS BAILLIE MACDOUGALL, NATURALIST-COLLECTOR, 1896-1973

Hobart M. Smith

One of the most enterprising naturalist-collectors of all time, in
Mexico, became history on January 17, 1 973 , when Thomas Bail lie MacDougal 1
died in Oaxaca, Oaxaca, Mexico. The ashes of Don Tomas, as he was often
addressed in affectionate recognition of his sage maturity, and, by his
English-speaking friends, for his exotic way of life, were buried in the
city cemetery of Tehuantepec, far from his birthplace in Scotland but in
the land he grew to love, by his closest Indian friends, Francisco Ortega
(a Zapotec) and Juan Ramirez (a Chontal).

Indeed, in general terms Don Tomas had three homes. He migrated from
Scotland, where he was born (probably on the i sland of Bute) Dec. 9, 1896,
to the Uni ted States after the first World War, in which he served in the
British Army, and became a naturalized citizen. He completed most re¬
quirements for a degree from the New York State College of Forestry, but
did not actually receive the degree, being deficient in the required for¬
mality of one season at the Forestry Summer Camp. Subsequently he became
associated wi th a cl assmate, William Shemin, who estab 1 i shed a commercial
greenhouse and nursery in the Bronx, New York, later moved to Greenwich,
Connecticut. Tom d i rected the 1 andscapi ng , propagation and horticultural
aspects of the business, leaving sales and administration to his partner.
He was never a co-owner , but shared in the success of the enterprise, and
in the freedom it offered during the "off-season.11 It soon became his
custom to spend several fall, winter and spring months in Mexi co wh i le his
friend ran the business, and then he would return to supervise cultural
activities from April or May to September or October . It was an eminently
satisfactory arrangement which, al though allowing no chance for accumulating
a personal fortune, was deeply satisfying to both partners. It was an
arrangement which did requi re careful husbanding of all resources. Frugal i ty
became a regul ar way of life, for example in travel only by bus, whenever
he had to use public transportation. He never owned or drove a car or
other personal vehicle.

As time went on Don Tomas spent progressively less time with the
business, and by 1955 had retired fully f rom i t , spend i ng some 9 mo. each
year in Mexico, collecting both plants and animals for various museums
and universities, as well as for some pharmaceutical companies. He also
collected some archaeological material. Live material posed some minor
problems at the border, on occasion, but the quantity of material was so
insignificant that wi th his meticulous, neat pack i ng he never encountered
real problems despite the increasingly stringent restrictions upon impor¬
tation. We regularly marveled at his unique efficiency in bringing live
birds, repti les and plants as wel 1 as preserved material across the border .

Because of his ef f iciency i n penetrat ion of the most remote regions,
he served in some role, perhaps largely unofficial, in exploration for
sources of scarce, critical mater ial s during World War II, and in under¬
cover monitoring of international activities near the Guatemala-Mexico

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 89

Volume 10 Number 3

September 1974

border. These roles are not well known, and likely never will be. In the
most recent years Don Tomas became intimately i nvol ved wi th preservat ion
and professional exploration of unique, irreplaceable archeological sites
that abound i n Oaxaca but are regrettably open for pi 1 fer i ng and vandalism.
At the timeof his death he was negotiating for special attention to the
famed sites on Mt. Guiengola, near Tehuantepec. In these endeavors he was
particularly closely associ ated wi th Dr . David A. Peterson of the Depart¬
ment of Anthropology of the New York State Universi ty at Binghamton, working
with the Institute of Oaxaca Studies. A joint work on Guiengola is in
progress and will be completed by Dr. Peterson.

Don Tomas never married. His time and energy were expended in ex¬
ploration of remote regions. In his early trips to Mexico he travelled
rather widely in southern parts from Veracruz to Guerrero and south to
Chiapas. In later years, however, he focussed upon the Oaxaca-Chiapas
area, making headquarters in the Hotel La Perla (in later years, in the
Hotel Istmo) in Tehuantepec and the Hotel Principal (where he died) in
Oaxaca. From these sites hewould strike out in 1-3 week forays into the
hinterlands, in the company usual ly of one to three close friends who
maintained small farms near Tehuantepec.

His travel s were 1 argel y on foot, shunning use of pack or saddle an¬
imals. He would go by bus to the nearest poi nt of departure for any given
trip, then walk for days in exploration of roadless, often trail less and
and largely uninhabited fastnesses. His pack was astonishingly light;
in his early days, he would use newspapers for cover at night as in the
crater of Volccin Tacana, but in later years he adopted the luxury of a
small tarpaul in or plastic sheet to serve as a shelter, and a down sleep¬
ing bag. The travelers carried a minimum of food, and would extensively
live off the land, occasionally buy i ng a chicken from a local rancher. Few
Americans could keep up with him very long, although occasionally they
would try, usually with prompt failure. He seemed indefatigable - the
epitomeof the notoriously tough, wiry Scot. He was in this sense a rare
field companion for his durable Indian friends, who developed a deep af¬
fection over the years for this strange naturalist who worked with them
in their own haunts and indeed led them farther afield than they would
ever have gone otherwise.

Travelling so light, he could save only a small part of the animals
and plants of special interest. It is a source of despair that he could
not have been accompan ied by skilled col lectors in al 1 f iel ds , for al though
he was a widely knowledgeable botanist, he was marginally familiar with
animals. His travels tookhiminto many endemic sanctuaries never before
visited by col lectors, and which wi 1 1 l ikely not bewel 1 sampled for decades.
L i ke any observant naturalist, he knew the conspicuous vertebrate types -
bi rds , game animal s , deadly snakes, etc. - but he had no knowledge in depth
of any animal group. Nevertheless, he early developed a zea 1 for sampling
those anima 1 s and pi ants that were most desired by taxonomists with whom
he had contact , especial ly in the American Museum of Natural History (Dr.
George C . Goodwi n) , and the New York Botanical Gardens (Dr. Ed Alexander,
Dr. Howard Irwin) and that were not too difficul t to prepare as specimens.
He thus came to concentrate pr imar i ly upon smal 1 mammal s and herps as sub¬
sidiaries of plants.

Page 90

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 10 Number 3

September 1974

Dr. Goodwin came to be his sole beneficiary for small mammals, and
through a coincidental encounter i n Tehuantepec i n 1 939 I became his bene¬
ficiary for herps. Despite strong appeals by others to col lect those animals
for them, he refused, feeling that itwould be unfaithful tohis friends.
For indeed we beneficiaries did become his friends, poring over his pictures,
specimens, notes and rare acquisitions of varied sorts as he would stop
brief ly on his trips to the northeast, or on his way to Mexico. The specimens
were purchased from him at a nominal figure ($1.00 each for the herps),
most of which was turned over to his field companions.

In time Mr. MacDougall developed numerous contacts with botanists
al 1 over the country and in Mexico, securing for them material of especial ly
desired groups. Some met him in Oaxaca and travelled briefly with him.
Dr. Margery Car 1 son and Kate Staley, for example, first travel led wi th h im
i n 19^9, to Monte Bello near Comi tan , Chiapas , and were subsequently frequent
field companions. However, he led too tiringapace for most, except when
he consented to travel with them for brief periods by car or bus. He was
essential ly a "loner" wi th respect to his colleagues, despi te h is friendly
contacts with them; these were casual, whereas he treasured his intimacy
with the native Indians, and they regarded him reciprocally.

Unfortunately Don Tomas recorded much less than might be des i red about
his travels. Most extensive is a illustrated article in the Explorer's
Journal ( 1 971 , vo 1 . 49 » no. 2, pp. 86-103, "The Chima Wilderness"), con¬
taining a map denoting some localities where he secured specimens in this
area. His voluminous notes and photographs have been deposited by his
official executor, Mr. Emanuel Shemin, in the library of the American
Museum of Natural History, however, where they can be consulted by spe¬
cialists in the future. Nevertheless the vast bulk of his unique obser¬
vations and experiences will remain unrecorded.

Among the few amazing discoveries preserved in his Chima article is
the notation of the incredible vegetation of Cerro Azul with an "elfin
forest" so dense and beaten by wind and rain that it is easier In ma^y
places to walk on top of it rather than through it. From remote areas
such as these he brought out many novel forms of 1 ife, tantal izingly leadi ng
to speculation on what enormous diversity may remain to be d i scovered there
when with his limited forays he could reveal so much. It is to be hoped
that these incomparably complex ecosystems may be spared for biological
study in depth before they are destroyed by the wanton exploitation that
is sure to come indue time if the areas are not set as ide as sanctuar ies .
Indeed this was very much In mind when Mr. MacDougall wrote the Chima
article, giving notice in his quiet way that here is a region unique in
its complexi ty and pristine integri ty that shoul d be preserved somehow for
all time. If that protection were not given, it was his aim to provide
some indication of what it was like before it was destroyed..

Despite the largely casual collecting of herps that he carried out,
the continued acquisition over a period of 40 years led to an astonishing
accumulation, bolstered cons iderably by the acqu i s i t ions of local farmers
with whom he would leave cans of formalin. The total would come to ap¬
proximately 10,000-15,000 specimens, since between 200 and 500/year were
saved. He and his collectors became familiar with common species and

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 91

Volume 10 Number 3

September 1974

preserved few of them, concentrating upon unusual -appear ing specimens.
It is likely that his material represented, when collected, at least 100
then undescribed species, of herps alone. Eight bear his name: Gaigeia
dontomasi (lizard), Thorius macdougalli (salamander), Eleutherodactylus
macdougalli (frog), Sceloporus macdougalli (lizard), and four snakes:
Bothrops nigroviridis macdougalli (a pit viper), Micrurus diastema mac¬
dougalli (a coral snake) , Rhadinaea macdougalli , Tropidodips as macdougalli.
Few herpetologists have col lected so much novel material, or had so many
distinct kinds named for them.

Thus the impact of Thomas MacDougal 1's activities upon Mexican Her¬
petology is prodigious, for the state of that knowledge was notably primi tive
when he entered the field - about where the Un i ted States was in the mid-
19th century. Mexico is now known about on a par with U.S. in the early
20th century, and Don Tomcfs figured very importantly in that phenomenal
growth. It is likely that future maturation of knowledge of the Mexican
herpetofauna will maintain a much slower rate, as much because of the
absence of one of its great naturalists, Thomas MacDougal 1 , as because of
the lessening accessibility to American workers.

Obituaries written by his botanical associates (He 11a Bravo Hollis,
in Cactaceas y Suculentas Mexicanas, vol . 18(2), 1973, p. 53; also in
Macpalxochi tl of the Sociedad Botanica de Mexico, no A7, 1973; Rudolf
Ziesenhenne, in The Begonian, vol . AO, 1973, *pp. 126-127) reveal that how¬
ever major h is herpetolog i cal contributions may have been, his botanical
ones were much greater . Many of his plant discoveries were named for him.
He described one species by himself, and several were coauthored. Alone
or with collaborators, he published some 90 brief articles after 19^0,
calling attention to rare or noteworthy species, especially their tax¬
onomy, natural habitat and growing conditions. Most of these articles
were illustrated with his own photographs. It is likely that his mamma-
logical contributions were on a par with his herpetolog i cal ones, and he
even prepared some outstanding bi rd skins for various museums. Occasional ly
he preserved fishes and insects, sent inwith his reptiles or mammals. At
least one coastal marine fish was the subject of a note grossly extending
the known range of its species. So far as I am aware, his herpetolog i cal
collections were (before exchanges) l imi ted to the American Museum of Natural
H istory , the U. S. National Museum, the Uni vers i ty of Colorado Museum, the
Edward H. Taylor private col lection and the Museum of Natural History of
the University of Illinois. The latter collection is the largest of all,
and the dispersal to all of the named collections, except the first, is
a product of my own changing affiliations, not to shifting arrangements
on the part of Mr. MacDougal 1. All of the Taylor collection is now in
the Field Museum in Chicago (2/3) and at the Un i vers i ty of 1 1 1 i noi s (1/3)*

With such varied contributions of broad biological import over such
a long period, Thomas MacDougal 1 will remain a figure etched forever in
the annals of biological exploration in Mexico - a record that stands unique
in the 20th century and is not likely ever again to be matched. He will
also be remembered, lamentably for a briefer time, as a gentle person of
reserved warmth and unswervi ng loyalty, who opened his heart to those who
shared with him, directlyor indirectly, the s imple but deeply satisfying
pleasures of learning to know a remote region as yet largely untouched by
the heavy hand of man.

Page 92

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 10 Number 3

September 1974

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yC^^<^<1^2^A-u>A/ cz/r //ul. -€/?7fa&?2^l£L dcT
^Jt.ctC&* TbTuse&'n, TicrteSzj^T^lczL ^AcoIb 7^ t

/j/ic C'caT. c/Zczz^ cc^e/e ~m. a c/e t n~
dJ&zdecL cid€-£Z*dc 7clczh~ tA> jk ckJTuml

cr>i, t/&£d> . /

cr^A 7/izcb yUtd-Hdte <3.n.

<dcs-Ae.c/ Ud> ?

OJiA/t 77/n db^tr^^cZdT), <C yhUO)*tad

/7/z/^c7l

Fig. 1. Facsimile of a letter from Mr. MacDougall, illustrating his
remarkably beautiful penmanship and his field observations.
The chachalaca head was obtained for study of the brain by
one of my students at the time, now Dr. R. G. Northcutt. The
caecilians were desired for the same purpose. The Xenosaurus
from Rio Sal has since been described as X . grandis agrenon
King and Thompson, and the one from Zanatepec as X . arhoreus
Lynch and Smith (now X. g. arbor eus) . He notes that he did
not collect Rhadinaea binfordi al though he worked in the area
of its type locality; actual ly he had indeed secured specimens
of i t for us at an earl ier time, but we had failed to recognize
i t as d i st inct.

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 93

Volume 10 Number 3

September 1974

Fig. 2. Mr. Thomas MacDougall, about 1965. Photo courtesy
Martin Schweig of St. Louis, through the kindness
of Mrs. Ernest W. Stix, Jr., St. Louis.

Acknowledgments . Much of the information presented above has been made
avai 1 able only through the very kindly, unstinti ng contributions of several
of Mr. MacDougal 1 's warmest friends , who uniformly have exhibi ted a degree
of esteem for him that marks a rare human being. Especially am I indebted
to Mrs. Judith S. Stix of St. Louis, who is collecting biographical material
pertaining to him, and has arranged for a posthumous award to him of an
A.B. degree from the New York State Col lege of Forestry in Spring, 197A;
and to Mr. Emanuel Shemin, son of Don Tomas 1 associate Wi 1 1 iam Shemin, of
Greenwich, Conn. Also I am grateful for the counsel of Dr. Margery C.
Carl son of Evanston , 111.; Dr. Dav i d A. Peterson of Binghamton, New York;
Mr. and Mrs. Roy H. Jones of Oaxaca; and Dr. C.M. Bogert of Santa Fe, New
Mex i co .

Department of Environmental , Population and Organismic Biology > University
of Colorado y Boulder , Colorado 80302 .

Received A June 197A

Page 94

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 10 Number 3

September 1974

News & Notes

For Immediate Release

As the United States prepares for conversion to the metric system,
J. J. Keller & Associates, Snc. announces the pub 1 a cat ion of the '‘Metric
Manual1'. This is the first and only such edition In America, and deals
with all essential metric data relative to the conversion process.

The deluxe binder edi tlon provides practical background Information
necessary to understand the full implications of metrication In this
country. The "Metric Manual" has required several years of planning and
research - and parallels the announcements by several major industries
and organizations to convert to the metric system.

ideal for home and business libraries, the "Metric Manual" Is pub¬
lished in loose-leaf, 3 ring binder format and contains: History of
Measurement, Development of Metrology , U.S. Metric Considerations, Stan¬
dards, Government Agencies, Metric Training, Personal Applications, Bus¬
iness Considerations, Industrial Foundation, Professional Concerns, Relat¬
ed Organizations, Foreign Commerce, Measurement Comparisons , Glossary and
Appendix.

Copies are avai lable now at a special introductory price of $25 each
(postage and handl ing prepaid, if payment accompanies order), direct from
the publisher: J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc., 1^5 W. Wisconsin Ave.,
Neenah, Wisconsin 54956.

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 95

Volume 10 Number 3

September 1974

-Loveridge
REPTILES (and Amphibians) OF THE PACIFIC

271 pages 3 7 plates 3 1 double-page map 3 index (originally published in 1946 by
Macmillan Company 3 New York)

•THIS BOOK treats the herpetofauna of a vast region including Indonesia, the
Philippines and Japan, Australia, New Guinea and New Zealand, and an enormous
array of islands including Hawaii and the Galapagos. With such isolated land
masses, the fauna is predictably diverse and includes the tuatara, several croco¬
diles, various lizards including the Komodo dragon, flying lizards arid the Gala¬
pagos iguanas, numerous pythons, the king cobra and other poisonous elapids and
vipers, the wide-ranging marine turtles and sea snakes, caecilians, the giant
salamander, and many frogs and toads.

Authoritative yet written in a clear and untechnical manner, this book is
the standard reference on the Pacific herpetofauna and is equally useful to pro¬
fessionals and amateurs. Each specie's is described and its range noted, together
with a discussion of its life history and remarks on capture, captive specimens,
reproductive habits, and use as food. There are identification keys to families
and species, illustrated with seven diagnostic plates. Finally, there are chap¬
ters on snake bite and its treatment, economic aspects and conservation, collect¬
ing techniques, procedures for shipping living and preserved specimens, and an
annotated bibliography.

Mr. Loveridge, now retired, was formerly curator of herpetology at Harvard
University, and is a noted authority on the amphibians and reptiles of Africa and
the South Pacific.

prices

SSAR members before publication: $10 paperbound, $12 clothbound
Institutions and non-members: $15 paperbound, $17 clothbound

to order

Orders may be placed now. This book will be published in fall 197^; to take ad¬
vantage of special prices, SSAR members must place their orders before publication.
Please circle edition desired and send with payment to Dr. Henri C. Seibert, Morton
Hall, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio U5701, U.S.A. Make checks payable to: "SSAR."
Receipt sent on request only.

Please mark these boxes if you want information on SSAR membership □ or a complete
list of Society publications D. Publications issued by the Society include the
Journal of Herpetology 3 Facsimile Reprints in Herpetology , Herpetological Review 3
Herpetological Circulars 3 Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles 3 and the
several series published. by SSAR's predecessor. The Ohio Herpetological Society.

Page 96

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 10 Number 3

September 1974

SOCIETY FOR THE STUDY OF AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES

□The Society for the Study of Amphibians and
Reptiles is an international organization
established to advance the study of amphibi¬
ans and reptiles. Although begun in 1958 as
a regional society, SSAR rapidly gained a
world-wide membership, largely because of
its diversified publications program, and it is widely
recognized to have the most active society-sponsored
program of services for students of amphibians and
reptiles. Membership is open to all persons, both ama¬
teur and professional.

ACTIVITIES

In addition to its publications, SSAR sponsors a number
of activities of broad herpetological interest. The
annual meeting is held each summer on a university cam¬
pus or at biological stations throughout the United
States since the Society especially wishes to attract
students to its meetings by providing inexpensive and

informal facilities. In addition to the papers given
by members at these meetings , symposia or other invited
speakers are usually planned which allow for detailed
discussions of important areas of contemporary study.
Live animal, photographic, film and other exhibits are
also organized, as well as field trips.

The Society makes a concerted effort in conserva¬
tion, especially where this affects amphibians and rep¬
tiles, by influencing both state and national legislat¬
ion and by acting as a clearinghouse for communication
of conservation information. Likewise, an effort is
made to cooperate and provide assistance to regional
herpetological groups; as a result, one Society officer
is selected from this constituency.

PUBLICATIONS

SSAR sponsors one of the most diversified series of
publications of any scientific society. Some are in¬
tended for the professional, while others are primarily
for amateurs. Each series is described in detail on
the reverse side of this page, including some series
that have been discontinued. Back issues of every pub¬
lication are available; a detailed pricelist can be
obtained simply by checking the appropriate box on the
membership application.

MEMBERSHIP PRIVILEGES

All persons are welcome to become members of SSAR, to
receive its publications, attend meetings and join in
other Society activities. All members have voting
privileges. Each year they receive these publications
as part of their membership: Journal of Herpetology (U
issues, totalling about kOO pages). Facsimile Reprints
in Herpetology ( 3—^ issues, about 200 pages), Herpeto¬
logical Circulars (l-2 issues, about 50 pages), and
Herpetological Review ( 4 issues, about 130 pages).

In addition, SSAR members receive a substantial
discount on all book-length facsimile reprints issued
during the year. Members may also place standing
orders for accounts in the series Catalogue of Ameri¬
can Amphibians and Reptiles on their regular dues
forms. Those persons electing the higher membership
categories (Sustaining and Contributing members) re¬
ceive the same publications and services, but provide
additional financial support which allows the Society
to expand and improve its programs more rapidly than
would otherwise be possible.

MEMBERSHIPS
AND SUBSCRIPTIONS

Please mark those boxes opposite the items you wish to
subscribe to or order, fill in your name and address,
and return to:

Dr. Max A. Nickerson
Society Secretary
Vertebrate Division
Milwaukee Public Museum
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53233, U.S.A.

©Individuals :

Regular member (worldwide)
Sustaining member
Contributing member

Catalogue of American Amphibians
and Reptiles, standing order

$ 8.00 □
10.00 □
15.00 □

* □

©Institutions :

Publications set: Journal, Facsimiles
(booklet series), Circulars, and the
Review $16.00 □

Catalogue of American Amphibians

and Reptiles, standing order * □

billing on annual basis TOTAL $

Please check here CD if you want a list of all SSAR
publications available for purchase.

Your name and address :

ZIP:

Make checks payable to "SSAR" ; receipt sent on re¬
quest only.

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 97

Volume 10 Number 3

September 1974

Eastern Seaboard Herpetological League

OCTOBER 26, 1 97^ MEETING: EASTERN SEABOARD HERPETOLOGICAL LEAGUE (ESHL)
SPONSORED BY THE NEW YORK HERPETOLOGICAL SOCIETY

SCHEDULE: 12:30 - 1:30 p.m.

1:30- 4:15 p.m.

4:15 " 6:00 p.m.

6:00 p.m.

Registration, coffee, and final speaker 1 ine-
up for evening session.

First session topical addresses:
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS: Mr. George Zappler,
D i rector and Curator of Reptiles, Staten Is¬
land Zoo.

BREAK for dinner, viewing of the SIZ reptile
col lection, and general social izing. Arrange¬
ments are being made at several local eating
places to expect us. The reptile wing will
be open for our viewing during this time, with
staff member Robert Zappalorti on hand to
answer any questions.

SPEAKERS FROM REGIONAL SOCIETIES.

Page 98

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Back issues of the Bulletin of the Maryland
Herpetol og i ca 1 Society, where available, may be
obta i ned by wr i t i ng the Execut i ve Editor. A list
of available issues will be sent upon request.
Individual numbers in stock are $2.00 each.

The Soc i ety a 1 so pub 1 i shes a News 1 etter on a
somewhat irregular basis. Theseare distributed
to the membersh i p free of charge . Also published
are Maryland Herpetofauna Leaflets and these are
available at $. 05/page.

Information for Authors

All correspondence should be addressed to
the Executive Editor. Manuscripts being sub¬
mitted for publication should be typewritten
(double spaced) on good quality x 1 1 inch
paper, with adequate margins. Submit original
and first carbon, retaining the second carbon.
Indicate where illustrations or photographs are
to appear in text. Cite all literature used at
end in alphabetical order by author.

Major papers are those over 5 pages (double
spaced, elite type) and must i ncl ude an abstract .
The authors name should be centered under the
title, and the address is to fol low the Li terature
Cited. Minor papers are those papers with fewer
than 5 pages. Author's name is to be placed at
end of paper (see recent issue). For add i t iona 1
information see Style Manual for Biological
Journals (1964) , Amer i can I ns t i tute of Biological
Sciences, 3900 Wi scons in Avenue, N.W. , Washington,
D.C. 20016. Price is $3.00.

Reprints are available at $.025 a page and
shoul d be ordered when manuscripts are submitted
or when proofs are returned . Minimum order is 100
reprints. Either edited manuscri pt or proof will
be returned to author for approval or correction.
The author wi 1 1 be res pons i ble for al 1 corrections
to proof, and must return proof preferab 1 y w i th i n
7 days.

The Maryland Herpetological Society
Department of Herpetology
Hatural History Society of Maryland, Inc .
2643 Horth Charles Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21218

ISSN 0025-4231

BULLETIN OF THE

THarylanb

f)erpetological

Ooctety

Department of Herpetology
The Natural History Society of Maryland, Inc.

MdHS,, . .A FOUNDER MEMBER OF THE

Eastern Seaboard Herpetological League

DECEMBER 1974

VOLUME 10, NUMBER 4

Bulletin of the Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 10 Number 4

December 1974

CONTENTS

Boyd's forest dragon, Goniocephalus boydii (Macleay) .

. A. J .Zwi nenberg 99

An albino ringneck snake, Diadophis punctatus from New Jersey

. . .John D. Groves 102

Description of a female Micrurus diastema macdougalli Roze

from Progreso, Oaxaca, Mexico .... Arnold Powers 103

Comments on the feeding behavior of larval tiger salamanders,

Amby stoma tigrinwn . D.S.Lee, R. Franz 105

The parasites of the red-backed salamander, Plethodon cinereus

. . . E.M. Ernst 108

Growth rate of Lichanura r, roseofusca in captivity .

. D.Mazzarella 115

News £ Notes:

Reptiles and amphibians of the Pacific . 118

Society for the study of amphibians and reptiles . 119

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 76*33/458

The Mary land Herpetological Society > Department of Herpetology 3 Natural
History Society of Maryland , Inc, s 2643 North Charles Street 3 Baltimore
Maryland 21218,

Published By

Photographic Directory Pubti6 heu f P0 Box 178 , Randatt&tocon, Md . 2 1133

BULLETIN OF THE

Volume 10 Number 4 31 December 197*+

The Maryland Herpetolog i ca 1 Society
Department of Herpetology, Natural History Society of Maryland, Inc.

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Jeff Thomas
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Tom Boyer

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Secretary . Donal Boyer

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Frank Groves
Jerry Hardy
Herb Harris, Jr.
Arnold Norden

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Bulletin of the Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 10

31 December 1974 Number 4

Boyd's Forest Dragon, Goniocephalus
boydii (Macleay)

The warmer areas of the Old World are the home of about three hun¬
dred species of lizards, belonging to the f am i 1 y Agamidae . The lizards
are called dragon 1 i za rds or dragons because of their resemblance to our
popular image of a dragon. All are characterized by a rough scalation,
round pupils, movable eyel ids, four wel 1 developed limbs, 1 ong tail, clearly
visible eardrum (except i n "earl ess lizards"), symmetrical shields on top
of the head, acrodont dentition and reproduction by eggs. These dragon
1 i zards are d i urnal .

I n the New World thei r n i che i s f i 1 led by the i guanas (fami 1 y Iguanidae) .
Iguanas also occur on some islands in the Old World, e.g. in Madagascar
(seven species) and in the Fiji Islands (one species). It is remarkable,
that where dragons are absent, their niche is filled by the iguanidae.
There is no overlapping between the two families. Many dragons are pro¬
vided with crests, frills or throat sacks, which enable them to put on
terrifying displays.

Some of the forty or so species
of theAgamid family found in Aus¬
tralia are migrants from northern
climes. One of these species is
Boyd's forest dragon ( Goniocep¬
halus boydii) (Fig. l), also cal¬
led Boyd's angle-headed dragon,
which entered Australia from New
Guinea only recently. It reaches
a total length of about 50 cm (20
in.) and is found only in north¬
ern Queensland, and the rain for¬
ests of the tablelands (Fig. 2).

The tail is brownish and very
long, in some cases twice the
length of the compressed body. There
is a prominent crest on the neck
and a less devel oped crest down the
center of the back.... the crests
are separated from each other. The
crest on the neck cons i sts of three Fig. 1 . An adu 1 1 Boyd ' s fores t dragon ,
enlarged white spines and a number Goniocephalus boydii .

of small ones. The grey-green to Photograph courtesy A.I.S.

yel low-green body is partial ly cov- (Canberra) .

ered wi th smal 1 wh i t i sh sp i nes . The
pronounced gu 1 ar sac (Dewlap) , wel 1

developed in males, with sharp spines on the front edge, is brownish to
yellowish in color. The sides of the head are decorated with large blue

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society Page 99

Volume 10 Number 4

December 1974

patches. The 1 izard changes color rather readily under stress of emot ion.
When two males encounter they wi 1 1 turn pa 1 e , the bod i es wi 1 1 show a number
of dark transverse bars and the gul ar sacs wi 1 1 be inflated. After erection
of the nuchal and dorsal crests the two males will approach each other,

bobbing their heads up and down.
This performance is mostly bluff
and general ly , one of the males wi 1 1
depart before the encounter ends i n
actual combat.

Goniooephalus boydii must be
considered terrestrial rather than
arboreal, in spite of the fact that
it has well developed limbs with
strongly clawed feet. It can climb
trees, but does th i s onl y i n search
of food. When disturbed it remains
perfectly quiet until actually
picked up (Dale, 1973). Its green
hue makes it almost impossible to
see on moss and rubb i sh among trees
Fig. 2. Distribution of Goniooephalus and creepers, the natural habitat
boydii in Australia. of this species. It seems to rely

on its camouflage, instead of re¬
treating at the sign of danger.

The hindlegs are extraordinary long. This appears to be an adapta¬
tion for swift running. However, this particular spec i es of forest dragon
is somewhat clumsy on the ground (Worrell, 1963). Davey (1970) assumes
that the large hindlimbs were evolved by ancestors which lived in open
a reas .

Boyd's angle-headed dragon is not common and our knowledge of this
species is scanty. It is rarely seen, probably because of its cryptic
coloration. Wells (1972), who v i s i ted the Atherton Tablelands near Cairns
(eastern seaboard of Queensland) , claims, on the contrary, that the 1 izards
are not uncommon i n that region. They were of ten s ighted i n the rainforest.

The diet consists ma i nl y of 1 arge insects, but al so i ncl udes snails,
grubs, worms, and small vertebrates such as birds. Goniooephalus boydii
is oviparous, 1 i ke al 1 Agami d 1 i zards , and 1 ays 2 to 5 eggs per clutch. A
gravi d , dead specimen exami ned by Wei 1 s (1972) conta i ned 3 eggs , the larges t
measuring 27 mm (1.05 in.) in length and 1A mm (0.5** in.) in diameter.
The female does not always cover the cl utch with soil, and sometimes just
depos i ts the eggs on the ground. The eggs hatch af ter an i ncuba t i on period
of 3 to A months, depend i ng on the warmth and moi s ture of the surrounding
sand .

There are two other spec i es of fores t dragons (genus Goniooephalus)
occuring in Australia. One species, the ra i n-forest dragon ( Goniooephalus
spinipes) , wh i ch grows to about 35 cm (1 A in.), i nhab i ts the remote forests
of eastern Queensland and northeastern New South Wales. It is very rare.
The crest on the back of the neck and back form a single row of spines,
contrary to the former species.

The other species, the great crested dragon (Goniooephalus godeffroyi) ,
Page 100 Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

0

Volume 10 Number 4

December 1974

is restricted to the Cape York Peninsula (northern Queensland). In Aus¬
tralia (Bustard, 1970) it reaches a 1 ength of about 1 m (3£ ft.). It has
a pronounced crest on back of the neck and a well developed one on the
back continuing on to the tail. Both species are brownish dorsal ly with
a pattern of darker spots.

Bustard, R.
1970.

Dale, F.D .
1973.

Davey, K.D.
1970.

Wells, R.
1972.

Wor rel 1 , E .

Fig. 3* Gonioeephalus boydii with clutch.

Photograph courtesy A.I.S.

Literature Cited

Australian lizards. Collins - Sydney, p. 107.

Forty Queensland lizards. Qld, Museum Publ ., pp. 46-49.
Australian lizards. Lansdowne Press , Melbourne, pp. 90-92.
Notes on Gonioeephalus boydii (Macleay). Herpetofauna 5 (2:24) .

1963. Repti 1 es of Austral ia . Angus and Robertson, Sydney , pp . 73“ 7^* •

— A. J .Zwi nenberg , Bomeostraat 23, Vlaardingen, The Netherlands .

Received 4 September 1974
Accepted 8 September 1974

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

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Volume 10 Number 4

December 1974

An Albino Ringneck Snake, Diadophis punotatus

from New Jersey

Although al b i n i sm has previousl y been reported i n the ringneck snake,
Diadophis punotatus (Hensley, 1959), additional cases are of i nterest to
record .

On 5 July 197^, Tim Marshall collected an albino ringneck snake,
Diadophis punotatus (Fig.l) in a field on the property of Mr. Joseph T.
Winner of Indian Mills, Burlington County, New Jersey. When collected,

this snake was loosely coiled
under a piece of tar paper.

The specimen is an adult
male, measuring 190 mm in snout-
vent length and lb mm in tail
length. The color in life is
pinkish-white dorsal 1 y, wi th an
orange broken ring on its neck.
This ring is 2i scales wide at
its widest point. The ventral
surface is orange with a large
half-moon shaped pink spot, cen¬
trally located on most ventral
scales. No spots are present on
the caudal seal es or on the ch in
and lower lips. The eyes and

tongue are pink.

This specimen agrees in scalation and pattern with Diadophis pun¬
otatus punotatus , however, Conant (1958) states that the populations in
southern New Jersey are i n termed i ate between the northern and southern races.

I would like to thank Joseph E. Winner and Roy Knight for their aid
in securing this specimen for me.

Literature Cited

Fig. 1 . Adu 1 t ma 1 e Diadophis
punotatus .

Conant, R.

1958. A field guide to reptiles and amphibians. Houghton Mifflin

Co.s Boston . 386 p.

Hensley, M.

1959. Albinism in North American amphibians and reptiles. Publ .
Mus. Mioh . State Univ ,, Biol . Ser. 1 {b) : 135" 159.

—John D. Groves, Reptile Department , Philadelphia Zoological Garden^
Pennsylvania 3 19104 .

Received 14 September 197^

Accepted 15 September 197^

Page 102

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 10 Number 4

December 1974

Description of a female Miorurus diastema
macdougalli Roze from Progreso, Oaxaca, Mexico

Roze (1967) described Miorurus diastema macdougalli from two male
specimens (AMNH 65162, 65 163) from El Modelo, Rio Chalchijapa, and Rio
del Corte, Oaxaca, Mexico. Additional specimens in the collections of
the University of Colorado Museum (UCM 40083~40087) from Progreso, Pal-
omares, Juchi tan, and 12 de Jul io, Oaxaca, Mex i co now prov i de further sup¬
port for the sub spec if i c designation of M.d, macdougalli (See Fig. 1 ) . Three
of the five specimens are females (UCM AOO83 , 40086 , 40087) , thus providing
the first record of the sex for this geographic race.

Fig. 1. Dorsal views of five specimens of Micrurus
diastema macdougalli in the collections of
the Un i vers i ty of Colorado Museum (UCM 40083"

40087). Allotype (UCM 40086) top right.

DESCRIPTION OF ALLOTYPE .- I n most cha racter i st i cs the fema 1 e allotype (UCM
40086) is similar to the hoi otype (AMNH 65 1 63 ) and pa ra type (AMNH 651 62) .
The first supra labial basis andmostof the rostra 1 are 1 i ght in coloration .
The black nuchal band covers the parietal tips and is interrupted ventral ly.
There are 18+7 black bands on the body and tail, with black tippings on
the faded brick red dorsal scales. There are 222 ventrals and 39 caudals.

In M, d. macdougalli ventrals are fewer in males, 200-209, as com¬
pared to females, 200-225. Caudals are fewer but vary more in females,
39-47, than in males, 49 “ 52 (Table 1). A clearer appraisal of the sys¬
tematic status can on 1 y be obta i ned when more spec imens of th i s distinctive
geographic race become available for study.

All specimens were collected by T. C. MacDougal 1 for whom the sub¬
species was named in honor of his valuable collections i n the Tehuantepec
region of Mexico. I am indebted to Dr. J. A. Roze, Herpetology Depart¬
ment, American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) for encouragement to re¬
cord the Un i vers i ty of Col orado Museum (UCM) spec imens ; to Dr. H.M. Smith,
EP0 B iology Department , Un i vers i ty of Col orado , for ed i tor ia 1 suggestions;

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 103

Volume 10 Number 4

December 1974

and to Dr. T. P. Maslin, Herpetology Department, University of Colorado
Museum, for access to the museum's collections.

Table 1. Summary of selected morphometric and meristic characters of M. d. maodougalli.

MUSEUM

NUMBER

LOCALITY

(Oaxaca)

SEX

TOTAL

LENGTH

VENTRALS

CAUDALS

TOTAL BLACK
BODY RINGS
(Body+Ta i 1 )

AMNH 65162

El Modelo

Ma 1 e

574 mm.

200

49

23 (15+8)

AMNH 65163

El Modelo

Ma 1 e

-

201

50

24 (16+8)

UCM 40084

Prog reso

Ma 1 e

268 mm.

208

52

32 (21+11)

UCM 40085

Progreso

Ma 1 e

625 mm.

209

50

26 (17+9)

UCM 40083

Prog reso

Fema 1 e

229 mm.

225

47

29 (20+4)

UCM 40086

Progreso

Fema 1 e

725 mm .

222

39

25 (18+7)

UCM 40087

1 2 de Ju 1 i 0

Fema 1 e

225 mm.

220

40

30 (21+9)

Literature Cited

Roze, J. A.

1967. A check 1 i s t of the New Wor 1 d venomous coral snakes (Elapidae),
with descriptions of new forms. Am, Mus . Novit,, (2287) :1"
60, figs. 1-17.

— Arnold Powers., Environmental, Population, and Organismio Biology De¬
partment, University of Colorado, Boulder 80302 .

Received 29 September 197*+

Accepted 25 October 197*+

Page 104

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 10 Number 4

December 1974

Comments on the Feeding Behavior of Larval Tiger Salamanders,

Amby stoma tigrinum

Except fora report of the occurrence of Ambystoma tigrinum in Mary¬
land (Stine, et.al. 1954) nothing has been published on the biology of
this sal amander i n the state. Here da ta are presented on the feed i ng hab i ts
of larval tiger salamanders collected on the Maryland Delmarva.

On 16-17 June 1972, 51 larval Ambystoma tigrinum were se i ned from two
smal 1 ponds near Massey and Gol ts , Kent County, Maryland. The salamanders
were preserved at the t ime of capture in 10% formaldehyde. The entire di¬
gestive tracts were 1 ater removed, opened , and exami ned for food i terns wi th
the aid of a dissection microscope. Snout-vent and total lengths were
measured with vernier calipers to the nearest mm.

Larvae from the two ponds differed considerably, not only in size,
but also in the food items recovered (Tables 1 and 2) . Therefore, we will
discuss the two populations separately.

The area of the Massey pond is about one acre , varying considerably
with the season. The pond is surrounded by roads and fields for half its
circumference; the remainder is forested. Oaks (several spec i es) , Quercus ;
red maple, Acer rubrum; red gum, Liquidambar styraciflus; a nd black gum,
Nyssa sylvatica, dominate the forest. Black willows, Salix niger\ cat¬
tails, Tupha latifolia , and emergent grasses and sedges grow sporadical ly
along the edges, but for the most part the pond is free of any dominant
vegetation. Filamentous a 1 gae , an aqua t i c moss (Drepanocladus) , and pond -
weed ( Potamogeton grccmineus ) flourish in certain areas.

Forty-two Ambystoma tigrinum , 43"5l(45-9) mm snout-vent length, 81-
116(96.9) mm total length from this pond conta i ned 1 , 259 food items (an
average of 30.0 items per individual). In addition, almost all stomachs
contained filamentous algae, which we assume to have been accidentally
ingested. Identification of food items indicated that the larvae were
feedi ng on f ree-swimmi ng (i.e., Chaoboridae; Cul i ci dae) as wel 1 as bottom-
crawl i ng and vegetation in hab i t i ng ( i .e. , I sopoda , Ch i ronomi dae, Baet i dae)
prey. Two terrestrial insects (Homoptera and Orthoptera) were probably
taken from the surface.

The Golts pond is somewhat smaller than the Massey site. It is for¬
ested on all s i des , and , al though most of the plants are similar to those
associated wi th the previously described pond, the vegetation is th icker.

Riccia j Ricciocarpus 3 Utriculccria 3 Polygonum j Sagittaria and Scirpus were
noted in this pond but were not seen at the other site.

The nine 1 arvae f rom th i s second pond were cons i derabl y smaller (31-
58(47.9) mm snout-vent length, 60-102(88.5) mm total length) than those
from Massey pond. Their food items were smaller but more numerous (an
average of 58.1 i terns per individual ) . They preyed more heavily on crus¬
taceans (Tables 1 and 2) and fed mostly on free-swimming organisms. All
salamanders from Golts pond contained parasitic spiruroid nematodes,
fami ly Hedrur idae, H e drums , probably represent i ng an undescribed species .
A total of 31 worms were removed. Two species of Hedrurus are presently
known from salamanders, H, brevis and H, siredonis from Taricha torosus .

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

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Volume 10 Number 4

December 1974

Table 1. Food of forty-two Ambystona tigrinum larvae collected
1 6- 1 7 June 1 972 from Massey Pond , Kent County , Maryland.

Food item no. of % of no. of

items items stomachs

Arthopoda

I nsecta
Col eoptera

Dyti sci dae, larvae
Dytiscidae, adult
Ha 1 i p i dae , larvae
D i ptera

Chaoboridae, larvae
Chaoboridae, pupae
Chironomidae, larvae
Ch i ronom i dae , pupae
Cu 1 i c i dae , larvae
Cu 1 ic i dae , pupae
Ephemeroptera
Baetidae, nymph
Hemi ptera

Corixidae, nymph
Corixidae, adult
Notonectidae, nymph
Notonectidae, adult
Homoptera, adult
Odonata

Aeschnidae, nymph
Libel 1 u 1 i dae , nymph
Coenagrionidae, nymph
Orthoptera

Acridadae, nymph
T r i choptera

L imneph i 1 i dae , case and 1

Crustacea
Podocopa
Cl adocera
I sopoda
Amph i poda
Eucopepoda

Mol 1 usca
Gastropoda

Chordata
Amph i b i a

Acris crepitans, tadpole

348

27.60

42

19

1.51

1 1

1

.08

1

2

.16

1

46

3-65

16

10

.79

7

49

3-89

17

8

.63

5

36

2.85

8

6

.48

2

45

3.57

18

44

3-49

24

21

1 .67

14

3

.24

3

1

.08

1

i

.08

1

3

.24

3

1 1

.87

9

39

3-09

23

1

.08

1

2

.16

2

909

72.09

33

109

“STSt

TT

752

59.63

30

25

1 .98

5

2

. 1 6

1

21

1 .67

3

2

.16

2

2

7TT

2

2

. 16

2

2

.16

2

1261

Table 2. Food of n i ne Ambystona tigrinum larvae col lected 17 June
1972 from Golts Pond, Kent County, Maryland.

Food item no. of % of no. of

items items stomachs

Arthopoda

1 nsecta

30

6,21

9

D i ptera

Chironomidae, larvae

3

.62

3

Chaoboridae, larvae

7

1.45

2

Chaoboridae, pupae

1

.21

1

Hemi ptera

Corixidae, nymph

7

1 .45

4

Corixidae, adult

7

1 .45

4

Notonectidae, nymph

1

.21

1

Notonectidae, adult

1

.21

1

Odonata

Coenagreonidae, nymph

3

.62

3

Crustacea

451

93-37

9

Amph i poda

2

7TT

1

1 sopoda

25

5.18

5

Eucopepoda

21

4.35

3

Podocopa

403

83.44

9

Mol 1 usca

2

.41

2

Gastropoda

2

483

757

2

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 106

Volume 10 Number 4

December 1974

H. siredonis is also known from the mexican axolotl.

The s i ze of the food items varied from 1 mm crus taceans to 1 7 mm Acris
tadpol es , but there did not appear to be any correlation between the size
of the larvae and the s i ze or number of i terns consumed . The major i ty (69.9%)
of the insects removed from the stomachs of these salamanders were between
6-10 mm in length. Many of the smallest items (Podocoda , Cladocera, Euc-
opedoda , Chr ionomi dae, and Cul i cidae) may have been consumed accidently or
Ingested secondarily. D i ssect ion of Odonata 1 arvae reveal ed large numbers
of these smaller organisms in their gastro- i ntest i nal tracts. The fact
that Acris tadpoles were numerous at the time of our collection and yet
represented a smal 1 percentage of prey , may indicate that little foraging
is done in the shallow pond margins where Aoris larvae abound. The tad¬
poles of other species of frogs known to breed in these particular ponds
(i.e., Scaphiopus holbrooki, Bufo fowleri , Hyta crucifer , H. versicolor,
Pseudacris triseriata , Rana catesbeiana , R, clamitans, R. palustris, and
R. pipiens) were ei ther not present or too 1 arge to have been taken as prey
at the time of our col lection. Stine (personal communication) observed large
larval A. tigrinum feeding on the larvae of A, opacum i n these ponds, but
at the t ime of our collection, larval marbled salamanders were not present
as they had probably already transformed.

In order to determi ne t ime of feed i ng activity, salamanders were col -
lected at different time intervals. Collections made in the afternoon
(2:00-2:15 and 3:00-3:15 p.m. DST) showed evidence of diurnal feeding.

I nd i st i ngu i shabl e mater ia 1 (greatly d i ges ted) var i ed from 10% to 30% per
stomach in the afternoon sample, while those collected at night ranged
from 25% to 80% indistinguishable. Nymphs of Cor i xi dae and Coenagr i on i dae
were found in the mouths of two salamanders from the afternoon series,
further indicating diurnal feeding.

We would like to thank Peter Hertl for ass i stance i n col 1 ect i ng the
salamanders and Drs. D. Forrester and S.R. Telford, both of the University
of Florida, for identification of the nematodes. The salamanders have
been depos i ted i n the col 1 ect i ons of the Natural History Society of Mary¬
land and the Florida State Museum.

L i terature C i ted

Stine, C.J., J.A. Fowler, and R.S. Simmons.

195*+. Occurrence of the eastern t i ger sa 1 amander , Ambystoma tigrinum
tigrinum (Green), i n Maryl and , wi th notes on i ts life history.

Annals, Carnegie Museum 33 (Art. 7) : 1 *+5”1 52 .

— David S. Lee and Richard Franz, Florida State Museum, University of
Florida, Gainesville, Florida .

