2008 | My Field Journal | Matthew L Niemiller

Turks & Caicos Islands, North & Middle Caicos (09-15 Aug 2008)

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 19:47:35 -0400

Turks & Caicos Islands, Long Key (07 Aug 2008)

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 18:19:04 -0400

Turks & Caicos Islands, Grand Turk & Gibbs Key (06-08 Aug 2008)

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 18:08:02 -0400

Turks & Caicos Islands, Salt Key (04-06 Aug 2008)

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 17:56:16 -0400

Big Mouth Cave (20 July 2008)

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 21:23:43 -0400

Some shots of a few of cave critters found at Big Mouth Cave in Grundy Co., TN.

Eurycea lucifuga (Cave Salamander)

Kankakee Sands Preserve (19 June 2008)

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 11:05:28 -0400

On our way up from Knoxville to the Evolution meeting in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Premal Shah, Dylan Dittrich-Reed, and me decided to stop off at the Kankakee Sands Preserve in Newton County, Indiana, close to where I grew up. The target was a bullsnake and we were not disappointed.

For the first hour or so, we saw only racerunners and the occassional frog (northern leopard frogs, bullfrogs, and green frogs). We did find two bullsnake skins at one site but no snakes. Then at Conrad Station we hit gold and found three milksnakes and a bullsnake wihtin 10 minutes. The bullsnake was quite large measuring in at around 70". We also found four plains gartersnakes.

Totals:

Rana pipiens (Northern Leopard Frog) Several

Rana clamitans melanota (Northern Green Frog) Several

Rana catesbeiana (American Bullfrog) Several

Aspidoscelis s. sexlineata (Six-lined Racerunner) 10+

Thamnophis radix (Plains Gartersnake) 4

Lampropeltis t. triangulum (Eastern Milksnake) 3

Pituophis catenifer sayi (Bullsnake) 1

Some photographs:

Lampropeltis t. triangulum (Eastern Milksnake)

Premal and Dylan holding the catch.

The catch biting back against Dylan.

Pituophis catenifer sayi (Bullsnake)

Premal and Dylan holding the bullie.

Nearly 70 inches of snake.

Reelfoot Lake (2-3 May 2008)

Tue, 06 May 2008 11:05:28 -0400

Graham Reynolds and I decided to take a break from our academic obligations and headed to Reelfoot Lake in northwest Tennessee for some herping. We left early Friday morning and stopped at a cave in Decatur County to look for cavefish. Afterwords, we headed the rest of the way to Reelfoot and arrived just in time to get dumped on by about 2 inches of rain and the threat of tornadoes. Fortunately the skies soon cleared and we were able to get out and look for a few things and drive around the lake.

During the day, we found:

Agkistrodon piscivorus leucostoma (Western Cottonmouth) 1 DOR

Nerodia fasciata confluens (Broad-banded Watersnake) 2

Thamnophis proximus proximus (Western Ribbonsnake) 2

Apalone spinifera spinifera (Eastern Spiny Softshell) 1

Chrysemys dorsalis (Southern Painted Turtle) TMTC

Graptemys pseudogeographica kohnii (Mississippi Map Turtle) TMTC

Kinosternon subrubrum (Eastern Mud Turtle) 1

Trachemys scripta elegans (Red-eared Slider) TMTC

Acris crepitans (Eastern Cricket Frog) TMTC

Bufo fowleri (Fowler's Toad) 1

Rana clamitans clamitans (Bronze Frog) 4

That night, another storm cell came in and dumped another 1-2 inches. We headed out for some amphibians and weren't disappointed:

Agkistrodon piscivorus leucostoma (Western Cottonmouth) 6 DOR

Nerodia erythrogaster flavigaster (Yellow-bellied Watersnake) 1 juvenile

Ambystoma talpoideum (Mole Salamander) 1

Amphiuma tridactylum (Three-toed Amphiuma) 1

Acris crepitans (Eastern Cricket Frog) TMTC and calling

Bufo americanus charlesmithi (Dwarf American Toad) TMTC

Bufo fowleri (Fowler's Toad) TMTC and calling

Hyla chrysoscelis (Cope's Gray Treefrog) TMTC and calling

Hyla cinerea (Green Treefrog) TMTC

Pseudacris feriarum feriarum (Upland Chorus Frog) calling

Rana catesbeiana (American Bullfrog) 1 DOR

Rana clamitans clamitans (Bronze Frog) TMTC

Scaphiopus holbrookii (Eastern Spadefoot) TMTC and calling

The next day, the skies cleared and it was noticeably cooler and drier. However, some low clouds rolled into the area around midday and decreased reptile activity. We still managed to see quite a bit:

