Reptiles Notes Compiled by the Davidson College Herpetology Laboratory Eastern Hognose Snake Green Tree Frog
Reptiles and Amphibians Ectothermic Regulate temperature from outside sources Water temperature Basking Yellowbelly Slider Northern Watersnake
Cryptic Very abundant but their presence is largely unknown Timber Rattlesnake Timber Rattlesnake Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake
Reptiles and Amphibians Important to the ecosystem An important prey item for: Raccoons, opossums, birds An important predator of: Mice, rats, insects Spring Peeper Ringneck Snake Spring Salamander Green Salamander
Reptiles Copperhead Antarctica the only continent without reptiles First organism to become independent of water for breeding Larvae lack gills Can give birth to live young or lay terrestrial eggs with a leathery shell Eastern Painted Turtle Five-lined Skink American Alligator
Reptile Characteristics Ectothermic behavior Maintain a narrow temperature range Maintained through behavioral activities such as basking or burrowing Brummation Hibernation in ectotherms River Cooters Fence Lizard
Crocodilians Temperature sex determination Sex of offspring determined by the temperature the at which the eggs incubate American Alligators
Turtles Snapping Turtle Vertebrae incorporated into shell Have a beak instead of teeth Omnivorous Temperature sex determination Found in a variety of habitats: Marine Freshwater Terrestrial Box Turtle Eastern Painted Turtle Olive Ridley Sea Turtle
Lizards Extremely diverse and variable Many islands have endemic species Endemic: Species found in one location but no where else Do they all have legs? Glass Lizards/Leg-less lizards/jointed Snakes How do you tell Glass Lizards from Snakes? Ear openings, eyelids, tail length Broadhead Skink Slender Glass Lizard Fence Lizard Green Anole Slender Glass Lizard
Snakes 6 venomous species Copperhead, Cottonmouth, Coral Snake, Timber Rattlesnake, Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake, and Pigmy Rattlesnake Most species are nonvenomous Scarlet Kingsnake Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake Ringneck Snake Black Rat Snake
Snakes All lack legs Lack ear openings Hear vibrations through the ground Shed their skin to grow Eastern Hognose Snake Ringneck Snake Black Racer Redbelly Watersnake Coachwhip
Snake Feeding Entirely carnivorous Swallow prey whole Can eat prey much larger than themselves Some use venom to immobilize prey Some constrict their prey Some actively forage for prey Some sit and wait for prey to approach them Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake eating a Cottontail Rabbit Scarlet Kingsnake eating a Green Anole
Snake Defense Mechanisms Crypsis: Staying camouflaged When detected: Flee, musk, gape, rattle When these do not work, snakes may strike This occurs only when a snake feels threatened and has no other option to protect itself Cottonmouth Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake Eastern Hognose Snake Brown Watersnake
Conservation Many amphibians are in decline 32% of amphibians endangered versus 12% of birds or 23% of mammals 43% of amphibian populations are declining Few populations are known to be increasing Grey Tree Frog Red Salamander Eastern Kingsnake
Causes of Decline Habitat destruction Disease Pollution Over-exploitation Climate change Invasive species How many are human caused? Photos by Steve Price
What can you do? Enjoy finding and observing amphibians and reptiles Don t keep wild amphibians and reptiles as pets Don t kill snakes Make sure you know a venomous species looks like before handling snakes, and NEVER touch or threaten a poisonous snake Don t release any amphibian or reptile pet into the wild Photo by L. Harshaw Photo by K. Cecala Photo by L. Harshaw
Corn Snake Questions?