Received 2 October 197*+

Accepted 25 October 197*+

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

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Volume 10 Number 4

December 1974

The Parasites of the Red-Backed Salamander,

Plethodon oinereus

ABSTRACT - Of twelve Plethodon oinereus examined from Fairfax, Virginia,

50% were infected with the nematode Oxyuris magnavulvaris , with an average
of 1.5 worms per host (range 1-12) . Small unidentified nematodes were
present in the mouth or body cavity of 25% of the hosts, with an average
of 1.3 worms per host (range 1-2). Of all salamanders examined, 58.3%
had nematode infections. A review of the parasites of the red-backed
salamander as reported in the literature is given.

INTRODUCTION

The red-backed salamander, Plethodon oinereus , i s the most ub i qu i tous
salamander throughout the greater part of its range, which extends from
S. Labrador and the Maritime Provinces to Minnesota; south to North Car¬
ol ina and Louisiana (Conan t, 1958). Terrestrial and lung less, i t is confined
more or less to moist wooded or forested areas, but is often found far
from water bodies, occasionally even in rather dry situations. I t may be
found h i d i ng beneath 1 ogs , bark, and stones ; even chunks of paper or trash.

Extensive surveys of red-backed salamander stomach contents by num¬
erous researchers have revealed largely insect remains; about 50% ants,
33% small beet 1 es and the remainder 1 epi dopterous larvae, D i ptera and un¬
determined insects. Sp i ders and mi tes , sowbugs , and extraneous matter were
also found. The inclusionofa mosquito 1 arva and rat- ta i 1 maggots in the
diet suggests that some P. oinereus had been feeding in the immediate vi¬
cinity of water or at least in very damp situations. Altogether its food
consists of animals commonly found on or near the ground in terrestrial
s i tuat ions and i s most 1 y 1 i m i ted to smal ler invertebrates (Bishop, 1 94 1 ) .

Among different types of sal amanders , the i nci dence and i ntens i ty of
parasitic i nfect ion , and the number of paras i te species present are deter¬
mined by the habits and habitat preferences of the hosts which bring them
in close proximity with the essential stages in the parasite life-cycle,
by the degree of host-specificity exhibited by the parasite, and by the
physical condition of the habitat of the salamander (Fischthal, 1951).
F ischthal found , that , in general , the i nci dence and i ntens i ty of infection,
and the number of paras i te species found are greatest in the aquatic No-
tophthalmus viridesoens , whereas they are least in the terrestrial Ple¬
thodon oinereus and Plethodon glutinosus; the terrestro-aquat i c Gyrino-
philus porphyritiouSj Euryoeabislineata and Desmognathus fusous maintain
an intermediate position.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

Col 1 ect ? on . Plethodon oinereus were collected on 6 March, 197^, in
the campus woodl ands of George Mason University, Fairfax, Fairfax County,
Virginia. Spec imens were pi aced in a coffee can with moist paper toweling
and stored in the refrigerator until sacrificed.

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December 1974

Examination of Hosts . — The sal amanders were chloroformed . Tail snips
and cuts at the corner of the mouth proved i nef feet i ve for obta i n i ng blood
for smears, but heart puncture provided sufficient blood for one slide,
and i s the only successful method reported in the literature (Rankin, 1937a).
The failure of tail snip seems obvious when one considers the species
practices autotomy and that any part of the tail from a point a short dis¬
tance beh i nd the vent may be broken off. Wright's stain was used; no para¬
sitic forms were present. The body cavi ty was si i t from the vent and cephalad
lateral to the mid-ventral line. Organs were observed in situ, then re¬
moved to smal 1 dishes filled with saline, and examined under a d i ssect ing
microscope.

Killing and Preserving. --Only nematodes were recovered, which were
fixed i n hot 70% alcohol and preserved in vial s wi th add i t ional 70% alcohol .
A phenol and absolute alcohol solution was used as a clearing agent for
examining the parasites.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Of twelve Plethodon oinereus examined, 50% were infected with the
nematode Oxyuris magnavulvaris , with an average of 1.5 worms per host
(range 1-12). Small unidentified nematodes were present in the mouth or
body cavity of 25% of the hosts, with an average of 1.3 worms per host
(range 1-2). Of al 1 sal amanders examined, 58.3% had nematode infections.

Listings of the parasites recovered from Plethodon oinereus as re¬
ported in the literature are presented in Tables 1-3- All information on
the degree of parasi tism reported is included. All protozoa have been in¬
cluded for completeness, irregardless of their being parasitic.

Protozoans (Table 1): Hazard (1937) found Haptophyra miohiganensis, an
astomatous ciliate, i n a s i ngl e adul t specimen of P. oinereus. He suggests
that the method of infection may be similar to that postulated for the
four toed salamander, Hemidaotylium soutatum. Plethodon oinereus eggs
are depos i ted by attachment to the roof of crevices in moist logs. Bishop
(19^1) reported that often only a single log will be found suitable in a
bit of woodland and the gravid females make their way to it in numbers.
The adul t femal e P. oinereus remains with the eggs until they have hatched,
al though , rarel y both sexes may be found with eggs (Bishop, 19^1). Hazard
(1937) suggests that it is possible that the protozoa are voided by the
female wi th the fecal matter and are then i ngested by the young salamanders ,
during the time that the brood remains together. The young salamanders
then carry the protozoan through maturity.

Ces todes : Few instances of tapeworm i nfect ions in sal amanders have been
found. Rankin (1937a) recovered Crepidobothrium pi erocerco ids from sal¬
amanders in the mountains near Durham, North Carolina. Of lb animals
studied, 8.3% were infected, wi th an average of 0.31 parasites per host.

Nematodes (Table 2): Rankin (19^5) reported Cosmooerooides dukae as one
of the most widely distributed nematodes in reptiles and amphibians, be¬
ing found in both aquat i c and terrestr i al habitats. Oswaldooruzia pipiens
is also a widely distributed nematode found in aquatic hosts, but rarely
in terrestrial .

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 109

Volume 10 Number 4

December 1974

Rankin (1937a) described Oxyuris magnavulvaris on the basisof para¬
sites recovered from P. cineveus and other species of salamanders in North
Carolina. He descr i bed i t "wi th some hesitancy"; s i nee no mal es were found
he encountered d i ff i cul ty i n pi aci ng the spec i es i n the genus Oxyuris sensu
latu until a mal e coul d be found , and did so on the basis of what he felt
were valid characters.

Table 1. Protozoa of Plethodon cinereus.

Parasite

#Animals

Examined

%

Infected

Habitat

Locality

Reference

Cryptobia borreli

-

11.5

Blood

Durham, N.C.

Rankin, 1937b

Lryptobia borreli

-

31.2

Blood

Mountains near
Durham, N. C.

11

Cytamoeba bacterifera

-

7.6

Erythrocytes

Durham, N. C.

"

Cytamoeba bacterifera

-

8.3

Erythrocytes

Mountains near
Durham, N.C.

Eutrichomastix batrachorum

-

3.4

Rectum

Durham, N. C.

Eutrichomastix batrachorum

-

31.2

Rectum

Mountains near
Durham, N. C.

"

Haptophyra michiganensis

1

100.0

--

-

Hazard, 1937

Hexamastix batrachorum

--

12.5

Rectum

Mountains near
Durham, N.C.

Rankin, 1937b

Hexamitus spp.

12

--

Large Intestine

-

Honigberg, 1953

Hexamitus batrachorum

12

-

Large Intestine

--

»

Hexamitus batrachorum

-

22.9

Rectum

Mountains near
Durham, N. C.

Rankin, 1937b

Hexamitus intestinal is

-

4.1

Rectum

Mountains near
Durham, N. C.

11

Karatomorpha swezi

12

-

Large Intestine

--

Honigberg, 1953

Karatomorpha swezi

--

22.9

Rectum

Mountains near
Durham, N. C.

Rankin, 1937b

Monocercomonoides sp.

(M. rotunda (Bishop)?)

12

8.0

Large Intestine

--

Honigberg, 1953

Monocercomonas batrachorum

12

66.0

Large Intestine

-

"

Octomitus sp.

12

66.0

Large Intestine

-

"

Proteromonas longifila

12

92.0

Large Intestine

--

"

Prowazekella longifilis

--

23.0

Rectum

Durham, N. C.

Rankin, 1937b

Prowazekella longifilis

--

60.4

Rectum

Mountains near
Durham, N. C.

"

Trimitus parvus

12

-

Large Intestine

-

Honigberg, 1953

Tri trichomonas augusta

12

--

Large Intestine

-

"

Tri trichomonas augusta

-

96.1

Rectum

Durham, N. C.

Rankin, 1937b

Tri trichomonas augusta

-

62.5

Rectum

Mountains near
Durham, N. C.

11

Tri trichomonas batrachorum

12

-

Large Intestine

--

Honigberg, 1953

In the course of examination of reptiles and amphibians, Chitwood
(1933) recovered nematodes from the intestine of P. cinereus from Black

Page 110

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 10 Number 4

December 1974

Pond, Virginia, which he reported as not belonging to any of the recog¬
nized groups of vertebrate parasites, but appearing def i ni tely to be more
closely related to those groups generally referred to as "free-living."
He subsequently named these nematodes Angiostoma plethodontis .

Table 2. Nematoda of Plethodon cinereus

Parasite

#Animals

Examined

%

Infected

Avg. #

Per Host

Habitat

Locality

Reference

Anqiostoma plethodontis

-

--

--

Intestine

Black Pond,
Va.

Chitwood, 1933

Cosmocercoides dukae

-

3.4

0.19

Rectum

Durham, N.C.

Rankin, 1937b

Cosmocercoides dukae

35

8.0

-

Hindgut

Western Mass,

. Rankin, 1945

Oswaldocruzia pipiens

35

3.0

--

Foregut

Western Mass,

.

Oxyuris magnavul varis

--

2.08

0.02

Rectum

Mountains
near Durham,
N.C.

Rankin, 1937a, b

Oxyuris magnavul varis

12

50.0

1.5

Rectum

Fairfax, Va.

This paper

Trematodes (Table 3): Stafford (1900, 1903) described Bv achy coelium hos¬
pitale from Canad i an sa 1 amanders Notophthalmus viridescens and Plethodon
erythronotus (= P. cinereus) (Byrd, 1937). Rankin (1938) reviewed the
genus Brachycoelium , reducing all known species to synonyms of B, sala¬
mandrae which is worldwide in distribution, and one of the commonest
amphibian trematodes encountered. Rankin (19^5) found a correlation be¬
tween occurrence of th i s fluke and the habitat of the host. In the aquatic
Notophthalmus he found on 1 y 1 5% infection wi th few worms per host observed;
however, terrestrial salamanders were heavily infected ( 25*“ 1 00%) . When
large numbers of f 1 ukes were present, most were quite small; conversely,
when few (below 20) were present, worms were usually much larger in size.

Table 3. Trematoda of plethodon cinereus.

#Animals %

Parasite Examined Infected

AVg. #

Per Host

Habitat

Local ity

Reference

Brachycoel ium

hospitale

3.4

0.03

Intestine

Durham, N.C.

Rankin, 1937b

Brachycoel ium hospitale

--

47.9

2.14

Intestine

Mountains near "

Durham, N.C.

Brachycoel ium

salamandrae

-

-

-

--

Linville, N.C.

Rankin, 1938

Brachycoel ium

salamandrae

35

25.0

-

Intestine

Western Mass.

Rankin, 1945

Brachycoel ium

salamandrae

36

2.8

3.00

Small

Intestine

South-central
New York

Fischthal, 1955a

Brachycoel ium

salamandrae

24

20.8

3.20

Small

Intestine

State Forest
Park, Pa.

Fischthal , 1955b

Brachycoel ium

louisianai

—

--

—

—

—

Walton, 1962

Brachycoel ium

obesum

-

-

-

-

-

"

Brachycoel ium

obesum

"

Giles, Cheng, 1960

Charlottesville,

and Albamarle Counties,

Va. and Chester Co. ,Pa.

Brachycoel ium

storeriae

-

-

-

-

-

Walton, 1962

Brachycoel ium

storeriae

4

100.0

1.00

—

Bucks Co. ,Pa

Cheng and Chase,

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 111

Volume 10 Number 4

December 1974

Fischthal (1955a) found that of 503 salamanders studied (including 36 P.
oinereus) B. salamandrae was found inmore hosts than any other parasite.
He observed that i n south-centra 1 New York terrestrial Plethodon glutinosus
appeared to be the most important host of this worm possibly because a
terrestrial invertebrate serves as intermediate host. He also observed
crowding in the host's intestine caused them to be sma 1 1 er i n s i ze at sex¬
ual maturity. Cheng (i960) initiated a study to determine consistent
character i st ics by wh ich the Braohyooelium species coul d be d i st i ngu i shed
from one another. By studying more than 350 adult worms, recovered from
the small intestine of P. glutinosus and P. oinereus captured in Virginia
and Pennsylvania, he determined that B . obesum can be separated from the
others part i cul arl y by its large cirrus pouch which i s approximatel y twice
the diameter of the acetabulum in length. He concluded that in view of
the information contributed by the life history of B . obesum , it seemed
logical to consider the Brachycoel 1 idae, the Plagiorchi idae, and Dicrocoel-
1 i dae as i ndependent families subord i nate to the superfamily Plagiorchio-
idea Dollfus, 1930. Cheng and Chase (1961) recognized eleven species in
the genus Braohyooelium . Walton (1962) further suggested resolving the
systematic status of Braohyooelium by knowledge of the life history patterns.

An expermi nental infection of P. oinereus with Microphallus opaous
was reported by Rausch (19^7). Metacercar i a 1 cysts collected from nat¬
urally infected crayfish collected in central Ohio were administered by
stomach tube to salamanders collected from an area in Southern Michigan
where M. opaous isabsent. Of three sa 1 amanders , one conta i ned 36 immature
trematodes when examined, and one voided 7 immature living trematodes on
the th i rd day .

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank Dr. Leo Jachowski , under whose direction this
study was undertaken, and Dr. Carl H. Ernst who aided in securing the
specimens and provided editorial suggestions.

LITERATURE CITED

Bishop, S. C.

19^1. Sa 1 amanders of New York. New York St. Mus . Bull. (324): 1-365.
Byrd, E. E.

1937« Observations on the trematode genus Braohyooelium Dujardin .
Proo. U. S. Nat. Mus. (3010)84: 1 83" 199.

Cheng, T. C.

I960. The life history of Braohyooelium obesum Nicoll, 191^, with
a d i scuss i on of the systematic status of the trematode family
Brachycoel 1 i dae Johnston 1912. J. Parasitol. 46:b6b-b7b.

and R. S. Chase.

Braohyooelium stablefordi , a new paras i te of salamanders; and
a case of abnormal polylobat ion of the testes of Braohyooelium
storeriae Harwood , 1932. (Trematoda: Brachycoel 1 i dae). Trans.
Amer. Mior. Soo. 80: 33 “ 38 .

Page 112

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 10 Number 4

December 1974

Chitwood, B. G.

1933- On some nematodes of the superfamily Rhabditoidea and their
status as parasites of reptiles and amphibians. J. Washing¬
ton Acad. Sci. 23 : 508-520 .

Conant R.

1958. A field guide to reptiles and amphibians. Houghton Mifflin

Company j Boston. 386 pp .

Fi schthal , J . H .

1951. Ecology of worm parasites in salamanders from south-central
New York (Program & Abstr. 26th Ann. Meet. Amer. Soc. Para-
sitol., Chicago, Nov. 1 5“1 7) * Parasitol. 37 (suppl . ) : 27 .

1955a. Ecology of worm parasites in south-central New York salaman¬
ders. Amer. Midland Hat. 53:178-183.

1955b. Helminths of salamanders from Promised Land, State Forest Park,
Pennsylvania. Proa. Helminthol. Soc. Washington 22:h 6-48 .

Hazard, F. 0.

1937. Two new host records for the protozoan Haptophyra michiganensis
Woodhead. J. Parasitol. 23:315~316*

Honigberg, B. M.

1953. I ntes t i na 1 f 1 agel 1 a tes of Plethodon (Amph i b i a : Cauda ta) . (Ab¬
stract of report before 5th Ann. Meet., Madison, Wisconsin,
Sept. 7"9) . Proc. Amer. Soc. Protozool. 4: 16.

Rankin, J. S.

1937a. New helmi nths from North Carolina salamanders. J. Parasitol.
23: 29-42.

1937b. An ecological s tudy of paras i tes of some North Carolina sal¬
amanders. Ecol. Monogr. 7\ 1 69 “ 269 .

1938 . Stud i es on the trema tode genus Brachycoelium Duj . I . Vari¬
ation in specific characters with reference to the validity
of the descr i bed species. Trans. Amer. Micr. Soc . 57:358-375*

1945. An ecol og i ca 1 study of the helmi nth paras i tes of amph i b i ans
and rept i les of western Massachusetts and vicinity. J . Par¬
asitol. 32:142-150.

Rausch , R.

1947. Some observations on the host relationshi ps of Microphallus
opacus (Ward , 1 894) (T rematoda : Microphal 1 i dae) . Trans. Amer.
Micr. Soc. 66:59-63 •

Stafford , J .

1 900 . Some undescr i bed trema todes . Zool. Jahrb. (Abt. Syst. ) 13:
399“ 4 1 4 .

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

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Volume 10 Number 4

December 1974

1903. Two distomes from Canadian Urodela. Centralbl . fur Bakt.

Parasit. und Infekt. (Orig.) 34: 822-830.

Walton, A. C.

1962. The amphibia as hosts of trematode parasites. 111. J . Para-

sitol. 48(suppl.): 25.

- Evel yn M. Ernst , Department of Zoology , University of Maryland, College

Park, Mary land 20742.

Received 2 October 197^

Accepted 1A October 197^

Page 114

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

December 1974

Volume 10 Number 4

Growth Rate of Lichanura r.
roseofusca in Captivity

Kurfess (1967) records growth rates on captive juvenile Lichanura
r. roseofusca over 9 months and presents data for an adult female for one
year in captivity but provides no data on aspects of maturation in the
juveniles other than length increase.

Kurfess (1967) i nd i ca ted a very rap i d growth rate for Lichanura based
on a brood of captive born young. In this brood of 5 young the average
length at birth was 35.18 cm. After 9 months the length averaged 74.04
cm. Another snake held captive by Kurfess, however, did not show this
rapid growth. This snake, 35.65 cm long at capture, grew to 45.72 cm in
1 year. Dur i ng the second year i t grew an add i t ional 18.68 cm and success¬
fully i nsemi nated a femal e of the species indicating that it was sexually
mature.

Although a Lichanura r. roseofusca lived 12 years in captivity (Per¬
kins, 1953) longterm growth records are unava i labl e . Kurfess' data which
primarily reveal growth rates of young snakes for short periods should be
reviewed concurrently wi th the fol lowing records to provide a more complete
pi cture of growth of Lichanura r, roseofusca from hatching to adulthood.

PROCEDURE

A snake was captured 5.5 mi. SE of Escondido, San Diego County, Cal¬
ifornia, in a boul der-chapparal associ at ion at 1 0 : 30 a.m. on 7 September
1968. it was basking in an open area approximately 500 yards from a small
reservoi r .

Weight measurements were taken on the first of each month with an
Ohaus triple beam balance. Food was withheld for one week prior to all
weighings.

Length was calculated as the average of ten measurements and was
rounded off to the nearest whole centimeter. All feedings were recorded
for the entire period except for a 2 month period in 1972. Defecation
dates were recorded and the interval since the last feeding determined.
Shedding dates were noted and the i nterval since last shedding recorded.
Since shedding may act as an i ndex of growth rate the number of sheddings
per year and the interval between sheddings is of interest.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The snake was 77 cm long at the time of capture. Kurfess' (1967)
records of a successful mat i ng of a mal e Lichanura r, roseofusca when 64.40
cm in length indicate that this snake was near maturity at the time of
capture.

TABLE 1 summari zes the data and reveal s several trends. First, length
i ncreases per year became progress i vel y smaller as the snake aged. Growth
was relatively constant at 2 cm per year dur i ng the 1 ast 2 years. Kurfess
reported a length increase of 2.5 cm for an adult female during 1 year in
capti vi ty and i t appears that 2-3 cm per year i s a rel at i vely steady growth
rate even for old Lichanura r . roseofusca .

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 115

Volume 10 Number 4

December 1974

TABLE 1

SUMMARY OF DATA FOR GROWTH RATE OF LICHANURA R. ROSEOFUSCA

Year

No.

M i ce
Eaten

Interval from
Feeding to
Defecat ion
(days)

No.

Shed.

Interval

Between

Shed.

Body

Wt.*

Gms .

Wt.

Ga i n

For Year
Gms .

Leng th
(cm)

Length

1 ncrease
For Year
(cm)

1968

12

4.0

311

77

1969

44

4.3

6

61.2

313

2

79

2

1970

45

5.6

4

90.3

329

1 6

80

1

1971

43

5.5

4

88.0

355

26

84

4

1972+

33

5.8

3

93.0

374

19

87

3

1973

40

5.7

3

131 .7

395

21

89

2

1974++

10

5.8

0

405

10

91

2

*We i ght
+Records

for January of the given
of feedings are not ava i

year
labl e

except October
from February

of 1968.
to April

of 1972.

++A1 1 data for 1974 are as of April 1.

Second, the number of shedd i ngs per year decreased with age and di¬
minishing length increase rates. This observation supports a hypothesis
that shedding takes pi ace i n response to the need foramore spacious in¬
tegument wh i ch i s not obta i nab 1 e by other means. The frequency of shedding
is apparently little affected by the amount of weight gained. To wit, the
snake shed 6 times in 1969 and gained 16 grams while in 1971 it shed only
k times but gained 26 grams. Possibly, shedding is a response to length
increase alone, a larger weight gain may be necessa ry to i nduce shedding,
or shedding may be a response to internal, physiological conditions not
specifically related to growth.

As the snake aged,themean time from feed i ng to defacat ion increased
from k days in 1968 to 5.8 days in 197^. This increase may indicate a
reduction in the general metabolic rate which accompanies aging.

Although such functions as shedding, defacation, and linear growth
show distinct patterns, it is i nteres t i ng to note that weight gain seems
to follow no predictable pattern. Weight gain in 1971 was 31% higher
than during 1969 but weight gain in 1973 was 52% lower than during 1969
although the snake was eating regularly since its initial capture.

SUMMARY

1. Although young have been reported to grow much faster,

(Kurfess, 1967) adult Lichanura r . roseofusca grow at
only 2-k cm per year with growth rate becoming slower
as the snake ages.

2. Mean time between feeding and defecation increased as
the snake aged, possibly indicat ing a general metabolic
slow down in advanced age.

3. Frequency of shedding decreased with age and showed
little correlation to weight gain; apparently induced

Page 116

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 10 Number 4

December 1974

primar i 1 y by 1 ength i ncreases or internal, physiological
factors .

4. Weight gain for Lichanura r . roseofusoa showed no re¬
lationship to age but seemed to be governed by other
factors in mature individuals.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS - I would 1 i ke to express my gratitude to Dr. B.H.
Banta for providing the impetus behind the wr i t i ng of th i s paper and for
his suggestions and criticisms in the preparation of the manuscript.

LITERATURE CITED

Kurfess, J. G.

1967. Mating, ges ta t i on , and growth rate in Lichanura r. roseofusoa.
Copeia , 1967{2):k71-k73 .

Perkins, C. B.

1953. Longevity of snakes in captivity in the United States as of
January 1 , 1953 . % Copeia, 1953(h): 243.

— Daral Mazzarella, Department of Biology, United States International
University , San Diego, California, 92131.

Received 23 October 197^

Accepted 20 November 197^

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 117

Volume 10 Number 4

December 1974

News & Notes

-Loveridge
REPTILES (and Amphibians) OF THE PACIFIC

271 pages3 7 plates 3 1 double-page map3 index (originally published in 1946 by
Maemillan Company 3 New York)

THIS BOOK treats the herpetofauna of a vast region including Indonesia, the
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salamander, and many frogs and toads.

Authoritative yet written in a clear and untechnical manner, this book is
the standard reference on the Pacific herpetofauna and is equally useful to pro¬
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with a discussion of its life history and remarks on capture, captive specimens,
reproductive habits, and use as food. There are identification keys to families
and species, illustrated with seven diagnostic plates. Finally, there are chap¬
ters on snake bite and its treatment, economic aspects and conservation, collect¬
ing techniques, procedures for shipping living and preserved specimens, and an
annotated bibliography.

Mr. Loveridge, now retired, was formerly curator of herpetology at Harvard
University, and is a noted authority on the amphibians and reptiles of Africa and
the South Pacific.

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Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

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Volume 10 Number 4

December 1974

Cloth patches of the Maryland Herpetolog i cal Society (as illustrated
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Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

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MARCH 1975

VOLUME 11, NUMBER 1

Bulletin of the Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 11 Number 1

March 1975

CONTENTS

An endangered species, the new mexican ridge-nosed ......

rattlesnake . H . S . Harr i s , J r . , R.S. Simmons

A case for field notes from life

Hobart M. Smith

The western swamp tortoise ( Pseudemydura wribrina) one of . . .

Australia's rarest reptiles .... A. J . Zwi nenberg

Notes on the herpetology of Presque Isle State Park, .

Erie, Pennsylvania . Donald M. McKinstry

A Maryland hibernaculum of northern brown snakes, . .

Storeria d. dekayi . Wm. L. Grogan, Jr.

Longevity record for the striped newt, Notophthalmus .

perstriatus . Wm. L. Grogan, Jr.

News & Notes:

Reptiles and amphibians of the Pacific .

Society for the study of amphibians and reptiles

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BULLETIN OF THE

Volume 11 Number 1

March 1975

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'

.

Bulletin of the Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 11

31 March 1975

Number 1

An Endangered Species, The New Mexican Ridge-Nosed Rattlesnake

Herbert S. Harris, Jr. and Robert S. Simmons

In the southwestern corner of the state of New Mexico, lies a range
ca 1 1 ed t he An imas Mountains, or as the name Animas implies, "Spirit Moun¬
tains". In this range, in rough and almost inaccessible habitat, is found
a sma 1 1 and un i que rattlesnake, the New Mexican ridge-nosed rattlesnake.
This species is seriously threatened with extinction from over-zealous
collectors and the potential use of its habitat for man's endeavors.

Before we d i scuss this popu 1 a t i on we wou 1 d like to review the entire
ridge-nosed rattlesnake ( Cvotalus willavdi) complex, discussing itsevo-
1 ut ionary h i story and present probl ems . The name "ridge-nosed" is derived
from, as the name implies, a ridge running along the upper edge of the
snout. This group of snakes is unique in having such a pronounced ridge
and hence has acqu i red the common name of r i dge-nosed rattlesnake. These
snakes are small, usually less than two feet in length. The ridge-nosed
ratt 1 esnake i s a retiring spec i es that usua 1 1 y lies undetected i n the leaf
litter of their pine-oak woodland habitat. Their relatively weak venom
makes them no threat to man; no fatalities have ever been reported from
their bite. Therefore, the protection of such an inoffensive species,
even though it is venomous, will constitute no threat to man.

It is our opinion that the ridge-nosed rattlesnake evo 1 ved from t To¬
pical ancestors along with the plant communities known as the Madro-Ter-
tiary Geoflora and that this biotic community reached i ts d i s t r i bu t i ona 1
peak by the Mid-Miocene. Fragmentation of various populations began as
arid habitats i n terrup ted th i s b i ot i c community dur i ng the P 1 iocene , less
than five million years ago, and continued into the Pleistocene as the
American deserts were formed. These populations may have been isolated
and reconnected many t imes dur i ng the va r i ous per i ods of both the Pliocene
and P 1 e i stocene wi th the reconnect i ng of popu 1 at i ons occurring during the
pluvial periods. These events eventually res tr i cted the r i dge-nosed rat¬
tlesnake to the pine-oak woodland biotic communities above 5,000 feet
el evat i on . Eventua 1 1 y th i s mount a i ntop isolation resu 1 ted i n the evo 1 ut i on
of the five subspecies currently known and recognized today.

The southern ridge-nosed rattlesnake, Cvotalus willavdi mevidionalis
has the most primitive characters and is found in the Sierra Madre of
southern Durango and northwestern Zacatecas in Mexico. Next in primitive
characters is the del Nido ridge-nosed rattlesnake, Cvotalus willavdi
amdhilis which is found in sma 11 disjunct habitats in the Sierra del Nido,
which 1 ies east of the Sierra Madre in Chihuahua, Mex ico. These are foil owed
by the west Chihuahua ridge-nosed rattlesnake, Cvotalus willavdi silus ,
which appears to have been the most successful of the g roup , occupy i ng the
1 argest distribution, and occurs i n the Sierra Madre Occidental of western

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 1

- e

Volume 11 Number 1

March 1975

Fig. 1. The New Mexican ridge-nosed Fig. 2. The Ar i zona r i dge-nosed rat-
rattlesnake, Crotalus willardi ssp. tlesnake, Crotalus willardi willardi
Photograph by Dr. Robert S. Simmons Photograph by Dr. Robert S. Simmons

Chihuahua and eastern Sonora along the Continental Divide in Mexico. The
New Mex i can r i dge-nosed rat 1 1 esnake , Crotalus willardi ssp.j and the Ar i zona
ridge-nosed rattlesnake, Crotalus willardi willardi , both occupy sma 1 ler
disjunct habitats. The New Mexican rattlesnake's range, as previously
stated, includes the southwestern corner of New Mex ico in the United States.
The Arizona ridge-nosed rattlesnake is found only in the Santa Rita and
Huachuca Mountains of southeastern Arizona and the adjacent ranges in
Sonora, Mexico.

The relatively large number of subspecies of Crotalus willardi re-
cogn i zed today i nd i cates a spec i es wi th a long h i s tory of i so 1 at i on between
populations. The gene flow between some of these populations has been
interrupted at different times during past geologic history, which is re¬
flected in the subspec i a t i on existing today. These isolated populations,
in being restricted to the pine -oak wood land biotic commun i ties wi th adverse
habitat between them , a re s i m i 1 a r to i s 1 and species. Below pine-oak wood¬
land is encinal and then open grassland, which are in part responsible for
the restrictions of Crotalus willardi . The knowl edge we gain in our studies
of the evol ut i on and d i f ferent iat i on of these populations of Crotalus wil¬
lardi may hel p shed some light on the climatologic and geologic processes
in the evolution of the deserts of western North America. These studies
along with geologic and pa 1 eobotan i ca 1 datamayyield additional insight
in the past geologic history of our continent.

All of the popu 1 at i ons of r i dge-nosed rattlesnakes are endangered to
some extent but some are in immediate danger of extinction if protective
measures are not taken immediately. The southern ridge-nosed rattlesnake,
Crotalus willardi meridionalis , and the del Nido ridge-nosed rattlesnake,
Crotalus willardi amabilis may be in imminent danger. Both occupy small
ranges and are losing habitat. The del Nido ridge-nosed rattlesnake's
habitat is disjunct and itwould not take much damage to its habitat for
this snake to become extinct as at present it is only known to inhabit two
canyons. The southern ridge-nosed rattlesnake occupies a larger range
which includes some inaccessible habitat and is slightly safer for the
moment .

Page 2

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 11 Number 1

March 1975

Fig. 3* The west Chihuahua ridge¬
nosed rattlesnake, Crotalus willardi
situs.

Photograph by Dr. Robert S. Simmons

Fig. k. The southern ridge-nosed

rattlesnake, Crotalus willardi mer-
idionalis .

Photograph by Dr. Roberts. Simmons

The west Ch i huahua r i dge-nosed ratt 1 esnake , Crotalus willardi silus3
is widespread in northern Mexico (Sierra Madre Occidental) and is not
threatened with extinction per se. Habitat alteration is the most serious
threat to this species at this point in time. Lumbering and cattle grazing
are probably taking their toll. Many of the ridge-nosed rattlesnake's
habitats in northern Mexico have been partly cleared of pine trees. This
practice, if not carriedto extremes , may not be disastrous; and if present
data are correct, i t may even be beneficial in some rare cases. In a few
areas in Mexico, where some clearing has been done, lizard populations,
the food source of many montane popu 1 a t i ons of rat 1 1 esnakes , appear to have
i n creased . Of course, with most of the trees gone , the snakes would probab 1 y
have to change their habits somewhat if they were to survive.

It is conceivable that parts of various forest habitats have been
partly cleared by fire in the past, and that these areas appear to have
been event ua 1 1 y b i o 1 og i ca 1 1 y res tocked ; a process called succession. This
biological res tock i ng , of course , impl ies that in the caseof habitats that

Fig. 5. The del Nido ridge-nosed
rattlesnake, Crotalus willardi am-
abilis.

Photograph by Ed Cassano

Fig. 6. View of Animas Peak from
the entrance of one canyon.
Photograph by Herbert S. Harris , Jr .

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 3

Volume 11 Number 1

March 1975

are restricted, al 1 of the restricted species were not total ly eradicated.
In pine-oak wood land, with little underbrush, and we 11 -spaced trees , f i res
generally burn fast, inmany cases doing little damage. Pine cones burst
in fire, spew ing seeds to start a new forest . In cases where f i res or other
factors denude a range, some species of vegeta t ion (can be carried by birds,
i nsects and w i nd ) and the more active mammals may be able to cross inhos¬
pitable areas with little difficulty. When an area is cleared, either by
natural causes or by man and his activities, only time can restore the
area back, hopefully, to its original condition.

There are ranges off the Sierra Madre proper that shoul d contain Cro-
talus willardi, but apparent 1 y do not . Perhaps these disjunct ranges were
dest royed by f i re or some other cause, and only some plants and the more
active animal species were able to recolonize. It is also possible that
disease, predators, or other factors could have exterminated the ridge¬
nosed rattl e snakes from these habitats. We must protect what we know exists,
as eve ry population is i mportant , andonce it is lost it cannot be restored .

There are important isolated popu 1 at i ons of the wes t Ch i huaha ridge¬
nosed rattlesnake that are in imminent danger of having their habitats
destroyed e i ther by man 1 s misuse of the land or by natural causes. On some
of these ranges, the habitat is already so limited as to make extinction
a day to day concern. These populations are those located on the mountain
ranges lying west and northwest of the Sierra Madre proper. It i s on these
disjunct ranges surrounded by grassland that total habitat destruction
wou Id take its tol 1 , leaving the animals no place to retreat. This is perhaps
the greatest concern with all the disjunct Crotalus willardi populations.

Passing over the New Mex ican ridge- nosed rattlesnake for just a moment ,
the Arizona r i dge-nosed rat 1 1 esnake , Crotalus willardi willardi i s effec¬
tively protected i n Ar i zona a 1 ong wi th two other montane spec i es of ra 1 1 le-
snakes, the western twin-spotted rattlesnake Crotalus ipricei prioei , and
the banded rock rattlesnake, Crotalus lepidus klauberi under Arizona's
Endangered Species Law, wh i ch was passed i n 1 9&9 • The Arizona ridge-nosed
rattlesnake is also listed in the "status undetermined" category by the
United States Department of the I n ter i or on t he i r official 1 i s t of Threat¬
ened Wildlife of the United States (1973 edition). Des t ruct i on of hab i ta t
through man's use of the land for development is still a serious threat
to this subspecies though . In addition to the two ranges in southern Ar i zona
there are three mountains in northern Mexico just across the international
boundary that harbor snakes that appear to be intermediate in most char¬
acters between the Arizona ridge-nosed and west Chihuahua ridge-nosed
rattlesnakes. These areas are ext reme 1 y important i f we are to understand
relationships, butarealso being destroyed by man's misuse of the land.

The New Mexican ridge-nosed rattlesnake was first collected in the
Animas Mountains in 1957 and was for many years thought to be just an ex¬
tension of the range of the west Chihuahua ridge-nosed rattlesnake. The
authors discovered i t s d i s t i net i venes s and are currently describing this
population as a new subspecies. It is probably the most distinctive of
all the Crotalus willardi subspecies, being g ray i sh-b rown instead of the
richer browns of the other subspecies. It also lacks all of the char¬
acter i st i c wh i te f 1 ash-ma rks of the head, which are so obvious in the other
subspecies, and which is the most diagnostic character. This snake is
known from only two canyons in the Animas Mountains, which are less than

Page 4

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

March 1975

Volume 11 Number 1

two miles from each other and from one canyon in the Sierra de San Luis,
which 1 ies in the Mexican State of Chihuahua just across the international
boundary. It might be mentioned that in the Sierra de San Luis, and in
one of the canyons in the Animas , only one specimen i s known from each area.

Up to this point, we have only mentioned the threats to these snakes
from habitat loss and nothing about the loss from snake collecting.

Due to the natural beauty and uniqueness of the ridge-nosed rattle¬
snake, it is actively sought after for the pet and zoo trades. Arizona's
Endangered Species Law has effect i ve 1 y protected i ts popu 1 at ions , and the
Mexican populations of the ridge-nosed rattlesnakes are relatively safe
from collectors, too, i nasmuch as the Mexican government requires permits
to collect any animal in its country and these permits are becoming in-
creas i ng 1 y ha rder to get . Specimens are st i 1 1 being smuggled out of Sonora ,
Mex i co , but th i s wi 1 1 stop with the recent enforcement in the United States
of the Lacey Act.

In 1972, the state of New Mex i co tr i ed to pass legislation to protect
its popu 1 at ions of the ridge-nosed ratt 1 esnakes and other non-game spec i es
of wildlife but was unsuccessful. A similar bill in 1973 also failed.
Thus the New Mexican ridge-nosed rattlesnake with its extremely limited
distribution is one of the most vulnerable subspeci es of the ridge-nosed
rattlesnakes and the only unprotected subspecies!

The U.S. Department of the Interior is gravely concerned about the
fate of this unique population and is currently evaluating the need to
list this subspecies on its official list of endangered native fish and
wildlife. They have also contacted Mr. Peter G. Wray of the Pruett-Wray
Cattle Company, the owner of the Animas Mountains, and he has offered his
full cooperation inevery effort to preserve this unique habitat and its
inhabitants. Access to the canyons and ridges of the Animas Mountains for
any purpose that could be detrimental to the rattlesnake is prohibited
for the time being.

Wi th f i ve subspeci es known, some col lectors and zoo ^people feel that
if possible five should be represented in their collections. Due to the
inaccessibility of its habitat and the snakes natural beauty, the price
is high for such a trophy which attracts many unscrupulous collectors and
dealers. Since permits are required in Arizona and Mexico, New Mexico
suffers the brunt of col 1 ect i ng . Animal species with highly specific ha¬
bitat requirements in marginal areas can be easily exterminated by col¬
lectors. The local pockets of distribution may seem to be densely populated,
but they cannot long withstand intense collecting. With such localized
populations, every individual is important for maintaining the genetic
d i vers i ty of the species, as the removal of any specimens can constitute
a serious drain on these populations.

The habitat destruction that usually accompanies unscrupulous col¬
lectors must be seen to be bel i eved . Rock t urn i ng and 1 og rolling are minor
when compared to the use of crow-bars in destroying rock outcroppings.
Another techn ? que wh i cn was recent 1 y ment i oned to us , incidentally, while
visiting the Animas Mountains, was the use of gasoline. We understand
that someofthe limited habitat of the already seriously threatened del
Nido ridge-nosed rat 1 1 esnake were saturated with this vol a t i le and dead 1 y
1 i qu i d to force the snakes out from under cover. Unfortunately, many more
can be killed than collected with this technique.

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 5

Volume 11 Number 1

March 1975

Fig. 7 • View of the habitat of the Fig. 8. The tell-tale evi dence of

New Mex i can r i dge-nosed rat 1 1 esnake . snake collectors.

Photograph by Dr. H. W. Campbell Photograph by Dr. H. W. Campbell

While doing research on the New Mexican ridge-nosed rattlesnake in
the An i-mas Mount a ins last August, Herbert Harris, Jr., encountered 15 col¬
lectors from s i x states t ry i ng to co 1 1 ect specimens of this snake. We are
thankful that we successfully have th is land posted and protected at least
for the time being, as few habitats o.r species can long withstand such
i r respons i b 1 e overexp 1 o i ta t i on .

The New Mexican ridge-nosed rattlesnake faces still another danger
through man's devel opmen t . Land in the Playas Valley, along the east slope
of the Animas Mounta i ns , has been purchased and p 1 ans are underway for the
construction of a copper ore reduction plant. The first buildings are
already going up. A "company town" for 1000 families is also planned.
The impact on the New Mexican ridge-nosed rattlesnake will be d i sas t rous .
Stack emissions of sulfur dioxide ( SO 2 ) could pose a serious problem.
Technology is not yet available or would be too costly to clean up the
emissions from a plant of the sort proposed. The human impact on these
mountains is of greater concern. The development here may not always be
res t r i cted to the valley and i t i s conce i vab 1 e that hunting, off road ve¬
hicles, and possibly recreational activities will pose serious threats for
the Animas Mountains and its inhabitants in the near future.

In order to assure the survival of this extremely unique resource we
cannot rely on the efforts of the owner of this property, but must insist
that the federal government does everything possible to insure its sur¬
vival without question.' This can hopefully be accomplished through its
listing as a Federal Endangered Species. In this way, the habitat and
its inhabitants will get the full attention they deserve. The New Mex i can
population and the population in the Sierra de San Luis are in dire need
of protection, and this protection must be imminent!

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Anderson, James D.

1962. A new subspecies of the ridge-nosed rattlesnake, Cvotalus
willavdi , f rom Ch i huahua , Mexico. Copeia 3 ( 1 ) : 1 60- 163-

Page 6

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 11 Number 1

March 1975

Bogert, Charles M. and William G. Degenhardt

1961. An add i t i on to the fauna of the United States, the Chihuahua
ridge-nosed rattlesnake i n New Mex i co . American Mus. Novitates ,
(2064) : 1 - 1 5 •

Degenhardt, William G.

1973* The ri dge-nosed ratt lesnake: an endangered species. In: Sym¬
posium on rare and endangered wildlife of the southwestern
United States , New Mex i co Dept, of Game & Fish, Santa Fe, New
Mexico, pp. 104-113.

Harris, Herbert S., Jr. and Robert S. Simmons

1974. The New Mex i can ridge-nosed rattlesnake. Nat . Parks & Cons er .
Mag., 48{ 3):22-24.

1975. The pal eogeography and evolution of Crotalus willardi , with
a description of a new subs pec i es from New Mex i co , Un i ted States
(In Press), pp. 1-26, 1 table, 5 figures.

Klauber, Lawrence M.

1949. The subspec i es of the ridge-nosed rattlesnake, Crotalus wil¬
lardi. Trans. San Diego Soc. Nat. Hist., 11 ( 8) : 121-140. ^p.
121-140.

1956. Rattlesnakes , thier habits, life histories, and influence on

mankind. University of California Press, Berkeley and Los
Angeles, Vol. 1, pp. xxx~708.

1972. Rattlesnakes , their habits , life histories, and influence on

mankind. University of California Press, Berkeley and Los
Angeles, Vol. 1, pp. xxx-740 (Reprinted and rev i sed edition).

Man ion, S.

1968. Crotalus willardi , the Arizona ridge-nosed rattlesnake. Her¬
petology, 2: 27"30.

Department of Herpetology , Natural History Society of Maryland, 2643 N.
Charles Street, Baltimore , Maryland 21218.

Received 30 March 1974
Accepted 12 March 1975

Editor's Note:

"An Endangered Spec i es , the New Mex i can R i dge-nosed Rattlesnake" was writ¬
ten for the NBA Conservation Yearbook , 1974. Due to the simularity with
a previous popular article that appeared elsewhere it was not used. Al¬
though, this is a popular article, it is being published here as it con¬
tains information that should be said.

H.S.H.

SAVE THE RIDGE-NOSED RATTLESNAKE

By wri ting the Off ice of Endangered Species, and urging them to list
the New Mexican ridge-nosed ratt 1 esnake as an endangered species you can
aid in the protection of a truly unique species. Write today...

D i rector

Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife
U . S. Department of the Interior
Washington, D.C. 202A0

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 7

Volume 11 Number 1

March 1975

A Case for Field Notes from Life

Living as most of us do i n a country whose herpetof auna i s re 1 a t i ve ly
wel 1 known, some of the habits del iberately inculcated as a matter of routi ne
a few decades ago in young disciples of established herpetologists now
may seem futile anachronisms. In ear 1 i er years , when even in this country
the herpetofauna was sketchily known, it took no argument to convince a
neophyte that every opportun i ty to observe habits and colors in life was
prec i ous and worthy of wr i tten record in painstaking field notes. Now all
seems "old hat," for apparently everyone knows al 1 except the rarest species
in exhaustive detail. There remains little, readily accessible incentive
to record wi th met i culous care what everyone already knows and is in print
in a dozen places or for developing a habit of making such records, and
most established herpetologists have given up all effort to develop such
incentive among their students, since even their own habit of keeping
regu 1 ar f i e 1 d notes has genera 1 1 y been sacr i f i ced to other , more rewarding
endeavors .

Minimization or total neg 1 ect of f i e 1 d records is a lamentable mis¬
take - not a matter of nostalgia, but because the baby has been thrown
out with the bath. It cannot and should not be denied that many field
observations are now repetitive and do not merit re i tera t ion , at 1 east in
print. It behooves a field worker to acquire a realistic perspective in
which to view the effort to make copious field notes. That perspective
will take into account at least four considerations, as follows:

1. The va 1 ue of wr i t i ng practice. Writing remains the chief means
of commun i cat ion i n the wor 1 d of science, despite the burgeon i ng of te 1 e-
vision and growing popul ari ty of societal meetings. The general level of
proficiency in writing has, however, grave 1 y deter i ora ted , largely because
of a rapidly increasing preoccupation with audiovisual communication.
Writing skill requires practice, for which progressively less time is
being allotted. The benefit of regular note-taking in providing such
pra-ct i ce i s suf f i cient by itself to justify the habit. Facility, economy
and accuracy of express ion are perforce developed even withnomore crit¬
icism than the wr i ter himself can prov i de , for compar i son wi th the pr i nted
and spoken word is i nev i table if the writer does the norma 1 amount of reading
and listening. Skill is developed more ra pi dl y wi th critici sms , suggestions
and comments of others, but they are not vital.

2. I mprovemen t of the skill of observa t i on . Indeed, the exercise
of note-taki ng not on 1 y improves writing skill per se, but also sharpens
the ability to observe. The need for something to write about requires
attention to details that otherwise would not be noticed. Practice in
observation is just as vital as practice in writing, and each benefits
greatly from the other. There are no shortcuts to expertise of observa¬
tion and expression; some individuals, more than others, find the route
to expertise a bit easier, or a bit more satisying, but in every case
p ract i ce in large amounts i s requ i red to deve lop skill. Even famous writers
must spend interminable hours achieving their skills. Explicit will and

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effort are essential, for both the gifted and the ordinary and the dif¬
ference between them lies mostly in motivation, not in innate ability.