Agkistrodon piscivorus leucostoma (Western Cottonmouth) 1

Lampropeltis getula holbrooki (Speckled Kingsnake) 1 DOR

Nerodia erythrogaster flavigaster (Yellow-bellied Watersnake) 7

Nerodia fasciata confluens (Broad-banded Watersnake) 3

Nerodia rhombifer rhombifer (Northern Diamond-backed Watersnake) 12

Nerodia sp. (Unknown watersnake) 6

Opheodrys aestivus aestivus (Northern Rough Greensnake) 2

Storeria dekayi wrightorum (Midland Brownsnake) 2

Thamnophis proximus proximus (Western Ribbonsnake) 3

Eumeces fasciatus (Common Five-lined Skink) 2

Scincella lateralis (Little Brown Skink) 3

Chelydra serpentina serpentina (Eastern Snapping Turtle) 1

Chrysemys dorsalis (Southern Painted Turtle) TMTC

Graptemys pseudogeographica kohnii (Mississippi Map Turtle) TMTC

Pseudemys concinna concinna (Eastern River Cooter) 1

Sternotherus odoratus (Stinkpot) 1

Terrapene carolina carolina (Eastern Box Turtle) 1

Trachemys scripta elegans (Red-eared Slider) TMTC

Amphiuma tridactylum (Three-toed Amphiuma) 1

Plethodon mississippi (Mississippi Slimy Salamander) 1

Acris crepitans (Eastern Cricket Frog) TMTC

Rana clamitans clamitans (Bronze Frog) 3

Rana sphenocephala utricularia (Southern Leopard Frog) 1

Some photographs:

Scaphiopus holbrookii (Eastern Spadefoot)

Hyla chrysoscelis (Cope's Gray Treefrog)

Hyla cinerea (Green Treefrog)

Rana clamitans clamitans (Bronze Frog)

Ambystoma talpoideum (Mole Salamander)

Nerodia erythrogaster flavigaster (Yellow-bellied Watersnake)

Nerodia rhombifer rhombifer (Northern Diamond-backed Watersnake)

Opheodrys aestivus aestivus (Northern Rough Greensnake)

Storeria dekayi wrightorum (Midland Brownsnake)

Scincella lateralis (Little Brown Skink)

Chrysemys dorsalis (Southern Painted Turtle)

Pseudemys concinna concinna (Eastern River Cooter)

Trachemys scripta elegans (Red-eared Slider)

Cedars of Lebanon/Vesta (09 April 2008)

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 16:27:28 -0400

My lab mates, Graham Reynolds and Stesha Pasachnik, and I headed to the cedars glades of Cedars of Lebanon State Forest and Vesta State Natural Area for some early spring herping. Temperature was in the low 70s with mostly cloudy skies and a few spotty showers. A few snakes were at the surface.

At Vesta State Natural Area we found:

Terrapene c. carolina (Eastern Box Turtle) 3

Sceloporus undulatus (Eastern Fence Lizard) TMTC

Eumeces fasciatus (Five-lined Skink) 1

Scincella lateralis (Little Ground Skink) 1

Lampropeltis t. triangulum (Eastern Milksnake) 3

Lampropeltis getula nigra (Black Kingsnake) 1

Coluber c. constrictor (Northern Black Racer) 1

Carphophis amoenus (Eastern Wormsnake) 2

Bufo a. americanus (Eastern American Toad) 1

Bufo fowleri (Fowler's Toad) 3

Coluber c. constrictor (Northern Black Racer)

Carphophis amoenus (Eastern Wormsnake)

Terrapene c. carolina (Eastern Box Turtle) male

Lampropeltis t. triangulum (Eastern Milksnake)

Lampropeltis getula nigra (Black Kingsnake)

At Cedars of Lebanon State Forest we found:

Sceloporus undulatus (Eastern Fence Lizard) TMTC

Eumeces fasciatus (Five-lined Skink) 7

Eumeces inexpectatus (Southeastern Five-lined Skink) 2

Scincella lateralis (Little Ground Skink) 1

Aspidoscelis s. sexlineata (Six-lined Racerunner) 6

Lampropeltis getula nigra (Black Kingsnake) 1

Carphophis amoenus (Eastern Wormsnake) 11

Diadophis punctatus edwardsi (Northern Ringneck Snake) 2

Bufo a. americanus (Eastern American Toad) 2

Bufo fowleri (Fowler's Toad) 4

Notophthalmus v. viridescens (Eastern Newt) 10+

Ambystoma maculatum (Spotted Salamander) 5 egg masses

Eumeces fasciatus (Five-lined Skink)

Diadophis punctatus edwardsi (Northern Ringneck Snake)

Aspidoscelis s. sexlineata (Six-lined Racerunner)