My Field Journal

I went out to the Cherokee National Forest in Monroe County, Tennessee, to do some roadcruising during a nice warm rain on 10 November 2009 and wasn't disappointed.

The University of Tennessee Ichthyology Class took a fall field trip through North Carolina to sample as many species of fish, both freshwater and saltwater, as possible. We left Knoxville mid-afternoon on October 14 and drove through the rain and 50 degree temps.  After spending a couple of hours trying to purchase waders and perfecting "The Wading Bird", we finally made it to the beach and made a few passes with the beach seine.

John Bills and I went out to Piney Falls State Natural Area to look for a few salamander species endemic to the Cumberland Plateau.  Although we didn't see the numbers we were looking for, we had decent diversity.

Amphibians:

     Rana catesbeiana (American Bullfrog) 1 juvenile and 1 adult observed on road

     Rana sphenocephala (Southern Leopard Frog) 20+ adults and juveniles

Reptiles:

     Anolis carolinensis (Green Anole) 1 adult female

     Sceloporus undulatus (Eastern Fence Lizard) 1 adult female

     Chelydra serpentina (Common Snapping Turtle) 1 juvenile

Some photographs:

Desmognathus abditus (Cumberland Dusky Salamander)

Desmognathus conanti (Spotted Dusky Salamander)

Eurycea cirrigera (Southern Two-Lined Salamander)

Anolis carolinensis (Green Anole)

A land snail

A millipede

A few shots of some salamanders from Frozen Head State Park in Morgan Co., Tennessee.

We were able to take a day during the ASIH meeting to look for some herps in the Columbia River Gorge area east of Portland. Weather was hot and dry with highs approaching 95-100 but we did find a few amphibians.

I went up to Cades Cove with Megan Todd-Thompson and Dylan Dittrich-Reed to help them sample salamanders and tadpoles for ranavirus for Megan Todd-Thompson's thesis and Dylan's study with Desmognathus. Metamorph Wood Frogs were leaving Gum Swamp but a few tadpoles still remained. Later we went over to Abrams Creek to look for Shovel-Nosed Salamanders and turned up a few.

Amphibians:

Desmognathus marmoratus (Shovel-Nosed Salamander) 5 adults and 1 larva

Desmognathus quadramaculatus (Black-Bellied Salamander) 1 adult

Plethodon glutinosus (Northern Slimy Salamander) 1 adult

Bufo americanus x fowleri (Hybrid between American Toad and Fowler's Toad) 1 adult

Hyla chrysoscelis (Cope's Gray Treefrog) heard calling males

Pseudacris crucifer (Spring Peeper) tadpoles

Rana sylvatica (Wood Frog) TMTC tadpoles and metamorphs

Reptiles:

Trachemys scripta troostii (Cumberland Slider) 1 adult on road

Rana sylvatica (Wood Frog) metamorph

Rana sylvatica (Wood Frog) late stage tadpole

Pseudacris crucifer (Spring Peeper) tadpole

Bufo americanus x fowleri (Hybrid between American Toad and Fowler's Toad)

Ambystoma opacum (Marbled Salamander) larva

Plethodon glutinosus (Northern Slimy Salamander)

Desmognathus marmoratus (Shovel-Nosed Salamander)

After Graham left to go back to New Orleans, Bones and I headed up to the Kisatchie Ranger District of the Kisatchie National Forest in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana to camp overnight and look for herps. Weather was nice with temps in the low to mid 80s with sunny skies and overnight lows around the low 60s.  We had a fairly successful trip.

     Acris blanchardi (Blanchard's Cricket Frog) TMTC calling and observed

     Bufo fowleri (Fowler's Toad) TMTC adults and tadpoles

     Hyla chrysoscelis (Cope's Gray Treefrog) 10+ adults calling

     Hyla cinerea (Green Treefrog) 10+ adults calling and observed

     Rana catesbeiana (American Bullfrog) 10+ adults calling and observed

     Rana clamitans clamitans (Bronze Frog) TMTC calling and observed

     Rana sphenocephala utricularia (Southern Leopard Frog) TMTC adults and metamorphs

     Ambystoma opacum (Marbled Salamander) 1 metamorph

     Ambystoma talpoideum (Mole Salamander) 10+ larvae

     Amphiuma tridactylum (Three-Toed Amphiuma) 1 adult

     Eurycea quadridigitata (Coastal Plain Dwarf Salamander) 3 adults

Sternotherus carinatus (Razor-Backed Musk Turtle)

Agkistrodon piscivorus leucostoma (Western Cottonmouth)

Nerodia erythrogaster transversa (Blotched Watersnake)

Coluber constrictor athicus (Buttermilk Racer)

Acris blanchardi (Blanchard's Cricket Frog)

Bufo fowleri (Fowler's Toad)

Bufo fowleri (Fowler's Toad) tadpoles

Hyla cinerea (Green Treefrog)

Rana catesbeiana (American Bullfrog)

Rana clamitans clamitans (Bronze Frog)

Ambystoma opacum (Marbled Salamander)

Amphiuma tridactylum (Three-Toed Amphiuma)

Eurycea quadridigitata (Coastal Plain Dwarf Salamander)

In the morning, Bones, Graham and I drove over to the Mary Brown Preserve in the Tunica Hills  of the Florida Parishes. Weather was warm with temps in the upper 80s with party cloudy skies. We didn't see many live snakes but saw a few interesting DORs.