3. Animal behavior and characteristics rema i n extens i ve 1 y unknown .
Although the basic facts of identity, distribution and characteristics
approach reasonable completeness for most species living in the United
States, our i gnorance of behav i or and demography is tremendous. The com¬
plexities of human behavior, which still taxes the best m i nds and con t i n-
ual-ly produces surprises, are at least matched and in some cases perhaps
exceeded among other spec i es of an i ma 1 s . Act ions are responses to stimul i ,
but what those stimuli are and how they are rece i ved and eva 1 ua ted is ex¬
tensively unknown. Even the action patterns themselves are sketchily
recorded in most cases.

An excel lent case in point is the yet i n comp rehens ible homing ability
of many animals, conspicuously birds. Clearly there are responses to a
galaxy of stimuli as yet scarcely understood, for which receptors are
completely enigmatic, and dependence upon which is clearly adaptable to
circumstance: if one set of criteria ordinarily available is blocked,
there are alternative sets of criteria that can substitute.

In these areas, of behavior and population structure, field obser¬
vations can contribute important 1 y to present knowledge, even for common
species anywhere. Anopenmind diligently app 1 i ed can con t r i bu te signifi¬
cant observations anywhere that animals live.

Yet even the more basic knowledge of characteristics of structure
and color is surprisingly deficient for many species even in this well-
surveyed country . 1 1 i s the ephemera 1 qualities that are least appreciated,
obviously, such as color and even pattern, for herpetologists are cursed
with the fact that once his animal is dead and/or preserved, the colors
are no longer true to life. Only by detailed description from life, or
by color photography, can colors be recorded for posterity. It is sur¬
prising how many species of the United States remain incompletely known
in these respects, providing extensive opportunities for clarification
through field notes. For example, it is just now becoming apparent that
the most common frog of this country and Mexico, Rana pipiens , actually
is a complex of a dozen or more species and subspecies, with largely com¬
plementary geographic ranges. What isolating mechanisms at points of
con tact or over 1 ap preserve the integrity of the different species? What
behavioral mechanisms or physiological preferences distinguish them? Field
observations are required to provide answers.

4. Exotic opportunities. Whatever the opportunities in our own
country , they are mul t i p 1 i ed many t imes i n t rop i ca 1 areas where v i rtua 1 1 y
all spec i es are poor 1 y known and the herpetofauna may be much more varied.
It is a source of keen dismay that, for example, so many workers have ex¬
plored and sampl ed pa rts of Mex i co wi th such 1 imi ted perspect i ves , seeking
some specific species, or randomly collecting everything within reach,
little aware of the goldmines of information they pass by in their haste
or narrow interests. Far more consistently useful contributions can be
made by selection of a favorable s i te and observ i ng and recording colors,
patterns and behavior of relatively easily accessible species and of in¬
dividual s of 1 ess common spec i es as encountered by chance - all from life.
Those who by nature or circumstance must keep on the move at least can

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take the time and troub 1 e to record colors in life. None of these useful
endeavors require preservat i on of spec i mens , which can be observed exten¬
sively without capture, or if captured can (and should) be released as
near as poss i bl e where caught . Thus the expense and red tape of col 1 ect i ng
permits, increasingly a hurdle everywhere, can be avoided. Occasionally
i t wi 1 1 be necessary to preserve sampl es for i dent i f i cat i on purposes, but
as expounded several years ago by one of the ablest and most active of
American herpetologists (W, E, Duellman), the time has passed for mis¬
cellaneous collecting and for reports upon miscellaneous collections,
certainly for the United States, and also for most other areas of the
globe. This is the f i rs t and perhaps easiest sort of exploration for new
information that can be pursued in relatively unknown regions, for the
col 1 ector can concent rate narrowly on col lect i ng and reserve for the lab¬
oratory the tedious and time-consuming study of the fruits of his labors.
In this way hi s time is used with maximum efficiency as he extracts every¬
thing possible from the rare opportunities to be in the field, and not
taking time in the field for activities that can be performed in the lab.

As th i s phase of product i vi ty is passed, however, it must be realized
that the a 1 terna t i ve i s not merely, then, a search for special rarities,
but to cap i ta 1 i ze upon field opportun i t i es for observa t i ons i n 1 i fe . This
may seem unproductive, at first, for it lacks some of the glamour and
exc i tement of d i scover i es of ra r i t i es or new taxa, but it has a permanent
value equally as great, and it furthermore cannot be conducted in the
laboratory, at least with equal validity. Under these circumstances field
notes, recorded on the spot, are vital, for memory cannot be trusted with
such ephemeral detail.

A1 though a number of model s for such field contri buti ons exist, notable
examples include several works of P. J. Kennedy, Jr. (e.g . , 1965a, 1965b,
1968), and one by Maslin (1963). The latter brings to mind the tragic
1 ack of color notes from 1 i fe for var ious species of Soeloporus , specific¬
ally S, serrifer. For many years it has been supposed that the several
taxa now associated with that species (see Stuart, 1970) are all of the
brown-red-gray ground color characteri Stic of most species of the torquatus
group; Stuart did not , therefore, use color as a character in his monograph.
Specimens certainly appear brown i sh i n preservat i ves , and most workers have
carried out thei r critical stud ies on preserved material even though they
may have collected many specimens. S. serrifer serrifer was rede'scribed
by Smith (1938:560) as "un i form o 1 i ve or brown i sh ol i ve1 1 dorsa 1 1 y , beh i nd
the collar, in both sexes, and the description of S. serrifer plioporus
(Smith, 1939:212) added nothing to the color account. Even S.s. prezygus
was originally described (Smith, 1 9^2 : 355) as "yel 1 owi sh gray" dorsally,
posterior to the collar.

Then evidence began slowly accumulating that all is not as it had
seemed re 1 at i ve to the colors of serrifer in life. First Martin (1952:4)
commented that the dorsal ground color in S. serrifer cccrinieeps "varies
from pa 1 e dusky tan to me ta 1 1 i c bluish green" - a rather disturbing state¬
ment at the time, but it seemed perhaps attributable to anomalous individual
variation. Then Axtel 1 (1960:236) quite explicitly described S. serrifer
prezygus as "bright greenish-blue in males, dull brown mottled with black
or dark brown in females." At this point it seemed likely that only S.
s. prezygus i s green i sh blue in males. Later Maslin (1963:12) stated that

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in S. serrifer serrifer “The more posteriorly located dorsal scales and
especially the scales of the tail are marked with blue," and “The dorsal
pattern of the trunk region in males is virtually non-existent."

Finally, this year my friend Tom Stubbs commented that in the Los
Tuxtlas volcanos area of southern Veracruz, as both he and Douglas Rob¬
inson (who 1 ived there several years) had persona 1 1 y observed , there 1 i ves
a large, green or green-blue Sceloporus high on large trees. Actually a
bright green color is generally d iagnosti c of members of the formosus group
of Sceloporus, none of wh i ch are known f rom the Tuxt 1 as volcanos, although
S. formosus itself occurs on the escarpment of the Mexican plateau about
100 km to the southwest. Two of my local colleagues, Drs. Alex Cruz and
Yan Linhart, upon urgent appeal to obtain a sample of this lizard when
they recently visited the volcanos, observed one or more specimens, all
bright greeni sh-bl ue or bl u i sh-green . It remained for a friend of theirs,
Dr. Robert L . Jeanne, specializing in myrmecology, to obtain a specimen.
Upon arrival i n preservat i ve , it proved to be the typical brownish olive,
but Dr. Jeanne assures me that in life it was bright green, with some bl ue
about the head, and the tail less brightly colored.

1 1 now appears , at long last, that adult males of all populations of
S. serrifer are bl ui sh and/or green i sh . 1 1 seems 1 i kel y that S. s. serrifer
i s 1 ess br i ght 1 y co 1 ored than the other subspec i es . The enigmatic southern
Veracruz population, originally named plioporus but later (Stuart, 1970)
regarded as intermediate between oarinioeps and s. serrifer , was referred
to s. serrifer by him, whereas the color suggests that it may be refer¬
able to S. s. oarinioeps (which it antedates). Further observations in
life will be required to settle these problems and to establish the va¬
lidity of these generalities.

But the role of color in life in deducing relationships of these
members of Sceloporus carries still further. S. cyanogenys , a 1 arge spec i es
of southern Texas and adjacent Mexico, is typified by males of a bright
greenish b 1 ue as descr i bed f i rs t by Tay 1 or (1931) i n an exce 1 1 ent detailed
account. This species was long thought to be related most closely to
Sceloporus torquatus , which indeed does occur in Nuevo Leon close to the
range limits of S. oyanogenys ; intergradation long rema i ned a poss i b i 1 i ty
that could be dealt with on 1 y by exp 1 ora t i on of intervening territories.
Recent work has demonstrated sympatryof indeed two subspecies of S. tor¬
quatus with S. oyanogenys , at least eliminating considerations of con-
specificity. The problem of relationship remains, however, but color in
lifeof adult males prom i ses to 1 ead to def i n i t i ve solutions. S. torquatus
males are, as in most other species of the group, variants of the brown-
red-olive type, never greenish or bluish. The species is, furthermore,
res t r i cted to the central pi a teau of Mex i co , whereas S, cyanogenys is es¬
sentially a lowland species, invading higher altitudes only at the per¬
ipheries of its range.

Since S. serrifer runs to the same b 1 ue-g reen colors as S. cyanogenys,
and is 1 i kewi se 1 arge 1 y 1 imi ted to lowland areas , i t seems far more likely
that i t rather than S. torquatus is the closest relative of S. cyanogenys ;
the two form a cont i nuous cha i n of b 1 ue-g reen Sceloporus a round the wes te rn
ma rg i n of the Gulf of Mex i co , a 1 though i t i s as yet unknown whethe r their
ranges overlap or are separated in central Tamaulipas, or whether they

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intergrade. Intergradation now seems uni ikely because of marked structural
differences between the two , but stranger cons pecifics have been documented .

The occurrence of a blue-green subdivision in the torquatus group
suggests also that it may constitute a link between the torquatus and
forms us groups, the latter consisting almost whol 1 y of b 1 ue -green species,
most of which have some evidence of a black dorsal collar about the neck,
although never 1 i gh t-bordered as is cha racter i s t i c of members of the tor¬
quatus group. All members of both groups are likewise viviparous.

Since th e formosus group also contains species ( lunaei3 aoanthinus,
tarmeri 3 stejnegeri) remarkably 1 i ke members of the spinosus group, which
are oviparous and never green-blue to any conspicuous degree, it seems
likely that it is in an ancestral position relative to both the torquatus
and spinosus g roups , a 1 though convergence and/or po 1 yphyl y cannot be ru 1 ed
out completely. The karyological picture will undoubtedly cast decisive
light upon this uncertainty.

This case in Soeloporus has been discussed here inconsiderable de¬
tail to document the fact that colors in life are vital bits of i n format i on ,
now grossly inadequate, that in many cases maybe important in helping to
determine relationships and phyletic patterns not only at the level of
species and subspecies but a 1 so i n supe rspec i f i c groups even to the level
of genus or subgenus.

I n summary , all herpetologists - professional and amateur a 1 ike - face
a golden opportunity for valuable contribution to their field by ref ocuss i ng
their attention from the hitherto much- too-common , strictly collecting
aspects to the almost 1 imi tlessly fruitful aspects of behav i or , color and
population structure as observed in life in nature.

Acknowl edgments . I am very gratef u 1 to Tom Stubbs and Drs. Alexander
Cruz (University of Colorado), Yan Linhart (University of Colorado) and
Robert L. Jeanne (Boston University) for their enthusiastic efforts to
obtain "that new species of the formosus group" near Los Tuxtlas, Vera¬
cruz; as it developed, the revel at i on of a galaxy of new concepts is more
rewarding than a new species.

LITERATURE CITED

Axte 1 1 , Ralph W .

I960. The rediscovery of Soeloporus prezygus Smith, in Chiapas,
Mexico, with a reevaluation of its relationships. Texas J.
Sci. j (12) : 232-239 , fig. 1 .

Kennedy , J . P . , Jr.

1965a. Notes on the habitat and behavior of a snake, Oxybelis aeneus
Wag 1 er, i n Veracruz . Southwestn. h lat.3 (10) : 1 36- 139, figs. 1-12.

1965b. Observations on the distribution and eco 1 ogy of Barker 1 s a no 1 e ,
Anolis barker i Schmidt (iguanidae). Zoologioa^ New York y (50):

41-AA, pi . 1 .

1968. Observations on the ecology and behavior of Cnemidophorus

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guttatus and Cnemidophorus deppii (Sauria, Teiidae). J.
Herpet . , (2):87~96, figs. 1-4.

Martin, Paul S.

1952. A new subspecies of the iguanid lizard Sceloporus serrifer
from Tamaulipas, Mexico. Ooc. Pap . Mus. Zool, Univ. Mich¬
igan, (543): 1-7.

Mas 1 i n , T. Paul

1963. Notes on a collection of herpetozoa from the Yucatan penin¬
sula of Mexico. Univ . Colorado Stud. Ser. Biot., (9): 1-20.

Smith, Hobart M.

1938. The lizards of the torquatus group of the genus Soeloporus
Wiegmann, 1828. Kansas Univ.' Sci. Bull., (24) : 539-693 , f i gs .
1-25, pis. 47-55 (1936).

1939. The Mexi can and Cent ra 1 American lizards of the genus Soelo¬
porus. Zool. Ser. Field Mus, Nat, Hist.3 (26) : 1 -397, figs.
1-59, pis. 1-31.

1 942 . Mex i can herpetol og i ca 1 miscellany. Proo. U. S. Natn. Mus . 3

(92) : 349-395 , fig. 38, pi. 37.

Stuart, L. C.

1970. A brief review of the races of Sceloporus serrifer Cope with
special reference to Sceloporus serrifer prezygus Smith. Her-
petologica, (26) : 1 4 1 - 1 49 , fig. 1.

Taylor, Edward H.

1931. The d i scovery of a 1 i zard Sceloporus torquatus cyanogenys Cope
in Texas, new to the fauna of the United States. Proc. Biol.
Soc. Washington, (44) : 1 29- 1 32 .

" Hobart M. Smith , Department of Environmental 3 Population and Or ganismic
Biology 3 University of Colorado 3 Boulder 3 80302.

Received 5 January 1975
Accepted 8 January 1975

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The Western Swamp Tortoise {Pseudemydura umbrina) t
One of Australia's Rarest Reptiles

A. J. Zwinenberg
ABSTRACT

A description of the rare western swamp tortoise, Pseudemydura um¬
brina Siebenrock 1901, occuring in two small areas near Perth (Western
Australia) is given. Its biology is discussed, including data on its
history and uncertain future.

HISTORY

In 1839 a specimen of an unknown tortoise was acquired by the Nat¬
ural History Museum of Vienna (Austria) and labelled as "Phrynops Mac-
quarri i , Nova Hollandia Jun" (Inv. nr. 1296). In 1901 the specimen was
descr i bed by Fr i edr i ck Siebenrock as a new species, Pseudemydura. umbrina.
After that nothing additional was reported on this small reptile, which
was thought to be extinct. However, in 1953 a school boy named Robin Boyd
approached the organizers of the Western Austral ian Natural ists 1 Club Wi Id-
1 i fe .Show , since he was the owner of a pet tortoise of which he cou Id not
identify. The tortoise was brought to Mr. L. Glauert, then Director of
the Western Australian Museum at Perth. He thought the tortoise was a
new species and described it in 195^ as Emydura inspectata. Dr. Ernest
Williams (1958) of Harvard University proved that G1 auert 1 s tortoise was
synonymous wi th the 1 ong- 1 ost Pseudemydura of the Vienna Museum, described
in 1901. This rediscovery attracted much attention from herpetologists
all over the world. The school boy’s tortoise was found in a small area
of the Swan Coastal Plain nea r a swamp i n Bu 1 1 sbrook , 35 kilometers north¬
east of Perth. After inspection of the area, additional specimens were
found .

HABITAT AND POPULATION

The newly rediscovered western swamp tortoise, also called short¬
necked swamp tortoise or plate-shelled tortoise, has an ext remel y restrict¬
ed distribution and a very low population density. It is found in two
separate swamps, Twin Swamps and Ellen Brook, wh i ch were pa rt of the most
valuable agricultural land in Western Australia originally, but became
wildlife sanctuaries in 1966.

The tortoise reserves, tota 1 1 i ng 226 hectares , dry up in late spring
or early summer. At this time the tortoise goes into aestivation for a
per i od of about 6 months. With the approach of the winter rains (in April
or May) the species becomes active for approximately 6 months.

The swamp areas cons i st of sandy soi 1 wi th a wide range of vegetat i on .
Banksia trees, zamia palms, acacias, paperbacks and tussocky grass are
characteristic of these areas (Ellenbogen, 1971). Dr. A. A. Burbidge
(1973) senior research officer in the Department of Fisheries and Fauna
in Western Australia, has studied this species for many years. When he
started his study in 1963 Twin Swamps held a population of about 150 spec-

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imens. It contained all the necessary types of habitat for the survival
of the species; Ellen Brook however, was only marginal habitat for the
tortoise and its population density was much lower and estimated on 20
to 25 animals.

Photograph I. Measuring the carapace of a reserve specimen.

The notch in the carapace, cut i n by a researcher,
is part of a numbering system.

DESCRIPTION OF THE SPECIES

The western swamp tortoise is the smallest of the Australian side¬
necked tortoises (sub-order Pleurodira), which fold their neck sideways
when the head is withdrawn into the shell; the head and neck lie under
and along the front edge of the shell. There are about 50 species in the
sub-order P leu rod ira, living in different parts of the world, 12 (bel ong i ng
to 4 genera) of them occur in Australia (Burbidge, et.al,. 1974). They all
belong to the f am ilyChelidae. Burbidge, et.al. (1974) using morphological
criteria recognized 15 spec i es of Chel i d tortoi ses from Austral i a and New
Guinea ( 1 2 f rom Aus t ra 1 i a ) . Previously, Wermuth and Mertens (1961) listed
19 species (with 13 from Australia) and Worrel 1 (1963) considering only
Australia, listed 11 species. Goode (1967) listed 13 species for Aus¬
tralia and New Guinea (with 11 species occurring in Australia).

The ma 1 es of Pseudemydura imbvina have an average carapace length of
1 40 mm , wh i 1 e the average ca ra pace 1 eng th of fema 1 es is 126 mm. The animals
vary i n co 1 or wi th the ty pe of swamp ; in clay swamps the ca r a pace i s yel 1 ow-
brown and in sandy swamps it shows an almost black color with a maroon
tinge. The carapace is similar i n col or to the swamp-water . The pi as t ron ,
which is almost as wide as the carapace, is pale yellow-brown, and areas
of recent growth a 1 ong the sutures are brown-black. In ma 1 es the p 1 as t ron
is concave and in females flat. Males can be recogn i zed since their tails
are much thicker and somewhat longer. The neck is shorter than the ver-

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tebral colomn and has large conical tubercles. Males average about 400
gms and females 325 gms . The head is broad, flat and olive colored. The
underparts of head and neck are yellowish. The four feet are broad , partly
webbed and equipped with strong claws.

Photograph II. Adult with young at a zoo in Perth.

ACTIVITY RHYTHMS AND RESEARCH

The swampland inwhich the tortoise 1 ives dries up in late spring or
early summer. At that time a period of six months of torpor begins during
which the reptile finds refuge in leaf-litter, holes in the ground or under
fallen branches. When entering a refuge it will dig until it reaches cool
soil. On 1 y the ca rapace may rema i n above the g round level, all other parts
of the body are covered. When the reptiles are i n aes t i va t i on the swamp¬
land is extremely dry, especially during long hot summers, and fire may
cause serious damage. In 1973, awildfire entered the reserve , but there
are indications t ha t no torto i ses were destroyed. However, their habitat
did receive some damage, as much of their cover was destroyed.

Wi th the arrival of the fi rst heavy winter ra i ns some torto i ses emerge
and move to other locations, but most remain in their refuge until the
swamps are filled with water. A period of great activity then begins.

To record movements , growth , age and numbers wi th i n the reserves radio
tracking techniques are used. One of the reserves was fenced off and pits
were dug along the perimeter. During their movements, the tortoises may
reach the fence and unable to cross it, move along it thus falling into
the pits where they are captured, measured, tagged and some fitted with
rad i o- transm i tt i ng-packs . Such a pack cons i sts of two pi as t i c floats glued
to each side of the ca rapace and each of which carries an aerial. Between
these two floats, another pack carry i ng the ba tte ry and rad io is glued to
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March 1975

the carapace. The radio em i ts a cons tan t beep tha t i s detected by a port¬
able receiver fitted with a direction finder. A radio-packing tortoise
can live a normal life and i ts movement s can be tracked da i 1 y i f necessa ry .
The battery has a 1 i f e of about one year but at this time, the whole pack
becomes inoperative as the tortoise mou 1 ts or changes the outer layer of
skin on the carapace so that both skin and pack come off. Without the
rad i o-t rack i ng gear the movements of this rare species might never have
been known as the tortoise is highly cryptic and very difficult to find,
especially when aestivating. One important piece of data discovered by
rad i o- t rack i ng is that the population growth is slow, due to the fact that
the young require nine years to achieve sexual maturity.

FOOD

Pseudemydura imbvzna is a carnivorous reptile, like all members of
the family Chelidae. However, there i s one considerable difference; this
species feeds on 1 y unde r water. Its diet cons i sts of tadpoles , freshwater
crustaceans, aquatic earthworms, insects and insect larvae. The feeding
rhythms of this reptile are therefore associated with the fillingof the
winter swamps and the breeding behav i our of the local frogs and act i v i t i es
of the local crustaceans.

During aestivation it fasts, as the swamps dry out and its prey i terns
are absent.

REPRODUCTION

Nesting takes place in November or early December. The female digs
a shallow hole in the ground inwhich she lays three to five hard-shelled
symmetrical eggs. After laying, the small clutch is covered with soil.
They hatch in about 180 days, during May or early June. The young tor¬
toises live beneath the surface soil. When the swamps are filled they
emerge and a new generation of short-necked tortoises begins. At first
they are grey above and bright cream and black below. Most growth takes
place in late spring and early summer.

The species will not grow or breed when the swamps are dry and the
c 1 i mat i c cond i t i ons between 1968 and 1973 have not been conduc i ve to g rowth
and breeding. Dr. Burbidge (1973) stated that "When we first monitored
tortoise g rowth and numbers , we reckoned there were a total of 150 to 200
and observed a steady growth and reproduction pattern. Swamps were wet
for six months of the year and the habitat was altogether ideal. But for
the past few years , the swamps have been dry for eight to nine months each
year. Growth rate has slowed down and there has been no reproduct i on since
1968. We think there are now 50 to 80 tortoises left". Mr. H. B. Shugg
(1 97*0 , chief warden of fauna in Western Australia, informed me that the
winter of 1973 has brought an average rainfall and that of 197*+ an above
average ra i nfa 1 1 and stated , "As yet , there are no firm data on the breeding
success of tortoises in the two reserves in either 1973 or 197*+".

FUTURE

Since such a popu 1 at i on of probab 1 y less then one hundred small tor¬
toises in a confined area may be subject to natural disasters, etc. and
possible extinction, an attempt to build a captive population has been
made. In 196*+ a number of swamp- tor to i ses arrived in the South Perth Zoo.

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Photograph III. Two 8-day-old short-necked tortoises. The coin
has a diameter of 26 mm.

After some time in captivity it became apparent that the captive tortoises
had developed a condition resulting in a carapace of much poorer quality
than the reserve tortoises. The "domesticated" tortoises basked in the
sun, a habit wild tortoises apparently do not have. Females captured at
the fence pits in the reserve were x-rayed and if they were gravid, they
were kept in captivity and the eggs pi aced in nesting pits. Unfortunately,
hatching and rearing success has not been very good, partly because our
knowledge of this peculiar reptile was and is still rather inadequate.
Today (end 197^), approxi mate 1 y 1 5 an i ma 1 s , including some that have been
bred there, are living in the zoo at Perth. To insure the existence of
the species, steps are taken concerning pollution, drainage and fire control
i n the reserves . Because the State Government Department of Fi sher i es and
Fauna - the authority in charge of fauna reserves in Western Australia -
acqui red more land just outside the tortoise reserves unwanted swamp drain¬
age could be prevented and pol lution from outside is currently negl igible.
F i rebreaks and f i re 1 ookou ts were pi anned and car r i ed out. Seasonal trends
form an unmanageab 1 e factor, however, and may cause serious damage to the
tortoise habitat, as previously described. A previous heavy summer rain
did cause some damage, because the reptiles were in aestivation when it
hit.

In spite of all of this, Dr. Burbidgeisnot over 1 y concerned since
the spec i es has shown it is hardy and can adapt to seasonal fluctuations.

Dr. Burbidge est imated i n December 1 97^ , that there are poss i b 1 y only
50-80 tortoises in the Reserves. His research is continuing, but he is
concerned at the types of land use in the areas surrounding the Reserves.
At least one pig farm has been established in an adjoining property and

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it is feared that others may be developed. "It seems that we will have
to not only ensure that the pigs are kept out of the Reserves, but to en¬
sure that the tortoises cannot leave them, as they would be eaten by pigs!"

Distribution Map

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to thank Mr. B. H. P. Martin, First Secretary (Infor¬
mation) at the Australian Embassy in the Netherlands, Mr. H. B. Shugg,
chief warden of Fauna of the Department of F i sheri es and Fauna of Western
Australia and Dr. A. A. Burbidge, research officer of this Department,
for various courtesies provided. The photographs are courtesy of the
Australian Information Service.

Literature Cited

Burbidge, A. A.

1973* Personal communication.

197^+a. Personal communication (December).

_ , J. A. W. Ki rsch and A. R. Main.

197^b . Rel at ionsh i ps wi th i n the Chel i dae (Tes tud i nes : Pleurodira) of
Australia and New Guinea. Coipeia, 1974 (2) : 392-409 .

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 19

Volume 11 Number 1

March 1975

E 1 1 enbogen ,

1971.

M.

The Western Swamp Tortoise of Australia. Int. Turtle and
Tortoise Soc. Jour. 5(A):l6-17, 39.

G 1 auert , L .
1954.

He rpe to 1 og i ca 1 Miscellanea IV. A new swamp tortoise from the
Swan River district. Nest. Austr. Nat. 4 (6) : 1 25“ 1 27 .

Goode, J.

1967.

Freshwater tortoises of Austral ia and New Guinea ( in the fami ly
Chelidae). Lansdowne Press, Melbourne.

Shugg , H . B
1974.

Personal Communication (December).

Wermuth, H.
1961 .

and R. Mertens.

Schildkroten Krokodile Bruckenechsen . Gustav Fischer 3 Jena.

Willi ams , E ,
1958.

. E.

Red i scovery of the Australian Chelid Genus Pseudemydura Sie-
benrock. Breviora ( 84 ) : 1 ~9 -

Worrell, E .

1963-

Reptiles of Australia. Angus and Robertson, Sydney.

Borneostraat 23, Vlaardingen, The Netherlands .

Received 26 February 1975
Accepted 12 March 1975

Page 20

Bulletin Maryland Herpeto logical Society

Volume 11 Number 1

March 1975

NOTES ON THE HERPETOLOGY OF PRESQUE ISLE STATE PARK
ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA

I conducted a survey of snakes, turtles, and salamanders inhabiting
selected representative s i tes on Presque Isle State Park, Erie, Pennsyl¬
vania during the summer and autumn of 197^. This park is a 3,100 acre
peninsula which arises from the south shore of Lake Erie. The park con¬
tains sandy beaches, plains, swamps, ponds, and woodland.

The primary purpose of th i s survey was to supply information to the
•Northwestern Pennsylvania Envi ronmental Data Center. This information may
be useful in the formu 1 at i on of env i ronmenta 1 impact projections such as
two recent 1 y prepared on Presque I s 1 e Sta te Pa rk (Michael Baker, Jr., Inc.,
1 97*+ ; U.S. Army Engineer District, 1973). While these publications con¬
tain i nforma t i on on var i ous forms of 1 i f e , such as pi ants , fish, and birds,
detailed i nformat i on on herpt i 1 es inhabiting the park i s 1 acki ng . Perhaps
the impetus of certa i n special interest groups account s for the wea 1 th of
written information on certain forms of life in the park. For example,
The Presque Isle Audubon Society has studied the birds of this area.

A second purpose of this survey was to more thoroughly investigate
the d i f ference i n the number of snake spec i es seen between the northwes tern
Pennsylvania mainland and Presque Isle State Park. McKinstry and Felege
( 1 97*0 observed nine species on the mainland but only three species in
the park.

To initiate the survey four collection sites which together repre¬
sent the beaches, sandy plains, swamps, and woodlands of the park were
selected. The designation, location, s i ze , and nature of each site is as
fol 1 ows :

Fig. 1. Site A. Grassy trail bordered by pine trees.

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 21

Volume 11 Number 1

March 1975

Site A. Fig. 1. This area, oppos i te the Beach 1 0 upper pa rk i ng lot,
is i n 1 and and rough 1 y parallel to Pen i nsu 1 a Dr i ve . The s i te measures 900 m
x 120 m with the long axis on an east-west line. Site A contains a 900 m
grassy trail which is bordered by mature pines (north side) and a swampy
plain (south side). A cl ear i ng conta i n i ng dunes andadecaying board pile
occupies the western end of the site.

% i?

Fig. 2. Site B. Large inland plain.

Site B. Fig. 2. This area is about 420 m south of Site A. The site
measures 1,500 m x 150 m with the long axis on an east-west line. Site
B is a large grassy plain which contains scattered dunes , swamps , and stands
of shrubs and pines. A 1,500 m trail runs through the site.

Site C. Fig. 3- This a rea i s eas t of the Beach 10 upper parking lot.
The site measures 900 m x 300 m with the 1 ong axis on an eas t-wes t line.
Site C, which extends to Lake Erie, is an open grassy sand plain which
contains dunes and shal low intermittent ponds. Cottonwoods , wi 1 low trees ,
and rushes are common.

Site D. Fig. 4. This area is known as the Si dewa Ik Trail-Cranberry
Pond area. The site measures 1,200 m x 420 m with the long axis on an
east-west line. Site Disa ha rdwood fores t wh i ch exhibits, inmany areas,
a dense canopy. Inland ponds, shallow intermittent swamps, and sandy
ridges are present.

Page 22

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 11 Number 1

March 1975

Fig. k. Site D. Hardwood forest with dense canopy.

Each site was visited one to five times per month during the period
between 3 July 197^ to 7 November 197^. All collecting trips were made
in the daytime. The duration of each site inspection was one to three

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society Page 23

Plain extending to Lake Erie.

Volume 11 Number 1

March 1975

hours. Traditional collecting methods, i.e. search of dead bark, logs,
and boards as we 1 1 as careful i nspect i on of exposed hab i tat s , were employed .
The identity and habitat of each specimen collected was recorded. Oc¬
casional specimens eluded capture but were usually identified by their
field ma rki ngs .

Three spec i es of snakes , two of turtles, and two of sa 1 amanders were
collected during this survey as follows: Snakes - eastern garter snake
( Thamnophis s . sirtalis) , northern ribbon snake ( Thamnophis s. septen-
trionalis) , northern brown snake (Storeria d. dekayi) ; Turtles -map turtle
(Malaolemys geographica) , midland painted turtle ( Chrysemys picta marg-
inata) ; Salamanders - red-spotted newt-red eftstageonly ( Notophthalmus
v . viridesoens) , spotted salamander ( Ambystoma maculatum) . Specifics as
to numbers of specimens collected in the various sites each month appear
in tables la and 1b.

Table la. Snakes observed on Presque Isle State Park during the summer
and autumn of 197A.

Number Of Specimens Observed

S i te

and No. T . s. T . s. Stripede S . d.

Month Visits sirtalis septentrionalis snake dekayi

July
Aug .
Sept
Oct .
Nov .

July
Aug .
Sept
Oct.
Nov .

July
Aug .
Sept,
Oct .
Nov.

Dd

July
Aug .
Sept .
Oct .
Nov.

1

A

A

3

1

3

3

A

3

1

3

A

3

3

1

3

A

5

3

1

6

2

1

10

0

7

A

A

17

o

8

3

8

8

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

0

A

0

0

1

1

3

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

0

0

0

0

2

0

0

0

2

1

1

3

0

5

1

A

2

0

1

1

0

0

0

0

0

2

0

0

2

2

A

1

0

0

0

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Page 24

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 11 Number 1

March 1975

Table lb. Turtles and salamanders observed on Presque Isle State Park
during the summer and autumn of 197A.

Number Of Specimens Observed

S i te

and

Month

No.

Visits

M,

geogvaphica

C. p.

marginata

N. V.

viridesoens

A.

maoulatum

A

July

1

0

0

0

0

Aug .

A

0

0

0

0

Sept .

A

0

0

1

0

Oct .

3

0

0

1

0

Nov .

1

0

0

15

0

B

July

3

1

0

0

0

Aug .

3

0

0

0

0

Sept .

A

1

0

A

0

Oct .

3

0

0

2

0

Nov .

1

0

0

0

0

C

July

3

0

2

1

0

Aug .

A

0

0

0

0

Sept .

5

0

0

1

0

Oct .

3

0

0

0

0

Nov .

1

0

0

0

0

D

July

3

0

0

0

5

Aug .

A

0

0

33

9

Sept .

5

0

0

79

9

Oct.

3

0

0

80

3

Nov .

1

0

0

0

0

aS i te A

= grassy

trail between

pine stand and

swampy plain.

^Site B = inland grassy plain.

c

Site C = grassy plain bordering on Lake Erie.

^Site D = inland woodland.

0

Striped snakes = T.s, sirtalis or T,s. septentrionalis

In a previous survey (McKinstry and Felege, 197*0 the ribbon snakes
inhabiting the park were identified as the eastern variety Thamnophis s.
sauritus . This identification now appears erroneous since the ribbon
snakes co 1 1 ected i n the present survey more closely match the descri pt ion
(dark-brown or black dorsal surface) and range of the northern ribbon
snake, Thamnophis s. septentrionalis as g i ven by Cochran and Goin (1970).

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 25

Volume 11 Number 1

March 1975

The eastern garter snakes and northern brown snakes were observed to
prefer open grassy habitats (Sites A, B, and C) . Both species were often
collected from under old boards and logs in these areas. The northern
brown snakes almost always preferred these hiding places. The northern
ribbon snakes were usually seen on the open floor of a pine stand or in
grassy areas (Site A). These snakes were never observed under boards or
logs. On cool (15 "20° C) sunny days i n October the eas tern garter snakes
and northern ribbon snakes were particularly abundant. During a three
hou r co 1 1 ec t i ng per i od i n 1 a te October , 1 8 of these rept i 1 es were observed .
The two types of turtles were collected in open sandy areas near ponds
(Sites B and C) . The red efts were always observed under damp boards or
logs and were most abundant in woodland areas close to ponds (Site D) .
The spotted salamanders were only seen under logs in damp woodland hab-
i tats (Site D) .

This survey does not add new i nforma t i on as to the general range and
habitats of the species collected. It does, however, provide up to date
information on the occurrance of reptiles and salamanders in an easily
alterable 1 oca 1 i ty i n northwes tern Pennsy 1 van i a - Presque I s le State Park.
W i n ter storms w i th resulting wave act i on and f 1 ood i ng and/or poss i b 1 e con¬
struction projects could alter the park and perhaps change its herpeto-
fauna from that seen today.

This survey outlines more thoroughly the occurrence of the three
species of snakes observed in the park by McKinstry and Felege (197*0 •

I f other spec i es occur , in the areas examined, they have el uded out atten¬
tion during the past several years.

The assistance of Nancy, Michael and Patrick Reed McKinstry during
portions of this survey is greatly appreciated.

Literature Cited

Baker, Michael, Jr., Inc.

197*+. Presque Isle environmental study. Beaver, Pennsylvania, 172

pp.

Cochran, D.M. and C.J. Goin.

1970. The new field book of rept i 1 es and amphibians. G,P, Putnam's

Sons, New York, 359 pp.

McKinstry, D.M. and S. Felege.

197*+. Snakes of northwestern Pennsylvania. Bull, Md, Herp. Soc.
10{ 1 ) : 29-3 1 •

U.S. Army Engineer District.

1973. Draft environmental impact s ta tement - coopera t i ve beach ero¬
sion project at Presque Isle Peninsula, Erie, Pennsylvania.
Buffalo, New York, 115 pp.

- Donald M. McKinstry, Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State

University , Behrend College, Erie, Pennsylvania 16510,

Received 8 January 1975
Accepted 1 February 1975

Page 26

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 11 Number 1

March 1975

A Maryland Hibernaculum of Northern Brown Snakes,

Storeria d. dekayi

Few published accounts exist concerning hibernation in Maryland am¬
phibians and reptiles. Cooper (1956b) reported Chrysemys p. picta, No-

tophthalmus v . viridescens and a single Rana pipiens (=R, u.. utricularia)
hibernating in flood plain puddles. Cooper (1956a) also reported on the
aquatic hibernation of Plethedon c. cinereus. More recently, Lee (1968)
reported on springs as hibernation sites for Coluber constrictor , Lam-
propeltis doliata (=L. triangulum) , Diadophis punctatus , Heterodon pla-
tyrhinos, Natrix sipedon, Elaphe obsolete, Agkistrodon contortrix, Clemmys
guttata, Rana clamitans , Rana pipiens , Eurycea bislineata, Eurycea long-
icauda, Desmognathus fuscus, Pseudotriton ruber, and Plethodon cinereus .
Older published records do exist, but they are scant.

Since, little is known of the various hibernacul urns utilized by Mary¬
land snakes, the following may be worthy of note.

On 27 Feb ruary 1 975 wh i 1 e do i ng const ruct i on work i n Ba 1 1 imore County ,
on Wilkins Avenue just off of US 695, William V. Horvath discovered A
hibernating northern brown snakes, Storeria d. dekayi. The snakes were
found during digging operations approximately 8 inches be 1 ow the surf ace
of the ground on the slope of a hill that has a southern exposure. Two
adults and two juveniles were discovered together in a group. The approx¬
imate air temperature was A0° F and the snakes were very sluggish when
found. They were placed in a jar in a heated vehicle at which time they
became very active. Another attempt was made by Horvath to locate add i t ion a 1
specimens on 3 March at the above locality without success.

Literature C i ted

Cooper, John E.

1956a. Aquatic hibernation of the red-backed salamander.
22:165.

Herpetologia

1956b. A Maryland hibernation site for reptiles. Herpetologica 12:

238.

Lee, David S.

1968. Springs as hibernation sites for Maryland's herpetof auna . Bull.
Md. Herp. Soc. 4{k): 82-83.

—William L. Grogan, Jr., Department of Entomology , University of Mary¬
land, College Park, Maryland 20742.

Received 8 March 1975
Accepted 8 March 1975

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 27

Volume 11 Number 1

March 1975

Longevity Record for the Striped Newt,

Notophthalmus per striatus

The striped newt, Notophthalmus perstriatus, reported by Grogan and
Bystrak (1973), has since died. This specimen, an adult male, was pur¬
chased as an adult from a pet shop on 21 December 1 96 1 and kept in captivity
until its death on 11 December 1974, a period of 13 years. At death its
snout-vent and tota 1 1 eng th are 50 and 1 04 mm respectively. These measure¬
ments differ slightly from those reported by Grogan and Bystrak (1973)
taken when the specimen was alive, but still exceed the maximum total
length recorded by Conant (1958) for this spec i es by approx i mate 1 y 1 inch
(25 rum) . Conant (1973) indicated that this specimen is by f ar the 1 a rges t
reported for this species. This specimen is catalogued A 2880 NHSM in
the herpetol og i ca 1 col 1 ect i on of the Natural History Soc i ety of Ma ry 1 and .

Literature C i ted

A field gu i de to rept i 1 es and amph i b i ans of t he United States
east of the 100th Meridian. Houghton Mifflin Co . , Boston,
xv + 386 pp.

Personal communication
. , Jr . and D . Bystrak .

Longevity and size records for the newts Notophthalmus per¬
striatus and Notophthalmus v. viridescens . HISS News-J. 7(2):
54.

- Wi 1 1 iam L. Grogan, Jr. , Department of Entomology , University of Mary¬
land, j College Parkj Maryland 20742.

Received 8 March 1975
Accepted 8 March 1975

Conant, R.
1 958.

1 973.

Grogan, W. L

1973.

Page 28

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

March 1975

Volume 11 Number 1

News & Notes

- Lover idge
REPTILES (and Amphibians) OF THE PACIFIC

271 pages 3 7 plates 3 1 double-page map 3 index (originally published in 1946 by
Macmillan Company 3 New York)

THIS BOOK treats the herpetofauna of a vast region including Indonesia, the
Philippines and Japan, Australia, New Guinea and New Zealand, and an enormous
array of islands including Hawaii and the Galapagos. With such isolated land
masses, the fauna is predictably diverse and includes the tuatara, several croco¬
diles, various lizards including the Komodo dragon, flying lizards and the Gala¬
pagos iguanas, numerous pythons, the king cobra and other poisonous elapids and
vipers, the wide-ranging marine turtles and sea snakes, caecilians, the giant
salamander, and many frogs and toads.

Authoritative yet written in a clear and untechnical manner, this book is
the standard reference on the Pacific herpetofauna and is equally useful to pro¬
fessionals and amateurs'. Each species is described and its range noted, together
with a discussion of its life history and remarks on capture, captive specimens,
reproductive habits, and use as food. There are identification keys to families
and species, illustrated with seven diagnostic plates. Finally, there are chap¬
ters on snake bite and its treatment, economic aspects and conservation, collect¬
ing techniques, procedures for shipping living and preserved specimens, and an
annotated bibliography.

Mr. Loveridge, now retired, was formerly curator of herpetology at Harvard
University, and is a noted authority on the amphibians and reptiles of Africa and
the South Pacific.

prices

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Institutions and non-members: $15 paperbound, $17 clothbound

to order

Orders may be placed now. This book will be published in fall 1971+ ; to take ad¬
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Please mark these boxes if you want information on SSAR membership D or a complete
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Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 29

Volume 11 Number 1

March 1975

SOCIETY FOR THE STUDY OF AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES

QThe Society for the Study of Amphibians and
Reptiles is an international organization
established to advance the study of amphibi¬
ans and reptiles. Although begun in 1958 as
a regional society, SSAR rapidly gained a
world-wide membership, largely because of
its diversified publications program, and it is widely
recognized to have the most active society-sponsored
program of services for students of amphibians and
reptiles. Membership is open to all persons, both ama¬
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ACTIVITIES

In addition to its publications, SSAR sponsors a number
of activities of broad herpetological interest. The
annual meeting is held each summer on a university cam¬
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States since the Society especially wishes to attract
students to its meetings by providing inexpensive and

informal facilities. In addition to the papers given
by members at these meetings, symposia or other invited
speakers are usually planned which allow for detailed
discussions of important areas of contemporary study.
Live animal, photographic, film and other exhibits are
also organized, as well as field trips.

The Society makes a concerted effort in conserva¬
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of conservation information. Likewise, an effort is
made, to cooperate and provide assistance to regional
herpetological groups; as a result, one Society officer
is selected from this constituency.

PUBLICATIONS

SSAR sponsors one of the most diversified series of
publications of any scientific society. Some are in¬
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that have been discontinued. Back issues of every pub¬
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All persons are welcome to become members of SSAR, to
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In addition, SSAR members receive a substantial
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bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Back issues of the Bulletin of the Maryland
Herpetol og i ca 1 Society, where available, may be
obta i ned by wr i t i ng the Execut i ve Editor. A list
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The Society a 1 so pub 1 i shes a News 1 etter on a
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to the membersh i p free of charge . Also published
are Maryland Herpetofauna Leaflets and these are
available at $. 05/page.

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Major papers are those over 5 pages (double
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The Maryland Herpetological Society
Department of Herpetology
Hatural History Society of Maryland, Inc .
2643 Horth Charles Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21218

ISSN 0025-4231

BULLETIN OF THE

Tftarylanb

f)erpeto!ogical

©oriety

Department of Herpetology
The Natural History Society of Maryland, Inc,

MdHS . A FOUNDER MEMBER OF THE

Eastern Seaboard Herpetological League

JUNE 1975

VOLUME 11, NUMBER 2

Bulletin of the Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 11 Number 2 June 1975

CONTENTS

An Annotated Checklist and Key to the Saurofauna of Southeastern . .

and Central Spain 31

An Annotated Checklist and Key to the Saurofauna of South** ....

eastern and Central Spain . . . Achim R. Borner 31

Grist for the Mills of Herpetoph i les in Mexico . . Hobart M. Smith 40

The Green Turtle ( Chelonia my das) , One of the Reptiles most . . .

Consumed by Man, Needs Immediate Protection .

. A. J. Zwinenberg 45

Notes on a Brood of the Arizona Ridge-nosed Rattlesnake .

Crotalus willardi willardi . Brent E. Martin 64

An Occurrence of the Arizona Ridge-nosed Rattlesnake, .

Crotalus willardi willardi , Observed Feeding in Nature . .

. . Brent E. Martin 66

News S Notes:

Eastern Seaboard Herpetological League Meeting . 68

Book Release - Xenopus - The South African Clawed Frog . 68

Book Release - Edward H. Taylor: Recollections of a Herpetologist 69

Book Release - Amphibians and Reptiles in Kansas . 70

Second Edition - A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of . . .

Eastern and Central North America . 71

Back Issues of Various Journals Available for Trade . 72

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 76-93^58

The Maryland Herpetological Society , Department of Herpetology, Natural
History Society of Maryland, Inc., 2643 North Charles Street, Baltimore
Maryland 21216.

Printed By

Photographic Directory Publishers , P.O.Box 178, Randallstown, Md. 21133

BULLETIN OF THE

Volume 11 Number 2

June 1975

The Maryland Herpetolog i ca 1 Society

Department of Herpetology, Natural

1 History Society of Maryland, Inc.

Bulletin Staff

Executive Editor

Herbert S. Harris, Jr.

Steer i ng

Committee

Frank Groves

Mark Prihoda

Jerry Hardy

Jeff Thomas

Herb Harris, Jr.

John Whi tekett 1 e

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Tom Boyer

Officers

President . .

Vice-President. . .

Secretary .

T reasurer .

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 76-93^58

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Meetings

The third Wednesday of each month, 8:15 p.m. at the Natural History
Society of Maryland (except May-August, third Saturday of each month,
8:00 a.m.). The Department of Herpetology meets informally on all other
Wednesday evenings at the NHSM at 8:00 p.m.

Bulletin of the Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 11

30 June 1975

Number 2

AN ANNOTATED CHECKLIST AND KEY TO THE SAUROFAUNA
OF SOUTHEASTERN AND CENTRAL SPAIN

Achim R. Borner

This article was prepared as a hand-list for use in the field, when the
author had the oppor tun i ty to spend a few days in southeastern Spain. It
i s primari ly based on the check 1 ist of Europe by Me r tens and Wermuth (i960) .
The reg i on covered by the present synops i s i s del i neated i n Fig . 1. General
1 i terature on the region includes Hellmich (1956, 1962), Klemmer (1963),
Mertens (1925), and Pasteur and Bons (i960).

