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LLNO S UNVERSTY OF LLNOS AT URBANA-CHAMPAGN PRODUCTON NOTE University of llinois at Urbana-Champaign Library Large-scale Digitization Project, 27.

Natral History SunrY Library MRLS A Limited Survey of the Amphibians and Reptiles of the FAP 31 (U.S. 2) Project Area, Jo Daviess and Stephenson Counties, llinois Center for Biodiversity Technical Report 1995 (4) 31 January 1995 Submitted by Christopher A. Phillips Center for Biodiversity llinois Natural History Survey 67 E. Peabody Drive Champaign, L 6182 Prepared for Bureau of Design and Environment llinois Department of Transportation 23 Dirksen Parkway Springfield, L 62764

5-1 NTRODUCTON The llinois Department of Transportation (DOT) has proposed upgrading U.S. 2 (FAP 31) to a four-lane, limited access highway from just west of Galena, Jo Daviess County to just west of Freeport, Stephenson County. Some of the expansion will follow existing U.S. 2 but several long stretches in the western end of the corndor will require new alignment and will therefore alter current land use patterns. This report presents the results of a survey of amphibians and reptiles of the FAP 31 project area. Surveys for amphibians and reptiles are usually conducted in a single effort because of the similarties of the two groups. They are both secretive in their habits and being ectothermic, they are generally active under a narrower temperature range than birds and mammals. However, there are also a number of differences between amphibians and reptiles that make combined surveys very difficult. Amphibians are restricted to moist conditions because they exchange gasses through their skin and lay eggs that usually must be submerged in water. Most amphibians also have an aquatic larval stage that may last several months to a year. Reptiles, on the other hand, are less restricted by available moisture and may go weeks without direct contact with water. All these factors combine to make amphibians and reptiles one of the most difficult vertebrate groups to survey, especially in a single effort. The approach that have used in this study is 1) to compile a list of the species whose ranges overlap the general project area (Stephenson and Jo Daviess Counties), 2) search for historical records of sensitive species (endangered, threatened, or watch list in llinois or candidate for Federal listing) from the general project area, and 3) conduct fieldwork designed to determine which species currently inhabit the project corridor. For the last portion, emphasis has been put on species listed as endangered or threatened in llinois. SPECES OF THE PROJECT AREA Table 1 lists the reptiles and amphibians whose ranges are included in the project area (Stephenson and Jo Daviess Counties). This information was taken from range maps in Smith (1961) and Conant and Collins (1991). Of the species in Table 1, only three are listed as endangered or threatened in llinois; the Four-toed Salamander (llinois threatened), Eastern Massasauga (llinois endangered and a candidate for Federal listing), and Timber Rattlesnake (llinois threatened). n addition, the Blanding's Turtle is a Watch List species in llinois and a candidate for listing at the Federal level. Table 1. Amphibians and Reptiles whose ranges are included in the project area (Stephenson and Jo Daviess Counties). This information was taken from range maps in Smith (1961) and Conant and Collins (1991). Amphibians spotted salamander tiger salamander central newt four-toed salamander mudpuppy American toad cricket frog chorus frog Ambystoma maculatum Ambystoma tigrinum Notophthalmus viridescens Hemidactylium scutatum Necturus maculosus Bufo americanus Acris crepitans Pseudacristriseriata

5-2 spnng peeper gray treefrog bullfrog green frog northern leopard frog wood frog pickerel frog Reptiles snapping turtle stinkpot turtle Blanding's turtle painted turtle false map turtle map turtle smooth softshell turtle spiny softshell turtle six-lined racerunner slender glass lizard ringneck snake western hognose snake eastern hognose snake smooth green snake racer black rat snake fox snake bullsnake milk snake western ribbon snake plains garter snake common garter snake brown snake red-bellied snake water snake eastern massasauga timber rattlesnake Hyla crucifer Hyla versicolor Ranacatesbeiana Rana clamitans Rana pipiens Rana sylvatica Ranapalustris Chelydra serpentina Sternotherus odoratus Emydoidea blandingii Chrysemys picta Graptemys pseudogeographica Graptemys geographica Trionyx mutica Trionyx spinifer Cnemidophorus sexlineatus Ophisaurus attenuatus Diadophuspunctatus Heterodon nasicus Heterodon platirhinos Opheodrys vernalis Coluber constrictor Elaphe obsoleta Elaphe vulpina Pituophis melanoleucus Lampropeltis triangulum Thamnophis proximus Thamnophis radix Thamnophis sirtalis Storeria dekayi Storeriaoccipitomaculata Nerodia sipedon Sistrurus catenatus Crotalus horridus HSTORCAL RECORDS FOR LSTED SPECES Historical records for the four listed species were taken from the following sources: 1) Specimens from museum, university, and private collections (referred to as vouchered records, see Appendix for a list of the collections that were searched), 2) unvouchered records from the literature, 3) unvouchered records taken from reliable biologists and naturalists, and 4) the llinois Department of Conservation Natural Heritage Data Base. Four-toed salamander--this salamander is primarily associated with undisturbed forests containing seeps or bogs. Recently, llinois specimens have been taken in wooded ravines near rocky, spring-fed creeks (Thurow, 1981). The four-toed salamander is primarily terrestrial but it is usually found near woodland ponds with sphagnum mats or other mosses. The activity period in northern llinois is probably late March to October. Females congregate near woodland ponds in March and April for egg laying and brooding. Nests are situated so that the larvae fall directly into