     Nerodia rhombifer (Diamondback Watersnake) 1 DOR adult

     Trachemys scripta elegans (Red-Eared Slider) TMTC adults

     Acris crepitans (Northern Cricket Frog) TMTC calling

     Acris gryllus (Southern Cricket Frog) TMTC calling

     Bufo nebulifer (Gulf Coast Toad) 1 dead adult

     Gastrophryne carolinensis (Eastern Narrow-Mouthed Toad) TMTC calling

     Rana catesbeiana (American Bullfrog) One adult calling

     Rana clamitans clamitans (Bronze Frog) TMTC calling and metamorphs

     Rana sphenocephala utricularia (Southern Leopard Frog) TMTC metamorphs

     Desmognathus conanti (Spotted Dusky Salamander) 2 adults

     Eurycea guttolineata (Three-Lined Salamander) 1 juvenile

Eurycea guttolineata (Three-Lined Salamander)

Desmognathus conanti (Spotted Dusky Salamander)

I drove down to Louisiana to visit my old college roommate Bones Glorioso and his wife Melita for a few days.  However, herps are also on the agenda. Last night, after eating some great cajun food, Bones and I went out for a quick drive to the west of his home (in Youngsville, LA) to look for some critters.  For about an 1.5 hour trip, we did pretty well with several species found and several mosquito bites.

The results:

     Nerodia erythrogaster transversa (Blotched Watersnake) 2 adults

     Nerodia fasciata confluens (Broad-Banded Watersnake) 1 adult

     Thamnophis proximus orarius (Gulf Coast Ribbonsnake) 2 adults

     Acris crepitans (Northern Cricket Frog) TMTC calling

     Bufo nebulifer (Gulf Coast Toad) 5 adults and TMTC calling

     Gastrophryne carolinensis (Eastern Narrow-Mouthed Toad) TMTC calling

     Hyla chrysoscelis (Cope's Gray Treefrog) 10+ adults calling

     Hyla cinerea (Green Treefrog) TMTC calling

     Hyla squirella (Squirrel Treefrog) 10+ adults and TMTC calling

     Rana catesbeiana (American Bullfrog) 10+ adults calling

Hyla squirella (Squirrel Treefrog)

Bufo nebulifer (Gulf Coast Toad)

Nerodia erythrogaster transversa (Blotched Watersnake)

Thamnophis proximus orarius (Gulf Coast Ribbonsnake)

Graham Reynolds and I went over to Wilson County at Cedars of Lebanon State Forest to meet up with Brian Miller and his Vertebrate Zoology class to look for herps. We had a good day despite getting "slightly" lost in the forest while looking for Pseudotriton montanus streams.  Weather was in the low 80s with partly cloudy skies. Afterward, Graham and I went over to Vesta State Natural Area and found a few things as well.

Totals on the day:

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

     Eumeces fasciatus (Five-lined Skink) 5+ adults and juveniles

     Eumeces inexpectatus (Southeastern Five-lined Skink) 2 adults

     Sceloporus undulatus (Eastern Fence Lizard) 5+ adults and juveniles

     Scincella lateralis (Little Ground Skink) 1 adult

     Carphophis amoenus (Eastern Wormsnake) 6 adults

     Coluber c. constrictor (Northern Black Racer) 6 adults

     Crotalus horridus (Timber Rattlesnake) 1 adult

     Diadophis punctatus edwardsi (Northern Ringneck Snake) 1 juvenile

     Lampropeltis getula nigra (Black Kingsnake) 5 adults and juveniles

     Lampropeltis t. triangulum (Eastern Milksnake) 1 adult and 1 DOR

     Tantilla coronata (Southeastern Crowned Snake) 1 adult

     Virginia v. valeriae (Eastern Smooth Earthsnake) 1 adult

     Bufo a. americanus (Eastern American Toad) 1 adult

     Bufo fowleri (Fowler's Toad) 30+ adults

     Hyla chrysoscelis (Cope's Gray Treefrog) TMTC eggs

     Eurycea lucifuga (Cave Salamander) 1 adult

     Notophthalmus v. viridescens (Eastern Newt) 2 adults

Carphophis amoenus (Eastern Wormsnake)

Coluber c. constrictor (Northern Black Racer)

Crotalus horridus (Timber Rattlesnake)

Lampropeltis getula nigra (Black Kingsnake)

Lampropeltis t. triangulum (Eastern Milksnake)

Tantilla coronata (Southeastern Crowned Snake)

Virginia v. valeriae (Eastern Smooth Earthsnake)

Eumeces fasciatus (Five-lined Skink)

Bufo fowleri (Fowler's Toad)

Hyla chrysoscelis (Cope's Gray Treefrog) eggs

Eurycea lucifuga (Cave Salamander)