2qo

fig. 1 Map of Spain depicting the region under study.

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Annotated Checklist to the Saurofauna of Southeastern and Central Spain
Angu i dae

Anguis f. fragilis (LINNAEUS), 1758
Type locality: Sweden
Chamael eon i dae

Chamaeleo c. chamael eon (LINNAEUS), 1758

Type locality restr i cted by Mertens and Muller (1928): North
Af r i ca

The chamaeleon is said to be very rare in southern Spain and
therefore should not be collected.

Geckon i dae

Hemidactylus t. turcicus (LINNAEUS), 1758

Type locality restricted by Schmidt (1953): Asian Turkey
Tarentola m, mauritanica (LINNAEUS), 1758
Type locality: Mauritania

An adul t specimen typi cal of thi s Mediterranean gecko was found
on a rock near the footpath from the lookout to the old har¬
bour, Benidorm; itwas taking a sunbath early in the morning.

Lacert i dae

This family, contributing the major element of the European
saurofauna, is poorly known despite all of the efforts of Eu¬
ropean herpetologists and the tens of thousands of specimens
amassed in museum collections. Since Boulenger (1920/1921 ) no
one has undertaken the time consuming and painstaking job to
attempt a revision of a larger subspecies , or species complex;
the outstanding except ion i s the very few, however , who d i d not
deal with the Span i sh 1 i zards such as Broadl ey (1972), Darevsky
(1967) , Eisentraut (19^9) , Lantz (1928/1930) , and Peters (1962).

This chaotic situation, especially in the genera Lacerta and
Eremias and their close allies, is reflected by our current
knowl edge of the Spanish forms; e.g. we know ne i ther the number
of wall lizard species nor their var i at ion at the subspecific
level. Therefore it is deemed necessary to give all names
assigned to Lacerta hispanica in the region, a 1 though many are
considered synonyms.

Genus Acanthodactylus

Acanthodactylus e, erythrurus (SCHINZ), 1833
Type local i ty : Spain
Genus Algyroides

All Spanish forms in this genus are rare. Their occurance is
sporadic, as they all require a high air-humidity. This is-

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olation of populations effects subspecific diversity, which,
due to the scarcity of specimens, is unknown. See Buchholz
(1964) and Klemmer (i960) for additional data.

Algyroides hildagoi BOSCA, 1916

Type locality: San 1 1 defonso, 1192 m elev., S i erra de Guadar-
rama , central Spain

Known only from the holotype, which apparently has been lost.

Algyroides m. mar chi VALVERDE , 1958

Type locality: Piedro de Aguamula, S i erra de Cazor 1 a , Province
of Jaen

Algyroides mar chi niethammeri BUCHHOLZ, 1964

Type locality: near the mountain pass ( 1 480 m elev.) at ca.
1430 m elev., road from A1 caraz to Riopar , S ierra de Agua , Pro¬
vince of Jaen, southeastern Spain

Known only from the holotype.

Genus Lacerta

Additional data on the sys temat ics of thi s group can be found
in Buchholz (1963), Cyren (1928, 1934), and Klemmer (1959).

Lacerta hispanica STE I NDACHNER, 1870

It is not known, whether Lacerta bocagei SEOANE, 1844 is a
distinct species or represents only a subspecies of L. his¬
panica. I f i t is indeed distinct on the specific level , a re¬
arrangement of other subspecies , which are currently defined
as L. hispanica , is warranted .

A female specimen , nearly 6 cm snout-vent length , from Isla de
Ben i dorm (the island oppos i te to the famous hotel - town of
Ben i dorm) , and its hab i tat are depicted in the photos (figs.
2 , 3 » 4) . The i si and i s densely populated with lizards, whereas
they are shy and very rare on the mainland (sight records exist
from the mountains east of Playa Levante, Benidorm).

Lacerta h. hispanica STE I NDACHNER , 1 870

Type locality restri cted by Mertens and Muller (1928): Monte
Agudo near Murcia, southeastern Spain

Lacerta muralis steindachneri BEDRI AGA, 1886 was made a junior
synonym of thi s race by Mertens and We rmuth (i960), who re¬
stricted i ts type local i ty to that of the nominate form. Klemmer
(1959) was unable to find a single lizard at the type local i ty .

Lacerta hispanica liolepis BOULENGER, 1 905

Type local i ty : town of Valencia, Spa i n

Described as a variety of L. muralis , it was then referred to
L. bocagei , and later reduced to a j un i or synonym of the nonrr
i nate species .

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fig. 2 Laoerta hispanioa , adult female from Is la de Beni dorm

Laoerta hispanioa vauoheri BOULENGER, 1905

Type locality: Tanger, northwest Africa

The lizards in the extreme south of Spain are referred to this
race, which is considered valid.

Laoevta hispanioa guadarramae BOSCA, 1916

Type locality: San lldefonso, Sierra de Guadarrama, central
Spa i n

This name is tenatively considered a junior synonym of the
nominate subspecies.

Laeerta l, lepida DAUDIN, 1 802

Type locality rest r i cted by Mertens and Wermuth (i960): south¬
ern France

Laoerta lepida nevadensis BUCHHOLZ, 1963

Type locality: North-slope of the Pico Veleto, between 1600
m and 2100 m elev., Sierra Nevada, south Spain

Laoerta monticola cyreni Muller S Hellmich, 1937

Type locality: Puerto de Navacerrada, Sierra de Guadarrama,
Spa i n .

Laoerta sioula ssp.

introduced in Almeria accord i ng to Mertens and Wermuth (i960)
Genus Psammodromus

Psammodromus a . algirus (LINNAEUS), 1758
Type locality: Mauritania

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Ash-gray specimens were observed on the wal Is and in the gardens
of Almeria Castle, Almeria. Normally the back has a brownish
or ol i ve color .

Psammodromus h, hispanicus F I TZ I NGER , 1 826

Type locality restr i cted by Mertens and Mu 1 ler (1928): South¬
ern Spain.

Psammodromus hispanicus edwarsianus (DUGES) , 1829
Type locality: Southern France

The zone of i n tergradat ion between both subspecies i s of speci al
interest. Studies in this zone may reveal the distinctiveness
of the forms on the specific level.

Sc i nc i dae

For the systematics of this group see Klausewitz (195^) and
Pasteur and Bons (I960) .

Chalcides hedriagai BOSCA, 1 880

Type locality restricted by Mertens and Muller (1928): Dos-
aguas, Valencia

Chalcides chalcides striatus (CUVIER), 1829
Type locality: Southern France

The validity of this form requires further examination.

fig. 3 Lizard habitat on I s 1 a de Benidorm

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Artificial Key to the Saurofauna of Southeastern and Central Spain

1. Limbless . Anguis f . fragilis

1 . Limbs present . 2

2. Unders i de of toes with transversely enlarged lamel lae (scansors)

. ..3 (Geckonidae)

2. Digits in two opposable sets of 2 and 3

. Chamaeleo o . ohamaeleon

2. Digits not so, separate .... 4

3. Underside of digits with one row of scansors

. Tarentola m, mauritanioa

3. Underside of digits with two rows of scansors

. Hemidaotylus t, turoicus

4. Ventral scales not differentiated

. .... 3 (Scincidae)

4. Ventral scales well differentiated from the dorsals

......... 6 (Lacertidae)

5. Limbs reduced, each with three digits

. Chaloides ohaloides striatus

5. Limbs relatively well developed, each with five digits

. Chaloides bedriagai

6. Pileus without an occipital; only two supraoculars

. Aoanthodaotylus e. erythrurus

6. Pileus with an occipital; four supraoculars

. 7

7. Dorsal scales large, rhombic, relatively strongly keeled, im¬
bricate . 8

7. Dorsal scales small, rounded, weakly keeled or not keeled, not

imbricate . . . 13 ( Laoerta )

8. Ventral scales squarish; well differentiated collar scales

. 9 ( Algyroides )

8. Ventral scales rhombic; collar scales discernible only on the

sides of the throat . 11 ( Psammodromus )

9. Dorsum uniformly brown i sh wi th vague dark spots on the vertebral

1 ine; dorsal s sharply keeled; 17 rows of dorsa 1 s around the middle
of the body . Algyroides hildagoi

9. Middle of dorsum light brown with sharply defined spots on the
vertebral line; sides of the trunk dark brown; dorsals not so
sharply keeled; 24 to 31 rows of dorsals around the middle of

the body . . . 10 ( Algyroides marohi)

10. 24 to 29 dorsals around the middle of the body; throat whitish

or yellow . Algyroides m, marohi

10. 31 dorsals around the mi ddl e of the body; throat deep blue (only

in adult males?) . Algyroides marohi niethammeri

11. On each si de of the back a longitudinal yellow stripe; length of
unregenerated ta i 1 doubles snout-vent 1 ength , wh i ch exceeds 7 cm

. Psammodromus a. algirus

11. Longitudinal stripes onl y as j uven i 1 es : 4 to 6 of them along the
back, composed of 1 i ght spots ; adu 1 ts un i form or w i th dark spots;
length of un regenera ted tail never exceeds double snout-vent
length; snout-vent length does not exceed 5 cm

.... 1 2 (Psammodromus hispanious )

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12. 30 to 34 dorsal s around the middle of the body; subocular reaches

the mouth; greenish in life . . . Psammodromus h . hispanious

12. 34 to 43 dorsals around the middle of the body; one or two small
scales separate the subocular from the mouth; not greenish

. Psammodromus hispanious

edwarsianus

13* Ventral scales like a trapezium

. 1 4 (Lacerta lepida)

13. Ventral scales squarish

. 15 (wa 11 1 i zards)

14. 65 to 70 dorsals around the middle of the body; ocellated, black
scales irregularly distributed

. Lacerta l . lepida

14. 76 to 90 dorsals around the middle of the body; ocelli faded, no
black scales

. Laoerta lepida nevadensis

15. Dorsal s at 1 east weakly keeled; scales of unregenerated tail in
distinct whorls, broad and small ones alternating

. Laoerta montioola

15. Dorsals not keeled; scales of unregenerated tail in whorls of

equal length . 16

16. Underneath uniformly colored, except the outer rows of the ven¬
tral scales; differentiated large temporal (masse ter icum)

. Lacerta sioula

16. Underneath black spots, at least on the throat; massetericum

normally missing . Lacerta hispanica

fig. 4 I s 1 a de Benidorm, seen from the mainland

Acknowledgements

Thanks are due to Miss Iris B. Borner, for bibliographical aid. I am
gratef u 1 to Herbert S . Harris, Jr . for his patient editorial comments wh i ch
improved the quality of this paper. My special thanks go to Dr. Hobart
M. Smith, University of Colorado, for his continued kind interest in my
plans and his numerous helpful suggestions in my saurological studies.

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Literature Cited

Bouienger, George Albert.

1920/1921. Monograph of the Lacertidae. Brit. Mus. Nat. Hist. London,
2(1920) : 1-352, figs., pis.; 2(1921 ): 1-451 , figs., pis.

Broadley, Donald G.

1972. A review of the Nuoras tessellata group. Arnoldia 5(20) :1-
36 , 7 figs., 1 tab . , 3 pis.

Buchholz, Karl F.

1963. Die Per 1 e i dechse der S ierra Nevada (Reptilia, Lacertidae) in
Spanien. Bonner Zool. Beitr. 14 (1-2) : 1 51 - 1 56 , k figs.

1964. Zur Kenntn i s des Genus Algyroides (Reptilia^ Lacertidae) in
Spanien. Bonner Zool. Beitr. 15 (3-4) : 239"246 .

Cyren, Otto.

1928. Spanische und portug ies i sche Mauere i dechsen . Goteborgs Kungl.
Vet. + Vitt. Samh. Handl ., 5th series s ser. B ., 2(1): 1-36.

1 93V. Zur Kenntn i s der Lacert i den der Iberischen Halbinsel und Ma-
ka rones iens. Ibid, 4( 1 ) : 1 - 36 , figs.

Darevsky , 1 1 1 ya S .

1967. The Rock lizards of the Caucasus. Systematics, Ecology, and
Phy logeny of the Polymorphic Group of Caucasian Rock Lizards
of the Subgenus Arohaeolaeerta (In Russian). Leningrade
(Nauka) :264 pp., figs., pis., maps.

Eisentraut, Martin,

1949. Die Eidechsen der spanischen M i ttel meer i nse 1 n und ihre Ras-
senauf spa 1 tung im Lichte der Evolution. Mitt. Zool. Mus.
Berlin, 26: 1-228, figs., pis.

Hellmich, Walter.

1956. Lurche und Kriechtiere Europas. Winters naturwissenschaft-
liehe Taschen buoher (Heidelberg) 25:1-166, figs. pis.

1 962 . Rept i 1 es and Amphi b ians of Europe (English translation edited
by Alfred Leutscher) , London (B1 anford Press) . 1 60 pp . , figs,
pis.

Klausewitz, Wolfgang.

1954. E i donomi sche , taxonomische und t i ergeog raph i sche Untersuch-
ungen Liber den Rassenkre i s der Scinciden Chalcides ohaleides
und Chalcides striatus . Senckenbergiana Biol. 34 (k- 6) : 1 87“
203, 9 f igs. , pi .

Klemmer, Konrad.

1959. Systemat i sche Stellung und Rassengl i ederung der Spanischen
Mauerei dechse, Lacerta hispamca. Senckenbergiana Biol. 40
(5-6) :245-250, 2 pis.

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I960 . Zur Kenntnis der Gattung Algyroides ( Rep t ilia, Lacertidae)
auf der Iberischen Halbinsel. Senokenb erg iana Biol, 41 ( 1-2):
1 -6, map, f ig . , pi .

1 963 . Von den Wi rbel tieren ei nes andal us i schen Gebirges. Natur und
Mus. (Senokenberg Mus. ) 93(\2) :507~51 A, 6 figs.

Lantz, L. A.

1928/1930. Les Eremias de 1 'As ie occi dental e. Bull, Mus. Georgie (Tiflis)
4 (1928) : 1-72; 5 (1930) s 1 -64 .

Mertens, Robert.

1925. Amph i b ien und Rept i 1 ien aus dem nordl i chen und ostl ichen Span-
ien, gesammelt von Dr. F. Haas. Abh, Senokenb, Naturf. Ges,
384 , l39( 1)]:1-129, 3 pis.

Mertens, Robert and Muller, Lorenz.

1928. Die Amphibien und Rept? lien Europas. Abh, Senokenb, Natur f,
Ges 413: 1-62.

_ _ and Wermuth, Heinz.

1 960 . Die Amphibien und Reptilien Europas (3. Liste nach dem Stand
vom 1 . Januar i960). Senokenberg - Buoh 38 (Senokenb, Naturf,
Ges,) : X I X-264 , map.

Pasteur, G. and Bons, J.

I960. Catalogue des reptiles actuel s du Maroc . Trav. Inst. Scient.
Cherif., Ser. Zool. 21:1-132, A figs., 5 pis., tabs.

Peters, Gunther.

1962. Die Zwergei dechse (Laoerta parva BOULENGER) und i hre Verwandt-
schaf tsbez i ehungen zu anderen Lacertiden, insbesondere zur
L i banon-E i dechse (L. fraasii LEHRS). Zool, Jahrb. Syst, 89:
(3-4):407-478, pi.

Schmidt, Karl Patterson.

1953. A checklist of North American amphibians and reptiles. 6th
ed., Publ . Amer. Soc. Ichtyol. and Herpetol . : X I I + 280 pp.

5 Cologne 41, ZUlpioher Street 83, West Germany

Received 23 April 1975

Accepted 8 May 1975

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GRIST FOR THE MILLS OF HERPETOPHILES IN MEXICO

Hobart M. Smith

The limitless opportunities for new di scoveries in the amazingly com¬
plex diversity of the herpetofauna of Mexico cannot be catalogued. The
cream has been skimmed from the bas ic work of faunal exploration, as noted
several years ago by one of the greatest herpetologists of our country,
W. E. Duellman, even though new taxa, significant range extensions and
taxonomic rearrangements will continue to be discovered frequently for
many years, and occasionally for many decades. Every new road makes ac¬
cessible many such discoveries. Nevertheless the fact remains that the
alpha phase of basic exploration is no longer domi nant ; now the experimental
and observational phase is rapidly developing, with emphasis in the field
upon behavioral and demographic studies, which have gained a great advantage
over the strict collecting of the alpha phase through the imposition of
severe regul at ions curbing wanton col 1 ect i ng and importation of amph ib i a ns
and reptiles.

One of the most exciting prospects for field observation in Mexico
at th i s part i cul ar time is the determi nation of the basic facts in the life
cycleof the high-altitude lizard Seeloporus aeneus aeneus , common in the
mountains between Mexico C i ty and Cuernavaca , and occurr i ng rather widely
el sewhere i n the southern mounta i ns of the main Mexican plateau. It would
be a s imple, del ightful and rewarding experience, especial ly for a family,
justifying protracted or repeated stays in Cuernavaca or some other stra¬
tegically situated base (see Fig. 1) near the range of this subspecies,
to launch an investigation to settle once and for al 1 the basic questions
of the life cycle of this lizard.

It would take an outstandingly significant problem to justify such
a proposition, but the qualification exists. There is an outside chance
that S. a . aeneus may prove to be the only lizard in the world known to
reproduce in alternate years. This is the problem for the solution of
which so far there i s nothing but speculation, but which could be solved
by even one, and certainly by two, appropriately chosen, brief periods of
observation.

Even such a basic matter as method of "parition" ( i .e. , by parturition
or oviposition) remains to be established in this subspecies. Such in¬
formation does not come easily, for the critical period usually arrives
in spring when human col lectors are occupied with other matters, such as
a fixed schedule of work or school ; when they are free, in summer, it is
too late for immediately conclusive evidence to be obtained. Only in 1962
(Anderson) was i t demonstrated that the only related member of the group
occurring in this country ( S . sealaris slevini) is oviparous. It was
established long ago that S. sealaris sealaris is oviparous (Herrera, 1890:

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aeneus . Triangles, S . a. bioanthalis ; circles, 5. a. aeneus ;

dots, 5. a. subniger ; half-circle, half-dot, intergrades be¬
tween 5. a. aeneus and 5. a. subniger . Adapted from Zool.
Ser. Field Mus. Nat. Hist., 26:357, fig. 57, 1939.

331), and in 1939 Smith (1939:356) recorded that 5. aeneus bioanthalis is
viviparous.1 Gadow (1 905 :21 4) stated that S. soalaris i s "ovovi vi parous ,"
but clearly in error, probably in reference in reality to either S. a .
aeneus or S. a. bioanthalis . This is the only reference even possibly
noting method of par it ion in S, a. aeneus , and these are the only taxa of
the whole soalaris group for which such information had been recorded,
until 197^* when Smith and Hall recorded the occurrence of viviparity in
S. goldmani, They went on however to propose that viviparity is the norm
in all subspecies of S. aeneus as well as in 5. goldmani , and that all
subspeci es of S. soalaris are oviparous, leaving in abeyance the parition
method of the only other assigned member of the group, S. jalapae. Such
a proposition required however that they really crawl out on a limb to
propose that S. a, aeneus normally reproduces biennially.

1 Viviparity is a term here used, as it should always be to avoid
confusion, in its broadest sense in reference merely to live-bearing,
without implication of presence or absence of a placenta, rudimentary or
not. Ovoviviparity is a type of viviparity in which placental structures

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That proposition stems from the proposal by Davis and Smith (1953:
102) that S. a. aeneus is oviparous, thereby requiring specific status
since S . a. bioanthalis is i ncontrovert i bly viviparous. The data on which
the i nference of ovi par i ty was based were summarized as follows: "Ten of
the 28 females, collected from July 25 to August 15, contained from 3 to
5 (average, A) 1 arge ova , the 1 argest measur i ng 6 X 12 mm; 12 of the others
appeared to have oviposited and in the others the ova were minute, less
than 1 mm in d iameter . In none of the large ova was there any recognizable
evidence of embryonic development." The assumption was, of course, that
the females with no or minute eggs had already laid their eggs, whereas
those with large eggs would have laid them later in the same season.

In more mature consideration, however, it is evident that eggs in
which no visible embryonic development had yet taken place could not be
1 a id af ter mi d-August and st i 1 1 hatch before winter. The altitude (around
3,330 m) and normal weather pattern preclude rapid development; even in
midsummer, n ights are unpl easant 1 y cold , and freez i ng weather comes early.
Winter snows are commonplace. It now seems more reasonab 1 e to i nfer that
the females with large eggs would have carried them over wi nter and have
given birth to their young in late spring and early summer. They would
have redeveloped small eggs by fall, duplicating the members of the group
descr i bed by Davi s and Smi th with small eggs. The eggs would have reached
larger size by the fall of the following year, and the young would have
been born the following spring and summer.

Although available data suggest the possible validity of the hypo-
thesis of occurrence of a biennial reproductive cycle in S, a. aeneus ,
at least in the Tres Cumbres area of Morelos , three cons i derat ions suggest
contrariwise: (1) no lizard anywhere in the world has been recorded to
have a biennial cycle , accord i ng to Fi tch (1 970) , a 1 though severa 1 northern
species of snakes (e.g . Crotalus viridis 3 Vipera berus , V . aspiss Tham-
nophis sirtalis s T . radix) are known or thought to have either biennial
or triennial cycles (Fitch suggests that the extended cycles are better
interpreted as i rregul ar cycl es ) ; (2) lizards, espec i al 1 y sma 1 1 Soeloporus ,
are too short-lived for a biennial cycle, especially of viviparity, to
sustain the species (the snakes are much longer- 1 i ved) ; and (3) other
speci es of 1 i zards under apparent 1 y equally great or greater environmental
stress maintain an annual cycle.

are present. Histological examination is necessary to determine whether
any given viviparous species is ovoviviparous or euviviparous , and even
then the distinction may be argumentative. Except where histological
study has confirmed the presence or absence of a placenta - and very few
species of reptiles have been studied in this context - it is best always
to use the term of broadest meaning in reference to non-mammalian verte¬
brates, since only in the viviparous mammals is a placenta assured.

The alternative to viviparity is, of course, oviparity. These two
types, and their subtypes, if any, constitute the parity types, the term
parity occuring with this meaning in most dictionaries. The act of parity,
i.e. of laying eggs or giving birth, is properly referred to as "parition"
(a new word) , and the condition of parity is properly referred to as the
"parous" condition (an established word) .

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Obviously the mere fact that no lizard is yet known to have an ex¬
tended reproductive cycle is inconsequential except as it makes the es¬
tablishment of such spec i es of except iona 1 interest. As for the longevity
of S. a. aeneus, nothing is known, but an extrapolation from data on re¬
lated and other small species of lizards suggests a life span almost
certainly not exceed i ng 1 0 years , and qu i te 1 i kely not frequently exceed i ng
5 years. Northern species in general, however, subjected as they are to
cold-induced inactivity much of the year, are longer-lived and have more
protracted reproductive cycles than do their more temperate relatives.
The same generality may apply equally well to high altitude species as
compared with their lower-altitude relatives.

Finally, although several other species of iguanid lizards reach
altitudes considerably greater than does S. a. aeneus , a 11 so far as I am
aware are conspicuously heliophilous, insolating extensi vel y on trees or
rocks. Some high-altitude lizard populations may indeed have polyennial
reproductive cycl es , for they have not been observed exhaustively; on the
contrary northern lizard populations have been studied thoroughly and
seemi ng 1 y do not dev i ate from the norm of annual reproductive cycles. How¬
ever, it is quite possible that through extreme heliophily most high-al¬
titude 1 izards so protract thei r act ivi ty that an annual reproductive cycle
may be ma i nta i ned . An examp 1 e i s the sympatr i c (wi th S, aeneus) , viviparous
S. gramnicus microlepidotus , whi ch ranges to a much h igher al t i tude (4750 m)
than S. aeneus , but is strongly heliophilous and seemingly reproduces
annua 1 1 y .

On the contrary , S. a. aeneus i s not given to conspicuous insolation,
but is secretive, terrestrial and grami nicolous, thus exposed to the maximum
developmental retardation of the cold weather characteristic within its
range. Even if itwere known to have a lower opt imum act i v i ty temperature
(not established, but possible) than other sympatric species, it would
not necessarily thereby escape the need for a biennial cycle; Sphenodon ,
with the lowest optimum activity temperature of any living reptile, has
a protracted reproductive cycle (± 13 mo.), although its freedom from
temperatures in the freezing range permits a more rapid development of
embryos than woul d be possible in the strongly seasonal weather to which
S. a. aeneus is exposed. Sphenodon in the habitat of S. a . aeneus would
probab 1 y a 1 so requ i re two years for completion of one reproductive cycle.

Thus the facts of the reproductive cycle, longevity and population
structure of S. a, aeneus stand as one of the most rewarding goals toward
which any herpetologist may work in Mexico. Unlike many problems, these
have answers that are readily accessible, awaiting merel y the determi ned
attention of anyone willing to devote a little time and effort to them.

Literature Cited

Davis, William B. and Hobart M. Smith.

1953. Lizards and turtles of the Mexican state of Morelos. Her-
petologioa, 9 (2) : 1 00-1 08 .

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June 1975

Fitch, Henry S.

1970. Reproductive cycles in lizards and snakes. Miso. Publ. Mus,
Nat , Hist, Univ. Kansas, (52): 1-247, figs. 1-16.

Gadow, Hans.

1905. The distribution of Mexican amphibians and reptiles. Proo,
Zool, Soo , London, 1905 (2) : 1 91 “145 , figs. 29~ 32 .

Herrera, Alfonso Luis.

1890. Notas acerca de los vertebrados del Valle de Mexico. Na-
turaleza , (2) 1 : 299“ 3^*2 .

Smith, Hobart M.

1939* The Mexi can and Centra 1 American lizards of the genus Scelo -
porus • Zool, Ser, Field Mus, Nat, Hist,, 26:1-397, figs. 1-
59, pis. 1-31.

Smith, Hobart M. and William P. Hall.

1974. Cont r i bu t ions to the concepts of reproductive cycles and the
sys temat i cs of the soalaris group of the lizard genus Scelo-
porus, Gt, Basin Nat,, 34 (2) : 97“1 04 , figs. 1-2.

Department of Environmental , Population and Organismic Biology, University

of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80302,

Received 30 April 1975

Accepted 2 May 1975

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CLASSIFICATION, DISTRIBUTION AND SUBSPEC I AT I ON

Fig. 1. The distribution of Chelonia my das .

Chelonia mydas and five other species of sea turtle belong to the
family Cheloniidae, which in turn with the family Dermochel i dae form the
superfamily Chelonoidea of the order Testudinata. The species was first
described as Testudo mydas in 1758 by the famous Swedish natural ish Lin¬
naeus (type local i ty Ascens ion I s 1 and i n the At 1 ant i c Ocean). In 1800 the
generic designation Cheloniavias i nt roduced by Bronn iart . S i nee that t ime ,
spec imens of the green turtle have often been mistaken for a new species
and described as such. The list of names in the synonymy of C. mydas has
become quite long.

C, mydas lives in shallow waters, mostly in coastal areas, far from
its breeding grounds. It wanders through all tropical seas, since at
regular intervals it travels to sandy shores to lay eggs. Between the
feeding grounds and breeding grounds may lie hundreds of miles of open
sea; specimens tagged at Ascens ion Island were recaptured near the coast
of Brazil, about 2200 kilometers away (Cronnie, 1971).

The green turt 1 e i s usua 1 1 y found within 35 degrees north and south
of the equator (Loveridge, 19^6). It prefers seas with an average tem¬
perature of surface water dur i ng the col dest month of above 20° C (Hirth,
1971). However, wanderers are seen or caught at more northerly points
(e.g. in Newfound 1 and waters , near British Col umb i a and Japan) . The south¬
ernmost records are from coastal areas of northern Argentina, Chile and
New Zealand . There i s cons iderable var iat ion in the color of green turtles ,
which has resulted in the description of a number of subspecies. Hirth
(1971) recommends the use of the binomial Chelonia mydas for all green
turtles until a detailed taxonomic study can be made. Brongersma (19&4)
i s al so of the opi n ion tha t a deta i 1 ed study ought to be made, before valid
subspecific identification is possible. He noted that such a study would
be difficult and time consuming . There are , however , a number of indications

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which make it plausible that the green turtle can be divided into a few
subspecies. Bustard (1973) i nd i cates that a number of wel 1 -d i f ferent i a ted
populations exist and what is currently called the 'green turtle1 could
prove to be a composite of two or more quite distinct species.

In general the following subspecies are recognized:

Chelonia mydas mydas (Linnaeus), the Atlantic green turtle, found in the
Atlantic Ocean , Car i bbean Sea , Gul f of Mexico and the Med i terranean ( Conan t ,
1958; Mertens and Wermuth, I960; Hirth, 1971).

Chelonia mydas agassizii Bocourt, the east Pacific green turtle, found
mainly along the Pacific coasts of Central and South America (Hirth, 1971 ;
S tebb ins, 1 986) .

Chelonia mydas oarrinegra Ca 1 d wel 1 , the northeastern Pac i f i c green turtle,
occurs in great numbers in the Gulf of California. This subspecies was
descr i bed i n 1 962 by D . K. Caldwell. Other herpetologists (Hirth and Carr,

1 970 ; Pritchard, 1971) have s i nee concl uded that th i s dark form was noth i ng
more than a ster i 1 e mutant form of C.m. agassizii . Schulz (1968) does not
recognize this subspecies.

Chelonia mydas japonioa (Thunberg) , the western Pacific green turtle,
probably only living near Japan and ranging as far east as the Hawaiian
Islands. Worrell (1963) 1 i sts i t as a full spec i es for Aust ra 1 ian waters
(Chelonia japonioa) , and gives the range as Pacific and Indian Oceans.
He mentions that there is a nesting s i te near Bundaberg (Queensland). It
is likely that this species shou 1 d be p 1 aced in the synonymy of Chelonia
depressa , deer i bed by Garman in 1880 and the least known of the world's
sea turtles. Chelonia depressa , the flatback turtle, breeds on the coast
and islands offshore of northeastern Queens 1 and , and i s of ten mi staken for
a green turtle. The flatback differs mainly i n hav i ng a strong ly depressed
carapace with an upward curve at the edge (Bustard and Limpus, 1969).

CHARACTERISTICS

Fig. 2. The characteristic large prefrontal plates of Chelonia mydas .

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The carapace of C, mydas i s not completely ossified; i t i s smooth and
has ^costal shields (costals) on each side, the 1st not touch i ng the nuchal .
The other horny sh i el ds of the carapace are : 2 supracauda 1 s , 11 marginals

on each side and 5 vertebrals. The large scutes of the carapace do not
over 1 ap , except i n very young turtles. The fore-f 1 i ppers on 1 y bear a single
claw. The jaws are not so remarkably hooked as in Dermoohelys coriacea.
The cutting edge of the lower j aw i s coarse 1 y toothed (Fig. 3) » while the

Fig. 3* The head of Chelonia mydas $.

upper jaw is provided with strong ridges on its inner surface. Between
the eyes a pair of large prefrontal plates are visible (Fig. 2). Males
can be recognized by their tail, which is much longer than in females.
Moreover their carapace is somewhat narrower and longer. Fig. k shows the
tail of a male caught on Eilanti (Surinam); ithas a 1 eng th of 38 cm (Schulz,
1968). The tail of the male is very muscular and ti pped with a horny nail
(Fig. 5). Stebbins (1966) mentions that males have a prehensile tail.
In their paper on the behaviour of green turtles in the sea, Booth and
Peters (1 972) pr i nt a number of photos cleari ng up mat i ng behavior. Some of
the photos show that during mating the male's tai 1 is curled around the back-
si de of the fema 1 e 1 s body (her hi nd fl i ppers ?) , to g i ve h im a f i rmer gr i p.

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Fig. 4 . The tail of a ma 1 e Chelonia
my das .

SIZE AND WEIGHT

Wh i le the shel 1 of a large green turtle may be almost 4 ft (120 cm)
in length, 3 ft (90 cm) is nearer the average for an adult; a turtle was
once taken at Key West (Florida) weighing 700 lbs (315 kg). Those ap¬
pearing in the American markets today range from 75 lbs (33.5 kg) to 150
lbs (67.5 kg) (Loveridge, 1946). In Surinam the carapace length ranges
from about 40 in (100 cm) to 50 in (125 cm) (Schulz, 1968). Deraniyagala
(1 953) ment ions curved carapace 1 eng ths of about 48 in (122 cm), which are
not uncommon at Sri Lanka. Pritchard (1971) gives the following carapace
1 engths of mature females: Galapagos Islands from 28.5 in (72 cm) to 37
in (94 cm), Surinam 39 in (99 cm) to 48 in (122 cm), Ascension Island 33
in (84 cm) to 55 in (140 cm), in Guyana from 38 in (96.5 cm) to 46 in
(117 cm), and in Costa Rica from 35 in (89 cm) to 44 in (112 cm). Two
adult males in the Galapagos had carapace lengths of 31*5 in (80.0 cm)
and 33.2 in (84 .3 cm) .

Worrell (1963) mentions a maximum weight of about 850 lbs (382 kg)
for Australia, but the resul ts of turt 1 e-hunters indicates that specimens
over about 250 lbs (112.5 kg) are quite rare. In November 1952 a green
turtle was stranded on the Dutch coast, which is very uncommon for tem¬
perate areas; the carapace was on 1 y 14 in (36 cm) long and 11.5 in (29.5
cm) wide (Brongersma, 1 96 1 ) . Undoubtedly, it was a juvenile. Hi rth and
Carr (1 970) g i ve some s i zes of green turt 1 es caught on the feeding pastures
near Khor Umai ra , southern Yemen ; the carapace lengths of 1 78 females ranged
from 29 in (48.3 cm) to 44 in (111.8 cm) - average 3^*7 in (88.1 cm). The
carapace lengths of 112 males ranged from 28 in (71.1 cm) to 4l in (104.1
cm) - average 35.6 in (90.4 cm).

The heaviest green turtle ever reported, weighed 860 lbs (386 kg).
Almost half of the wet weight of a green turtle represents edible protein
(Hirth, 1971).

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Fig. 6. Female C. mydas crawling up on a beach.

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COLOR

There is a considerable variation in color, as previously mentioned.
The re fore , for purposes of identification a color description of the turtle
will never be enough. In his synopsis on the green turtle, Hirth (1971)
gives the fo 1 lowing description of the coloration of the various sub spec i es :

Chelonia m. mydas has a predominately brownish carapace, sometimes with
olive or dark brown b 1 otches and s t reaks . The dorsal surfaces of the head,
flippers and tail are also predominatly brownish.

C. m. agassizii has a bas i ca 1 1 y greenish or ol ive-brown carapace sometimes
strongly flecked with black.

C. m, carrinegra is character i zed by b 1 ack p igmenta t ion on both dorsa 1 and
ventral surfaces (plastron more greyish).

C. m. japonioa (from Philippines waters) is rusty reddish brown above,
each shield streaked wi th amber , head shields distinctly redd i sh and each
edged with black, plastron yellow. Around Tha i 1 and waters th i s subspec i es
is greenish to greyish above, specimens with dark rays are observed as
well; the plastron is yellow.

In the Galapagos two color forms exist, a pale (called 'yellow' turtle)
and a dark form. The latter nes ts on severa 1 islands, but the yellow has
never been seen nesting there. In both forms the plastron always has
variable grey areas on the sides and along the midline. According to
Pritchard (1971) both forms belong to the subspecies C. agassizii .

These are only a few of the number of green turtle "forms" existing.
It appears that coloration is highly variable. Besides, there also seems
to be color differences between males and females. In a few cases this
has been indisputable ascertained. Not only in the Atlantic Ocean and
Med i terranean , but a 1 so throughout the Pac i f i c Ocean and the Indian Ocean
and the Indian Ocean an unknown number of races exist. Careful research
(as soon as poss ib le) wi 1 1 i nd i cate i nto how many races (sepa rate species ?)
Chelonia mydas can be divided. 1 1 i s poss i b 1 e , that some races will become
extinct in the near future, if no protective measures are taken. Efforts
should be made so that each race survives.

FOOD

It can be stated that adult and sub-adult green turtles are mainly
herbivorous, whi 1 e the young (1 to 2 years old) are carnivorous (Schulz,
1968). The main diet of adults consists of sea grasses, the so called
"turtle grass", that grow in sheltered shallow water. Submarine pastures
near coastal areas and on atolls are visited by the turtles at selected
places throughout the year. The stomach contents of over 100 turtles,
caught near Khor Uma i ra (Southern Yemen), were examined and it appeared
that two types of turt 1 e grass, Posidonia sp. and Halodule sp, , form the
menu. Also a small amount of brown algae and red algae were found (Hirth
and Carr , 1 970) . The stomach of 6 mature turt 1 es (5?, 1<5* ) packed solidly
with this grass, weighed between 3-9 lbs (1 .8 kg) and 5-5 lbs (2.5 kg).
The densities of turtle grass ( Posidonia ) reach 2500 leaves per square

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June 1975

Fig. 7* Female C . mydas digging body pit.

meter at Southern Yemen. The d i stri but ion of green turtles coincides with
the d i st ri but ion of sea grasses (Hirth, 1971). Offshore of Surinam there
is no turtle grass growing, and the number of rept i les existing there is
limited and is restricted to mostly juveniles. In the Galapagos Caulerga
is eaten. Stomachs of turtles also contain mangrove leaves and roots
(Pritchard, 1971). Turtles from the Atlantic coast of Mexi co and from the
West Indies had eaten in large quantities the turtle grass Thalassia .
Other vegetable rests taken from stomachs appeared to belong to the genera
Zostera (e.g. Bermuda and Chile), Sargassum (e.g. Pacific coast of Mexico) ,
Sagittaria3 Vallisneria (e.g. Florida), Cymodooea, Ulva3 Haloghila and
others. Adults and sub-adults are not averse to eating animals as well.
Some animals may be devoured accidentily together with the swallowing of
marine plants. There isa possibility that specimens traveling over long
distances from feeding grounds to breed i ng grounds and back, have to eat
animals (e.g. jellyfish) due to a lack of seaweeds. Other marine animals
found in turtle stomachs are: sponges, molluscs (e.g. sna i 1 s ) and crus¬
taceans (e.g. crabs). In captivity green turtles can survive on a diet
of mixed fishes. Young turtles eat almost any animal they can devour
(Burton, 1970). That i s not amaz i ng s i nee the spec ies 1 favorite seagrasses
are absent off the nesting beaches.

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Fig. 8.

Female C.

my das digging nest hole.

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NESTING, EGGS, HATCHLINGS

Females come ashore to lay eggs on or around the night high tide
(Fig. 6). After reach i ng the beach , the turt 1 e reposes for awhile. Pos¬
sibly to orientate and to examine if the coast is clear; moreover, she
presses the head on the sand (Janssen, 1972). The f unct i on of th i s "sand¬
smelling" is still unknown. She then crawls from surf to the nest site
and progresses by laborious forward thrusts in which all four limbs move
at once (Bustard, 1968). This is extremely exhausting for the turtle,
because of the soft sand. The animals are very shy at this time and will
return to the sea immediately upon disturbance (i.e. lights, approaching
of peopl e , talking).

After cl ear i ng the nest s i te (preferably a beach platform well above
flood tide; Hirth, 1971) a body pit is excavated (Fig. 7). With all four
limbs sand is thrown backwards, while the plastron rests on the sand.
Occasionally the animal moves forward until a pit is produced somewhat
larger than the turtle's body (Schulz, 1968). The depth of the body pit
varies from 12 to 20 in (30 to 50 cm). During digging the animal rests
repeatedly. After completion of the body pit, she starts excavating the
nest hole (Fig. 8). She scoops out the sand beneath the cloaca with her
hind flippers and puts it beside the nest. She continues scooping till
the nest hole has a depth of about 20 in (50 cm) and a diameter of about
12 in (30 cm) (Somberg-Hon i g , 1967). If during excavating an obstacle is
met (e.g. stone or stub) , the whole process is repeated at an other site
near by.

The eggs are white and usually dropped one, two or three at a time.
The spherical eggs are covered with mucous when leaving the cloaca (Fig.
10) (Hirth, 1971). Egg laying takes about 8 to 12 minutes (Schulz, 1968).
Frauca (1973) however, states that th i s takes 30 m i nu tes to over one hour
(Fig. 9) . The eggs weigh between 28 and 44 gms each and have a di ameter from
40 to 55 mm. Nests contain between 50 and 200 eggs (Frauca, 1970), 48 -
131 (Pritchard, 1971), 70 -130 (Hirth and Carr, 1970), 1 37 on an average
(Schulz, 1968). Pritchard (1969) reports the average number of eggs per
nest at Sur i nam as 1 42 . 8 , at Tortuguero 110.0, at Ascension 115.5, and at
Sarawak 104.7.

The female covers both the nest hole and body pit with sand and makes
her way back at sea (where the males are waiting), leaving behind deep
tracks on the sandy beach (Fig. 11). During nesting and covering she may
move one ton of sand (Frauca, 1970). The female green turtle spends about
3 hours out of the water when nes t i ng and 1 ay i ng , but this varies and de¬
pends on beach conditions. Most green turtles lay between 3 and 7 times
each season at about 10 to 16 day intervals (Hirth, 1971). Incubation
takes about 7 to 10 weeks, but this depends mainly on cl imate, season and
temperature. In Australia (Heron Island) it takes about 8 to 9 weeks
(Bustard, 1968), but at Tortuguero 7 to 10 weeks. Hirth and Carr (1970)
mention 48 - 49 days at Abul Wadi Beach (Aden).

Emergence from the sand normally takes place under cover of darkness
when predation hazard is greatly reduced. Carapace length of hatchlings
varies from 44 to 56 mm. Balazs and Ross (1973), give mean values of 125
one-day-old turtles at the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology: weight
0.029 kg, carapace length 50mm, carapace width 36 mm. The movement from

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the nest to the surface of the sand is a process that repeats that de¬
scribed for the 1 eatherback , Vermochelys coviacea (Zwinenberg, 197*0- The
carapace of hatch 1 i ngs is extremely dark (black to dark greenish or dark
brown i sh - F i g . 12). After emergence , the young head for the light horizon
(the sea), rush into the sea and swim rapidly to deeper waters. Little
is known about the habits of the hatchlings after entering the sea.

Fig. 11. A large crowd gathers as the female heads back to sea.

ENEMIES AND TURTLE FARMING

Eggs are dug out and eaten by dogs, foxes, pigs, crabs, rats, monitor
lizards and sometimes birds in addition to man. The mortality of hatch¬
lings is high. Approximately less than \% of them survive to adulthood.
Newly hatched turtles have soft shells and are killed by a wide range of
predators before they can reach the sea , e.g. by ghost crabs ( Gcypode sp . ) ,
dogs, foxes, raccoons, feral cats, frigate birds (when emergence inci¬
dentally takes place at dayl ight) , night herons , rats , mongooses , tigers,
jaguars, crows, silver gulls (Larus novae-hollandiae) , monitor lizards
( Varanus sp.), snakes (Python sp.). The few that reach the sea are largely
eaten by large fishes, crocodiles and in large numbers by sharks. The
stomach of a black-tipped reef shark killed off Australia's coast con¬
tained 1A hatchlings (Bustard, 1973).

Adults are killed by sharks too. Many specimens caught at sea or
observed on beaches show damages of shark attacks. Except for sharks,

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adult green turtles have hardly any natural predators. Only man forms a
threat. Mortality is high, as mentioned earlier. Protection is badly
needed for obv ious reasons. Hatch 1 i ngs shoul d have a chance to reach adult¬
hood. Green turtle hatcheries operate at d i fferent places in the tropical
wor 1 d to hel p assure the i r surv i va 1 . Bustard (1 968) col 1 ected 30,000 green
turtle eggs annually (at a later stage 50,000) from Heron Island for in¬
cubation elsewhere under control. After emergence the young are kept in
pools for some time [Carr and Ingle (see Peters, 1968) proposed they be
kept until they reach shell lenghts of 6 - 8 in (15 "20 cm)], tagged and
rel eased at sea i n several areas. Hatchlings (more than 1 00 , 000) are flown
from Caribbean beaches (especial ly from Tortuguero, Costa Rica) to Florida,
South America and many other areas for release in hopes to replenishing
turtle stocks. In 1968 the Queensland Government gave 5 species of sea
turtle full protection, i ncl ud i ng the green turtle (Bustard, 1969). Full
protect ion for green turt 1 es and the i r eggs are given at Ascension Island,
in Costa Rica, Surinam and Panama. In other areas turtles and eggs are
protected only for a number of months, as in Trinidad (from 1 June - 30
September) and French Guiana (from 1 May - 31 August). Green turtles can¬
not be hunted except under 1 i cences , wh i ch a re hard 1 y ever g i ven , at Sabah ,
Malaysia (De Silva, 1969). Mexico gives full protection for eggs and
allows hunt i ng of turt 1 es during open season. I agree with Hirth (1971),
who states that the best and simplest method to secure the green turtle's
future is to provide protect ion for nest i ng females, eggs, and hatchlings
on the natural rookeries, so survival is assured.

Fig. 12. A young green turtle with egg-tooth.

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CONCLUSION

The green turtle is one of the most studied species of sea turtle.
We know more about its life history, then of any other sea turtle, and
still a number of facts are unknown or need further study. For instance,
little is known of the seasonal trips the turtles make between feeding
grounds and nest i ng beaches. Navigation and orientation should be studied
continously, as well as the migration routes. Tagged females from Tor-
tuguero rookeries were recaptured 2400 km away. Others were taken at a
d i stance of 800 km in another direction. Most of these turtles, however,
return to the same nesting ground within 2-4 years. How do they manage?
Mirth and Carr (1970) tagged some females in southern Yemen, five were
later taken off the coast of Somalia. One of them had covered a distance
of about 3200 km in exactly 2 years. Ascension Island turtles were re¬
captures off the coast of Brazil (over 2200 km) and the shores of the
I vory Coast (Af r i ca) , about 1600 km away (Fig. 13). Not a 1 1 turt 1 es travel

Fig. 13. The migration of green turtles from Ascension Island.

over great distances. A lot are taken within a radius of 100 km of the
beach where they were tagged.

We know hardly any th i ng of the hatchlings after they reach the sea.
Females do come on beaches after reaching matur i ty , but ma 1 es apparently
never come ashore, except for some Pacific green turtles ( Chelonia m.
agassizii) . In this subspecies it is known that males do occasionally
bask on remote rockery beaches. The life span of C. mydas is still un¬
known. The feeding habits are also unclear. These, and a lot of other
questions exist, making it clear that research must be continued. The

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main concern now, is the immediate protection of Chelonia my das , so that
there will be enough time to permit a 1 1 the necessary investigations, and
so that the future of this valuable sea turtle will be ensured.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank Dr. Haro 1 d F . H i rt h of the University of Utah,
and Dr. H. R. Bustard at the Australian National University for sending
me valuable information, and Mr. P . A . Teun i ssen at Paramaribo (Surinam)
and the Austral ? an Information Service at Canberra (Austral ia) for al lowi ng
the use of the photographs.