5-3 the water when the eggs hatch. The most common nest sites are in sphagnum mats but grass hummocks, leaf litter and rotten logs are also used (Pfingsten and Downs, 1989). Smith ( 1961) included all of Jo Daviess County in the range of the four-toed salamander but no specimens have been recorded from the county despite recent attempts to locate colonies in Apple River Canyon State Park (Brandon and Ballard, 1991). Blanding's Turtle--Prairie marshes and floodplain sloughs of larger rivers are the primary habitat of this semi-aquatic turtle. They are most commonly found in shallow (1-2 cm) open water areas of cattail marshes, sloughs, ponds, and flooded ditches, although Monarity (1986) reported them from small streams in southeast Minnesota. Aquatic plants, especially emergent vegetation and a mud bottom are important habitat components (Johnson, 1987). The activity penod in northern llinois is probably late March to October. Nesting occurs in June in sandy, well drained soil near the aquatic habitat. Hatching usually takes place in September (Vogt, 1981). Smith (1961) considered all of Jo Daviess and Stephenson Counties in the range of the Blanding's turtle but no records are available. Massasauga--This venomous snake prefers wet prairie areas with heavy grass cover or floodplain forest adjacent to open fields. The activity period in northern llinois is probably mid-april to October. n some parts of their range, massasaugas move from moist prairie conditions to drier habitats in the spring (Seigel, 1983). Massasaugas are often found in association with crayfish burrows which they use for shelter and hibernation (Maple and Orr, 1968). They may also overwinter in mammal burrows, old tree stumps, and rock crevices. They apparently do not hibernate with other snake species. The range of the massasauga includes all of Jo Daviess and Stephenson Counties but no records were found for either of these counties. Timber Rattlesnake--This venomous snake usually occupies three distinct habitats (Brown, 1993): heavily forested areas for foraging (summer), south or west facing rock outcrops or talus slides containing deep cracks and fissures for denning (fall to mid-spring), and more open woods, fields and other disturbed habitats when moving between these two habitats (fall and spring). n addition, gravid females may occupy rocky open sites close to the den for gestation and birthing (summer). The activity period in northern llinois is probably early April to October. Smith (1961) included "all Mississippi River counties in which the river bluffs have not been denuded of forest" in the range of the timber rattlesnake. This includes Jo Daviess County. Both the timber rattlesnake and the massasagua were common in Grant County, Wisconsin (just north of Jo Daviess County) at the turn of the century (Vogt, 1981). There are several museum records for the timber rattlesnake in Jo Daviess County: CA 3979-3982 (4 specimens) 1937 Apple River Canyon CA 4461 (1 specimen) 1938 Galena CA 748 (1 specimen) no date Galena NHS 1552-1555 (4 specimen) 1939 Jo Daviess Co. UMMZ 79429 (2 specimens) no date Jo Daviess Co. n addition to these museum specimens, several unvouchered records exist for the project area. Nickerson and Mays (1968) reported two timber rattlesnakes from the Apple River bluffs between Elizabeth and Woodbine. Fieldwork conducted in 1994 in Jo Daviess County for the llinois Department of Conservation resulted in the identification of a stable population of timber rattlesnakes in the vicinity of Hanover, approximately 1 km (6 miles) from the southern route of the project corridor in rish Hollow (Brandon, et al., 1994). One of the investigators on this project, Brian Bielma, has identified other potential den sites within the project corridor through interviews with local rattlesnake hunters. To date, these potential dens have not yielded any rattlesnake sightings but Bielma believes that these areas need to be investigated further. See the section on Areas of Special Concern, below, for more information on the timber rattlesnake in the project coridor.