Literature Cited

Babcock, H. L.

1938. The sea-turtles of the Bermuda I s 1 ands , wi th a survey of the
present state of the turtle fishing industries. Proo. Zool.
Soq . London 3 ser. A3 107:595“601.

Balazs, G. H. , and Ross, E.

1973- Reared in captivity. Int, Turtle and Tortoise Soo . Joum.

7( 0:6-9.

Booth, J., and Peters, J.A.

1972. Behavioural studies on the green turtle ( Chelonia mydas ) in
the sea. Animal Behaviour 20 (4) : 808-81 2 .

Brongersma, L.D.

1981. Notes upon some sea turtles. Zool. Verh . Leiden : 1 -46 .

1 964 . Qua Patet Orbis. Brill - Leiden : 1 -39 .

Burton, M.

1970. Purnellls Encyclopedia of Animal Life. BPC Publ. 3 London 3
pp. 948-950.

Busack, S. D.

1974. Amph i b i ans and Rept i 1 es Imported i nto the United States. U.S.

Dept. Int. 3 Wildlife leaf l . 506:23.

Bustard, H. R.

1968. Queensland Sea Turtles, Research and Conservation. Wildlife
in Australia 5(1): 2-7.

1969. Queensland protects sea turtles. Joum. Fauna Press . Soc. 3
(Oryx) ^(1): 23-24.

1973. Aust ra 1 i a sea turt 1 es , the i r natura 1 h i story and conservat ion .

Wildlife in Australia 2tf(3):98-103

_ _ . , and Limpus, C.

1969. Observations on the Flatback turtle, Chelonia depressa Gar-
man. Herpetologioa 25(1): 29 “34.

Cal dwel 1 , D. K.

1962. Growth measurements of young captive Atlantic sea turtles in
temperate waters. Contr. Soi. Los Ang. City Mus. 3 50:1-8.
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Cogger, H.

1967. Australian reptiles in colour. Reed- Sydney , pp. 1 6-1 8.
Conant, R.

1958. A field guide to reptiles and amphibians of Eastern North
America. Houghton Mifflin , Boston , pp. 67-68 .

Cronnie, W. S.

1971. Wie finden Seesch i 1 dkroten im endlosen Meer ihren Weg? Das

Tier 22(0:33-37.

Deran i yagal a , P. E. P.

1953. A colored atlas of some vertebrates from Ceylon - tetrapod
reptilia. Ceylon Govemm. Pr. , pp. 12-21.

Frauca, H.

1970. The marine turtles of Australia. News and Inf . Bur. Bull.
E709, pp. 1-4.

1973. Aus t ra 1 i an rept i 1 e wonders . Rigby Ltd. , Adelaide, pp. 91 “97.
Harrison, T.

1962. Notes on the Green turtle (Che Ionia my das) . Sarawak Mus.
Journ. 10{ 19-20) :6l4-623.

H i rth , H. F .

1971. Synops i s of biological data on the green turtle, Chelonia my das
(Linnaeus) 1758. FAO Fisheries Syn. 85.

_ . , and Carr, A.

1970 The green turt le in the Gul f of Aden and the Seychel les Islands.

Verh. Konkl. Ned. Ak. Wet., Amsterdam , pp. 1-44.

Janssen, J. J.

1972. Zeesch i 1 dpadden aan de stranden van Sur i name. Laoerta 37 ( 1):
3-12.

Labat, P.

1 725. Nieuwe reizen naar de Franse eilanden in America, behelzende
de Natuurlyke Historie van die Landen, derzelver Oorspronk,
Zeden, Godsdienst, Reger i ng der oude en tegenwoord i ge Inwoon-
ders ; a 1 s 00k d i e der zwarte SI aaven , enz., in 't Nederduitsch
in 1 1 ligt gebracht door W. C. Dyks, Amsterdam, B. Lakeman ,
2( 2): 404.

Loveridge, A.

1946. Reptiles of the Pacific Worl d , McMillan Comp., New York, pp.
21-24.

Mertens, R. , and Wermuth, H.

I960. Die Amphi b i en und Rept i 1 ien Europas. Kramer Verl. , Frankfurt
a.M. , pp. 69-70.

Peters, J. A.

1968. Rare and Endangered Reptiles and Amphibians of the United
States. U.S. Mus. Publ. , Sheet Rap- 14.

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June 1975

Pritchard, P. C. H.

1969. Sea Turtles of the Guianas. Bull, Flo?, State Mas. Biol, So,
13( 2) : 85-1 AO .

1971 . Galapagos Sea Turtles - Prel imi nary Findings. Journ. of Herp.
5(1-2) : 1-9.

Rose, W.

1950. The rept i 1 es and amph i b i ans of southern Africa. Maskew Miller
Ltd. j Cape Town 3 pp. 327“ 29 •

Schu 1 z , J . P .

1968. Zeesch i 1 dpadden in Suriname, deel II. Dienst Landsbosbeheer 3
Paramaribo 3 pp . 1-120.

de Silva, G . S .

19o9. The fauna conservation ordinance of Sabah. Loris XI ( 5 ) : 28 3“
286.

Sombe rg-Hon i g , J. T.

1967. Zeesch i 1 dpadden aan de Surinaamse kust, II. Panda Nieuws 4
(3) : 1 .

Stebb ins, R . C .

1966. A field guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians. Houghton
Mifflin 3 Boston , pp. 87-88.

Wor re 11, E .

1963. Rept i 1 es of Aust ra 1 i a . Angus and Robertson 3 Sydney3pp . 6-11.

Zwinenberg, A. J.

197^. The leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) , one of the largest
living reptiles. Bull. Md. Herp. Soc. 10{ 2):L\2-k9.

Bomeostraat 233 Vlaardingen 3 The Netherlands

Rece i ve d 2 June 1975

Accepted b June 1975

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 63

Volume 11 Number 2

June 1975

Notes on a Brood of the Arizona Ri doe-nosed Rattlesnake

Crotalus willardi willardi

The limited number of natural history data and field observations of
the ridge-nosed rat 1 1 esnake (Crotalus willardi) are i nd i cated by the brief
treatment g i ven the spec i es in Klauber's monographic review of the genus
(1972). Other pub 1 i cat ions on the natural h i story of th i s species are few
and brief in context.

On 3 August 197*+, I captured an adult female Arizona ridge-nosed
rattlesnake ( Crotalus willardi willardi) at ca . 6500 ft elevation in the
Santa Rita Mountains, Santa Cruz County, Arizona. The specimen appeared
gravid and was col 1 ected with the hope of gathering reproductive data on
the species. It was housed in a 2? gallon aquarium and kept at room tem¬
perature, between 23 and 30° C. Fifteen days after capture 18 August, it
gave birth to six live of f spr i ng and one st i 1 1 born wh i ch rema i ned enclosed
in the embryonic membranes. When I first observed the brood, about 2b
hours after b i rth , the young were coa ted w i th dr i ed membrane material from
the egg. They were then soaked for several hours in water to remove the
dried material. They were weighed on a Torsion Balance about 36 hours
af ter b i rth and measured after the i r f i rst mol t between 24-29 August. Total
lengths, we i ghts and notes regarding food habits of the six offspring and
the mother are presented in Table 1.

The coloration of the juveniles differed from that of the mother,
who conformed to the general color descri pt ion of the subspecies (Klauber,
19*+9). A1 1 of the young were d i st i net 1 y grey and had bright yellow tails,
not evident in the mother. The yellow tails faded after the second shed.
The basic dorsal pattern of the mother was , however , apparent in the off¬
spring.

Klauber (1949) noted a female Crotalus w. willardi that "contained
6 eggs" and a Crotalus w. silus that "contained at least 2 wel 1 -developed
embryos." He also noted the measurements of three juvenile specimens cap¬
tured i n the wi 1 d and concl uded that they represented the approx imate size
of the species at birth.

v/l Th i s account , however , appears to be the first conf i rmat ion of ovovi -

viparity in this species.

A.

The mother and four of the of f spr i ng were released near the col lect ion
site on 1 September 1974. Two of the young were reta i ned i n capt i v i ty for
further observations on growth and food intake, and to note their color
changes during maturity.

Page 64

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 11 Number 2

June 1975

Table 1. Total 1 engths and we i gh t s of a mother and six newborn Crotalus
willardi willardi with notes on feeding and shedding between
18 August and 1 September.

Approximate
(nearest 5

1 ength
mm)

Weight (gms)

Feed i ng-shedd i ng
notes

Mother

0

ro

LA

65.2

(after parturition)

Killed severa 1 sma 1 1
mice but refused to
eat them before giving
b i rth . Ate 6 sma 1 1
mice between 18 Aug.
and 1 Sept.

Young :

180

5.43

Shed 29 Aug.
newborn mice.

Refused

190

5.91

Shed 27 Aug.
newborn mice.

Refused

190

6.04

Shed 25 Aug.
newborn mouse

Ate 1

190

6 . 06

Shed 25 Aug.
newborn mice.

Ate 2

190

6.39

Shed 25 Aug.
newborn mice.

Ate 2

195

6.66

Shed 24 Aug.
newborn mice.

Ate 2

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I am greatly indebted to the following personnel at the University
of Arizona: Dr. Michael D. Borinson for hi s ass i stance and advice in the
preparation of the manuscript; Dr. Mac E. Hadley for the use of the fa¬
cilities in his laboratory; and Dr. Howard K. Gloyd for his cr i ti cal re¬
view of the final product. Also thanks to Wi 1 1 i am P. Savary for observing
the mother snake and recording the birth date in my absence.

Literature Cited

Klauber, L. M.

1949. The subspecies of the ridge-nose rattlesnake, Crotalus wil¬
lardi . Trans. San Diego Soc. Nat. Hist., 11 { 8) :121~l40.

1972. Rattlesnakes, their habits, life histories, and influence on
mankind. University of California Press, Berkeley and Los
Angeles. Vol . 1, pp. XXX-740.

— Brent E. Martin, 704 N. Second Avenue, Tucson, Arizona 85705 .

Received 9 Apri 1 1975
Accepted 8 May 1975.

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 65

Volume 11 Number 2

June 1975

An Occurrence of the Arizona Ridge-nosed Rattlesnake,
Crotalus willardi willardi s Observed Feeding in Nature

There are severa 1 indirect observat ions on the feeding habits of the
ridge-nosed rattlesnake, Crotalus willardi , in nature. The following
variety of food items have been found in the stomachs of dissected in¬
dividuals: Van Denburgh (1922) and Klauber (19^9) reported finding mammal
remains, i ncl ud i ng sma 1 1 rodents. Klauber (1 972) noted l i zards ( Soeloporus
sp.3 Gerrhonotus kingi) and a bird, Wilson's Warbler {Wilsona pusilla) .
He also reported a scorpion disgorged by a Crotalus w, willardi in the
possession of A. E. Ball. Fowlie (1965) captured an individual of this
subspecies that d i sgorged a centipede several days later. Vorhies (19^8),
Manion (1968) and Harris (1975) mention lizards as the principal natural
food of Crotalus willardi , but do not site direct feeding observations.
Actual observations of this species feeding in the wild are unknown in
the 1 i terature .

On the morn i ng of 4 August 197^, I came upon a dead deer mouse (Pero-
mysous sp .) on the ground on an open oak-covered hillside at ca. 6500 ft
el evat i on i n the Santa Rita Mountains. Death appeared to have been recent ,
a 1 though the rodent was col d and somewhat stiff. No external injuries were
apparent. Suddenly, I was startled by the rattling of an adult Crotalus
w. willardi no more than two feet away from the mouse and myself. I was
completely unaware of its presence until it rattled. As it turned to es¬
cape, I captured the snake, which then turned and b i t my gloved hand several
times. I then released it and after coiling up and continuously rattling
for several moments it became quiet and slowly uncoiled, while flicking
its tounge and stretching its jaws that were previously displaced from
biting. It 1 ocated the mouse , and began to ingest the rodent's head. When
i t was ha 1 fway down i t not i ced me move si i ght 1 y from where I was sitting
several feet away; it started to rattle and promptly regurgitated the
mouse. When I moved about ten feet away, it stopped rat 1 1 i ng and returned
to its meal. After eventually swallowing the mouse, it slowly crawled
towards a large fal len tree nearby, pausing frequently for several minutes.
It then crawled over the tree and coiled up under a space between the
fallen trunk and the ground.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I am greatly indebted to the following personnel at the University
of Arizona: Dr. Michael D. Bor i nson for h i s assistance and advice in the
preparation of the manuscript; Dr. Mac E. Hadley for the use of the fa¬
cilities i n h i s laboratory ; and Dr. Howard K. Gloyd for his critical re-
viewofthe final product.

L i terature C i ted

Fowl i e, J .

1965.

A.

The snakes of Ar i zona .

Azu 1 Qu i nta Press , Fal 1 brook , I V + 1 64.

Harris, H.
1975.

S. , Jr.

An endangered species , the New Mexican ridge- nosed rattlesnake.
Bull. Md. Herp. Soc. , ll( l):1~7.

Page 66

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 11 Number 2

June 1975

Klauber, L. M.

19^9. The subspecies of the ridge-nose rattlesnake, Crotalus wil-
lardi. Trans. San Diego Soc. Nat. Hist., 11 (8) : 1 21 - 1 AO .

1972. Ra t t 1 esnakes , their habits, life histories, and influence on
mankind. University of California Press, Berkeley and Los
Angeles. Vol . 1 , pp. XXX-7A0.

Manion, S.

1968. Crotalus willardi - - The Arizona ridge-nosed rattlesnake.
Herpetology (SW Herpetol og i ca 1 Soc.) Il(lll): 2 7“ 30 .

Van Denburgh, J.

1922. The reptiles of western North America. Occ . Pap . Ca 1 i f . Acad .
Sci . , 10:1-1028.

Vorh i es , C . T .

19A8. Food items of rattlesnakes. Copeia, 1 9A8 (A) : 302-303 .

— Brent E. Martin, 704 N. Second Avenue, Tucson, Arizona 85705.

Rece i ved 9 Apr i 1 1975
Accepted 8 May 1975

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 67

Volume 11 Number 2

June 1975

News & Notes

IMPORTANT NOTICE

EASTERN SEABOARD HERPETOLOG I CAL LEAGUE MEETING

DATE: 18 October 1975 (Saturday)

TIME: 10:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M.

PLACE : Aud ' tor i um

National Museum of Natural History
Smithsonian Institution
Washington, D.C.

If you would 1 i ke to present a paper at this meeting, please contact (as
soon as poss i b 1 e) :

Scott M. Rae, WHS
417 Adahi Road, S.E.
Vienna, Virginia 22180

BOOK RELEASE

Xenopus The South African Clawed Frog

by Elizabeth M. Deuchar

This book summarizes our current knowledge of Xenopus in an easy to
understand form. Chapters include: The discovery of Xenopus in its nat¬
ural habits, The anatomy of Xenopus, Physiological studies on Xenopus ,
Gametogenes i s , fertilization and the i n i t i at i on of embryonic development,
Development of the embryo and larva of Xenopus laevis. Observations on
c 1 eavage and b 1 as tu 1 a stages, The mechan i sms of gastrulation and neurula-
tion, Interactions between tissues in the early embryo, Organogenesis in
Xenopus , The cont ro 1 of later events i n development, and future poss ib i 1 i t i es
in research on Xenopus. The book contains a fine bibliography of some 559
titles. A must for your book shelf. A handy reference guide to Xenopus \

HSH .

John Wiley S Sons, Inc., Publishers
605 Third Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10016

Ava i 1 ab 1 e at $29 • 50

Page 68

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 11 Number 2

June 1975

ANNOUNCEMENT

The University of Kansas Museum of Natural History will publish
in early fall 1975 a book entitled "Edward H. Taylor: Recollections
of a Herpetologist," This new book contains:

Philippine Adventures: An autobiographical Memoir by Edward H. Taylor

Edward Harrison Taylor: The Teacher by A. Byron Leonard

The Blazing of a Trail: The Scientific Career of Edward Harrison

Taylor by Hobart M, Smith

The Published Contributions of Edward H, Taylor by George R. Pisani

The book may be ordered at the special prepublication price effective
until 1 October 1975 of $5.00 (including postage and handling) from Publi¬
cations Secretary, Museum of Natural History, University of Kansas, Lawrence,
Kansas 66045. After October 1 the price will be $6.00.

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 69

Volume 11 Number 2

June 1975

AMPHIBIANS AND
REPTILES
IN

KANSAS .... a new book now available to the public. Written
by Joseph T. Collins for the Museum, and co-sponsored by the Museum of

Natural History and the State Biological Survey, this publication contains

.... accounts of the natural history of the 91 kinds of

snakes, lizards, turtles, toads, frogs and salamanders
found in Kansas.

. . . . detailed maps showing the individual ranges of each
species in Kansas.

. . . . over 100 striking black and white photographs (most by
the author) of these fascinating creatures.

. . . . designation of those amphibians and reptiles in Kansas
that are considered to be threatened species.

. . . . and much more additional information on these interesting
animals.

Publications Secretary
Museum of Natural History
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas 66045

-ORDER FORM-

PI ease accept my order for _ copy(ies) of Amphibians and Reptiles

in Kansas by Joseph T. Collins at $5.00 per copy, postage and sales
tax (for Kansas residents) included.

Checks should be made payable to Museum of Natural History. I enclose

$_ _

Name

Page 70

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 11 Number 2

June 1975

HMCo

For further information, contact: Carolyn Amussen

(617) 725-5970

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

A Field Guide

“REPTILES

"AMPHIBIANS

“EASTERN

"'“CENTRAL

North America

BY ROGER CONANT

Illustrated by Isabelle Hunt Conant

SECOND EDITION

Roger Conant 's A FIELD GUIDE TO REPTILES AND
AMPHIBIANS, first published in 1958, is
newly revised and expanded and available
for the first time in a softcover edition.
The territory covered now stretches to
Texas and North Dakota, in the west and
north to Manitoba and Keewatin in Canada.
Included are 331 species -- counting sub¬
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-- with 472 full-color photographs and
174 in black and white. In addition, there
are 353 line drawings showing key features
useful in identification and 311 distribu¬
tion maps. Like all Peterson Field Guides,
this one is thorough and easy to use, an
indispensable aid to both professional and
amateur herpetologists.

FETERSON FIELD GUIDES NEWLY

AVAILABLE IN PAPER EDITIONS

A FIELD GUIDE TO WESTERN REPTILES AND
AMPHIBIANS by Robert C. Stebbins

Cloth, $6.95; Paper, $4.95

ROGER CONANT retired in 1973 after almost
forty years as Curator of Reptiles at the
Philadelphia Zoo. He is now an Adjunct
Professor in the Department of Biology
at the University of New Mexico.

A FIELD GUIDE TO ANIMAL TRACKS by Olaus
J. Murie (Second Edition)

Cloth, $6.95; Paper, $4.95

Published June 16, 1975 Cloth, $10.00

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A FIELD GUIDE TO THE FERNS AND THEIR RELATED FAMILIES OF
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Cloth, $5.95; Paper, $3.95

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Cloth, $8.95; Paper, $4.95

SUWANNEE COOTER

HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY 2 Park Street Boston, Mass. 02107 (617) 725-5000

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 71

June 1975

Volume 11 Number 2

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Page 72

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

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Department of Herpetology
The Natural History Society of Maryland, Inc,

1 PHYSIOORATHIC PROVINCES OP MARYLAND]

Distributional
Maryland and

Survey (Amphibia/Reptilia) :
the District of Columbia

HERBERT S, HARRIS, JR,

MdHS

A FOUNDER MEMBER

Eastern

OF THE

Seaboard Herpetological League

SEPTEMBER 1975

VOLUME 11, NUMBER 3

Bulletin of the Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 11 Number 3

September 1975

CONTENTS

Distributional survey (amphibia/rept i 1 ia) : Maryland and the . . .

District of Columbia . Herbert S. Harris, Jr. 73

This issue is available at $3.00 per copy

Errata - Bull. Md. Herp, Soa . 11 (3): 73-170

Page 77. line 6: (1960) should read (1970)

Map 37.(16)., line 5: pipena should read pivicno

61. (14)., lines 3, 9: L. d. tcrrporali3 should read L. t. temporalis

62. (15)., line 2: L. d. tricev:ulun should read L. t. triangulum
64.(17)., line 4: (Cooper, 1970) should read (Cooper, 1969)

66.(19)., line 1: thru should read through

76.(2).: should read .... Eastern and Western Piedmont, and Blue
Ridge Province via .

88.(14).: Arid (Feral) under Chrysemus (as in Map 87.(13).)

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 76-93458

The Maryland Herpetological Society, Department of Herpetology , Natural
History Society of Maryland, Inc., 2643 North Charles Street, Baltimore
Maryland 21216.

Printed By

Photographic Directory Publishers, P.O.Box 178, Randallstown , Md. 21133

BULLETIN OF THE

Volume 11 Number 3

30 September 1975

The Maryland Herpetolog i ca 1 Society
Department of Herpetology, Natural History Society of Maryland, Inc.

Bulletin Staff

Executive Editor Herbert S. Harris, Jr.

Frank Groves
Jerry Hardy
Herb Harris, Jr.

Arnold Norden

Of f i cers

President . David M. Hillis

Vice-President . Rick Czarnowsky

Secretary . Donal Boyer

Treasurer . Robert Miller

Steering Committee

Mark Prihoda
Jeff Thomas
John Whi tekettl e
Tom Boyer

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 76-93458

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Meet i ngs

The third Wednesday of each month, 8:15 p.m. at the Natural History
Society of Maryland (except May-August, third Saturday of each month,
8:00 a.m.). The Department of Herpetology meets informally on all other
Wednesday evenings at the NHSM at 8:00 p.m.

Bulletin of the Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 11

30 September 1975

Number 3

Distributional Survey (Amphibia/Reptilia) :

Maryland and the District of Columbia

by

Herbert S. Harris, Jr.*

Historical ly, few reports have dealt with the distribution of amphib¬
ians and reptiles in the State of Mary land and the District of Columbia.
Kelly, Davis and Robertson's (1936) book on the snakes of Mary land , while
beautifully illustrated, contained many errors on snake distribution.
McCauley's (19^5) momentous work on the rept i 1 es of Mary 1 and and the Dis¬
trict of Columbia, containing species distribution maps, set an example
not excelled to date. Mansueti (19^9) produced in mimeograph form, keys
to the sea turtles, and the adult frogs, toads and salamanders of this
region. McCauley (19^9) using this same medium, prepared a key to the
adult snakes, lizards and turtles of Maryland and the District of Columbia.
Unfortunately, these mimeographed keys did not get wide circulation and
are unavailable. Stine (ca. 1953) prepared a mimeographed report on the
physiographic d i str i but ion of the herpetofauna of Maryland, and in I960,
Cooper publ i shed the fi rst report on the combined phys iographic and county
distribution of amphibians and reptiles of Maryland and the District of
Col umb i a .

Cooper's (i960) paper was reprinted and revised by Harris (Cooper,
1965) in November 1965. Harris ( 1 966- 1 969 ) published additions to this
survey and in 1969, published a Distributional Survey of the region, pro¬
viding spot distribution maps for every amphibian and reptile.

Numerous other publ i cat ions exi st , but concern only a limited region
of the state, or a particular species or group of species. Many handbooks
and field guides have been pub 1 i shed wh ich include Maryland, but are not
1 imi ted to the state.

Maryland, i ncl ud i ng the D i st r i ct of Col umb i a , is bounded on the north
by Pennsylvania, on the east by Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean, on the
south by the Potomac River (West Virginia, Virginia) and on the west by
West Virginia. From sea level (Atlantic Ocean) the topography rises to
3,3^0 feet (Backbone Mountain). The total area of the state is 12,327
square miles, of which 2,386 square miles are water.

* Curator, Department of Herpetology , Natural History Soci ety of Mary 1 and

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 73

Volume 11 Number 3

September 1975

The state is divided into three major physiographic provinces with
eight recognizable divisions (Figure 1):

APPALACHIAN PROVINCE

1 . A1 leghany Plateau

2. Val ley and Ridge

3 . Great Val ley

4. Blue Ridge

PIEDMONT PROVINCE

3. Western Division

6. Eastern Division

COASTAL PLAIN PROVINCE

7. Western Shore

8. Eastern Shore

The Fall Line (Figure 1 ), wh i ch separates the Coasta 1 Plain from the Pied¬
mont, is an important limiting factor in local distribution. Likewise,
many of the other physiographic boundaries of the eight divisions produce
potential distributional barriers to amphibians and reptiles.

On some of the di stribut ion maps , expected ranges wi 1 1 be represented
by shaded areas. The use of physiographic boundaries as distributional
barriers and as boundaries to separate subspecies is conditional. Where
the distributions of di fferent subspecies contact , the zone of intergrada¬
tion is usual ly broad and a single boundary line cannot be accurately used
to show the area of intergradation. They are used here for convenience,
and al though not ent i rely accurate, wi 1 1 suff i ce to i 1 1 ust rate the general
trend in di st ri but ion until a comprehensive study of each subspecies can
be made.

Maryland can also be divided into Life Zones (Cope, 1873; Merriam,
1898) which have been used to expl a i n amphibian and reptile distribution
in the state (Cope, 1875, 1 896 , 1 900 ) . The Life Zones or "faunal areas"
generally recogn i zed cons i s t of the Canad i an Zone, The Alleghanian Fauna,
and the Carolinian Fauna (Figure 2). The Canadian element is restricted
to the higher elevat i ons i n Garrett County , and compr i ses 1 i tt 1 e ter r i tory .
The Al leghan ian Fauna, occupies al 1 of Maryland west of the Fal 1 Line, and
the Carolinian Fauna, all of the state east of the Fall Line. The Life
Zones although useful , are not as i nd i cat i ve of amph i b ian and reptile dis¬
tributions i n Maryl and , as are the Physiographic Provinces and hence, are
not used here.

River valleys can affect di stribut ions of animals by acting both as
dispersal routes and as barriers. In a number of Coastal Plain species,
isolated records exist in the Piedmont Province or Appalachian Province
along the Potomac River. Lowland river valleys are "extensions" of the
Coastal Plain as far as di stributional expans ion i s concerned and have been
and are being colonized by some species. The Potomac River and in modern
times the C & 0 Canal both probably have acted as dispersal routes for
distributional expansion. Likewise, many other rivers crossing physio-

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Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 11 Number 3 September 1975

graphic boundaries act as dispersal routes (See figure 3 for Drainage
Bas ins).

Certain species considered P i edmont i n d i str i but i on , somet imes occur
as relict populations in the Coastal Plain Province. Again, rivers are
usually the dispersal routes, either through normal animal migration or
by i nd i v i dua Is being "washed" downstream during severe storms . When species
unwi 1 1 ingly enter "new" hab i tat the species may live out their life spans,
die prematurel y , or i n some i nstances , adapt and col on i ze the new area and
thus "expand" the species range.

Rivers and river val leys also act as barriers to amphibi an and reptile
dispersal. The salamanders Euryeea l. guttolineata and Desmognathus m.
j effersoni , both, have been dilgently searched for in Maryland, but the
Potomac River is probably a barrier to these subspecies. The Potomac River
is also a probable barrier to the lizard Eumeces inexpectatus .

Zoogeography is not stable. Animal distributions are changing due
to fluxuations in climate and urbanization. Many of the localities in¬
dicated on the maps no longer support the listed species. Urbanization
has v i r i tuel y destroyed many hab i tats and thus a 1 tered animal distribution.
Exampl es of these include the timber rattlesnake in Bal timore County, the
narrow-mouthed toad at Cove Point, and the tiger salamander at LaPlata.
Man's ever increasing need for land will cont i nue to a 1 ter animal distri¬
butions worldwide. This in combination with the overcollecting of some
species has recently brought about legislation to protect rare and en¬
dangered species.

Cl imatic changes come s lowly and are not as obvious as changes caused
by man. Climatic changes can best be explained by looking at past dis¬
tributions of plant and animal communities. This must be done based on
fossil ev i dence , and a knowl edge of the pa 1 eogeography of the region under
consideration. Even s i nee the M iocene, North Amer i ca has exper i enced many
climatic and topographic changes. In order to explain current distribu¬
tions , we need look on 1 y at the events that occurred dur i ng the 1 as t epoch,
the Pleistocene.

Not only are current distributions expl ai ned by PI ei stocene events,
but sometimes relationships of related species can be more fully under¬
stood. Pseudaoris triseriata kalmi of the Delmarva Peninsula is a dis¬
tinct i ve an ima 1 and very d i fferent from P. t. feriarum. 1 1 appea rs closer
related taxonom i ca 1 1 y to P. t. triseriata which today is found to the west
of the range of P. t. feriarum. The pa 1 eogeography of this region, ac¬
cord i ng to Smi th (1957), i nd i cates that a Pra i r i e Pen i nsul a dur i ng the Post-
Wisconsin Glacial period reached the Atlantic Coast and that the entire
Delmarva Peninsula cons i sted of pra i r ie habitat. During this time, P. t.
triseriata probably moved wi th the advanci ng prairies bisecting the dis¬
tribution of P. t. feriarum and occupied the Delmarva Peninsula. With
the retreat of the prairies, relict populations of P. t. triseriata re¬
mained with relict prairie hab i tat and d i fferent iated i nto the subspecies
P. t. kalmi. The bisected range of the subspecies P. t. feriarum re¬
joined wi th the retreat of the Prairie Pen i nsul a and re-occupied the ter¬
ritory between the existing distributions of P. t. triseriata and P. t.
kalmi.

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 75

Volume 11 Number 3

September 1975

In this vain, when additional specimens of Lampropeltis triangulum
from the lower Delmarva become available they should be examined to de¬
termine if their affinity is with L. t. syspilla or L. t. temporalis .

Many d i stri but ions of Mary 1 and amph i bi ans and rept i 1 es are unexpl a i n-
ed, such as Pseudotriton ruber ruber and Amby stoma maculatum. Why do
these species apparently not inhabit the Coastal Plain Province of the
lower Delmarva Peninsula? The Susquehana River at one time during the
PI ei stocene apparent 1 y b i sec ted the lower Delmarva Pen insula (Burns, 1973).
Could this have happened prior to their distributional expans i on and pos¬
sibly explain the current zoogeography of these species? Several species
apparent ly do not inhabit the central section of the Delmarva Peninsula.
Coul d the Plei stocene route of the Susquehana River also possibly explain
this hiatus in distribution? These and many other questions (Harris, et.
al., 1967) are still to be answered, and when explanations are available
will enable us to better understand current distributional patterns.

On the annotations accompany i ng the di stri but ion maps, the breeding
season (amphibians) andabrief habitat description (if restrictive) may
be given. These data wi 1 1 enabl e the researcher to learn “when" and "where"
to look for additional localities or range extensions. It is easier to
examine ponds and streams for eggs or larvae of some species of amphibians
than it is to collect adult specimens. If the habitat is restrictive such
as with Aneides (Pottsville Sandstone outcroppings) and Pseudotriton m.
montanus (Spring seepage areas) the "where" to look is also much reduced.

County records unsubstantiated by specimens in a recognized col lection
and doubtful literature records have not been included in the tables of
county and physiographic distribution (tables 1-4). These records are
i nd i cated wi th ci rcl es (0) on the distribution maps. Specimens examined,
and unquestionable literature records are represented on these maps by
solid circles (•) (figure 4). For the purpose of this report, Baltimore
City is considered to be part of Baltimore County.

A survey of this magnitude cannot be accompl i shed wi thout the wi 1 1 i ng
help of many people. I am extremely grateful and i ndebted to the following
persons who have contributed data contained herein:

Don Boyer, Tom Boyer, Glenn Burns, Howard W„ Campbell, Daniel
Carver , Joseph Col 1 i ns , Roger Conant , John E . Cooper , John Cren¬
shaw, Rick Czarnowsky, James A. Fowler , L. Richard Franz, John
Funk, William Grogan, Frank Groves, John Groves, Richard Hahn,

Jerry D. Hardy, Richard Highton, David Hi 11 is, George Jacobs,
Jeremy Jacobs, David S. Lee, Brian Leverton, Daniel J. Lyons,
William Marvel , Robert W. Mi 1 ler , III, Kenneth T. Nemuras , Arnold
Norden, Jack Norman, James A. Peters, Mark Prihoda, Clyde E.
Prince, John A. Rahnis, Neil D. Richmond, Louis Rigley, Jack
Ruppert, David Saul, Joseph Schuch, Frank J . Schwartz , William
Shirey, Robert S. Simmons, George Stewart, Charles J. Stine,

Jeff Thomas, Robert G. Tuck, Jr., Prescott Ward, Peter Wemple,
Richard D. Worthington, Bill Zovickian.

Page 76

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 11 Number 3

September 1975

A special note of thanks must also go to the following people who
each have helped with the preparat ion of th i s manuscript. Geneva Ambrose
has added the many addi t ions to the bibl iography as we 1 1 as he 1 ped in the
preparat ion of the tab 1 es and maps . Roger Conant reviewed the 1969 survey
and forwarded many helpful suggest ions and cri ticisms page by page. John
E. Cooper's favorable review (i960) contained a few criticisms without
meri t , but on a whole was very helpful. Rick Czarnowsky prepared the tab le
out 1 i nes and pi otted some of the dots. My thanks also go to Robert Miller
for the painstaking job of locating some of the new locality records on
road maps for final plotting in the survey. Thanks are also due to Jerry
D. Hardy, Jr. who read the final manuscript and made invaluable comments.

The Amphibians and Reptiles of Maryland
and the District of Columbia

Caudata

1.(1).

2.(2).

3. (3).

4. (A).

5. (5).

6. (6).

7. (7).

8. (8).
9. (9).

10. (10) .
11.(11).
12. (12).

13. (13).

14. (14).

15. (15).

16. (16).

17. (17).

18. (18).

19. (19).

20. (20).
21. (21).

Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis . Hellbender.
Necturus maoulosus maoulosus . Mudpuppy .

Notophthalmus viridesoens viridesoens . Red -spot ted newt.

Amby stoma jeffersonianum. Jefferson salamander.

Amby stoma maoulatum, Spotted salamander.

Amby stoma opaoum . Marbled salamander.

Amby stoma tigrinum tigrinum, Eastern tiger salamander.
Aneides aeneus . Green salamander.

Euryoea bislineata bislineata, Northern two-1 i ned salamander.
Euryoea longioauda longioauda, Long-tailed salamander.
Eemidactylium soutatum, Four- toed salamander.

Plethodon oinereus oinereus, Red-backed salamander.

Plethodon hoffmani ., Valley and ridge salamander.

Plethodon glutinosus glutinosus . Slimy salamander.
Gyrinophilus porphyritious porphyritious , Northern spring sal¬
amander.

Pseudotriton montanus montanus. Eastern mud salamander.
Pseudotriton ruber ruber . Northern red salamander.
Desmognathus fusous fusous, Northern dusky salamander.
Desmognathus oohrophaeus. Mountain dusky salamander.
Desmognathus montioolamontioola, Appalachian seal salamander.
Siren laeertina . Greater siren.

Salientia

22. (1). Soaphiopus holbrooki holbrooki. Eastern spadefoot.

23. (2). Bufo americanus americanus . American toad.

24. (3). Bufo woodhousei fowleri. Fowler's toad.

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

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September 1975

Volume 11 Number 3

25. (4).

26. (5).

27. (6).

28. (7).

29. (8).

30. (9).

31. (10).
32.(11).

33. (12).

34. (13).

35. (14).

36. (15).

37. (16).

38. (17).

39. (18).

40. (19).

Acris crepitans crepitans . Northern cricket frog.

Eyla cinerea. Green treefrog. Upper Ti dewater Potomac River pop¬
ulations, previously recognized as Hyla cinerea evittata.
Eyla crucifer crucifer . Northern spring peeper.

Eyla versicolor . Eastern gray treefrog.

Eyla chrysoscelis. Southern gray treefrog.

Pseudacris triseriata feriarum. Upland chorus frog.

Pseudacris triseriata kalmi. New Jersey chorus frog.
Pseudacris brachyphona. Mountain chorus frog.

Gastrophryne carolinensis . Eastern narrow-mouthed toad.

Rana catesbeiana. Bullfrog.

Rana virgatipes . Carpenter frog.

Rana clamitans melanota. Green frog.

Rana pipiens . Northern leopard frog.

Rana utricularia utricularia . Southern leopard frog.

Rana palustris . pickerel frog.

Rana sylvatica sylvatica. Wood frog.

Squamata (Sauria)

41. (1).

42. (2) .

43. (3).

44. (4).

45. (5).

46. (6).

47. (7).

Sceloporus undulatus hyacinthinus . Northern fence lizard.
Cnemidophorus sexlineatus sexlineatus. Six-lined racerunner.
Leiolopisma laterale. Ground skink.

Eumeces anthr acinus anthr acinus . Northern coal skink.

Eumeces fasciatus. Five-lined skink.

Eumeces inexpectatus . Southeastern five - lined skink (Tena-
tive listing)

Eumeces laticeps . Broad-headed skink.

Squamata (Serpentes)

48. (1).

49. (2).

50. (3).

51. (4).

52. (5).

53. (6).

54. (7).

55. (8).

56. (9).

57. (10).

58. (11).

59. (12).

60. (13).

Carphophis amoenus amoenus . Eastern worm snake.

Farancia erytrogramma erytrogramma . Rainbow snake.

Diadophis punctatus punctatus / edwardsi . Intergrade popula¬

tion between southern and northern ringneck snakes on
the Delmarva Coastal Plain.

Diadophis punctatus edwardsi . Northern ringneck snake.
Eeterodon platyrhinos . Eastern hog nose snake.

Opheodrys aestivus. Rough green snake..

Opheodrys vemalis vemalis . Eastern smooth green snake.
Coluber constrictor constrictor. Northern black racer.
Elaphe obsoleta obsoleta. Black rat snake.

Elaphe guttata guttata. Corn snake.

Pituophis melanoleucus melanoleucus . Northern Pine snake.
(Tenat i ve 1 i st i ng)

Lampropeltis getulus getulus. Eastern kingsnake.
Lampropeltis calligaster rhombomaculata. Mole snake.

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Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 11 Number 3

September 1975

61. (14).

62. (15).

63. (16).

64. (17).

65. (18).
66. (19).
67. (20).
68. (21).

69. (22).

70. (23).

71. (24).

72. (25).

73. (26).

74. (27).

Lamp rope Itis triangulim triangulwn. Eastern milk snake.

Lampropeltis triangulum temporalis . Coastal plain mi lk snake.

Cemophora ooocinea oopei . Northern scarlet snake.

matrix erythrogaster erythrogaster. Red-bellied water snake.

Natrix sipedon sipedon. Northern water snake.

matrix septemvittata . Queen snake.

Storeria dekayi dekayi . Northern brown snake.

Storeria occipitomaculata occipitomaculata. Northern red-

bellied snake.

Virginia valeriae valeriae. Eastern earth snake.

Virginia valeriae pulohra . Mountain earth snake.

Thamnophis sauritus sauritus . Eastern ribbon snake.

Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis. Eastern garter snake.

Agkistrodon contortrix mokasen . Northern copperhead. Southern
Eastern Shore populations exhibit A, c. contortrix in¬
fluences. Specimens from southern St. Mary's County also
show some A. c. contortrix tendencies.

Crotalus horridus horridus . Timber rattlesnake.

Chelonia

75. (1).

76. (2).

77. (3).

78. (4).

79. (5).

80. (6).

81. (7).

82. (8).

83. (9).

84. (10) .

85. (11).

86. (12).

87. (13).

88. (14).

89. (15).

90. (16).

91. (17).

92. (18).

93. (19).

94. (20) .

Stemotherus odoratus . Stinkpot.

Kinostemon subrubrvm subrubrvm. Eastern mud turtle.
Chelydra serpentina serpentina. Common snapping turtle.
Clemmys guttata . Spotted turtle.

Clemmys insculpta. Wood turtle.

Clemmys muhlenbergi. Bog turtle.

Terrapene Carolina Carolina. Eastern box turtle.

Malaclemys terrapin terrapin. Northern diamondback terrapin.
Graptemys geographica. Map turtle.

Chrysemys picta picta. Eastern painted turtle.

Chrysemys picta marginata. Midland painted turtle.

Chrysemys rubriventris. Red-bellied turtle.

Chrysemys scripta elegans. Red-eared turtle. Feral.
Chrysemys scripta troosti. Cumberland turtle. Feral.
Chelonia my das mydas. Atlantic green turtle.

Eretmochelys imbricata imbricata. Atlantic hawksbill.
Caretta caretta caretta. Atlantic loggerhead.

Lepidochelys kempi. Atlantic rid ley.

Dermochelys coriacea coriacea. Atlantic leatherback.

Trionyx spiniferus spiniferus. Eastern spiny softshell.

Doubtful or Erroneous Records and Possible Additions with a Comment

on Siren lacertina and Pituophis melanoleucus melanolecus

I. i n the pas t , the fol lowi ng species have appeared on checkl i sts of Mary¬
land herpetofauna . Some of these records are due to old and unsub-

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

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Volume 11 Number 3

September 1975

stantiated accounts and misidentif ication; other occurrences are
presently doubtful. I am, at this time, removing them until they can
be proved part of the Maryland fauna:

Eyla femoralis - Reported from Calvert County, Maryland, by Fowler and
Orton (1947) on the basis of four specimens collected at Battle
Creek cypress swamp. Much doubt does exist (Fowler, 1969) as to
whether or not th i s record is valid. Diligent searching has failed
to produce additional specimens. Until the existence of H. fem¬
oralis in Maryland can be verified, it cannot be included in the
state list. The nearest known locality is near Lanexa, New Kent
County, Virginia.

Chrysemys floridana floridccna - Upon examination, all available Mary¬
land mater i al previous ly ass igned to th i s species has been re-iden¬
tified as C, rubriventris . A specimen of C, f . floridana collected
"20 mi les f rom Bal t imore" i s cons idered a release. Nearest reliable
records apparent ly are from North Carolina. All Virginia records,
except for an "established" colony at Richmond are questionable
(Tobey, 1975).

Chrysemys concinna eoneinna ~ Originally placed on the state list by
Harris (Cooper, 1965) on the basis of two hatchlings collected in
the Patapsco River at its intersection wi th the Bal t imore-Washi ng-
ton Parkway. Since numerous attempts to locate addi tional specimens
have been fru i t less , i t woul d be best to remove C. c. concinna until
it can be proven to be native or established in Maryland. Nearest
reliable records are from the James River, near Wingina, Va. and from
the head of Washington D i tch , of f Lake Drummond, Va. (Tobey, 1975).

II. Possible Additions

Plethodon wehrlei - Re 1 i able records in Pennsylvania and West Vi rg ini a
indicate that this salamander possibly exists in extreme western
Garrett County. It should be searched for in talus slopes in the
northwestern sector of Garrett County.

Eurycea longicauda guttolineata - Poss ibly occuri ng from the District
of Columbia south into Prince George's County and into southern
Maryl and on the Western Shore, a 1 though the Potomac River is prob¬
ably a barrier to this salamander. E. I, guttolineata has been
collected within 500 feet of the Potomac River in a tributary of
Difficult Creek, Virginia. E. I . longicauda has been collected
within feet of the Potomac River at Great Falls, Maryland.

Desmognathus monticola jeffersoni - This salamander occurs in the
Blue Ridge of Vi rginia, but the Potomac Ri ver (Harper ' s Ferry) pro¬
duces a probable barrier to the northeast extension of its range
into Maryland.

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Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 11 Number 3

September 1975

III. Comments

Siven laoevtina - An old record for the Potomac Flats (Hay, 1902) is
apparently valid. Recently, a specimen was found in a jar of pre¬
served fishes, labeled "Battle Creek Cypress Swamp, Calvert Co¬
unty, Maryland" (Towson State Collection). A diligent search of
this area has failed to produce an additional specimen. At this
time it is uncertai n that th i s salamander still exi sts i n Mary 1 and .
S. lacertina has been observed and collected at Camp A. P. Hill,
Caroline County, Virginia.

Pituophis melanoleuous melanoleuous - In the 1969 Survey, I said "The
existing state records are doubtful and no spec imens are ava i 1 ab 1 e.
The sporadic range of this snake apparently does not i ncl ude Mary-
1 and."

MaCauley (19^5) summarized the knowledge known at that time
and 1 isted the pine snake as possibly occurring in Maryland. Al¬
though no specimens were avai lable, he accepted Dr. Truitt's record
and also presented a verbal account given to him by the superin¬
tendent and personnel at a Civilian Conservation Corps Camp near
Ocean City. The other records cited by MaCauley (19^5) are open
to question for many reasons and were unacceptable to him. There
is no reason to doubt Dr. Truitt's record, except that the speci¬
men i s not avai lable.

Grogan (1973) reported a specimen from Ft . Meade , Anne Arundel
County, Maryland which is preserved in the USNM collection. How¬
ever, this record can not be accepted as legimate as stated in the
account on P. m, melanoleuous prepared by the Committee on Rare
and Endangered Amphibians and Reptiles of Maryland (1973). Lee
(1 972) ment ions a specimen of Pituophis observed by I. Hampe, swim-
i ng in Sinepuxent Bay. Grogan (1973) and Lee (1972) also mention
"Bull Snakes" observed by Park Rangers in this area. I have had
two contacts with people, in which, I was asked to identify the
snake they described. In both cases, they described a large white
snake with black blotches, and the s i gh t i ngs were in Wicomico and
Worcester Counties respectfully. It is hard to understand that
such a large and distinctive snake such as Pituophis , if it is
indeed a legimate member of the Maryland herpetofauna , could have
eluded herpetologists so long.

I would 1 ike to see a legimate Maryland specimen of P. m, mel-
ccnoleuous before add i ng th i s spec i es to the official list of Mary¬
land herpetofauna, but have tenatively listed it on the basis of
Dr. Truitt's record and the recent sightings.