5-4 FELD SURVEYS conducted field surveys in the project corridor during 1994 using the following methods: visual encounter surveys, road collecting, listening for frog and toad calls, and interviewing local residents. Visual encounter surveys involve walking through an area turning appropriate cover items such as logs, rocks, and miscellaneous debris. Detailed descriptions of the survey methods can be found in Heyer, et al. (1994). The entire corridor was driven and all vegetation cover types and delineated wetlands were visited on foot and visual encounter surveys were performed. More thorough investigations were made at those vegetation cover types and wetlands with the potential for the highest amphibian and reptile species diversity. Factors such as level of vegetational disturbance, size and degree of fragmentation, or hydrology of sites were considered when deciding which would be re-visited. Table 3 lists the sites that were chosen for more intensive sampling. Appendix gives the mapped location of each of the intensive survey sites. Three of these sites were listed as hot spots on the original topographic maps submitted by the llinois Natural History Survey. No listed species were encountered during the field surveys. Table 4 lists the species observed or heard during the field surveys. Table 3. Sites chosen for intensive sampling of amphibians and reptiles in the FAP 31 project corridor. Site Name rish Hollow wetlands Site Description marsh, wet meadow, wet shrubland, pond, pasture, floodplain forest Location 2 km SE Rodden T27N, R2E, sec. 28 see also Appendix, Map A a Wooded Wonderland (includes Botanical Sites G and 6 on hot spots map) Smallpox Creek Bluffs Galena Hill Prairies (Botanical Sites 1&2 on hot spots map) Yellow Creek Timber (Botanical Site J on hot spots map) upland forest, pasture, hayfield, tree plantation, native grassland, non-native grassland upland forest, pasture, agricultural land, non-native grassland, native grassland native grassland, non-native grassland, pasture, shrubland upland forest, pasture, floodplain forest, river, wet meadow T27N, R1E, sec. 1 & 2 see also Appendix, Map B T28N, R1E, sec 26 SE 1/4 see also Appendix, Map C T28N, R1E, sec 9 SE 1/4 see also Appendix, Map D T27N, R5E, sec. 5 see also Appendix, Map E

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5-6 AREAS OF SPECAL CONCERN Several areas were identified that contain suitable habitat for one or more of the listed species. These areas have been given a letter designation which is used to identify the sites on the accompanying aerial photographs. Maps of these special concern sites are also presented in Appendix. A detailed discussion of each site is presented below. Site A. rish Hollow Wetlands. T27N, R2E, sec. 28 & 29, Hanover Quad. Map A, Appendix. This wetland complex consists of a chain of seeps, flooded ditches, cattail marshes, pothole ponds, pasture ponds, and larger bodies of water along the abandoned Chicago and Northwestern railroad grade. The complex parallels rish Hollow Creek and is approximately 3 km (1.9 miles) long. t is surrounded by agricultural fields and pasture. Six species of amphibians and reptiles were observed or heard at this site. n addition, identified a seepage area just east of the intersection of South rish Hollow road and the abandoned railroad grade that is suitable habitat for the four-toed salamander (Hemidactylium scutatum). The area contains wet meadow and floodplain forest with several small pools and abundant nesting cover, including mosses, grass clumps, and rotting logs. The rish Hollow wetland complex is also potential Blanding's turtle (Emydoidea blandingii) habitat. Cattail marshes with shallow open water areas are abundant throughout the wetland chain. Site B. Wooded Wonderland. T27N, R1E, sec. 1 & 2, Hanover Quad. Map B, Appendix. This site consists of upland forest, pine plantation, shrublands, non-native and native grassland, pasture, hayfields, abandoned farm buildings, and rock outcrops. The importance of this site is its potential as habitat for the timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus). t has the main components required by rattlesnakes: rock outcrops for den areas and heavy timber for summer foraging. n addition the grasslands could provide open areas for gravid females. The presence of abandoned farm buildings and large piles of cut pine logs from the plantation adds to the potential of this site. interviewed the owner and resident of this property, John Eisbach. He reported that his daughter caught and ate a "large timber rattlesnake" in August of 1994. See Map B, Appendix for the location of the sighting. He has the skin and photographs of the specimen but he was unable to produce either during several visits to his property. surveyed this site extensively on three occasions but was unable to verify Mr. Eisbach's report. Also of note is the fact that 2 km (1.5 miles) south-southeast of this site is an area of more extensive rock outcrops known historically as "rattlesnake ridge". Mr. Tom Stafford, a local resident, said that there are still rattlesnakes in this area. Site C. Smallpox Creek Bluffs. T28N, R1E, sec 26 SE 1/4, Scale Mound West Quad. Map C, Appendix. This site is another potential area for timber rattlesnakes. t has the same features as the Wooded Wonderland (heavy timber and rock outcrops) but with more extensive rock outcrops. t is also near open areas for gestation and birthing and thick timber for summer foraging. DSCUSSON More than half of the land within the FAP 31 corridor is agricultural and the majority of the remaining acreage is in pasture. However, there are still widely scattered opportunities for amphibians and reptiles in this landscape, especially in the western one-quarter where the rugged terrain has protected large areas from disturbance. Table 1 lists fifteen species of amphibians and twenty-seven species of reptiles that could potentially inhabit the project corridor. There are actual records for only about half of these species