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 81

Volume 11 Number 3

September 1975

AMPHIBIA

[Allegany

[Anne Arundel

[Baltimore

[Caroline

o

Vh

3-.

n3

U

[Calvert

U

<D

CJ

Charles

[Dist. of Columbia]

[Dorchester

[Frederick

[Garrett

[Harford

[Howard

[Kent

[Montgomery

[Prince George's

[Queen Anne's

[Somerset

|St. Mary's

4->

o

X)

03

E-

[Washington

[Wicomico

[Worcester j

C. a. atleganiensis

©

•

•

N. m. maculosus

•

N. v. viridescens

0

0

0

A. j effersonianum

•

•

0

A. maculatum

A. opacum

A. t. tigrinum

•

•

•

•

•

0

0

0

A. aeneus

•

E. b. bislineata

E. 1. longicauda

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

0

E. scutatum

P. c. cinereus

P. hoffmani

•

•

0

P. g. glutinosus

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

0

G. p. porphyriticus

•

•

•

0

P. m. montanus

•

•

•

•

•

0

0

0

0

0

0

P. r. ruber

D. f. fuscus

D. oahrophaeus

•

•

D. m. montiaola

•

•

S. lacertina

1

•

S. h. holbrooki

•

•

0

•

•

•

•

•

0

0

0

0

0

0

B. a. americanus

B. w. fowleri

A. c. crepitans

H. cinerea

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

E. c. crucifer

E. versicolor

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

0

0

?

0

E. chrusoscelis

•

•

•

•

•

?

0

0

0

0

0

0

P. t. feriarum

P. t. kalmi

•

•

•

•

0

0

0

0

0

P. brachyphona

•

•

G. carolinensis

•

•

0

0

0

R. catesbeiana

R. virgatipes

•

0

0

R. c. metanota

R. pipiens

•

•

•

•

•

?

0

R. u. ultricularia

R. palustris

R. 8. sylvatica

Table 1. County Distribution of Maryland Amphibians

Page 82

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 11 Number 3

September 1975

APPALACHIAN

PROVINCE

PIEDMONT

PROVINCE

COASTAL PLAIN
PROVINCE

AMPHIBIA

Alleghany Plateau

Valley and Ridge

Great Valley

Blue Ridge

Western Division

Eastern Division

Western Shore

(Inner Division)

Eastern Shore

(Outer Division)

C. a. alleganiensis

© [

N. m. maculosus

©

N. v. viridescens

©

©

©

0

©

©

©

A. o effersonianum

©

©

9

0

©

A. maculatum

©

®

9

®

©

©

©

A. opaaian

9

0

0

0

©

©

9

A. t. tigrinum

0

9

A. aeneus

•

E. b. bislineata

•

•

0

9

9

9

0

9

E. 1. longicauda

•

•

0

9

0

0

H. scutatum

•

•

0

0

0

0

9

P. c. cinereus

•

•

0

9

9

9

0

0

P. hoffmani

•

•

P. g. glutinosus

•

•

0

9

0

9

G. p. porphyriticus

0

•

9

0

9

P. m. montanus

9

®

0

P. r. ruber

©

•

©

9

0

©

0

9

D. f. fusaus

©

0

©

®

0

0

9

9

D. oahrophaeus

9

9

D. m. montiaola

©

e

S. laoertina

0

S. In. holbrooki

0

©

®

B. a. americanus

0

0

0

9

0

9

0

B. w. fowleri

9

©

@

0

9

©

©

A. a. crepitans

©

©

0

9

e

0

0

H. cinerea

©

®

®

H. c. crucifer

®

©

©

©

0

©

0

0

H. versicolor

©

©

0

9

0

©

©

H. chrysoscelis

0

©

P. t. feriarum

0

©

0

©

@

©

P. t. kalmi

9

P. brachyphona

©

©

G. carolinensis

j

@

®

R. catesbeiana

©

0

© | ©

®

®

9

R. virgatipes

j

9

R. c. melanota

©

©

© jj «

©

9

©

R. pipiens

I *

©

<§

© | ©

0

i .

R. u. ultricularia

j

®

0

©

R. palustris

| ®

9

© § 0

©

©

®

R. s. sylvatica

| ©

0

©

9 i ®

©

9

©

Table 2. D i s tr i but i on of Ma ry 1 and Amphibians by Physiographic Provinces

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 83

Volume 11 Number 3

September 1975

REPTILIA

Allegany

Anne Arundel

|Baltimore

[Caroline

|Carroll

|Calvert

u

<D

|Charles

|Dist. of Columbia]

jDorchester

[Frederick

|Garrett

Harford

jHoward

4->

<D

[Montgomery

|Prince George's |

[Queen Anne’s

<1)

i-

B

o

CO

St. Mary's

[Talbot

Washington

[Wicomico

[Worcester

s.

u. hyacinthinus

c.

s. sexlineatus

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

L.

laterale

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

7

•

•

E.

a. anthracinus

•

•

E.

fasciatus

E.

inexpectatus

7

j

E.

laticeps

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

C.

a . amoenus

F.

e. erytro gramma

•

D.

p. punctatus/edwardsi

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

D.

p. edwardsi

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

H.

platyrhinos

0.

aestivus

0.

v. vemalis

•

•

•

•

C.

a. constrictor

E.

o. obsoleta

E.

g. guttata

•

•

•

s

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

P.

m. melanoleucus

L.

g. getulus

L.

c. rhomhomaculata

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

L.

t. triangulum

•

L.

t. temporalis

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

C.

c. copei

•

•

•

•

•

•

N.

e. erythrogaster

•

•

S.

s. sipedon

N.

septemvittata

•

S.

d. dekayi

S.

o. occipitomaculata

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

V.

v. valeriae

V.

v. pulchra

•

T.

s. sauritus

•

T.

s. sirtalis

•

A.

c. mokasen

C.

h. horridus

•

•

•

•

•

S.

odoratus

K.

s. pubrubrum

C.

s. serpentina

C.

guttata

C.

insculpta

•

•

•

•

•

•

7

•

•

•

C.

muhlenbergi

•

•

•

•

T.

c. Carolina

M.

t. terrapin

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

G.

geographica

•

•

C.

p. picta

C.

p. marginata

?

•

C.

rubriventris

C.

m. mydas

•

L

•

E.

i. imbricata

Atlantic ;

no specific

Maryland r

•ecords

C.

c. caretta

•

•

•

•

•

L.

kempi

•

•

D.

c . coriacea

•

•

T.

s. spiniferus

•

FERAL

C. s. elegans

•

•

•

e

•

•

•

C. s. troosti

•

Table 3- County Distribution of Maryland Reptiles

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 84

Volume 11 Number 3

September 1975

Atlantic

Figure 3* Drainage Basins of Maryland

6 Specimen exam i ned , and/or unquest i onab 1 e
published record.

o

Specimen reported, and/or questionable
pub 1 i shed record .

County record, exact locality unknown.
Expected distribution.

Extent of distribution.

Poss i ble extent of distribution. The ap¬
proximate northern limits of pure stands
of the loblolly pine (Conant, 1945).

Figure 4. Legend for Maps 1 -94

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 87

1.(1). Crypt obranohus a.
niensis

The hel lbender is found in the Sus¬
quehanna River and its tributaries
(specific records for Harford Co.
tributaries lacking) , the Cassel-
man and Yough iogheny Rivers (Ohio
drainage). Eggs of this species
can be observed under rocks in
streams during late August and
September. This sa 1 amander i s be-
comming exceedingly rare and
should only be collected with
di scret i on .

2.(2). Neoturus m. maculosus

Lee (1972) reported finding 3 Nec-
turus in the Youghiogheny River
near Sang Run. These aretheonly
specimens known from the state.
Its occurrence in the Casselman
River (also Ohio Drainage) is pos¬
sible.

t 10
MARYLAND

Page 88

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

3.(3). Notophthalmus v, virides-
oens

Present records indicate its ab¬
sence from the lower Eastern Shore
of Maryland. Conant (19^5) re¬
corded a specimen from Northampton
Co., V a. This speci es breeds from
February to May, and congregates
in large numbers in suitable ponds
and swamps during this period.

20 30

MARYLAND

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 89

5.(5). Amby stoma maculatum

Present records indicate its ab¬
sence from the lower Delmarva Pen¬
insula. A'maculatum breeds after
the spring ra i ns from February to
April in transient ponds, flooded
areas, etc.

Except for the Alleghany Plateau,
distribution appears to be state¬
wide. Eggs are deposited singly
in a group (which is guarded by
the female) , around the marg i ns of
temporary ponds during October.
They hatch when the ponds fill due
to rain or melting snow.

s »

MARYLAND

Page 90

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Present distribution is spotty on
the Coastal Plain Province where
they apparent 1 y breed on 1 y in tem¬
porary field ponds. A single spec¬
imen is known in Anne Arundel Co.
from near Arnold. The pond at La
Plata has been filled in, and the
area has been constructed into a
golf course. A. tigrinum breeds
primarily during January and Feb¬
ruary .

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 91

9.(9). Euryoea b. bislineata

Distribution appears to be state¬
wide. Most abundant in the pied¬
mont and mountainous areas. Eggs
of th i s species can be found under
stones in streams in late March
and possibly early April.

0 6 10 20

MARYLAND

10.(10). Euryoea l. longioauda

Found only in western Maryland and
in the Piedmont Provinces. Does
not occur on the Coastal Plain.
Eggs of this speci es have been re¬
ported only once i n Mary 1 and . Franz
(1964) found a cluster i n a humid
area in a cave during November.

Page 92

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

12. (12)

Statewide distribution, with the
exception of part of the Valley
and Ridge section of the Appala¬
chian Province where this species
is replaced by P. hoffmccni . The
lead-back phase appears to be ex¬
tremely rare on the Alleghany Pla¬
teau. Eggs are deposited under
and in rotten logs during June.

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 93

13.03). Plethodon hoffmani

Found only in the Val ley and Ridge
section of the Appalachian Pro¬
vince, although it does encroach
onto the Alleghany Plateau. Eggs
are deposited in late May or early
June; probably under rocks.

6 10 20

MARYLAND

14.(14). Plethodon g. glutinosus

Western Maryland and the P i edmont
Provinces. Probably absent from
most of the Great Valley. Does
not occur on the Coastal Plain.
Eggs are probably deposited in
late May or early June.

Page 94

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

15.(15). Gyrinophi lus p . porphyr-
iticus

Alleghany Plateau including the
Alleghany Front. Apparently ab¬
sent from most of Val 1 ey and Ridge
and Great Val ley . A1 so occurs from
eastern edge of the Great Valley
through the Blue Ridge to the west¬
ern edge of the Western Division —
of the Piedmont Province. Eggs are
depos i ted under stones in springs
and streams and in Maryland have
been reported during early Septem¬
ber.

0 6 10

MARYLAND

Appears to be a Coastal Plain form
in Mary 1 and , wh i ch encroachs onto
the Eastern Piedmont via river val¬
leys. Found commonly in associa¬
tion with spring seepage areas.
Eggs are generally deposited in
underground areas within the
spring head. Recently hatched
larvae have been collected em¬
erging from the spr i ng head during
January.

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 95

1 8.(1 8). Desmognathus f. fuscus

Distribution appears to be state¬
wide. Most abundant in the pied¬
mont and mountainous areas. Eggs
are usually foundwiththe female
during June, i n mo i st or wet areas .

Page 96

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

19. (19) . Desmognathus oohrophaeus

The Alleghany Plateau. Has been
collected just off the plateau in
a few streams. Eggs have been
found most commonly in early June
and are deposited in terrestria
situations. Adul ts can wander far
from water and are common 1 y found
in relativelydryterrestrial sit¬
uations .

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 97

21.(21). Siren laoertina

Based on an old record by Hay (1902)
for Potomac Flats, and recently,
on a preserved specimen found in
a jar of preserved fishes lab led
"Battle Creek Cypress Swamp".
Diligent searching has failed to
produce any additional material.

22.(1). Scaphiopus h . holbrooki

Coastal Plain Provinces, except
for a population known in the Wes¬
tern Piedmont at Frederick. Breeds
after heavy rainfall from March
through September. Individuals
can usually be encountered on
roads after almost any warm rain.

Page 98

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

2k. (3) . Bufo w. fouleri

Distribution is apparently state¬
wide except for the A1 1 eghany Pla¬
teau. Fowler (1925) recorded B.w.
fowleri from Jennings, Garrett
County. A specimen from Frostburg
collected by L. R. Franz is ques¬
tionable to the col lector. Usual ly
breeds i n May , June or July after-
rain in large choruses.

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 99

25. w. Acris o. cve'p'ttans

A common frog i n the Coastal Plain,
but rather uncommon above the Fal 1
Line. The records listed for the
Piedmont and Appa 1 ach i an Prov i nces
may represent populations which
have expanded thei r di stribut ions
by fol lowing lowland river val leys.
Apparently absent from the Alle¬
ghany Plateau. Breeds from May
through July.

26.(5).

Commonly in Maryland associated
with tidal areas all along the
Coastal Plain and on sections of
the Eastern Piedmont . Breeds pri¬
marily in May, June and July.
Upper tidewater Potomac popula¬
tions prev ious ly recogn i zed as H.
oinevea evittata.

Page 100

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

28. (7). Hyla versicolor

29. (8). Hyla chrysoscelis

Hyla versicolor i s bas i cal 1 y found
above the Fall Line in Maryland.

H. chrysoscelis is a Coastal Plain
form in the state. Actual known
records for H. chrysoselis are few
and are marked with an open circle.

Known areas of sympatry are marked
with a half filled circle. All
other records in the Southern
Coastal Plain are assumed to be
H, chrysoselis (see tables 1 & 2) .

The distribution line shown is

after Ra 1 i n ( 1968) , and is somewhat low. See alsoZweifel (1970). H. veris-
color breeds from May - July and H. chrysoscelis from May - August.

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 101

Western Shore and Eastern Pied¬
mont, west to the Val ley and Ridge
section of the Appalachian Pro¬
vince. Breeds duri ng February and
March and i nto Apr i 1 . Individuals
are sometimes very hard to locate
from calling positions which are
usually in weeds at the waters
surface. A specimen in the USNM “
from Finzel Garrett Co., is not
P. t. feriarum but P. braohyphona
(Franz, 1967). Intergradation
with P. i. kalmi occurs in eastern

Harford and western Cecil counties.

Eastern Shore only. Breeds dur¬
ing February and March. Individ¬
uals are commonly found floating
on the water's surface, the po¬
sition f rom wh ich the males call.

1 ntergradat ion wi th P. t. feriarum
occurs in western Cecil and east¬
ern Harford counties. (Area at
Conow ingo, Cecil Co., Md . is in
the Eastern Piedmont).

Page 102

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 103

FAUNAL

35.(14). Rana virgatipes

Known at present only on the south¬
ern part of the Eastern Shore (Coa¬
stal Pla i n Provi nee) . Breeds dur¬
ing May and June. Hollow symbol
near Elliott Island represents
voice record (Standaert, 1975).

Page 104

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

37.(16). Rana pipiens

Presumab 1 y from the Fall Line west
throughout the P iedmont and Appa¬
lachian Provinces. According to
Pace (197*0 the only authenic R.
pipens from Mary 1 and was from Lily
Ponds, Frederick County. Spec¬
imens from the other areas above
the Fall L i ne were apparent 1 y un¬
available to her. It is possible
that a few of the records for R»
pipiens in Mary 1 and may be based on
mi s i dent i f i ed specimens of R. pa- MARYLAND
lustris as many literature records were utilized
in Maryland.

A very uncommon frog

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 105

Page 106

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 107

Western Shore (Coastal Plain),
south of the Fall Line. Very a-
bundant in localized colonies. A
sight record exists for Point of
Rocks, Frederick County (Tuck,

1969) and recently it has been
col 1 ected on the Maryland side of
the Potomac R i ver in Allegany Co~
ounty opposite Paw Paw, W. Va.

(Hahn, 1975)* Another example of
a species expanding its distri- Maryland
bution by following lowland river valleys.

Page 108

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Apparently statewide but extreme¬
ly rare on the Alleghany Plateau,
and rather uncommon above the Fal 1
Line. Specimen exam i ned from Gar¬
rett Co., was collected 31 Aug.
1 942 at Deep Creek Lake by M. H.
Muma .

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 109

Eumeces inexyectatus

A specimen preserved in the Nat¬
ional Museum (USNM 141375) labeled
E. fasciatus was determi ned to be
E . inexyectatus by D . M . Da vis while
doing a review of the lizards of
the Eumeces fasciatus complex for
his Ph.D. thesis. This specimen
from Cove Point was examined and
is indeed E. inexyectatus . The
specimen was col 1 ected many years
ago by H . F. Howden. The Cove Point
area has been extensively searched
and no additional material found. Howden has collected E, inexyectatus
farther south and kept 1 i ve material. If perchance E, fasciatus from Cove
Point was kept together with live E. inexyectatus an error could possibly
have been made on the death of the specimens . The inclusion of E. inexyect¬
atus on the Mary 1 and 1 i st of amphi b i ans and reptiles must at this time be
considered tenative.

Page 110

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 111

A study by Conant ( 1 946 ) and one
by Groves (1 968) , support the fact
that the Delmarva population
should be considered D. p. puncta-
tus/edwardsi.

6 10 20

MARYLAND

Page 112

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

A Coastal Plain form i n Mary 1 and ,
that does encroach on the piedmont
via river val leys . A specimen from
near Keedysville, Washington Co¬
unty (Great Valley) along the Po¬
tomac River is an example of a
species ut i 1 i zi ng a lowland river
val ley and expanding distribution. _

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 113

Page 114

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

57- (10). Elccphe g. guttata

E. guttata has been found in the
Valley and Ridge Province and in
the Coastal Plain Provinces on
both the Eastern andWestern
Shores. A1 so reported on the south
eastern portion of the Eastern
Piedmont near Washington, D. C.
One specimen reported by F. Groves
from k mi . s. Loch Raven, Balti¬
more Co. (Piedmont Province), is
cons i dered by the author to be an
escape. The populations recently
reported from the Valley and Ridge
with the Coastal Plain

Prov i nee are not
popul at ions .

contingent in Maryland

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 115

All acceptabl e a 1 though unsubstan¬
tiated Maryland records are shown
as open circles. See account of
Pituaphis under "Doubtful or Er¬
roneous Records and Possible Ad¬
ditions with a comment on Siven
Zacertina and Pituophis m. meZ-
anoleucus" . The occurrence in
Maryland of Pituophis is at best
only tenative at this time.

Page 116

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

6 1 . ( 1 4 ) . Lampropeltis t.
ulvon

From the Eastern Piedmont west to
the Alleghany Plateau. This form
intergrades wi th L. d. temporalis
over a wide area along the Fall
L i ne , hence th i s cr i ter ion i s used
here to separate the subspecies.
This map includes those specimens
col lected along the Fal 1 Line that
show some characters of L. d, tem¬
poralis.

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 117

62.(15). Lampropeltis t. tempor¬
alis

A Coastal PI a i n form wh i ch inter-
grades with L. d. triangulum along
the Fall Line. A very uncommon
snake in the Coastal Plain. Con-
ant (1975) includes this form as
an intergrade, L, t, triangulum X
elapsoides .

0 6 10 20

MARYLAND

63.(16). Cemophora ooccinea oopei

A Coastal Plain form. Known only
from nine specimens. The Balti¬
more City record is based on an
old specimen in the Museum of Com¬
parative Zoology at Harvard col¬
lected in "Baltimore" in 1862 by
Prof. A. Wyatt. Two apparently
valid sight records exist forSt.
Michaels andTilghman Island;
Specimens were col 1 ected by ki ds
(Cochrane, 1975). Very secretive
snake.

Page 118

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

64. (17) . Matrix e, erythrogaster

Distribution appears spotty. A-
long Pocomoke River and in Dor¬
chester County : 4 mi . S.E. Smith-
v i 1 1 e (Cooper, 1970), Blackwater
Nat. Wildlife Refuge (A. Norden,
5/71), North of Elliott Island
(R. S. Simmons, 7/75), and near
Bucktown (E. Mowbrey, 8/75). A
specimen reported by Cooper (1969)
from Ben Oaks (along the Severn
River) is questionable to the
author .

65.(18). Matrix s. sipedon

Statewide in distribution.

5 10 20 30

MARYLAND

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 119

66.(19). Matrix septemvittata

Northern Coastal Plain west thru
al 1 of the A1 leghany PI ateau , with
the exception of the Valley and
Ridge section of the Appalachian
Province on which it only en¬
croaches. Most abundant in the
piedmont and mounta i nous regions.
Reported from Calvert Co. by Hardy
and Mansuetti (1962) (Specimens
unavailable). Also, recently re¬
ported from near Hunt ington , Cal¬
vert County by Lee (1973)*

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Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

68. (21 ) . Storeria o. oeoipitomac-
ulata

A spotty statewide distribution.
Very common only on the Alleghany
Plateau. A brown and a gray phase
are known in Maryland. The gray
phase predominating populations
on the Alleghany Plateau and oc¬
cassional melanistic individuals
are also not uncommon.

Found in the Eastern Piedmont and
Coastal Plain Provinces on both
the Eastern and Western Shores,
although apparently absent in the
central section of Maryland's
Eastern Shore. Conant (1958) has
reported V . valeriae from south¬
ern Delaware (see spot). The rec¬
ords in the Western Piedmont and
Great Valley Provinces are prob¬
ably examples of species follow¬
ing lowland river valleys.

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Bulletin Maryland He rpeto logical Society

73. (26). Agkistrodon c. mokasen

Appears to be statewide in distri-
bution, except for the central sec¬
tion of the Eastern Shore. Speci¬
mens from the southern Eastern
Shore exhibit some A . c. contor-
trix influences. Some doubt exists
as to this species natural occur¬
rence in Dorchester Co. as speci¬
mens are thought to have been acci¬
dentally introduced via the can¬
ning industry there.

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 123

©SPECIMEN REPORTED

74. (27). Cro talus h. hor vidus

Apparently rather rare in the pied¬
mont provi nces , but becomi ng more
abundant in the Blue Ridge section
of the Appalachian Province west
throughout all of the Alleghany
Plateau. The records north of
are based on old
colony does exist
Dam in Baltimore-
recent ly reported
Mt. in southern

t i more

records, but a

at Pretty Boy
County. Also,
at Sugar Loaf

Frederick Co. A specimen reported Maryland
from Kent Island (Cooper, 1959) was actually collected in Pennsylvania,
and a specimen recently found in northern Anne Arundel Co. just after a
severe storm (Agnes, 1972) was probably washed down duri ng the flooding,
or represents a release.

Apparently statewide in distri¬
bution, although present records
seem to i ndi cate that the popula¬
tions in the Piedmont and Appala¬
chian Provi nces may have been es¬
tablished by distributional ex¬
pansion via lowland river val leys.

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Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 125

78.(4). Clemmys guttata

Apparently statew i de i n d i st r i bu-
tion, except for the south western
portion of the Alleghany Plateau.

Page 126

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

81.(7). Terrapene o . Carolina

Statewide in distribution.

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Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

OSPECIMEN REPORTED

84. (10). Chrysemys p. piota

85. (1 1 ) . Chrysemys p. marginata

The populations on the Alleghany
Plateau (Ohio Drainage) and pos¬
sibly the western portion of the
Valley and Ridge Province may be
assigned to C. p. marginata . Some
populations on the lower Eastern
Piedmont and the populations of
the Coasta 1 PI a i n Prov i nces may be -
assigned to C. p. piota. The pop¬
ulations in the area inbetween are
ten at i vely cons ideredtobe inter¬
grade populations. See Hartman

(1958) Pough S Pough, (1968) for additional information. On the county
distribution and physiographic distribution tables, the intergrade pop¬
ulations will be included in the distribution of C. p. piota.

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Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

spiniferus

Known at present only from near
Selbysport in the Youghiogheny
River. Its occur rence i n the Cas-
selman River (also Ohio Drainage)
is possible. Attempts have been
made to es tab 1 ish this species in
the Potomac River at Cumberland
(Mansueti and Wallace, I960), but
apparently have been unsuccessful .

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 133

Volume 11 Number 3

September 1975

Literature Cited

Allen, J. Frances and R. A. Littleford.

1955. Observations on the feeding habits and growth of immature
diamondback terrapins. Herpetologica 11: 77“80.

Angle, John P.

1969. The reproductive cycle of the northern ravine salamander,
Plethodon riohmondi riohmondi , in the Valley and Ridge Province
of Pennsylvania and Maryland. J . Wash . Acad, Sci. 59 ( 1-3):
192-202.

Anonymous .

1929. Do snakes take mi 1 k from cows? Quarterly Bull . Maryland Acad,
Sci. 8(h) :4.

Anonymous .

1929. The horned toad in Maryland. Quarterly Bull. Maryland Acad.
Sci. 8(h): 6.

Anonymous .

1973. Rambl i ng through southern Maryland : No. 23 Battle Creek cypress
swamp (mention occurrence of H. femoralis ). Tri-County Council
for Southern Maryland, Waldorf, Md.

Anonymous .

1974. Photo of t imber ratt lesnake from Sugar loaf Mounta i n . The Hews,
Frederick, Maryland, Wednesday, July 10:d-7.

Baird, S. F. and C. Girard.

1853. Catalogue of North American reptiles in the museum of the
Smithsonian Institution, Part I. Serpents. Smith. Misc. Coll.,
172 pp.

Barton, A. J. and J. W. Price, Sr.

1955. Our knowl edge of the bog turtle Clemmys muhlenbergi surveyed
and augmented. Copeia 1955 (3 ) - 1 59“1 65 •

Bartsch , Paul .

1944. Observations on Hyla evittata. Copeia 1944 (3 ) - 1 87 -
Bierly , E. J .

1954. Turtles in Maryland and Vi rginia. Atlantic Wat. 9 (5) : 244-249 -

Bishop, S. C. and F. J. W. Schmidt.

1931. Painted turtles of the genus Chrysemys. Field Mus. Pub. Chic.,
Zool. Ser. 18(h) , Pub. 293:123-129.

Blake, S. F.

1921 . Sexual di fferences in coloration i n the spotted turtle, Clemmys

guttata. Proc. U.S. Wat. Mus. 50:463-469, pi. 99.

Blanchard, F. N.

1921. Revi s ion of the king snakes: genus Lampropeltis . Bull. U. S.
Wat. Mus. 114 (\l\) :269, 78 figs.

Brady, Maurice K.

1924. Muhlenberg's turtle near Washington. Copeia 1924( 135) :92.

Page 134

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 11 Number 3

September 1975

1 9 2 V. Pseudotriton mont anus near Washington. Copeia 1924 (1 30) : 54-

55.

1925. Notes on the herpetology of Hog Island. Copeia 1925 (l 37) : 1 1 0-

111.

1937. Natural history of Plummers Island, Maryland VI - reptiles
and amphibians. Proa. Biol . Soo. Wash . 50: 137" 1^0.

Bures, Joseph A.

1940. Color and color changes in amphibia. Bull . Nat, Hist, Soo,
Md, 10(8) : 79“80 .

Burns , Michael .

1973- Hopkins scientists discover val ley buried beneath Chesapeake
Bay. The Sun, Friday, January 12: C-22.

Buxbaum, Robert and Romeo Mansueti.

1942. The marbled salamander, Ambystoma opaoum (Gravenhorst) in the
Gunpowder Falls area. Bull, Nat, Hist, Soo, Md. XIl( 3 ) : 43 •

Campbel 1 , Howard W.

I960. The bog turtle in Maryland. Md. Nat. XXX{] -4) : 1 5"1 6 .

Cargo, D. G.

1955. Motorists urged to avoid hitting box turtles on roads. Md.

Tidewater News 1 2 (2): 1,2, 3.

1 960 . Predat i on of eggs of the spotted salamander, Ambystoma maoul-
atum by the 1 eech , Maorobdella deoora. Chesapeake Soi. 1(2):
119-120.

Carr, Archie.

1952. Handbook of turt les . Cornel 1 Univ. Press, Ithaca, N.Y. , 542 pp.
Carver, Daniel.

1970. A new state record! . No. Bull. Md. Herp. Soo. 5(l):l6.

Clark, Austin.

1930. Records of the wood turt 1 e (Clemmys insoulpta) i n the vi ci n i ty
of the D i s tr i ct of Col umb i a . Proo. Biol. Soo. Wash. 43: 1 3 _ 1 5 -

Cochrane, James.

1975. Personal communication. August 30, 1975.

Cohen , Elias.

1936. A key to Maryland turtles we should know. Nat. Hist. Soo.
Md. Jr. Bull. 1( 2):4-6.

1 936 . One of Maryland's most common snakes (DeKay snake). Bull.
Nat. Hist. Soo. Md. 6( 12): 70~72 .

1937. A two-headed snake (Thamnophis sirtalis) . Bull. Nat. Hist.
Soo. Md. 8(2) : 9"1 0 .

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

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Volume 11 Number 3

September 1975

1939* An observat ion on the economic value of the pilot blacksnake,

Elaphe obsoleta obsoleta (Say) . Bull, Nat, Hist, Soc, Md.

0 (1 1 ) : 1 1 1 .

1939. An observat ion on the vivaci ty of the snapping turtle ( Chelydra
serpentina). Bull, Nat, Hist, Soc. Md, 20(1): 10-11.

19^5 . Two records of salamander monstrosities from Maryland. Md,
J, Nat, Hist, 25(4) :76, 2 figs.

1 9 48'. Delayed parturi t ion of Storeria occipitomaculata (Storer) in
captivity. Herpetologica 4( 6): 227.

1948. 1 Emergence of Coluber 0, constrictor from hibernation. Copeia

1948 (2) : 1 37-138.

Collins, R. and W. G. Lynn.

1934. Fossil turtles of Maryland. Amer, Philos, Soc, Trans. 50(6):

63-88.

. and W. Gardner Lynn.

”* 1938 . Fossil turtl es from Maryland . Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc. LXXVI

(2) :151-173, 4 pis.

Committee on Rare and Endangered Amphibians and Reptiles of Maryland.
1973- Endangered amphibians and reptiles of Maryland. Bull. Md.
Herp. Soc. 9( 3) : 42- 1 00 .

Conant, Roger.

1940. Rana virgatipes in Delaware. Herpetologica 2:178-177.

1943. Matrix erythrogaster erythrogaster in the northeastern part
of its range. Herpetologica 2(5):83“86.

1943. The milk snakes of the Atlantic Coastal Plain. Proc. New

England Zool. Club 22: 3“24, 3 pi .

1945. An annotated check list of the amphib ians and rept i les of the
Del-Mar-Va Peninsula. Soc. Nat. Hist. Del., pp. 1-8.

T94S . Intergradation among ring-necked snakes from southern New
Jersey and the Del-Mar-Va Peninsula. Bull. Chicago Acad.
Sci. 7 (10) : A73”482.

1 947 . VI. Rept i 1 es and amph i b ians in Delaware, pp. 23“25. In: Del¬
aware, a History of the First State , H. Clay Reed, ed., Lewis
Historical Publishing Co., Inc., New York.

Page 136

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 11 Number 3

September 1975

1 9 Vy . The carpenter frog in Maryland. Maryland XVII (k) : 72-73.

1955. Notes on Matrix erythrogaster from the eastern and western
extremes of its range. Mat. Hist. Miso. Chicago Acad. Sci.

(l47):1-3.

1958. A field gu ide to rept i les and amph i b i ans of the United States
and Canada east of the 100th meridian. Houghton Mifflin Co.3
Boston 3 xviii + 366 pp.

1 958 . Notes on the herpetology of the Delmarva Peninsula. Copeia
1958{ l):50-52.

1 975. A field guide to repti les and amphibians of eastern and central
North America. Houghton Mifflin Co. , Boston , xvi ii + 429 pp.

Conner, Richard N. and Irvine D. Prather.

1974. Snakes: friend or foe. Maryland Conservationist 50 ( 2 ) : 27~ 3 1 •

Cooper, John E.

1947. Records of the loggerhead turtle in Maryland waters. Mat.
Hist. Soc. Md. Jr. Soc. Mews 3(1 4) :2, 1 fig.

1 9^8. An" extens ion of the range of the eastern ground snake in Mary¬
land. Md. Mat. XVIII (3) : 51 “52 .

1 SkS. MaVyland frogs and toads. Md. Naturalist 18 (2) : 37“40.

1 946 . Notes on the lizards of Maryland. Mat. Hist. Soc . Md. Jr.
Soc. Mews. 17(4) : 1 8-21 .

1 949. Additional records for Clermys muhlenbergi from Maryland.

Herpetologica

1950. Maryland treefrogs. Md. Mat. ZX(4) : 77“80 .

1 950. TTTe scar 1 et snake ( Cemophora coccinea) in Maryland. Md. Mat.
XX (4) : 67“ 69 .

1953. Notes on the amphibians and reptiles of southern Maryland.
Md. Mat. XXIII( 3“4) -.90-100.

1 956. A~Maryland hibernation site for herptiles. Herpetologia 12

(3) : 2 38 .

1 956 . An annotated 1 i st of the amph i b i ans and rept i 1 es of Anne Arundel
County, Maryland. Md. Mat. XXVI (1-4): 16-23.

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

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Volume 11 Number 3

September 1975

1956. Aquatic hibernation of the red-backed salamander. Herpeto-
logioa 12 { 3):l65~l66.

1957. An unusua 1 water snake from Maryland. Herpetologica 73(1): 28.

1958. Some albino rept i 1 es and pol ydacty lous frogs. Herpetologica
14 ( 1): 54-56.

1958. The snake Haldea valeriae pulchra in Maryland. Herpetologica

14: 121-122.

1959. A record 1 ength northern red-bellied snake from Mary land . Md.
Nat . XXIX (1-4): 22.

1959.

The ratt lesnake, Crotalus horridus , in the Maryland Piedmont.

Herpetologica 15( 1 ) : 33“34 .

1959.

The turtle Pseudemys seripta feral in Maryland. Herpetologica

15:kh.

I960.

A mating antic of the long-tailed salamander. Md. Nat. XXX
(1-4) : 1 7-1 8.

i960.

Another ra i nbow snake, Abastor erythrogrammus , from Maryland .
Chesapeake Sci. 1 (3"4) :203-204.

I960.

Distributional survey V of Maryland and the District of Co¬
lumbia. Bull . Fhila . Herp . Soc. May -June : 1 8- 24 .

1961 .

Further notes on non-i ndigenous turtles in Maryland. Her¬
petologica 17: 209-210.

1961 . TFe distribution of the mole snake in Maryland. Herpetologica
17 ( 2):141.

1 965 . Cave-associated herpetozoa. I. An annotated dichotomous key
to the adult cave-associated salamanders of Maryland, Penn¬
sylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. Balto. Grotto News 8
(7) : 1 50-163. ~

1 965 . Distributional survey: Maryland and the D i str ict of Col umb ia .

Repr i n ted from Fhila. Herp. Soc. Bull. 8 (3) : 1 8-24 , and rev i sed
by H . S . Harr i s , Jr . (Nov. 1965). Bull . Md. Herp . Soc . 2(1):
3-14.

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Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 11 Number 3

September 1975

T959^ ~ red-be 1 1 i ed water snake from Maryland's western coastal

plain. J. Herp.3( 3-4) : 1 85"! 86 .

1970. Distributional survey: Mary 1 and and the D is tr i ct of Col umb ia .
Herp . Rev. 2(2) :6 (A Review).

1970. Hyla femoralis in Maryland, revisited. Bull. Md. Herp. Soc.
0(0:14-15.

Cope, Edward Drinker.

1873. Sketch of the zoology of Maryland. In: Walling and Gray's
New Topographical Atlas of Maryland. Phila. , O.W.Gray , pp.
16-18.

Check-list of North American batrachia and reptilia. Bull.
U. S. Nat. Mus . No. 1 , pi . 104.

rror

On a new species of Tropidonotus found i n Wash i ng ton . Proe.
U. S. Nat. Mus. 10: 1 46 .

1892.

A critical rev iewof the characters and variations of the snakes
of North America. Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. 1891, 14: 589-694.

1893.

Color var iat ions of the milk snake. Amer. Nat. 27 : 1 066-1071 ,
pi. 24-28, 10 figs.

1896.

The geographical distribution of batrachia and reptilia in
North America. Amer. Nat. 30:886-902, 993" 1 026 .

1900. The crocod i 1 i ans , 1 i zards , and snakes of North America. Ann.

Rept. Smiths. Inst., U. S. Nat. Mas. 7555 : 1 53"1 270 , 36 pi.

Cramer, W. S.

1935. Lancaster County turtle. Pennsylvania Angler 4(2):15.
Davis, H. T. and C. B. Brimley.

1944. Poisonous snakes of the eastern United States , w i th f i rst aid
guide. Maryland, J. Nat. Hist. 74(3) :75 (A review).

Ducatel , G. T.

1837. Outl i nes of the physical geography of Mary 1 and , embracing its
prominent geological features. Trans. Md. Acad. Sei. Lit. 2:
24-54.

Dunn, Emmett Reid.

1918. A prel imi nary 1 i s t of the rept i les and amph i bians of Virginia.
Copeia 1918(53) : 16-27

1920. Some reptiles and amphibians from Virginia, North Carolina,
Tennessee and Alabama. Proc. Biol. Soo. Wash. 33:129-137 .

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

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Volume 11 Number 3

September 1975

Tsir. ThT sa 1 amanders of the family PI ethodont i dae. Smith College
50th Anniversary Publ.3 Northampton , Massachusetts , viii +
441 pp.

1936. L ist of Vi rg inia amphibians and repti les. Eaverford College 3
5 pp.

1937. The status of Hyla evittata Miller. Proc. Biol . Soc . Wash.
50: 9-10.

and Robert Allen.

1935. The red-bellied watersnake i n Pennsy 1 van ia . Copeia 1935 (4):
180-181 .

East, Charles S.

1927. Note on the occurrence of the six-lined racerunner in the
District of Columbia. J. Wash. Acad. Sci. 17:333.

Eichhorn, Henry C.

1940. A note on the resistance to desiccation of the toad. Bull.
Jr. Div. , Nat. Hist. Soc., Md. 4(2) :49.

Ewing, H. E.

1926. The common box turtle, a natural host for chiggers. Proc.
Biol. Soc. Wash. 30:19-20.

1933. Reproduction in the eastern box turtle, Terrapene Carolina
(Linne). Copeia 1933 (2):95“96.

1935. Further notes on the reproduction of the eastern box turtle,

Terrapene Carolina (Linne). Copeia 1935 (2): 102.

1937. Notes on a Florida box turtle, Terrapene bauri Taylor, kept
under Maryland conditions. Copeia 1937 (2):l4l0

Fowler, Henry W.

1915. Some amphibians and repti les of Ceci 1 County , Maryland. Copeia
1915 (22) : 37-40.

1925. Records of amph i bians and rept i 1 es for Delaware , Maryland and
Virginia II. Maryland. Copeia 1925 (l45):6l-64.

Fowler, James A.

1941. The occurrence of Pseudotriton m. montanus in Maryland. Copeia
1941 ( 3):181.

1944. A col lection of salamanders from Allegany County, Maryland.

Maryland, J. Nat. Hist. 14 ( 4):90-92.

1944. Records of the purple salamander (Gyrinophilus porphyriticus)
in Maryland. Copeia 1944:60.

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Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

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September 1975

1945. A hibernating water snake. Maryland, J. Nat. Hist. 15(A): 75.

1 945 . An unspotted red salamander. Maryland , J. Nat. Hist. 15(4):
72.

1 945 . Notes on Cemophora oocoinea (Blumenbach) in Maryland and the
District of Columbia vicinity. Proo. Biol. Soo. Nash. 55:89-90.

TSW. The amph i b i ans and rept i 1 es of Nat iona 1 Capital Parks and the
D i st r i ct of Col umb i a region. U.S. Dept. Int. , Nat. Pk. Serv .,
Washington , pp. 1-4.

19^6 . A new local i ty record for Eumeoes latioeps (Schneider) in Mary¬
land. Proo. Biol. Soo. Wash. 55:165.

1 946. Parti a 1 neoteny in a common newt. Proo. Biol. Soi. Wash . 55:166.

19"4 6 . The eggs of Pseudotriton montanus montanus. Copeia 1946 (2):
105.

1 947. The hellbender (Cryptobranohus alleganiensis) in Maryland.

Maryland XVII ( 1) : 14-17.

1 9V7 . The upland chorus frog in Maryland. Maryland XVII (4) :7 3 , 76-77.

1950. A record for the eggs of Cryptobranohus in Maryland. Md. Nat.
XX(h) : 75-76 .

1 989 . A note concerning the presumed occurrence of Hyla femoralis
in Maryland. Bull. Md. Herp. Soo. 5(3) *• 80-81 .

_ and C. J. Stine.

1953. A new county record for Miorohyla oarolinensis oarolinensis
in Maryland. Herpetologioa 9 (4) : 1 67“ 1 68 .

_ and Grace Orton.

1 947. The occurrence of Hyla femoralis in Maryland. Maryland XVII
(1 ) : 6-7 •

Franz, L. Richard, Jr.

1984. The eggs of the long-tailed sal amander f rom a Maryland cave.

Herpetologioa 20: 216.

1 986. An abnormal pattern in the eastern milk snake Lampropeltis
doliata triangulum. Bull. Md. Herp. Soo.2{ 1 ) : 1 1 .

TsZT. Rid"T eg in a natural popu 1 at i on of Mary 1 and amphibians. Bull.
Md. Herp . Soo . 2(2) :~J .

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

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Volume 11 Number 3

September 1975

1 967. Annotated check 1 i st of cave-associ ated reptiles and amphib¬
ians of Maryland. Bull. Md. Herp. Soo . 3 (3 ) : 51 ”53 •

1 967 . Notes on the long-tai led salamander, Euryoea longioauda longi-
oauda (Green) i n Maryl and caves . Bull. Md. Herp. Soo. 3(1): 1-6.

1 967 . Notes on the northern fence lizard* Soeloporus undulatus hya-
ointhinus , from Allegany County, Maryland. Bull. Md. Herp.
Soo. 3(2): 30-3 1 •

1 967. Personal commun i cation .

1968. Abnormal colorat ion in Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis from the
Alleghany PI ateau of Mary land . Bull. Md. Herp. Soo. 4(k) :80.

1968. A copperhead from Garrett County, Maryland. Bull. Md. Herp.
Soo. 4{ 3):6l.

1 968 . Early appearance of the eastern garter snake, Thamnophis sir¬
talis sirtalis * in Maryland. Bull. Md. Herp. Soo. 4 (4): 81.

1972. Dusky sa 1 amanders and the Alleghany Front of Maryland. Bull.
Md. Herp. Soo. 8( 3):6l-64.

1972. Maryland Herpetology: Tiger salamander. Bull. Md. Herp. Soo.

5(4) : 100.

1972. Maryland Herpetology: Timber rattlesnake. Bull. Md. Herp.
Soo. <9(3) : 82 .

1972. Maryland Herpetology: Upland chorus frog. Bull. Md. Herp.
Soo. 5(3): 81.

1973* Maryland Herpetology: Eastern tiger salamanders . Bull. Md.
Herp. Soo. 5(1): 15.

1973. Maryland Herpetology:

Frogs. Bull. Md. Herp. Soo. 5(l):15.

T9S57

and Herbert S. Harris, Jr.

Mass transformation and movement of larval long-tailed sal¬
amanders, Euryoea longicauda longioauda (Green) . J. Ohio Herp.
Soo. 5(1) :32.

Funderberg, John B., Charles H. Hotchkiss, and Peter Hertl.

1 974 . First records of the eastern tiger salamander, Ambystoma ti-
grinum tigrinum Green, in Virginia. Bull. Md. Herp. Soo. 10
(2) : 57“58 .

Page 142

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 11 Number 3

September 1975

1974. The wood frog t Rana sylvatica LeConte, i n the V i rg i nia coastal
plain. Bull . Md. Herp. Soc. 10 { 2): 58-59.

, Peter Hertl , and William M. Kerfoot .

1974. A range extension for the carpenter frog, Rana virgatipes Cope,
in the Chesapeake Bay Region. Bull. Md. Herp. Soe. 10(3) *11-13 •

Goldsmith, Tim.

1953* The copperhead in Seneca Maryland area. Atlantic Hat. 8( 1*0 :
200(March-Apri 1 ) .

Graham, Stephan.

1973. The fi rst record of Caretta caretta codetta nesting on a Mary¬
land beach. Bull. Md. Herp. Soc. 9( 2): 24-26.

Gr i zzel 1 , Roy A. , Jr .

1949. The hi bernation si te of three snakes and a sal amander . Copeia
1949 (3) : 231 "232 .

Grobman, A. B.

1944. The d i str i but ion of the sal amanders of the genus Plethodon in
eastern United States and Canada. Ann. H. Y. Acad. Sci . 45
(Art. 7) : 261-316.

Grogan, William L. , Jr.

1971- Notes on hatchl i ng mole snakes , Lampropeltis calligaster rhom-
bomaculata Holbrook, in Mary land . Bull. Md. Herp. Soc. 7(2): 42.

1971.

The first record of the corn snake, Elaphe guttata guttata,
from West Virginia. Bull. Md. Herp. Soc . 7(4):95“96.

1973.

A northern pi ne snake, Pituophis m . melanoleucus , from Mary¬
land. Bull. Md. Herp. Soc. 9( 2) : 27“30 .

1973.

Elaphe guttata guttata. Geographic Distribution. Hiss-Neus
J. 7 (1 ) :21 .

1974.

A new county record for the four-toed salamander, Hemidactylium
scutatum, in Maryland. Bull. Md. Herp. Soc. 10( 1 ) : 32-33 •

1974.

Effects of accidental envenomation from the saliva of the
eastern hog nose snake, Heterodon platy rhinos. Herpetologica
s<3{3) :248-249.

1974.

Notes on Lampropeltis calligaster rhomb omaculata and Rana
virgatipes. Bull. Md. Herp. Soc. 10( 1 ) : 33”34 .

1975.

A Maryland hibernaculum of northern brown snakes, Storeria
d. dekayi. Bull. Md. Herp. Soc. ll(\):21.

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

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September 1975

and Danny Bystrak.

1973.

Longevity and size records for the newts Notophthalmus ver-
striatus and Notophthalmus v. viridescens. Hiss News-J . 1
(2) : 54.

and Gaye L. Willi ams .

1973.

Notes on hatch 1 i ng painted turtles, Chrysemys p. pictat from
Maryland. Bull. Md. Herp. Soc. 9 (4) : 1 08-1 1 0 .

and John J. White, Jr.

1973.

An additional corn snake, Elaphe guttata guttata , from West¬
ern Maryland. Bull. Md. Herp. Soc. 9( 2 ; : 33“ 34 .

and Paul G. Bystrak.

1973.

Early breeding activity of Rana sphenocephala and Bufo wood-
housei fowleri in Maryland. Bull. Md. Herp. Soc. d(4):106.

1973.

The amphibians and repti les of Kent Island, Maryland. Bull.
Md. Herp. Soc. 9 (4) : 1 1 5"1 1 8 .

Gronberger ,
1915.

S. M.

On a small collection of frogs and toads of the District of
Columbia. Copeia 1915 (24) : 54-55 .

Groves, Frank.

1936. The common blacksnake (Coluber constrictor constrictor ) . Bull .
Nat . Hist . Soc. Md. 3 Jr . Div. 1(4): 11-1 3.

1941.