5-7 from the two county area and even fewer for the project corridor proper. However, this region of the state has not been adequately surveyed for amphibians and reptiles. This point is illustrated by noting that four of the species that encountered in my field surveys were not recorded from the two-county area in Smith's (1961) summary of llinois' amphibian and reptile distnbutions. A more accurate estimate of the number of species that inhabit the project corridor is nine species of amphibians and twelve species of reptiles. This list generally includes the most common species of the upper midwest such as those encountered in my field surveys (Table 4). A few common species such as cricket frog (Acris crepitans), gray treefrog (Hyla versicolor), painted turtle (Chrysemys picta), rat snake (Elaphe obsoleta), and racer (Coluber constrictor) were not encountered in my fieldwork but undoubtedly will be found in future surveys. Listed Species The four-toed salamander (Hemidactylium scutatum) is a very small, secretive amphibian that is difficult to survey without considerable effort. A thorough salamander survey requires the use of drift fence and pitfall traps around suspected breeding ponds. n addition, this species is rarely noticed by most people, even those who consider themselves outdoorsmen, so interviews with local residents are not useful. The floodplain forest-seep at the northwest end of the rish Hollow wetland complex meets all published habitat requirements (described above) for the four-toed salamander. consider it a potential site even though no historical records exist for the area. There area two reasons for this conclusion: this area of the state is poorly studied from a herpetological perspective so individuals may have escaped attention and all of the recent discoveries of populations of the four-toed salamander in llinois have been isolated from other populations by distances up to 3 km (18 miles, e.g. Thurow, 1981; Phillips, 1991). Smith (1957) interpreted this patchy distribution as the result of recent (4-8, years before present) climatic warming that forced this mainly boreal species to move northward leaving behind only isolated relictual populations in cool, wet microhabitats. The floodplain forest-seep in rish Hollow fits this description. The rish Hollow wetlands meet all published habitat requirements (described above) for Blanding's turtle (Emydoidea blandingii). The lack of historical records for Blanding's turtle in the project area is stronger evidence that they are not inhabitants of this region than it is for the fourtoed salamander. The nearest record for Blanding's turtle is southwest Carroll County, llinois, approximately 45 km (27 miles) from the FAP 31 corridor. Blanding's turtles are extremely wary when basking, therefore visual encounter is not a very efficient survey method. Turtle surveys require the use of baited hoop traps or long hours of observation with a spotting scope. would recommend that such methods be employed if alignments including rish Hollow wetlands are advanced to the next stage of planning. The two rattlesnake species very rarely escape the attention of local residents. Brown (1993) states that if three or four separate residents living in proximity to suspected rattlesnake range report no sightings, very likely no rattlesnakes exist in the region. While have no doubt that histoncally, the two rattlesnakes were inhabitants of the FAP 31 corridor, the lack of any local reports or museum records of the massasauga leads me to the conclusion that this species does not currently inhabit the project area. The timber rattlesnake, however, probably inhabits at least one portion (possibly two) of the FAP 31 corridor. The capture of a timber rattlesnake by local resident John Eisbach's daughter in the area known as Wooded Wonderland would seem to be conclusive evidence that a population exists in the corridor. However, this report remains questionable until see either photographs or the skin of the specimen. n my opinion, further surveys for timber rattlesnakes are required before an acceptable conclusion can be reached.