An unusual feedi ng record of the keel ed green snake, Opheodrys
aestivus. Bull. Nat. Hist. Soc. Md. 12(2) : 27 .

1957.

Eggs and young of the cornsnake in Maryland. Herpetologiea
i3(1 ) : 79-80.

1961 .

Notes on two large broods of Haldea v . valeriae (Ba i rd & Gi rard).

Herpetologiea 27(1) : 7 1 .

1968.

Personal communication.

1972.

Maryland Herpetology: Northern copperhead. Bull. Md. Herp.
Soc. 8( 3):82.

Groves, John D.

1966. Notes on a severed black rat snake, Elaphe obsoleta obsoleta .
Bull. Md. Herp. Soc. 2( 3) : 9 -

1966.

Notes on a xanthic eastern garter snake, Thamnophis sirtalis
sirtalis. Bull. Md. Herp. Soc. 2(3) 18.

1970.

A record size for the northern brown snake, Storeria dekayi
dekayi. Bull. Md. Herp. Soc. 6( 3): 56.

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September 1975

1972. Additional notes on the turtle, Chrysemys script a in Maryland.
Bull. Md. Herp . Soo . 8{ 2): 52-53.

1972.

Maryland Herpetology: B1 ack rat snake. Bull. Md. Herp.
S (4) : 1 00.

. Soo.

1972.

Maryland Herpetology: Eastern milk snake. Bull. Md.
Soo. S (4) : 100.

Herp.

1972.

Maryland Herpetology: Six-lined racerunner. Bull. Md.
Soo. 8 (A) : 1 00 .

Herp.

1973. Maryland Herpetology: B1 ack rat snake . Bull. Md. Herp. Soo.
9( 1 ) : 16.

1973. Maryland Herpetology: Northern copperhead. Bull. Md. Herp.
Soo. 0(1):15.

1973. Maryland Herpetology: Timber rattlesnake. Bull. Md. Herp.
Soo. 0(1) :16.

_ and Donal Boyer.

1972. A blue Thamnophis sirtalis from Maryland. Bull. Md. Herp.
Soo. 5(3) : 80 .

Groves, M. Francis.

1 940 . The rept i 1 es of Cherry H i 1 1 . Bull. Jr. Div . 3 Hat. Hist. Soo.
Md. 4: 1-6, 2 figs.

1 9 4 1 . Notes on the brown king snake, Lampropeltis rhomb omaoulata.
Bull. Hat. Hist. Soo. Md. 11 (5) : 1 00-1 01 .

1 9^6. Ovi pos i t ion in the eastern worm snake. Maryland, J. Hat. Hist.
16(h): 84.

1 9^7 • Notes on the eggs and young of the common skink ( Eumeoes fas-
oiatus) . Maryland XVIl(\ ) : 1 7“ 1 9 •

TWT. Variant specimens of ring-necked snakes in Maryland. Copeia
1947(h): 274.

Hahn, Richard A.

1975. Personal communication.

_ and P. S. Goodwin.

1 966. CoTTecting notes from Frederick County, Maryland, with two
new county records. Bull. Md. Herp. Soo . 2(2): 8-9 -

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

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September 1975

Hardy, Jerry D. , Jr.

1946. A case of cannibalism in Leiolopisma unicolor . Nat . Hist.
Soo. Md. , Jr. Soc. News 2(7) : 7 -

1952. A concentration of juvenile spotted salamanders, Ambystoma
maculatum (Shaw). Copeia 1952 ( 3): 181-182.

1953. Notes on the distribution of Mierohyla carolinensis in south¬
ern Maryland. Herpetologica 8 (4) : 1 62-1 66 .

1962. Comments on the Atlantic Ridley turtle, Lepidoohelys olivacea
kempi , in the Chesapeake Bay. Chesapeake Sei. 3 (3) :21 7“220 .

1964. A new frog, Rana palustris mansuetii , subsp. nov., from the
Atlantic coastal plain. Chesapeake Sci. 5(1-2) :91 -100.

1 96V. The spontaneous occurrence of scoliosis in tadpoles of the
leopard frog, Rana pipiens. Chesapeake Sei. 5(1-2) : 101-102.

1 969 • Records of the leatherback turtle, Dermochelys eoriaeea cor -
iaeea (Linnaeus), from the Chesapeake Bay. Bull. Md. Herp.
Soc. 5(3):92-96.

1972. Amphibians of the Chesapeake Bay region. In: Biota of the
Chesapeake Bay. Chesapeake Sci. 13: SI 23“ S 1 28.

1972.

Rept i les of the Chesapeake Bay Region. In: Biota of the Ches¬
apeake Bay. Chesapeake Sci. 13: SI 28-SI 34 .

and Janet Olmon.

1971.

Zoogeography in Action: Observations on the movements of
terrestrial vertebrates across open water. Md. Herp. Soc.
Newsletter 197 l( 1 ) : 4—6 .

and R. J . Mansuet i .

1962.

Checklist of the amphibians and reptiles of Calvert County,
Maryland. Nat. Res. Inst. Univ.ofMd. Ref. No. (62-34) : 1 - 1 2
(Mimeo) .

and Yono Mork.

1950. A giant red salamander from Maryland. Herpetologica 6( 1):74.

Harper, Francis.

1955. A new chorus frog ( Pseudacris ) from the eastern United States.

Chicago Acad. Sci. Nat. Hist. Misc . 150:1-6.

Harris, Herbert S., Jr.

1966. A checkl i st of the amphibians and reptiles of Patapsco State
Park, Baltimore and Howard Counties, Maryland. Bull. Md. Herp.
Soc. 2( l):4-7 .

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September 1975

- T55F”

Add i t ions to the distributional survey: Mary 1 and and the Dis¬
trict of Columbia-1. Bull, Md. Herp. Soo, 2(4): 24-26.

1967.

Albinism in the Jefferson sal amander , Ambystoma jeffersonianum
Green. Bull, Md. Herp. Soo. 3(4): 99“ 1 00.

1968.

Addi tional albino amphibians and reptiles from Maryland. Bull.
Md. Herp. Soo. 4{ 4): 88-89.

1968.

Add i t ions to the distributional survey: Mary 1 and and the Dis¬
trict of Columbia-1 1. Bull.. Md. Herp. Soo. 4( 4):85“86.

1968.

A survey of albinism in Maryland amphibians and reptiles.
Bull. Md. Herp. Soo. 4(3):57"60.

1968.

Rei dent i f i cat ion of two Maryland Pseudemys. Bull. Md. Herp.
Soo. 4(k) :97.

1989.

Distributional Survey: Maryland and the D i st r i ct of Col umb i a .
Bull. Md. Herp. Soo. 5(4): 97“ 1 6 1 .

1970.

Abnormal pigmentation in Maryland amphibians and reptiles.
Bull. Md. Herp. Soo. 5(2) : 2 1 - 27 .

and Dan i el J . Lyons .

1968.

The first record of the green salamander Aneides aeneus (Cope
and Packard) in Maryland. J. Herp.l( 1-4) : 106-107 .

1968.

The green salamander, Aneides aeneus (Cope and Packard) in
Maryland. Bull. Md. Herp. Soo. 4(1): 1-6.

and Jerry D. Hardy, Jr.

1974.

Diamondback terrapin. In: The existing conditions report on
the biota of the Chesapeake Bay - a continuation, Wass et. al .
(editors). U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District,
Contract #DACW 3 1 “ 7 3“ C-0 1 2 7 , pp. I-103-I-107.

1971).

Snapping turtle. In: The existing conditions report on the
biota of the Chesapeake Bay - a continuation, Wass et. al .
(editors). U.S. Army Corps of Engineers , Baltimore District,
Contract #DACW 3W3-C-0127, pp. I-97“I-102.

and L. R. Franz and C. J. Stine.

1967.

Some problems in Maryland herpetology. Bull. Md. Herp. Soo.
2 (3) : 6 1 -62 .

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

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September 1975

Hartman , Wi 1 bur L .

1958.

Intergradation between two subspecies of painted turtle, genus

Chrysemys. Copeia 1958(h) : 26 1 -265 .

Hay, O.P.
1893.

On the breeding habits, eggs and young of certain snakes.
Proa. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1892 15: 385-397.

~T393.

Some observations on the turtles of the genus Malaclemys,
Proo, U, S. Nat, Mus. 15: 379“383.

1908.

The fossil turtles of North America. Carnegie Inst. Wash.
Publ. (75) : i v + 568, 1 13 pi., 703 figs.

Hay, W. P.
1902.

On the distribution of Hyla evittata Miller. Proo. Biol. Soc.
Wash. XV : 1 99 •

1902.

The color of the fully adult Ophiobolus rhomb omaculatus Hol¬
brook. Proo . Biol. Soc. Wash . 15: 90.

1902.

The list of batrachians and reptiles of the District of Co¬
lumbia and vicinity. Proo. Biol. Soo. Wash. 25:121-145.

1905.

A revision of Malaolemmys. Bull. U.S. Bur. Fish. 1904, 24: 1-19.

1917.

Artificial propagation of the diamond-back terrapin. U. S.

Bur. Fish., Eoon. Ciro. 5:1-22.

Hecht, M. K. and Bessie L. Matalas.

1946. A review of the middle North American toads of the genus

Miorohyla. Am. Mus. Novitates (1315):! -21, 12 figs.

Henshaw, H. W.

1907. An extension of the range of the wood tortoise. Proa, Biot,
Soc, Wash , 20: 65.

Hert i 1 , Peter .

1973. Maryland Herpetology: Eastern tiger salamander. Bull, Md,
Herp. Soc, P ( 1 ) : 1 5 .

Highton, Richard.

I960.

The scientific name of the red-backed salamander. Eerpeto-
logioa 16: 236.

1971 .

Distributional i nteract ions among eastern North Amer i can sal¬
amanders of the genus Plethodon . In: The distributional
history of the biota of the southern Appalachians. Part 111:
Vertebrates. Perry C. Holt et. al . editors. Res. Div. Mon -

egraph 4. Va. Poly. Inst, and St. Univ., Blacksburg, Va.

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September 1975

Hildebrand, S. F.

1929. Review of experiments on artificial cultures of diamond-back
terrapin. Bull, U.S, Bur, Fish, 1929 , £5:25“70, tab. I-36.

“ 1932. Growth of diamond-back terrapins, size attained, sex ratio

and longevity. Zoologica 3: 551 "593*

_ and Herbert F. Prytherch.

1947. Diamond-back terrapin culture. U.S. Dept. Interior, Fishery
Leaflet 216:1-6.

Hoffman, Richard L.

1946. The voice of Hyla versicolor in Virginia. Herpetologica 2(4):

141-142.

1 9^9. A geographic variation gradient in Cnemidophorus . Herpeto¬
logica 5(6) : 149.

Hopkins, Howard H.

1890. Observat ions on the copperhead snake, Ancistrodon contortrix.
Trans. Maryland Acad. Sci. 1: 89_96.

Hopkins, Thomas C., Jr.

1970. Biological sampl i ng of the Youghiogheny River, October 19&9.

Report of State of Md. Dept. Water Resources Water Quality
Investigation Division, pp. 33 (unnumbered) May, 1970.

Howden, Harry F.

1943. Control of d i seases and paras i tes of snakes . Bull. Hat. Hist.
Soc. Md. 13( 3) :4l -44.

Howden, Henry F.

1946. The brown king snake or mole snake {Lampropeltis rhomboma-
culata) in Maryland. Maryland XVI { 2) :3d"40.

Jones, Duvall Albert.

1962. Geographical variation of the chorus frog, Pseudacris tri-
seriata (Wied), 1839, in the middle at 1 antic states. Proc.
Virginia J. Sci. 13: 249“250.

Ke i m , T . D .

1914. Amphibians and reptiles of Jennings, Maryland. Copeia 1914

(2) : 2 .

Keller, William F.

1945. Notes on Maryland salamanders. Copeia 1945( 4 ) : 23 3 -

Kelly, Howard A., Aufrey W. Davis and Harry C. Robertson.

1936. Snakes of Maryland. Baltimore. Nat. Hist. Soc. Md. 103 pp.,
10 pi., 33 figs.

K1 i ngel , G . C .

1944. Notes from field and laboratory , Cnemidophorus sexlineatus
at Sandy Point. Maryland, J. Nat. Hist. 14{3)-13.

Kramer, David.

1967. A red-bel lied turtle, Pseudemys rubriventris, from Kent County,
Maryland. Bull. Md. Herp. Soc. 3(4) : 1 03 •

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September 1975

1972. Maryland Herpetology: frogs. Bull. Md . Herp. Soo . 0(3) : 8 1 .
L., E.

1880. Bundles of snakes. Amer. Nat. 14: 206-207.

Lamay, Leo and Anthony G. Marsiglia.

1952. The coal skink, Eumeoes anthraoinus (Baird), in Maryland.

Copeia 1952 {3) : 1 93 .

Latrobe, F. C.

1939. The diamondback terrapin. 20th Century Press, Baltimore,

Md. , 22 pp. , ill.

Leake, James.

1938. The milk snake in nature. Bull. Jr. Div., Nat. Hist. Soo.
Md. 2( 3) : 33-36.

Lee, David S.

1968. Springs as hibernation sites for Maryland's herpetofauna .
Bull. Md. Herp. Soo. 4(h): 82-83.

1970. Ecological associ at ions of amph i b i ans and reptiles with cer¬
tain Maryland mammals. Bull. Md. Herp. Soo. 6( 2 ) : 1 9” 2 1 .

1972. List of the amphibians and reptiles of Assateaque Island.
Bull. Md. Herp. Soo. 8(h): 90-95.

1972. Maryland Herpetology: Northern fence 1 i zard . Bull. Md. Herp.
Soo. 8 (4) : 1 00 .

1972. Maryland Herpetology: Smooth green snake. Bull. Md. Herp.
Soo. 8(3) : 82 .

1972. Necturus in Maryland. Bull. Md. Herp. Soo. 8( 3): 66.

1973. Additional reptiles and amphibians from Assateaque Island.
Bull. Md. Herp. Soo. 9(h) : 1 1 0-1 1 1 .

1973. An annotated 1 i st of amphibians, rept i 1 es and mamma 1 s of I r i sh
Grove Sanctuary, Somerset County, Maryland. Unpubl i shed, 9 pp.

1973. Another record for the queen snake in southern Maryland. Bull.
Md. Herp. Soo. £(4): 107.

1973. Maryland Herpetology: Frogs. Bull. Md. Herp. Soo. 0(1) :15.

1973. Maryland Herpetology: New Jersey chorus frogs. Bull. Md.
Herp. Soo. 0(11) :15.

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Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

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September 1975

1973.

Seasonal breeding distributions for selected Maryland and
Delaware amphibians. Bull. Md. Herp. Soo. 9 (4) : 1 01-1 04.

and Arnold W. Norden.

1973.

A food study of the green salamander, Aneides aeneus. J. Herp.
7(1) =53-54.

and Richard Franz.

1974.

Comments on the feeding behav i or of 1 arva 1 tiger salamanders,

Ambystoma tigrinum. Bull. Md. Herp. Soo. 20(4) : 105. 1 07.

L i tt'leford ,
1945.

Robert A.

Dekay's snake in Maryland. Copeia 1945 ( 1 ) : 50 .

1946.

A congress of fowler's toads. Copeia 1946(2): 104.

1955.

Another record for Cemophora ooooinea (Blumenbach) in Mary¬
land. Herpetologioa 11: 104.

and Wm. F. Kel ler .

1946.

Egg laying and development of the pilot black snake. Copeia
1946(3) : 1 69-170.

1946. Observat i ons on capt i ve pilot black snakes and common water-
snakes. Copeia 1946(3) : 1 60— 1 67 , 2 tab.

Lyons, Daniel J.

1966. The preservation of amphi bians with regard to color retention
and flexibility. Bull . Md. Herp. Soo . 2(4): 1-20.

1972. New animals for Maryland — the green salamander. Maryland
Conservationist , May - June:8-1 2.

Manns, Bruce.

1969. Notes on Clemmys guttata as a scavenger in a Parkville, Mary¬
land pond. Bull . Md. Herp . Soo . 5(2): 57 •

Mansueti, Romeo.

1938. Observat i ons on the horned 1 i zard and fence s'wi f t i n capt i vi ty .
Bull . Jr. flat. Hist. Soo. Md. 3( 2):24-27, 4 figs.

1939. A collection of amphibians and reptiles made in Frederick
County. Bull. Jr. Div ., Nat. Hist. Soo. Md. 3( 4) : 53~55 , 8 figs.

1939. Reptiles noted during 1938 in and around the Patapsco State
Park. Bull. Junior Div. Nat. Hist. Soo. Md. JJJ(1 ) :5“1 3* 3 fig.

1939. The amphibians noted during 1938 in and around the Patapsco
State Park. Nat. Hist. Soo. Md. Junior Div. IIl( 3) - 30- 36 .

1940 . The amphibians of Cherry Hill. Bull. Jr. Div.j Nat. Hist.
Soo. Md. 4( 1 ) :6-9 , 1 pi .

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

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September 1975

1940.

The wood frog in Maryland , Rana sylvatiea sylvatiea (LeConte).
Bull. Nat. Hist. Soo. Md. 10 ( 10) : 88-96 , 1 colored pi . , 22 figs.

1941 .

A descriptive cata logue of the amphibians and reptiles found
in and around Baltimore City, Maryland, within a radius of
twenty miles. Proa. Nat. Hist. Soc. Md. (7): 53.

1941 .

Sound produced by the slimy salamander. Copeia 1941 (A) : 266-
267.

1941 .

The occurrence of the red-bellied snake in Frederick County,
Maryland. Bull. Nat. Hist. Soc. Md. ll{ 5) :95.

1942.

Notes on the herpetology of Calvert County, Maryland. Md.
Nat. Hist. Soc. Bull. 12: 33"^3, i 1 1 us .

19^.

A common dusky salamander with eggs ( Desmognathus fuscus
fuscus) . Maryland, J. Nat. Hist. 14( 3):7*+, fig.*

1944.

Food of larval red salamanders (Pseudotriton ruber ruber).
Maryland, J. Nat. Hist. 14 (3) : 7^"75 , fig.

1945.

Note on hibernating spring peeper. Maryland, J. Nat. Hist.
25(3) :59.

1945.

Notes on Maryland Herpetology. Maryland, J. Nat. Hist. IS
(1): 18-20.

1946.

Mating of the pilot blacksnake. Herpetologica 3(3): 98— 1 00 ,

1 fig.

1947.

Maryland salamanders. Maryland XVII (A) : 8 1 -8A.

1947.

The spadefoot toad in Maryland. Maryland XVII ( I):7~l4.

1947.

The "water moccasin" myth in Maryland. Maryland XVIId) :54-
58.

“194a.

Winter expedition in Maryland. Maryland Naturalist 18( l):3"
9, 3 photos.

1949. Key to the adult frogs, toads and salamanders of Maryland and
District of Columbia. Univ . Md. , Dept. Zoology: 1-9.

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Bulletin Maryland He rpeto logical Society

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September 1975

1 949. Key to sea turtles of Maryland. Univ. Md. , Dept, of Zool .
(M imeo) .

1952. A brief natural h istory of Cal vert County, with especial re¬
ference to Solomons, Md . Md. Dept. Research and Educ.j Sol¬
omons s Md. pp. 1-12.

1 954. High 1 igh ts of the natural h i story of Ca 1 vert County. Atlantic
Naturalist 10{ 2):60-75.

1955. Battle Creek cypress swamp in southern Maryland. Atlantic
naturalist 10 (5) : 248-257 .

1955. Maryland natural resource bibliography. A guide to key works
dealing with zoology, botany, geology and related subjects.

Resource Study Report 7:1-27.

1 956 . Copperheads and rattlesnakes, the only venemous reptiles of
Maryland. Maryland Tidewater news JZ 3 ( 1 ) : Supp 1 . No. 10:1-2,
11 fig.

_ _ and D. W. Wallace.

1 9^0. Notes on the soft-shell turtle ( Trionyx ) in Maryland waters.

Chesapeake Sci. l( 1 ) : 7 1 ” 72 .

_ and Robert Simmons.

1 943. The four-toed salamander in the Baltimore area. Bull. nat.
Hist. Soc. Md. XIII( 5):8l.

Marchant, Walter.

1972. Maryland Herpetology: frogs. Bull. Md. Herp. Soc. 5(A): 100.
Mars igl ia, Anthony G.

1950. New county records for the slimy sa 1 amander i n Mary 1 and . Md.
nat. XX(3) '• 57” 59 .

Marvel, Bill and Donna Marvel.

1973* Comments on the idenityofa "blue11 Thamnophis from Maryland.
Bull. Md. Herp. Soc. 0(l):1O-12.

McAtee, W. L.

1918. A sketch of the natural history of the District of Columbia.

Bull. Biol. Soc. Wash. 2:142 pp., 5 maps.

McCauley, R. H. , Jr.

1939. An extension of the range of Abastor erythrogrammus. Copeia
1939 { 1):54.

1939. Differences in the young of Eumeces fasciatus and Eumeces
laticeps. Copeia 1939 (2) : 9 3~95 .

1939* Notes on the food habits of certain Maryland lizards. Amer.
nat. 22{ 1 ) : 159-163.

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

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September 1975

1940. A record for Eumeces anthracinus from Georgia. Copeia 1940

(1):50.

1 9^1 • A redescr i pt i on of Lampropeltis triangulum temporalis ( Cope) .
Copeia 1941(3) : 146-1 50.

1941. Diadophis punctatus in Maryland. Copeia 1941 (\) : 55 .

19^5. The rept i les of Mary land and the D is tr i ct of Col umb ia . Private
printing s Hagerstown s Md . 194 pp., ill us .

1949. Key to the adult snakes, lizards and turt 1 es of Ma ry 1 and and
the District of Columbia. Univ . Md. s Dept. Zool (Mimeo) .

and Charles East.

'1940™ Amphibians and rept i les from Garrett County, Maryland. Copeia
1940(2) : 1 20-1 23 .

and R. Mansueti.

1 943 . Clemmys muhlenbergii in Maryland. Copeia 1943(3) • 137-

1944. Notes on a muhlenberg turtle. Maryland XIV ( 3) : 68—69 -
McClellan, Wm. H., S.J.

1934. Some haunts of Lygosoma laterale in southern Maryland. Bull.
Hat. Hist. Soc . Md. 5(4): 19-20.

1934. Some questions on Eumeoes in Maryland. Bull. Hat . Hist. Soc.
Md. 9( 7) : 59-62 .

1 Sk) . An early season for rept i 1 e eggs. Bull. Hat. Hist. Soc. Md.
11( 5) : 1 03-104.

1 941 . Development of the eggs of the rough green snake (Opheodrys
aestivus) . Bull. Hat. Hist. Soc. Md. 12 (1 ) : 1 0-1 1 .

1943. Recent notes on the breeding of captive skinks. Bull. Hat.
Hist. Soc. Md. XIII (5) -1^-13.

» Romeo Mansueti, and Frank Groves.

1943° The lizards of central and southern Maryland. Proc. Hat.
Hist. Soc . Md. (8): 1-42, 9 pis.

Mean ley, B .

1951. The carpenter frog, Rana virgatipes , on the coastal plain of
Maryland. Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 64 1 59*

1951. Eumeces laticeps (Schneider) i n the Alleghanian zone of Mary¬
land. Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 64: 59-60.

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September 1975

19^0. Record of swamp tree frog ( Pseudaoris nigrita feriarum) dug
out of hibernation. Bull, Jr. Div.3 Nat, Hist, Soo. Md. 4

(0:27.

1 9^0. Record of two-tailed salamander. Bull, J, -Div.j Nat, Hist,
Soo, Md, 4(2): 48.

1 9^7. Breedi ng note on the red-bel 1 i ed snake. Maryland XVII (b) : 80.

1 9^8. Common mud turtle attacking fowler's toad. Maryland Natura¬
list 18 (1) : 1 5-1 6 .

19^+9 . Maryland turtles. Md, Nat, 19 ( 1)':13“16.

Norman , Willi am.

1939. Amph i b i ans and rept i les noted around the McMahon Quarry dur¬
ing 1939. Bull, Jr, Div. Nat, Hist. Soo. Md. Ill (3) : 40-42.

1939. Record of wood turtle from the Eas tern Shore, Maryland. Bull.
J. Div.> Nat. Hist. Soo. Md. 3(b): 64.

Pace, Ann E.

197^. Systematic and biological studies of the leopard frogs (Rana
pipiens complex) of the United States. Miso. Publ. 3 Mus.
Zool. j Univ. Mioh. (I48):1-l40.

Posey, Calvert R.

1973. An observation on the feed i ng hab i ts of the eastern ki ng snake.

Bull. Md. Herp. Soo. 9(b): 105.

Pough, F. Harvey and Margaret B. Pough.

1968. The systematic status of painted turtles (Chrysemys) in the
northeastern United States. Copeia 1968 : 61 2—6 1 8.

Prince, Clyde E.

1957. A typical Maryland hab i tat for the s 1 imy sa 1 amander . Md. Nat.
XXVIl(l-b) : 5 .

Prince, C. E., and Robert Duppstadt and Daniel J. Lyons.

1955. An annotated list of amphibians and reptiles from the Broad
Creek-Deep Run area, Harford County, Maryland. Md. Nat. XXV
(1 ~b) : 9“ 1 2.

Putens , Lou i s A.

1936. Two ear ly spring frogs. Bull. Nat. Hist. Soo. Md. 6( 12) : 72-74 .

1936 . The green tree frog (Hyla oinerea) . Bull. Nat. Hist. Soo.
Md. 6 (9) : 57 .

Quinn, Robert.

1972. Maryland Herpetology: American toad. Bull. Md. Herp. Soo.
fl(3):8l.

Bulletin Maryland Hereptological Society

Page 157

Volume 11 Number 3

September 1975

Rae, Scott.

1973. Maryland Herpetology: Red rat snake. Bull . Md. Herp. Soo.
9( l):15o

Ra 1 i n , Denn is B .

1968. Ecological and reproductive differentiation in the cryptic
species of the Hula versicolor complex {Hylidae) . South¬
western Nat. 13(3):283-30G.

Reed, Clyde F.

1937. The copperhead snake. The Elkridge Advocate 3 pp. 19“20, 22.

1938. Maryland nature log. Cross Country Boulevard , Bal t imore, Md.
Bull. Nat. Hist. Soc. Md. 9(k): 34-35.

1 956. Contributions to the herpetology of Maryland and Delmarva,

1. Distribution of the wood turtle, Clemmys insculpta in Mary¬
land. Herpetologica 12 { l):80.

1956. Contributions to the herpetology of Maryland and Delmarva,

2. The herpetofauna of Harford County, Maryland. J. Wash.
Acad. Sci. 46( 2):58“60.

1 956. Contributions to the herpetology of Maryland and Delmarva,

5. Bibl iography to the herpetology of Maryland, Delmarva and
the District of Columbia: 1-9. Reed Herpetorium.

1956. Contributions to the herpetology of Maryland and Delmarva,

6. An annotated check list of the lizards of Maryland and
Delmarva. Published by the author.

T§56. Contributions to the herpetology of Maryland and Delmarva,

7. An annotated check list of the turtles of Maryland and
Delmarva. 1-11. Reed Herpetorium.

T95^T™Tontri but ions to the herpetology of Maryland and Delmarva,

8. An annotated check list of the snakes of Mary 1 and and Del¬
marva. Published by the author.

”l 956 Contributions to the herpetology of Maryland and Delmarva,
9> An annotated check list of the frogs and toads of Mary land
and Delmarva. Published by the author.

1950c Contributions to the herDetology of Maryland and Delmarva,
10. An annotated check list of the salamanders of Maryland
and Delmarva. Published by the author.

Page 158

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 11 Number 3

September 1975

1 956. Contributions to the herpetology of Maryland and Delmarva,

11. An annotated herpetofauna of the Del-Mar-Va Peninsula,
i ncl ud i ng many new or add i t ional local i t ies . Reed Herpetorium.

1 356 • Hyla cinerea in Maryland, Del aware , and V i rg i n ia , with notes
on the taxonomic status of Hyla oinerea evittata . J. Wash .
Acad. Soi. 46 ( 10) :328~332.

Y956. Northern extension of known range of the Florida five-lined
skink in Virginia. Herpetologica 12: 136.

1 956 . The spadefoot toad in Maryland. Herpetologica 12: 29^-295.

1957. Contributions to the herpetology of Maryland and Delmarva,

12. The herpetofauna of Anne Arundel County, Maryland. J.

Wash . Acad. Soi . 47: (3) : 89~91 .

1957. Contributions to the herpetology of Maryland and Delmarva,

13. The peidmont herpetofauna on coastal Delmarva.

1957. Contributions to the herpetology of Maryland and Delmarva,
1A. The herpetofauna of the Big Gunpowder Falls and the Gun¬
powder River, Baltimore County, Maryland. Published by the
author .

1957. Contributions to the herpetology of Maryland and Delmarva,
15. The herpetofauna of Somerset County, Md. (communicated
by Doris M. Cochran). J. Wash. Acad. Sci. 47 (A) : 1 27“ 1 28.

1957. Contributions to the herpetology of Maryland and Delmarva,
16. Rana virgatipes in Southern Mary land , wi th notes upon its
range from New Jersey to Georg i a . Herpetologica 13 { 2) : 1 37“ 1 38.

1957. Contributions to the herpetofauna of V i rg i n i a , 2 . The reptiles
and amphibians of Northern Neck. J. Wash. Acad. Sci. 47 { 1):
21-23.

1 957 . Contribut ions to the herpetology of Vi rginia, 3* The herpeto¬
fauna of Accomac and Northampton Counties, Virginia. J. Wash .

Acad. Sci. 47(3):89“91.

1958. The carpenter frog in Worcester Co., Maryland. Herpetologica
13 ( ) :276.

I960. New records for Hyla cinerea in Maryland, Delaware, Virginia
and North Carolina. Herpetologica 16: 11 9" 120.

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 159

Volume 11 Number 3

September 1975

i960.

Plethodon erythronotus (Raf.), the red - backed salamander.
Herpetologioa 16 (3) : 207“ 1 3 .

Reid, Mike

and Ash Nichols.

1970.

Predation by repti les on the periodic cicada. Bull. Md. Herp.
Soo. f?(3):57-

Rig ley, Louis.

197A.

Agonistic behavior of the eastern mud turtle, Kinostemon
subrubrum subrubrum. Bull. Md. Herp. Soo. 10( 1 ) :22— 23 .

Robertson ,

H. C.

1933.

Fangs of Maryland pit-vipers. Bull. Nat. Hist, Soo. Md. 4
(2):7-9, 3 figs.

1933.

The queen snake, Natrix leberis (Cope). Bull. Nat. Hist. Soo.
Md. 3(9): 33-34.

1934.

The common swi ft . Bull. Nat . Hist . Soo. Md. 4 (12) : 72—7 3 , 1 1 1 us .

1935.

Collecting the copperhead. Bull. Nat. Hist. Soo. Md. 5(5):
2A-30, 5 figs.

T936. Some snake myths . Bull . Nat. Hist . Soc. Mi. 5(11 ):65, 67-68.

1936. The 1 i f e h i story of the king snake (Lampropeltis getulus get-
ulus), Bull, Nat . Hist. Soo . Md. 5(6): 32-37, ill us.

1939. A preliminary report on the reptiles and amphibians of Ca-
tocin National Park, Maryland. Bull. Nat. Hist. Soo. Md. 9
(10): 88-93 .

1 9A7. Notes on the green turtle in marine waters of Maryland. Md.
J. Nat. Hist. 17(2): 29-32.

Roddy, H. J.

1928. Reptiles of Lancaster County and the state of Pennsylvania.

Pub. Dept. Nat. Hist.3 Franklin & Marshall College 53 pp.»

figs.

Sayler, Anne.

19660 Reproductive ecology of the red-backed salamander, Plethodon
oinereus , in Maryland. Copeia 1966{2) : 1 83" 1 93 .

Schmidt, Karl P.

1953. A check list of North American amphibians and reptiles. 6th
edition. 280 pp.

Schreiger, J . F. , Jr .

1952. Ecology of a Bare Hills cave. Maryland Naturalist 22(1-2):

9-18.

Page 160

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 11 Number 3

September 1975

Schwartz, Frank J.

I960. The barnacl e , Platylepas hexastylor, encrusti ng a green turtle,
Chelonia mydas mydas , from Chi ncoteague Bay, Maryland. Ches¬
apeake Sei . 7(2) : 116-1 17.

1 1961 . Mary land turtles. Md. Dept . Research & Educ. , Edue, Ser. (50):

1-44, ill.

1 9&7* Mary land turtles. Univ. Md. Nat. Resources Inst. Educ. Ser.

(79) : 1-38.

and B. L. Dutcher.

’ "196I . A record of the Mississippi map turtle, Graptemys kohni , in
Maryland . Ches. Sci. 2(2) : 100-101 .

Semmes, Raphael.

1937. Captians and mariners of early Maryland. The John Hopkins
Press , Baltimore, Md. pp. 8-9.

Si 1 ver , James.

1928. Pilot blacksnake feeding on the brown bat. J. Mammal. 5:149.

Simmons, Robert S. and Charles J. Stine.

1981. Ankylosis and xanthism in the eastern wormsnake. Herpeto-
logica 17 ( 3): 206-208.

_ _ and J. B. Hanzely, S.J.

1952. New county records for the wood turtle ( Clemmys insculpta) in
Maryland. Maryland Naturalist 22 (1 -2) : 22-23 .

Slack, Roy S., James E. Roelle, F. Prescott Ward, Carlos F.A.Pinkham.
1972. Reptiles and amphibians on Edgewood Arsenal's chemical agent
test area. Edgewood Arsenal Tech. Rep. EATR 4593, 23 pp.

Smith, Hobart M.

1946. Handbood of lizards. Comstock Publ. Co., Ithaca, N.Y., 557
pp . , i 1 1 us .

Smith, Hugh M.

1904. Notes on the breeding habits of the yellow-bellied terrapin.

Smithson. Misc. Coll. 45: 252-253*

Smith, Philip W.

1957. An analysis of post-Wisconsin biogeography of the prairie
peninsula region based on d i stri but ional phenomena among ter¬
restrial vertebrate populations. Ecology 38 (2) : 205” 2 1 8.

and D. M. Smith.

1952. The relationships of the chorus frogs, Pseudacris nigrita
feriarum and Pseudacris n. triseriata. Amer. Midi. Nat. 48:

165-180.

Stejneger, Leonhard.

1905. A snake new to the District of Columbia. Proc. Biol . Soc .
Nash. XVIII : 73_78 .

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 161

Volume 11 Number 3

September 1975

Stine, Charles J.

ca.1950. List of the amphibians and reptiles of Maryland. Off-set,
1 p . , 8 1 taxa. Publ . by the author .

1953. Maryland sal amanders of the genus Ambystoma . Md. Nat. XXIII
(1-2):75-78.

ca. 1953.

Physiographic distribution of the herpetofauna of Maryland.
Mimeographed Nat. Hist. Soo. Md. , 6 pp.

1953.

Snapping turtle. Maryland Naturalist 23(3“A): cover photo.

1953.

Tadpole of green frog, Rana olamitans. Maryland Naturalist

23(1-2): cover photo.

and J. A. Fowler.

1956/

The rav i ne sa 1 amander i n Mary land . Md. Nat. XXVl( 1 -A) : 1 0-1 2 .

and R. S. Simmons.

195**.

Occurrence of the eastern t i ger sa 1 amander , Ambystoma tigrinum
tigrinum (Green) in Maryland, with notes on its life history.

Annals Carnegie Mus. 33:lA5~lA8 + 12 fig.

and Robert S. Simmons.

1952.

A new county record for Jefferson's salamander in Maryland.

Md e Nat. ffll(3-A) : A5-A7.

and J. A. Fowler.

' 1956.

New records for the eastern spadefoot toad in Maryland. Her -

petologioa 12: 29 5“ 296.

Stout, Dave.

1972. Maryland Herpetology: Spotted salamander. Bull. Md. Herp.
Soo. 8(h): 99.

Stul 1 , Olive G .

19A0. Variations and relationships in the snakes of the genus Pit-
uophis. Bull. U.S. Nat. Mus. ( 175): 225 pp. , 8A figs.

Surface, H,
1908.

. A.

First report on the economic features of turtles of Pennsyl¬
vania. Zool. Bull. s Div. Zools Penn. State Dept. Agr. 6(h2S):
107-195, 16 figs., pi. A-12.

Taylor, Edward H.

1935. A taxonomic study of the cosmopolitan scincoid lizards of the
genus Eumeces with an account of the distribution and rela¬
tionships of its species. Kansas JJniv. Soi. Bull. 23:'\-6h3 ,
A3 pi . , maps .

Truitt, R.
1927.

V.

Notes on the matings of snakes. Copeia 1 927(1 62) :21-2A.

1939- Our water resources and thei r conservation. Maryland Conser¬
vation Department Chesapeake Biol. Lab. Contri. (27) :1— 103-

Bulletin Maryland Herpeto logical Society

Page 162

Volume 11 Number 3

September 1975

Tuck, Robert G. , Jr.

1969. Personal communication.

1973* A cran iod i chotomous queen snake, Regina septemvittata (Say)
(Serpentes: Natricidae), from Frederick County, Maryland.
Bull. Md. Herp. Soe. 9{ 2) : 22-23 -

_____________ and Jerry D. Hardy, Jr.

1970. An amph id i chotomous northern black racer, Coluber c . eons -
victory from Maryland and a resume of recent records of axial
bifurcation in snakes. Bull. Md. Herp. Soc. 5(3):37~48.

U. S. Dept. Interior.

1951. Turtle trapping. Fish and Wildlife Service s Fishery Leafl.

(190) : 1-5.

Vokes, Harold E.

19^9. Maryland dinosaurs. Maryland Naturalist 19 (3) : 38-46 , 3 figs.

_ and Jonathan Edwards, Jr.

1957. Geography and geology of Maryland. Maryland Geological Sur¬
vey j Bull. 19, xv i + 242 pp.

Wagner, Carroll E.

1934. Mouth- rot , a common di sease of snakes . Bull. Nat. Hist. Soc.
Md. 5 (4) : 20-23 .

Wallace, W. Seward.

1902. Snakes of Rockland County, New York. Rep. N. Y. State Mus.
No. 56: R135-145.

Warden, D. B.

1820. Description statistique, historique et politique des Etats-
Unis de L'Amerique septentrional e. Paris.

Wells, Kent.

1968. Battle Creek cypress swamp. Bull. Md. Herp. Soc. 4{ 4 ) : 89“ 96 .
Wemple, Peter.

1971. The eastern spiny soft-shel led turt le Trionyx spinifer spin -
ifer LeSueur in Maryland. Bull. Md. Herp. Soc. Md. 7(2): 35“ 37 •

Wetmore, Alexander and Francis Harper.

1917- A note on the hibernation of Kinosternon pennsylvanicum.
Copeia 1917 (45) : 56-59 .

1920. Observations on the hibernation of the box turtle. Copeia
1920 (77) : 3”5 -

Wheeler, Joy.

1972. Maryland Herpetology: spotted salamander. Bull. Md. Herp.
Soc. 5(4): 99.

Willi ams , F. R.

1952. Notes on the anatomy and feed i ng of a pilot blacksnake. Mary¬
land Naturalist 22 (1 -2) : 2 3“24 , fig.

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 163

Volume 11 Number 3

September 1975

and J. B. Hanzley.

1953. New county records for the wood turtle {Clemmys insoriptaLs i cH)
in Maryland. Md. Nat. ( 1 -2 ) : 22-23 -

Williams, Kenneth L. and Larry D. Wilson.

1967. A review of the colubrid snake genus Cemophora Cope. Tulane
St, Zoology 13 (A) : 1 03“ 1 24 .

Worthington, Richard Dane.

1968. Observations on the relative sizes of three species of sal¬
amander larvae in a Maryland pond. Herpetologioa 24 ( 3): 242-
246.

1968. Postmetamorphi c changes in the skeletal system of Ambystoma
opaoum Gravenhorst (Amphibia, Caudata) . Dissertation Ab¬
stracts 29 (1 1 ) : 1 p .

1969. Additional observations on sympatric species of salamander
larvae in a Maryland pond. Herpetologioa 25 (3) :227-229.

Wright, Albert Hazen and Anna Allen Wright.

1949. Handbook of frogs and toads of the United States and Canada.
Comstock Publ. Co., Ithaca, N.Y., 3 ed., xi i + 640 pp.

1957. Handbook of snakes of the United States and Canada. Cornell
Univ. Press, Ithaca, N.Y., 2 vols., xviii + 1105 pp.

Zwei fel , Richard G.

1970. Distribution and mating call of the tree frog , Hyla ohrysos-
oelis , at the northeastern edge of its range. Chesapeake
Soi. 11 (2): 94-97.

Supplemental Bibliography

Anderson, J. D.

1967. Ambystoma opaoum. Cat, Amer, Amphib. Rept, : 46. 1-46.2.

1 967. Ambystoma maoulatum. Cat, Amer, Amphib. Rept.: 51.1-51.4.
Baltimore Evening Sun.

1972. Sea turtles, flamingo, seal. Exotic visitors stray to Mary¬
land shore. July 25, 1972.

Brandon, Ronald A.

1967. Gyrinophilus porphyritious . Cat. Amer. Amphib. Rept.:33.1-
33.3.

Cochran, D. M. and C. J. Goin.

1970. The new f ieldbook of repti les and amphibians. G. P. Putnam's
Sons, N.Y. , xxii + 359 p.

Collins, J . T.

1966. Collecting in Caroline County. Va . Herp. Soo. Bull. 48:h~3.

Page 164

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 11 Number 3

Crenshaw, J. W.

1955. The ecological geography of the Pseudemys floridana complex
in the northeastern U.S. Unpubl. Ph.D. dissertation, Univ. Fla .

Davis, D. M.

1968. A study of variation in the North American lizards of the
fasciatus group , (Eumeoes) . Duke Univ. ( Unpubl . dissertation).

Dukehart, J. P.

1884. Transfer of soft-shel 1 terrapin from the Ohio to the Potomac
River. Bull . U. S. Fish . Comm. 4: 143.

Dundee, H. A.

1971. Cryptobranohus and C. alley aniens is . Cat. Amer. Amphib. Rept.

: 101 .1-101 .4.

Ernst, C. H.

1971. Chrysemys piota. Cat. Amer. Amphib. Rept. : 106. 1-106.4.

1 972 . Clemmys guttata. Cat. Amer. Amphib. Rept. : 1 24. 1 -1 24. 2.

1972. Clemmys insoulpta. Cat. Amer. Amphib. Rept. : 1 25 . 1 "1 25 . 2 .

Fisher, A. K.

I887. Spelerpes guttolineatus Holbrook in the vicinity of Washing¬
ton, D.C. Amer. Rat. 21 (7): 672.

Gehlbach, F. R.

1967. Amby stoma tigrinum. Cat. Amer. Amphib. Rept. : 52. 1-52.4.
Gordon, Robert E.

1967. Aneides aeneus. Cat. Amer. Amphib. Rept. : 30 . 1 -30 . 2 .

Gosner, K. L. and I. H. Black.

1968. Rana virgatipes. Cat. Amer. Amphib. Rept. :67. 1-67.2.
Harris, Herbert S., Jr.

I960. Notes on some migration habits of the spotted salamander,

Amby stoma maculatum. Temporalis Herp. Club., Balto. City

College, l( 2):2.

1969. Additions to the Distributional Survey: Maryland and the
District of Columbia - III. Bull. Md. Herp. Soo. 5(3) : 8 1 -82 »

Keefer, Thomas.

1971. An additional case of abnormal pigmentation in a Maryland
reptile. Bull. Md. Herp. Soo 7(2): 39.

Mansuet i , R.

1953. A brief natural History of the Pocomoke River, Maryland. Md.

Dept, of Res. & Eduo ., Ches. Biol. Lab. Solomons, Md. :9 p.

(mimeo) .

1953- Notes on Eastern Shore, Maryland turtles and terrapins. Ches.
Biol. Lab. :3 p. (mimeo).

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 165

Volume 11 Number 3

September 1975

Martof, B. S.

1970. Rana sylvatioa . Cat . Amer . Amphib. Rept. : 86. 1-86.4.

1973. Siren laoertina. Cat . Amer . Amphib. Rept. : 1 28. 1 -1 28. 2.

Mecham, J. S.

1967. Notophthalmus viridesoens . Cat. ^?zep. Amphib. Rept. : 53 * 1 "

53.4.

Mi tchel 1 , Joseph C .

1974. Distribution of the corn snake in Virginia. VaES Bull. No.
74:3-5.

Mittleman, M. B.

1966. Euryoea bislineata. Cat. Amer. Amphib. Rept. :45. 1-45.4.
Neill, W. T.

1963. Eemidactylium soutatum. Cat. Amer. Amphib. Rept. :2. 1-2.2.
Nelson, C. E.

1972. Gastrophryne cccrolinensis . Cat. Amer. Amphib. Rept. : 120.1 -

120.4.

Nemuras, K.

1969. Survival of the muhlenberg. Intemat. Turtle and Tortoise
Soc . J. , Sept. -Oct., p. 18-21.

Reed, Clyde F.

1958. Contributions to the herpetology of Mary 1 and and Delmarva No.
17: southeastern herptiles with northern limits on coastal
Maryland, Delmarva and New Jersey. J. Wash. Aoad. Soi. 48
(1 ) : 28-32 .

Rossman, D. A.

1970. Thamnophis sauritus. Cat. Amer. Amphib. Rept. : 99.1 “99. 2.

Schaaf, R. T. , Jr. and P. W. Smith.

1971* Rana palustris. Cat. Amer. Amphib. Rept. : 1 07 . 1 "1 07 . 3 .

Smith, P . W .

1963. Rlethodon oinereus. Cat. Amer. Amphib. Rept. :5.1“5»3.
Standaert , William F.

1975. Personal Communication through R. Czarnowsky. September 26,
1975.

Stine, Charles J.

1967. A new Maryland animal find. Baltimore Sunday Sun, September
17, 1967.

Tilley, Stephen G.

1973. Desmognathus oohrophaeus. Cat. Amer. Amphib. Rept. : 129.1"

129.4.

Tobey, Franklin J., Jr.

1975. Personal Communication. September 23, 1975.

Llzzel 1 , Thomas.

1967. Amby stoma jeffersonianum. Cat. Amer. Amphib. Rept. : 47 - 1 ”
47.2.

Page 166

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 11 Number 3

September 1975

Wasserman, A. 0.

1968. Scaphiopus holbrooki. Cat . Amer. Amphib. Rept. : 70 . 1-70.4.
Webb, Robert G.

1973. Trionyx spiniferus. Cat . Amer. Amphib . Rept . :140. 1-140.4.

Department of Herpetology , Natural History Society of Maryland,
2643 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21218.

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 167

Volume 11 Number 3

September 1975

NOTES

Page 168

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 11 Number 3

NOTES

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The Maryland Herpetological Society
Department of Herpetology
Natural History Society of Maryland > Inc .
2643 North Charles Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21218

ISSN 0025-4231

BULLETIN OF THE

THarylanb

f)crpetological

©oriety

Department of Herpetology
The Natural History Society of Maryland, Inc.

MdHS . A FOUNDER MEMBER OF THE

Eastern Seaboard Herpetological League

DECEMBER 1975

VOLUME 11, NUMBER H

Bulletin of the Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 11 Number 4

December 1975

CONTENTS

Taxonomic chaos: Elaphe guttata (Linnaeus), a case in point . .

. Robert A. Thomas 171

A hybrid Eumeoes from Oklahoma . David M. Hi 11 is 177

Evidence of climbing ability by western fox snakes ( Elaphe

vulpina vulpina) . . . . L.E. Brown, J.R. Brown 179

The "cannibals" of the tiger salamander . Robert W. Reese 1 80

A new county record for Gastrophryne carolinensis in Maryland

. Richard Czarnowsky 1 85

A brood of Arizona ridge-nosed rattlesnakes ( Crotalus willardi

willardi) bred and born in captivity .

. Brent E. Martin 187

News & Notes

Hylid frogs of middle America . 190

March 1976 ESHL Meeting . 191

Errata: Distributional Survey (Amph i b i a/Rept i 1 i a) : Maryland and

the District of Columbia . . 191

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 76-93^58

The Maryland Eerpetologieal Society, Department of Herpetology , Natural
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31 December 1975

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,

Bulletin of the Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 11

31 December 1975 Number A

TAXONOMIC CHAOS : Elccphe Guttata (LINNAEUS),
A CASE IN POINT

Robert A. Thomas

When Catesby (175*0 descr i bed the snake Anguis e rubro et albo varius ,
one of the most perplexing nomencl atora 1 problems in North American her¬
petology began. Linnaeus (1766) appl ied the appel lat ion Coluber guttatus
to an example of the latter which had been sent to him from "Charleston,
South Carol ina," by Dr. A. Garden. By the early ni neteenth century , numerous
junior synonyms appeared under the species names maculatus (Bonnaterre,
1790), compressus (Donndorff, 1798), carolinianus (Shaw, 1802), and mo-
lossus and panterinus (Daudin, 1 80 3 ) -

Shaw's (1802) description of C. carolinianus was based on Plate 55
of Catesby's ( 1 75^+) publication, though Shaw then discussed C. guttatus
and noted that it was described by Catesby (175*0.

Merrem ( 1 820 ) recognized only guttatus , maculatus , and pantherinus
and placed them in the genus matrix Laurenti, 1768, with no explanation.
He may have been led to this decision by Shaw's (1802: 460-6 1 ) statement
(referring to C . carolinianus , which Merrem, 1820, considered a synonym
of C. maculatus) that "Its habit or general form resembles that of the
Matrix . . . ."

Ha rl an ( 1 927) added to the conf us i on by descr i b i ng Coluber floridanus
from eastern FI or i da . Hoi b rook ( 1 834 ) attempted to order matters by placing
all of the aforementioned species in the synonymy of C. guttatus.

Baird and Girard (1853) were the first to note the singularity of
the North American ratsnakes by describing the genus Scotophis , which
included, in addition to the Linnaean guttatus and other species, the
similarly patterned species S. laetus and S. emoryi. Dumeril and Bibron
(l85*i) noted the relationships of the North American Scotophis to the
European ratsnakes by placing them all in the genus Elaphis Bonaparte,
1831. They a 1 so descr i bed Elaphis rubiceps (p. 270), wh i ch was cons i dered
a synonym of C. guttatus by Boulenger (1894), of C. obsoletus confinis
by Cope (l875),andof Elaphe vulpina by Conant (1 9**0) and Schmidt (1953).
Jean Guibe (pers. comm.) has informed me that the holotype of E. rubiceps is
lost, so its identity will remain a mystery.

Kennicott (1859), convi need that Harlan (1827) had spec imens of what
we now call Elaphe guttata emoryi before him when he described Coluber
calligaster , relegated the species to the genus Scotophis. Cope (i860)
rea 1 i zed that Kenn i cott ' s S. calligaster was based on snakes obvi ous 1 y dis¬
tinct from C. calligaster Harlan and proposed the name C. rhinomegas for
the former to avoid the confusion which might result from sympatric,
similarly patterned snakes having the same trivial name.

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

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Cope (1875) placed Scotophis guttatus and S. emoryi in the genus
Coluber aga i n and referred S. calligaster and C. rhinomegas to the synonymy
of the latter.

In two major t reatments on the Nearctic herpetofauna , Garman ( 1 883 )
cons i dered Scotophis vulpinus Ba i rd and G i rard a var i ety of Elaphis guttatus
and Cope ( 1 887 ) placed S . emoryi in the genus Natrix with reference to
his (1862) emendation that Laurenti's (1788) original use of this genus
should be followed.

Cope (1888a) described Coluber rosaceus and C. g. sellatus and sub¬
sequently (1888b) returned Scotophis emori to the genus Coluber.

Bonaparte's ( 1 840) descr i pt ion of the genus Callopeltis , with Coluber
leopardina as the type species, led to a number of referrals of North
American ratsnakes to th i s genus (e.g.f Loennberg, 1895; Gibbs, et. al. >
1905; Strecker, 1915).

Boulenger (189*0 erred in his treatment of the names of North Amer-
i can ratsnakes by describing with perfect ion a specimen of Scotophis emoryi
under the appellation Coluber laetus (Baird and Girard) and by placing
the name C. emoryi i n the synonymy of C. guttatus. Despite Cope's ( 1 900)
decision to recognize C. laetus and C. emoryi as distinct species, the
aforementioned designation of the Great Plains ratsnakes (laetus) was
fol lowed by Stej neger and Barbour (1917) under the genus Elaphe Fitzinger,
1833 (inWagler, 1828-1 833), with S. emoryi be i ng pi aced i n i ts synonymy .
This nomen cl a tori al mistake was perpetuated until Dowl i ng (1951a) exhibited
the cons pec i f i ci ty of the holotype of S. laetus and Elaphe obsoleta (auct.)
and referred the names S. laetus to the synonymy of Elaphe obsoleta and
E. laeta to the synonymy of E. emoryi. He pointed out that the type of
S. laetus is a juvenile (45.7 cm in total length) and that young E. ob¬
soleta are very s imi lar to E. emoryi . The following year, Dowling (1952)
designated emoryi a subspecies of E. guttata.

Boulenger (1894) considered Coluber g . sellatus i nva 1 i d and referred
it to the synonymy of C. guttatus. Dunn (1915) and Barbour (1920) re¬
legated guttatus and rosaceus , respectively, to the genus Elaphe.

Woodbury and Woodbury (1942) were the first to investigate relation¬
ships among several populations of Elaphe guttata emoryi (auct*). After
exami ng the number of dorsal blotches , ventral scales , and sub caudal scales ,
they concluded that the i sol ated population in Utah and western Colorado
represents a distinct race, E. laeta intermontanus . Dowling (1951a, b)
placed this form in the synonymy of E. guttata emoryi.

Burt (1946) presented a description of Elaphe quivira (based on a
specimen of S’, g. emoryi) in an oral paper at the Kansas Academy of Sc i ences
annual meet i ng of that year. Due to the pub 1 i cat i on of the name in a title
with no subsequent description of the species, it is a nomen nudum.

When Cope (1888a) described Coluber rosaceus , he considered it as
intermediate between Coluber guttatus and C . quadrivittatus (=Elaphe ob¬
soleta quadrivittata) . Carr (1940) considered its affinites to lie with
the latter, though he gave no supporting evidence. Neill (1949) was the
f i rst to reduce Elaphe rosacea to subspecific status in E. guttata (this
was over 1 ooked by Dowling, 1952). In so doing, Nei 1 1 noted that "Specimens

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December 1975

of guttata decidedly resembling rosacea are occasionally found even in
northern Florida, and are common in South Florida." Dowling (1951b) stated
that "should future study prove the variation to be a straight cl ine, then
E. guttata rosacea wou 1 d become a synonymy [sic] of E. g. guttata ." Duel 1 man
and Schwartz (1958) demonstrated such cl i nes and pi aced E. g. rosacea in
E. g. guttata's synonymy. Paulson (1966) stated that his "subjective
interpretation of the situation is that more is to be gained by the main¬
tenance of the names rosacea . ", as ! have quoted and all authors

to date have done so.

Since 1966, the "can of worms" has been closed , but it will soon be
reopened !

Literature Cited

Baird, S. F. and C. Girard.

1853. Catalogue of North American reptiles in the museum of the
Smithsonian Institution. Part 1. Serpents. Publ . Smith¬

sonian Inst . : xv i + 172 pp.

Barbour, T.

1920. An addition to the American checklist. Coipeia 192Q:&8-&9.
Bonaparte, C. L.

1831. Saggiodi una d i st r i buz i one metod i ca deg 1 i animal i vertebrati
a sangue freddo. Giom. area . Sci. Lett . Arti . Roma 52: 1 29~ 209 .

1840. Iconograf ia della fauna Italicanerle Quattro classi animal i
vertebrati . Tomo I I . Amfibi . Balia Tipografia Salviucci, Roma .

Bonnaterre, P. J.

1790. Tableau encyclopedi que et methodique des trois regnes de la
nature. Ophiologie. Paris . xliv + 76 pp.

Boulenger, G. A.

1894. Catalogue of snakes in the British Museum (Natural History).

Publ. British Mus., London.

Burt, C. E.

19^6. Description of Elccphe quivira , a new ratsnake from Kansas.
Trans. Kansas Acad. Sci . 46: 1 1 6 .

Carr, A. F.

1940. A cont ri but ion to the herpetology of Florida. Univ. Florida
Publ., Biol. Sci. Ser. 3: 1-1 18.

Catesby, M.

175*+. The natural h istory of Carol i na , Florida, and the Bahama Is¬
lands: (etc). II. London.

Conant, R.

19*+0. A new subspeci es of the fox snake, Elaphe vulpina (Baird and
Girard). Herpetologica 2: 1-1 4.

Cope, E. D.

i860. Catalogue of the Colubridae in the museum of the Academy of
Natural Sc i ences of Ph i 1 adel ph i a , with notes and descri pt ions
of new species. Part 2. Proc. Acad. Eat. Sci. Philadelphia
1860 : 241-266.

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

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Volume 11 Number 4

December 1975

Notes upon some rept i 1 es of the Old World. Proc . Acad. Nat.
Sci. Philadelphia 14: 3 37“ 3^+5 -

1875.

Check-list of North American batrachia and reptilia; with a
systematic list of the higher groups and an eassay on geo¬
graphical distribution. Bull. U. S. Natl. Mus. 1: 1-104.

OO

OO

Catalogue of batrachians and rept i 1 es of Cent ra 1 America and
Mexico. Bull. U. S. Natl. Mus. 32: I-98.

CO

OO

OO

CL)

On the snakes of Florida. Proc . U. S. Natl. Mus. 11: 381-394.

OO

OO

OO

cr

Catalogue ofbatrachia and reptilia brought by William Taylor
from San Diego, Texas. Proc. U. S. Natl. Mus. 11: 395“ 398 .

1900.

The crocod i 1 i ans , 1 i zards , and snakes of North America. Rept.
U. S. Natl. Mus. for 1898: 153-1270.

Daudin, F. M.

1803. Histoire naturelle, generale et particuliere des reptiles.

VI. F, Du fart; Paris.

Donndorff, J. A.

1798.

Zoologische beytrage zur XIII ausgabe des L i nne i schen natur-
systems. III. Amphibien und Fische.

Dowl i ng , H .
1951a.

G.

A taxonomic study of the ratsnakes , genus Elaphe . 1 . The status
of the name Scotophis laetus Baird and Girard (1853). Copeia
1981: 39-44.

1951b.

A taxonomic s tudy of the Amer i can representat i ves of the genus
Elaphe Fitzinger,with particular attention to the forms occur¬
ring i n Mexi co and Cent ra 1 America. PhD. Thesis, Univ. Mich¬
igan, Ann Arbor.

1952.

A taxonomic study of the ratsnakes, genus Elaphe Fitzinger.
IV. A check 1 i st of the American forms. Occ. Pap. Mus . Zool. 3

Univ. Michigan 541: 1-12.

Duellman, W. E. and A. Schwartz.

1958.

Amphibians and reptiles of southern Florida. Bull . Florida
St. Mus. 3: 181-324.

Dumer i 1 , A.
1854.

M. C. and G. Bibron (with A.H.A. Dumer i 1 ) .

Erpetologie genera 1 e ou h i sto i re naturel 1 e des rept i 1 es . Vol .
7. Paris.

Dunn, E. R.
1915.

List of amphibians and reptiles observed in the summers of
1912, 1913, and 1914, in Nelson County, Virginia. Copeia
1915( 18) : 5-7.

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December 1975

Garman, S.

1883. North American reptiles. Mem . Mas . Comp . Z00Z.. 5: 1-1 83.

Gibbs, M. , F. N. Notestein, and H. L. Clark.

1905. A preliminary list of the amphibia and reptilia of Michigan.

7th Rept. Michigan Acad. Sci. : 109-110.

Harlan, R.

1827. Genera of North American reptilia, and a synopsis of the
species. J. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 5: 317-372.

Holbrook, J. E.

1834. North American herpetology ; or , a descr i pt i on of the reptiles
inhabiting the United States. II. J . Dobson 3 Philadelphia.

Kennicott, R.

1859. Notes on Coluber calligaster of Say, and a descr i pt ion of new
species of serpents in the collection of the North Western
Un i vers i ty of Evanston , Illinois. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phil¬
adelphia 11: 98-100.

Laurent i , J . N .

1768. Specimen medicum exhibens synopsin reptilium emendatum cum
experiment i s ci rca venena et ant i dota reptilium Austr i acorum.

Joan Thom. , Vienna.

Linnaeus, C.

1766. Systema naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes,
ordines, genera, species, cum character i bus , differentis,
syninymis, locis. Editio duodecima.

Loennberg, E.

1895* Notes on rept i 1 es and batrach i ans col lected in Florida in 1892
and 1893. Proc. U. S. Natl. Mas. 17: 3 1 7“339 .

Merrem, B.

1820. Versuch ei nes Systems der Amphib ien. J. C. Krieger ^ Marburg.
Neill, W. T.

1949. A new subspeci es of rat snake (genus Elaphe) and notes on re¬
lated forms. Herpetologica 5: 1-12.

Paulson, D. R.

1 966 (1 968). Var i at ion in some snakes from the Florida Keys. Quart. J.
Florida Acad. Sci. 29: 295-308.

Schmidt, K. P.

1953. A checkl i s t of North American amph i b i ans and rept i 1 es . Amer.
Soc. Ichth. & Herp. Publ.

Shaw, G.

1 802. General zoology. III. Part II. Amphibia. Thomas Davidson ,
London.

Stej neger ,
1917.

L. and T. Barbour.

A check list of North American amph i b i ans and rept i 1 es .

vard Univ. Press , Cambridge s Massachusetts.

Har-

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

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Volume 11 Number 4

December 1975

Strecker, J. K.

1915. Rept i 1 es and amph i b i ans of Texas . Baylor Univ. Bull. 18: 1-82.
Wagler, J.

1828-1833. Descr i pt iones et i cones Amph i biorum. Munchen 3 Stuttagart,
Tubingen.

Woodbury, A. M. and D. M. Woodbury.

1942. Studies of the rat snake, Elccphe laeta , with description of
a new subspecies. Proe. Biol. Soo. Washington 55: 133“ 142.

Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences 3
Texas A & M University ,

College Station , Texas 77843

Received 24 September 1975
Accepted 10 October 1975

Page 176

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

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December 1975

A Hybrid Eumeoes from Oklahoma

On 26 June 1975, a female Eumeoes sp , was collected by Beth Hi 11 is
in Osage Hills State Park, Osage County, Oklahoma. It was found coiled
around twelve eggs in a sandy depression under a s 1 ab of sandstone , which
lay on a steep hill near the shore of a lake. The eggs measured 11.5“
12.5 mm by 8 mm and the adult 142 mm (133 mm total length, 70 mm snout-
vent length in preservative). The eggs were maintained at 27° C until
hatch i ng (21 July).

The adult female has the general appearance of E. anthracinus plu¬
vialis, The dark lateral stripe tapers from 4 to 2? scales wide and the
dorsolateral light stripe is on the edges of the third and fourth scale
rows. There are two postmentals (anterior divided) on this specimen. In
individuals of E. a, pluvialis only one postmental is characteristic and
in E, septentrionalis obtusirostris and E, fasciatus there are generally
two (Conant, 1975)* In addition, a postnasal is present, characteristic
of E, fasciatus j but not E, a, pluvialis or E , s. obtusirostris (Webb, 1970).
In E, s, obtusirostris the dark lateral stripe is never wider than two
scale rows and the light dorsolateral stripe i s on the fourth (or fourth
and fifth) scale row.

The twelve hatch 1 i ngs have the general appearance of young E , fasciatus ,
Each has five yellow stripes extending onto the head, with the median
stripe bifurcating at base of head. These stripes are faint or absent
from the young of both E. a , pluvialis (Conant, 1975) and E, s, obtusirostris.
The postmentals of the hatchlings vary in number from one to two (table
1). The size at hatching is also indicative of E, fasciatus.

Table 1,

Selected

Eurneaes i

Meristic and Morphometric

a. pluvialic X E. fasciatua

Data on
hatchl

a Brood of
ings.

Specimen

Number

Tota 1
Length
(mm)

Number of Location of

n . ^ , 1 a t e r a 1

Postmentals , ,

(scale

light dorso-
str i pe
row ( s ) )

1

54

2

3rd &

4th

2

57

1

3rd &

4th

3

53

1

3rd &

4th

A

57

1

3rd &

4th

5

55

1

6

55

2 (anterior post- 3rd &

mental very smal 1
and only extending
halfway across chin)

4th

7

56

1

3rd &

4th

8

53

2

3rd &

4th

9

57

2

3rd &

4th

10

54

2 (posterior post¬
mental divided)

3rd &

4th

1 1

53

2 (posterior post¬
mental divided)

3rd &

4th

12

54

1 (postmental with 3rd &

two small unconnected
scales anterior)

4th

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December 1975

The adult female appears to be a hybrid between E. a. pluvialis and
E. fasciatus. The young could be offspring of this hybrid and a male of
either the parent species, or possibly a sibling male hybrid. The adult
and hatchling numbers one, seven and twelve have been deposited in the
collection of the Natural History Society of Maryland ( R 1 909 NHSM to
R 1 9 1 2 NHSM). The remaining hatchlings are being maintained alive for
further study.

E. a . pluvialis has not been previously reported from Osage County,
although this 1 oca 1 i ty i s wi th i n the probable range of the species (Webb,
1970). The closest records are: Parthenia Park, Tulsa County, 64 km
south of Osage Hills State Park; Heyburn Lake Recreational Area, Creek
County, 80 km to the south-southwest; 3.2 km south of Peoria and 8.8 km
southeast of Quapaw, Ottawa County, both of which are approximately 120
km to the east-northeast (Webb, 1970).

Literature Cited

Conant , Roger.

1975. A field gu i de to rept i 1 es and amph i b ians of eastern and centra 1
North Amer i ca . Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston xv i i i + 429 pp .

Webb, Robert G.

1970. Reptiles of Oklahoma. University of Oklahoma Press , Norman

xi + 370 pp.

— David M. Hi 11 is, Department of Herpetology , Natural History Society of
Maryland , 2643 North Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21218.

Received 23 July 1975
Accepted 16 October 1975

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December 1975

Evidence of Climbing Ability by Western Fox Snakes

{Elaphe vulpina vulpina)

The natural history of the western fox snake ( Elaphe vulpina vulpina)
is poorly known even though it is one.of the more common snakes in the
upper Midwest. This spec i es has been considered terrestrial (Cochran and
Goin, 1970, Schm i dt and Dav i s , 1941; Wr i ght and Wr ight , 1957) and is thus
unlike the other U. S. species of Elaphe which are frequently arboreal.
It is of considerable interest that we have observed fox snakes above
ground level in our large (40‘ high) wooden barn (3-1 mi NNE of Hudson,
111.). At 11:35 A.M. on 19 June 1975 an adult fox snake was observed
exploring an English sparrow nest located near the top of the barn on a
beam adjacent to the roof. Presumably the snake was hunting for eggs or
young birds. The snake 1 s movements made the nest unstab 1 e and consequent ly
the snake and part of the nest fell to the haymow floor 21 1 1" below.
The snake did not seem injured and immediately upon sighting us, began
to vibrate its tail. The beam on which the nest rested is a considerable
distance (30 1 6") above ground level. There is no slope or easy access
to the nest but a few bales of straw were stored next to the wall. For
most of its ascent the snake probably climbed vertically. Because of the
great height th is wou 1 d seem difficult even for snakes adept at climbing.
On three other occasions in prior summers we observed inactive adult fox
snakes in a crevice near the top of a barn door 7‘ 10" above ground.

These observations indicate that E. v, vulpina is quite capable of
arboreal activity. The rarity of past observat i ons of arborea 1 E. v. vulpina
may be because they have been frequently seen in open, prairie-like
situations where trees and shrubs are scarce. Perhaps a decrease in food
resources due to heavy use of agri cul tural chemicals in central Illinois
has exerted pressure on the snakes to search out greater prey concentrations
by climbing in man-made elevated structures such as barns.

We thank R. S. Funk, D. Moll and J. Tucker for critically reading
the ms.

L i teratu re C i ted
Cochran, D. M. and C. J. Goin.

1970. The new field book of rept i 1 es and amphibians. G. P. Putnam's
Sons, New York . xxi i + 359 pp.

Schmidt, K. P. and D. D. Davis.

1941. Field book of snakes of the United States and Canada. G. P.
Putnam's Sons , New York . xiv + 365 PP-

Wright, A. H. and A. A. Wright.

1957. Handbook of snakes of the United States and Canada. Comstock
Publ. Assoc. j Ithaca, New York. M ol . 1 , xx + 554 pp.

— Lauren E. Brown and Jill R. Brown, Department of Biological Sciences ,
Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois 61761.

Received 3 September 1975

Accepted 8 September 1975

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

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Volume 11 Number 4

December 1975

The "Cannibals" of the Tiger Salamander

One animal commonly sold by biological supply houses is the tiger
salamander, Ambystoma tbgvinum Green. In its larval stage occurs a rare
aberrant, the “cannibal", which is little understood although obviously
morphologically different (Fig. 1 ) when seen with others of its kind. The
aberrant condition was noted by Powers (1903) and thorough 1 y d i scussed by
him (1907). Since then, little has been written about it, largely because
the animals are not common. I n my personal col lect ions only rare individuals
(ten among thousands) show the effects of this way of life although there
is ample ev i dence that cann i ba 1 i sm itself is a common occurrence i n natu re
in this group. The differences seem to arise from dependence of the true
cannibal upon other members of his species as a food source almost to the
excl us i on of any other, whereas other larvae indulge in cannibalism only
as opportunity presents itself. The characters typical of the true can¬
nibal are the (l) large overall size, (2) wide and depressed head, (3)
extreme width between the orbits, (4) neoteny, and (5) extraordinary
development of the lateral line system.

Fig. 1. RWR-131 (cannibal) and RWR~3^ (normal).

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Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 11 Number 4

December 1975

Cannibalism does not hasten larval development in the tiger salamander
as is the case in the spadefoot toad (Bragg, 1965), but on the contrary
the developmental stage is prolonged. I have usually found cannibals in
ponds containing neotenic populations. This, of course, assures a food
supply of which they can take advantage the year around. I have also
found them in the fall in ponds which contained 1 arvae too sma 1 1 to trans¬
form, with the same result. With lack of food they will transform just
as other larvae , with no apparent morpholog i cal d i f ferences as demonstrated
by the measurements , taken two years after transformation, of UIMNH 7 803 1
(Table l), a cannibal which was allowed to transform. One difference
observed by Powers (1907), and noted by Smith and Reese (1968) is that
they seem to devel op more frequently as males externally, but in two cases
they were found to be females internally by the latter workers.

Table 1. Measurements of transformed adults that in the larvae stage
were either "cannibal" or normal.

Specimen

Snout-vent

Tail

mm

mm

UIMNH 78031
(Canni ba 1 )

164.2

181.8

RWR 1 2 A
(Norma 1 )

114.4

117.0

RWR 125
(Norma 1 )

114.1

108.1

RWR 126
(Norma 1 )

116.3

103.1

Head-width

Snout -vent ./Head

Weight

mm

Ratio

gms

40.0

4.10

183.8

24.3

4.70

40.1

22.8

5.00

38.2

25.9

4.49

43.6

Compa r i son of the snout-vent to head-wi dth ratio emphasizes the dif¬
ferences between the normal larvae and the cannibal forms. The average
ratio for three cannibal istic examp 1 es (Table 2) is 2 . 79 as compared with
3-59 for three normal examples. An additional cont ras t ex i s ts inweight;
the average for the normal animals i s cons i derab ly less than that of the
smallest cannibal. It shou 1 d be noted here that RWR 131 is considered to
be the largest known transformed or adult Amby stoma tigvinum in bulk as
opposed to UIMNH 78031 which in length is the largest known.

Powers (1907) makes a number of genera 1 izat ions rel at i ve to canni bal -
ism, some but not all conf i rmed by my own observations. The cause is not
genetic; the scarcity of the animal, the limited environment inwhich it
is found and the readiness with which any individual preys upon smaller
ones in the laboratory indicate that this may be true. They occur most
frequently in clear water; I have found only a single specimen in muddy
waters w i th the rema i nder taken in clear ponds containing a fairly heavy
growth of water weeds. Powers (1907) further states that their growth
is rapid, within a few weeks doubling the size of other larvae of the

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

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Volume 11 Number 4

December 1975

Table 2. Measurements

of cannibal

and normal larvae.

Cann i ba 1

Snout-vent

mm

Tail

mm

Head-width

mm

Snout- vent /Head
Ratio

Weight

gms

RWR 131

145.0

146. C

56.7

2.56

333.5

UCM 33276

130.8

144.2

43.3

3.02

114.5

UCM 36107

Norma 1

136.0

48.9

2.78

151 .0

RWR 40

110.0

117.0

33.3

3.30

77.2

RWR 41

114.0

104.4

30.2

3.77

62.1

RWR 34

114.2

92.7

30.8

3.71

88.6

* Tail missing

same year. This I was partially able to confirm in one pond which per¬
mitted limited observations of the development of cannibalism. Although
he describes them to be emaciated and undernourished i n appearance , I did
not find this to be the case in my specimens, which with one exception were
wel 1 fed and fat. As a correlation wi th this last i tern, Powers (1907) also
cla ims the forel imbs to be 1 a rger than the posterior 1 imbs and hy pothes i zes
that this is a result of all nutritive intake being absorbed by the an¬
terior portion of the body. None of my specimens support either the
observation or the hypothesis.

Uhlenhuth (1920), working with transformed animals, was concerned
with the large size attained and thought on the basis of extirpation and
grafting experiments with the anterior lobe of the hypophysis that the
hormonal i ntake i nf 1 uenced the s i ze. He fed anter i or lobe of the hypophysis
to transformed adults of Ambystoma opacum Gravenhorst and Ambystoma ti-
grinum. His controls were fed what was considered to be a normal diet,
earthworms. The results obtained were interpreted as positive since the
rate of growth was accelerated in those animals fed anterior lobe whereas
the controls grew at what was considered to be a normal rate. The ex¬
perimental animals cont i nued to grow after reaching the normal "maximum"
size for the speci es and i ndeed exceeded i n s i ze the largest specimen then
known of the species. Of course, this "maximum" size is not significant
since ectotherms g row con t i nous 1 y , a 1 though at decreas i ng rates, through¬
out their lives. Therefore the "maximum" size is artificial. Uhlenhuth
(1920), i n experiment i ng with transformed animals, was not dealing with
t rue cann ibals, but he was creat i ng g i ants as implied in the title of his
paper .

Powers (1907) att r i butes the abnorma 1 development of the head to the
extreme, repetitive stretching of the mouth, as a strictly phenotypic
response resulting in attainment of an adaptive development. The gape of
the mouth does embrace the full width of the head in the cannibal, whereas

Page 182

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 11 Number 4

December 1975

the normal animal has a gape only slightly wider than the spacing of the
orb i ts .

An additional observation not noted by Powers (1903, 1907) is the
extraordinary development of the lateral line system (Fig. 2) which is
not found in normal larvae. All cannibalistic specimens examined by me
exhibited this extreme development.

Fig. 2. Lateral Line system of RWR- 131.

However, no truly sat i sfactory , conv i nc i ng 1 y documented explanation
has been advanced for the occurrence of this phenomenon. Lloyd (1968),
investigating flour beetles, Tvibolium sp ., has suggested that cannibal"
ism is a method for self regulation of numbers. The idea could well be
at least a byproduct in Ambystoma tigrinum, as eggs are frequently laid
in larger numbers than a pond can support , and hatch i ng is successful to
a high degree, but these animals are more often the predators in a pond
rather than the prey, and cannibalism among them is characteristically
opportunistic.

That cannibalism starts at an early stage and at a relatively small
size has been conclusively demonstrated i n my studies of the animal. The
problems are to determ i ne (l) what causes an animal to retain this habit
when their fellow larvae have dwindled in numbers to a point where other
prey could much more easily be sought, (2) why the extraordinary unique

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 183

Volume 11 Number 4

December 1975

structural features of true cannibals develop, and (3) why the cannibals
become and remain neotenic.

The abbreviations denoting collections utilized in this study re¬
present the following collections: RWR - personal collection of R. W.
Reese, UCM - University of Colorado Museum and UIMNH - University of
Illinois Museum of Natural History.

Literature Cited

Bragg, Arthur N.

1965. Gnomes of the night. JJniv. Pennsylvania Press , Philadelphia,
Penna. pp. 11-123.

Lloyd, Monte

1968. Self regulation of adult numbers by cannibalism in two lab¬
oratory strains of flour beetles ( Tribolium castaneum) .
Ecology . 49:245-259.

Powers, J. H.

1903. The causes of acceleration and retardation in the metamor¬
phosis of Amblystoma tigrinum: a preliminary report. Amer.
Nat . 37:385-410.

1907. Morphological variation and its causes i n Amblystoma tigrinum .
Nebraska Univ . Studies. 7:197"272.

Smith, Hobart M. and Robert W. Reese.

1968. A record tiger salamander. Southwest Nat. 13:370-372.

Uhlenhuth, Eduard.

1920. Experimental production of g iganti sm by feeding the anterior
lobe of the hypophysis. Proc. Soc. Biol. Med. 1 8 : 34 7" 3^5 -

— Robert W. Reese, Department of Biology , St . Edwards University , Austin,
Texas 78704 .

Received 24 September 1973
Accepted 26 October 1975

Page 184

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 11 Number 4

December 1975

A New County Record For Gastrophryne carolinensis

In Maryland

At the t ime of add i t i on to the Mary 1 and endangered spec i es list (C REARM ,
1973), the eastern narrow-mouthed toad, Gastrophryne carolinens is , w as
known from four localities in Maryland: near Great Mills, St. Mary's
County; Taylor's Island, Dorchester County; and Cove Point and near Sol¬
omons, Calvert County (Harris, 1969). It is thought that G. carolinensis
has been extricated from the Calvert County localities (CREARM, 1973) -
S i nee , the narrow-mouthed toad has been recorded in Somerset County, (Lee,
1973) and at a second locality in Dorchester County (Harris, 1975).

On 9 September 1975, Ed Lyon and
I observed a newly metamorphosed
Gastrophryne cavolinensis 1.5 mi
north of route 12 on Mount Olive
Church Road inWorchestor County.
On 11 September a second juvenile
Gastrophryne was found hiding un¬
der a large piece of tarpaper at
this site. The specimens were
photographed at the time of obser¬
vation for identification records,
and one specimen is illustrated
in Figure 1 .

This local i ty , wh i ch represents
a county record for Worchestor Co¬
unty, was included in the Dis¬
tributional Survey (Amphibia/Rep-
tilia): Mary land and the District
of Columbia (Harris, 1975).

The habitat inwhich these specimens were found consists of a narrow
st r i p of woodl and seperat i ng two farms . The frogs were apparent ly breeding
in the drainage ditches that border the farms. The following additional
species were also recorded at this locality: Bufo w. fowleri _, Bufo a .
americanuSj Scccphiopus h. holbrooki , Eyla chrysoscelis , Ambystoma opacum 3
Eumeces fasciatus ^ Sceloporus u. hyacinthinus _, Coluber c. constrictor _,
Diadophis punctatus ssp . ., Heterodon platyrhinos 3 and Lampropeltis g.
getulus.

Literature Cited

Commi ttee on Rare and Endangered Amphi bians and Reptiles of Maryland.

1973. Endangered amph ibians and reptiles of Maryland. Bull . Md. Herp.
Soc. S(3):42-100.

Harris, Herbert S . , Jr.

1969. Distributional survey: Mary land and the D i st r i ct of Col umb i a .
Bull. Md. Herp. Soc. 5(h): 97~ 1 6 1 .

1975. Distributional survey (amph i b i a/rept i 1 i a) : Maryland and the
District of Columbia. Bull. Md. Herp. Soc. 11 (3) : 73“ 1 70 .

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society Page 185

Fig. 1. Gastrophryne carolinensis

from Worchestor County , Md.

Volume 11 Number 4

December 1975

Lee, David S.

1973. An annotated 1 i st of amphibians , rept i 1 es , and mamma 1 s of I r i sh
Grove Sanctuary, Somerset County, Maryland. Unpubl ished, 9 pp.

— Richard Cza mows ky , Box 262. M.S.U. , Salisbury State Colleqe. Salisbury ,
Maryland 21801.

Received 10 October 1975

Accepted 26 October 1975

Page 186

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 11 Number 4

December 1975

A Brood of Arizona Ridge-nosed Rattlesnakes
(Cro talus willardi willardi) Bred and Born in Captivity

INTRODUCTION

Reproductive data for the ridge-nosed rattlesnake ( Crotalus willardi)
is scant in the literature. Almost all has been cited by Klauber (19 49 ,
1972). Klauber (19^9) noted one specimen of C. w. willardi that contained
6 eggs, and one C. w. situs that had 2 we 1 1 -devel oped embryos. In his
1972 monograph he recorded an additional brood of 9 for C. W. willardi.
Klauber averaged the measurements of juveniles captured in the wild and
concluded that they represented the approximate size of this species at
birth. Recently , Martin (1975) reported data on a brood of 6 C. w. willardi
born 18 August 1975 from a gravid female captured on 3 August 1975* No
additional data on the reproductive habits of this species is available.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Two immature specimens of the Arizona ridge-nosed rattlesnake (Cro¬
talus W. willardi) were col 1 ected in the Santa Rita Mountains, Santa Cruz
County, Arizona, and were raised to adulthood in a 10 gallon aquarium.
Until the winter months of 197^“75 they were maintained between 18 and
31° C throughout the year . On 28 July 197^ the pa i r was observed i n co i tus
forthefirst time. No other cou rtsh i p or mat i ng activities were observed.
As the ma 1 e was still rather sma 11, it is poss i b 1 e that it may have j us t
reached sexual maturity.

From late November 197^ through March 1975, the snakes were housed
in a darkened room and kept between 4-15° C. Some daylight was allowed
to penetrate the room to provide the winter photoperiod. Although their
water dish was kept filled, the pair were never offered food. They were
observed periodically and usually found to be very inactive. Care was
taken to disturb them as little as possible. In early April they were
again maintained at warmer temperatures ( 1 8- 31° C) .

OBSERVATIONS

Both specimens began to feed read i 1 y w i th i n several days after being
exposed to warm temperatures , but rema i ned relatively inactive. Activity
gradually increased and on 10 June the male molted for the first time
since being warmed up, and likewise did the female on 16 June. The male
was observed actively courting the female soon after she had shed, and
they were found copulating dur i ng the n i ght . Courtship and mating activ¬
ities were similar to the description for the genus Crotalus given by
Klauber (1972).

On the morn i ng of 1 0 September 1975 the female gave birth to six live
offspring (Figures 1, 2) along with two yellow egg - 1 i ke objects. The
female and young were weighed on a Torsion Balance the same day and the
young were measured after thei r f i rst mol t between September 21-23. Total
lengths and weights of the six offspring and the female are presented in
Table 1.

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 187

Volume 11 Number 4

December 1975

Figure 1. The female Cvotalus w. willavdi with her six
one day old offspring.

Table 1. Total lengths and weights of a female Cvotalus willavdi
willavdi and her six young.

Approximate length
(nearest 5 mm)

Weight

(gm)

Fema 1 e :

570 (nearest 1 0 mm) ;

(after parturition)

116.8 (after parturition)

Young :

200 (after first molt)

6.89 (day born)

195 .

6.76 "

190 11 11

6.53 "

190 11

6.48 "

1 80 " 11 "

5.57 "

175

4.32 11 11

Weights, sizes, coloration and marki ngs of the juveniles agree with
those descr i bed by Mart i n (1975). All were distinctly g rey i n col orat i on ,
and only two had the bright yellow tails conspicuous in the brood reported
by Martin (1975). The other young had grey striped tails characteristic
of the subspecies (Klauber, 1949).

After parturition the we i ght of the female was considerably greater
than that of a wild caught gravid specimen (116.8 gm compa red to 65 . 2 gm)
although there was not a great d i f f erence i n t he size of the individuals
(ca. 570 mm compared to 530 mm). This is probably due to the captive
female having a constant food supply and not having to expend energy in
search of prey.

Most of the offspring fed on lizards ( Uvosauvus ) and newborn mice
within several weeks of birth.

Page 188

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 11 Number 4

December 1975

I

Figure 2. One day old Crotalus w. willardi . Note the
light colored (yellow) tail.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

It is unfortunately not poss i bl e to determ i ne which mating produced
the brood. Klauber (1972) estimates 5 months as being the average ges¬
tation period for many rattlesnakes bred at the San Diego Zoo. it would
then seem unlikely that the June 1 975 mat i ng was respons i b 1 e , as a period
of less than 3 months passed. However, if the July 1 974 mating produced
the brood, the gestation period would have totaled over 13 months. It
is possible that the pair may have mated unobserved on other dates. Al¬
though observed daily before and after the winter months of 1974-75, it
was during this period that as much as one week would pass that they were
not checked. The fact that the snakes were exposed to a cooled environ¬
ment dur i ng the w i nter preceding the birth cannot at this time be deter-
m i ned as i nf 1 uent i a 1 .

The dates and events of this reproductive record does not necessa r i ly
correlate to what might be normal for the species in nature.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

lammost gratef u 1 to Dr . Howard K. Gloyd at the Un i vers i ty of Ar i zona
for h i s gui dance and advice in the preparation of this manuscript. I also
thank Dr. Mac E. Hadley for the use of the facilities in his laboratory
at the University.

Literature Cited

Klauber, L. M.

1949. The subspeci es of the r i dge-nosed ratt 1 esnake , (Cvotalus wil-
lavdi) . Trans. San Diego Soo. Nat. Hist. 27 (8) : 121-140.

1972. Rattlesnakes, their habits, life h i s tor i es , and i nf 1 uence on
mankind. University of California Press ^ Berkely and Los
Angeles. Vol . 1, XXX + 740 pages.

Martin, Brent E.

1975. Notes on a brood of the Arizona ridge-nosed rattlesnake (Cro-

talus willardi willardi). Bull. Md. Herp. Soo. 11(2) : 64-65.

— Brent E. Martin, 704 North Second Avenue s Tucson 9 Arizona 85705.
Received 5 November 1975
Accepted 21 November 1975

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society Page 189

Volume 11 Number 4

December 1975

News & Notes

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the family Hylidae in Mexico and Central America, the result of 13 years
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discusses several unique features not previously included in studies of groups
frogs: coloration, external morphological characters, cranial osteology, vocal
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Fig. 99. Mouth of tadpole of Hyla subocularis, K.U.
No. 116784. X 45.

zip code

Page 190

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Volume 11 Number 4
MARCH 1976 ESHL MEETING

December 1975

The Eastern Seaboard Herpetol og i ca 1 Leaguewill hold its March 1976
meeting i n Ph i 1 adel ph i a . PI ease pi an now to attend. See below for details.

DATE - March 6, 1976

TIME - 12:00 Noon

PLACE - Rohm & Haas Building Auditorium
Independence Mall West
6th and Market Streets
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

With this being the Bicentenial year, you may wish to plan on staying
several days to take in the exhibits. Please do plan early!

If you would 1 i ke to present a paper at the March ESHL meeting, write
to Malvin L. Skaroff, 1025 Lakeside Avenue, Philadelphia, Pa. 19126.

Page 75,
Page 75,
Page 75,
Page 75,
Page 76,
Page 76,
Page 76,
Page 77,
Page 78,
Page 79,
Page 80,
Page 81 ,
Page 81 ,
Page 81 ,
Page 81 ,
Page 81 ,
Page 81 ,
Page 82,
Page 83,
Page 88,
Page 95,
Page 98,
Page 101

, Line 3:

dilgently = diligently

, Line 2:

fluxuations = fluctuations

, Line 4:

virituely = virtually

, Line 1 :

vain = vein

, Line 3:

syspilla = syspila

, Lines 4,

9: Susquehana = Susquehar.n;

, Line 6:

(I960) = (1970)

Tenat i ve

= Tentative

Distributional Survey (Amph ib i a/Rept i I i a) : Maryland and the
District of Columbia. Bull. Md. Herp. Soo. U( 3) =73-170.
Paragraph 1 , Line 2

Paragraph 1 ,

Paragraph 1 ,

Paragraph 2,

Paragraph 1 ,

No. 46,58:
bottom: melanolecus = melanoleucus
E. g. guttolineata account: occuring = occurring
Paragraph 3, Lines 1,6: MaCauley = McCauley
Paragraph 4, Line 3: legimate = legitimate
Paragraph 4, Line 12: respectfully = respectively
Paragraph 4, Line 14: legimate = legitimate
Paragraph 5, Line 1: legimate = legitimate
Paragraph 5, Line 3: tenatively = tentatively
Table 1: if. u. ultricularia = R. u. utricularia
Table 2: if. u. ultricularia = if. u. utricularia
Map 1, Lines 9,10: becomming = becoming
Map 16, Line 2: encroachs = encroaches
Map 21, Line 4: labled = labeled

, Maps 28/29, Lines 5,11: H. chrysoselis = H. chrysoscelis

Page

102,

Map

30,

L i ne 8

waters = water's

Page

105,

Map

37,

Line 4

authenic = authentic

Page

105,

Map

37,

Line 5

pipens = pipiens

Page

105,

Map

37,

Line 6

Ponds = Pons

Page

109,

Map

44,

Line 4

labled = labeled

Page

1 10,

Map

46,

Line 4

Davis = Davis (1968)

Page

no,

Map

46,

Line 11

3:

tenative = tentative

Page

111,

Map

48,

Line 3

labled = labeled

Page

116,

Map

58,

Line 1 (

):

tenative = tentative

Page

117,

Map

61 ,

Lines 3,

9: 6. d. temporalis = L. t. temporalis

Page

118,

Map

62,

L i ne 2

L. d. triangulum = L. t. triangulum

Page

119,

Map

64,

Line 4

(Cooper, 1970) = (Cooper, 1969)

Page

120,

Map

66,

Line 1

thru = through

Page

120,

Map

66,

Line 9

Mansuetti = Mansuet i

Page

121 ,

Map

68,

Lines (

7: occassional = occasional

Page

124,

Map

74,

Line 13:

(Cooper, 1959) = (Cooper and Groves, 1959)

Page

124,

Map

74,

Line 15:

(Agnes, 1972) = (tropical storm Agnes in 1972)

Page

125,

Map

76,

Line 2

should read . Eastern and Western Piedmont,

and Blue Ridge Province via....

Page

129,

Maps 84/85, Line 11: tenatively = tentatively

Page

130,

Map

88:

i nseri

t

(Feral) under Chrysemys (as in Map 87.(13)-)

Page

132,

Map

91 ,

Lines 3,

,4: tenatively = tentatively

Page

134:

L i 1

terature C i i

ted = Bibl iography

Page 138: reference 6:

Page 139,
Page 1 49 ,
Page 150,
Page 153,
Page 160,
Page 1 61 ,
Page 161 ,

reference 12:
reference 13:
reference 3:
reference 11:
reference 15:
reference 5:
reference 10:

and F. Groves (this should be
listed after 3rd reference on page 139)

C. B. Brimley = C. S. Brimley
Aufrey = Audrey
Lamay = Lemay
idenity = identity
Schreiger = Schreiber
Captians = Captains
Handbood = Handbook

Due to printing deadlines, final proofs were not examined thoroughly and
many errors resulted. I apologize for this inconvenience. Please paste
this sheet on page 1 67 of your copy Vol . 11 No. 3.

H.S.H.

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Page 191

Volume 11 Number 4

December 1975

NOTES

Page 192

Bulletin Maryland Herpetological Society

Society Publications

Back issues of the Bulletin of the Maryland
Herpetol og i ca 1 Society, where available, may be
ob ta i ned by wr i t i ng the Execut i ve Editor. A list
of available issues will be sent upon request.
Individual numbers in stock are $2.00 each, un¬
less otherwise noted.

The Soc i ety a 1 so pub 1 i shes a News 1 etter on a
somewhat irregular basis. Theseare distributed
to the membersh i p free of charge . Also published
are Maryland Herpetofauna Leaf 1 ets and these are
available at $. 05/page.

Information for Authors

All correspondence should be addressed to
the Executive Editor. Manuscripts being sub¬
mitted for publication should be typewritten
(double spaced) on good quality 8^x11 inch
paper, with adequate margins. Submit original
and first carbon, retaining the second carbon.
Indicate where illustrations or photographs are
to appear in text. Cite all literature used at
end in alphabetical order by author.

Major papers are those over 5 pages (double
spaced, elite type) and must i ncl ude an abstract .
The authors name should be centered under the
title, and the address is to fol low the L i terature
Cited. Minor papers are those papers with fewer
than 5 pages. Author's name is to be placed at
end of paper (see recent issue). For add i t i ona 1
information see Style Manual for Biological
Journals (1964) , Amer i can I ns t i tu te of Biological
Sc i ences , 3900 Wi scons i n Avenue , N .W. , Wash i ngton ,
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Reprints are available at $.025 a page and
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to proof, and must return proof preferab 1 y w i th i n
7 days.

The Mary land Herpeto logical Society
Department of Herpetology
Natural History Society of Maryland 3 Inc .
2643 North Charles Street
Baltimore s Maryland 21218

Maryland
Herpetological
Society

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