5-8 LTERATURE CTED Brandon, R.A. and S. Ballard. 1991. nventones of amphibians and reptiles in llinois. DOC Report. 133 pp. Brandon, R.A., J.M. Rubinoff, D. Mauger, T.G. Anton, and B.J.Bielma. 1994. Timber Rattlesnake Status Survey, Final Report to llinois Endangered Species Protection Board. 47 PP. Brown, W.S. 1993. Biology, status, and management of the timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus): A guide for conservation. Society for the Study of Reptiles and Amphibians Herpetological Circular No. 22. 78 pp. Conant, R. and J.T. Collins. 1991. Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern/Central North Amenca. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston. 45 pp. Heyer, W.R., M.A. Donnelly, R.W. McDiarmid, L. C. Hayek, M.S. Foster, eds. 1994. Measuring and Monitoring Biodiversity: Standard Methods for Amphibians. Smithsoman nstitution Press, Washington. 364 pp. Johnson, T.R. 1987. The Amphibians and Reptiles of Missouri. Missouri Department of Conservation. Jefferson City, Missouri. 368 pp. Maple, W.T. and L.P. Orr. 1968. Overwintering adaptations of Sistrurus catenatus in northeastern Ohio. Journal of Herpetology 2:179-18. Moriarity, J.J. 1986. A survey of the amphibians and reptiles in southeastern Minnesota. Occasional Paper, Minnesota Herpetological Society 1:66-8. Nickerson, M.A. and C.E, Mays. 1968. More aberrations in the color patterns of rattlesnakes (genus Crotalus). Wasmann Journal of Biology 26(1): 125-131. Pfingsten, R.A. and F.L. Downs, eds. 1989. The Salamanders of Ohio. Bulletin of the Ohio Biological Survey, New Series Vol. 7, No. 2. 315 pp. Phillips, C.A. 1991. Geographic Distribution. Hemidactylium scutatum (four-toed salamander). Herpetological Review 22(4): 133. Seigel, R.A. 1983. Final report on the ecology and management of the massasauga, Sistrurus catenatus, at the Squaw Creek National Wildlife Management Area, Holt, County, Missouri. Unpublished Report to the Missouri Department of Conservation. 14 pp. Smith, P.W. 1961. The Amphibians and Reptiles of llinois. llinois Natural History Survey Bulletin 28(1): 1-298. Thurow, G.R. 1981. Geographic Distribution. Hemidactylium scutatum (four-toed salamander). Herpetological Review 12(2):64. Vogt, R.C. 1981. Natural History of the Amphibians and Reptiles of Wisconsin. The Milwaukee Public Museum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 25 pp.

5-9 Appendix 1. List of Museum Holdings Searched. Collection Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia Amencan Museum of Natural History Auburn University Museum Burpee Museum of Natural History California Academy of Sciences Carnegie Museum Chicago Academy of Sciences Field Museum of Natural History Florida Museum of Natural History H.D. Walley Collection Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History Louisiana State University Milwaukee Public Museum Museum of Comparative Zoology National Museum of Natural History Nebraska State Museum Principia College S.A. Minton Collection Southern llinois University-Carbondale Texas Cooperative Wildlife Collection Tulane University Museum of Natural History University of llinois Museum of Natural History University of Kansas Museum of Natural History University of Michigan Museum of Zoology University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Acronym ANSP AMNH A UM BMNH CAS CM CA FMNH UF HDW LACM LSUS MPM MCZ USNM UN PC SAM SUC TCWC TU UMNH KU UMMZ UWSP

Appendix. Map A r. -. r - potential four-toed salamander S(Hemidactylium scutatum) habitat / - & k -7..,. * i ^ -" '-^^ - 7/ "/ *. >.,, > --- '?. -7k- _ -- --- rr- -s - 2 - --- _.?'.',-. K14->. -,.,, * --, _ ^ - -. " -^. / -. -, - _.,,;. -,,, - <._.., -,, - =..--- ---,.. --: " "/ -. " - - - ) 3 '. i \ - " --" - J -f.,;-.. "^-7' - - \- North Hanover' - - - '*...-^^ "-, -.^\....- ^ ^ ' A- 4- ' ~'lr 8c-, \... * j,. -^ C3;t6. ---.. --. --..... L. -L -...-~Zll.. r -P- ~~c- -'~B -- - 6^ --,. - -z-4 -- Ob -7- ~j% - o \._. il Map A. Location of rish Hollow Wetlands, Herpetological Special Concern Site A. (Hanover 7.5' Quadrangle)

Appendix. Map B ^ _-Al c_ ~.. 1 / *~ 'j,, / ~ ~ K 7 -ic 3 N 4 ' -,/ n hl w - -2 9~A A... / /, J 11 1.. ", n- A. F - VY 1 3, - _ x /**» - "-,- -' \,:^ Location of timber rattlesnake _,. (Crotalus horridus) sighting, Aug. '94 '. -. Nt i h i" i F;-^ ^*^ i: r.. = '1 j [K K C n ~ 2 e>761 Vt -Y.h 2 N _ - V _ 1 '1 --~7) ' ^t \. -^ _ ^ -- X ri-l -i-- - ((«' f \.^ '! \ ~ -63 r- ~ ~Lt -~ \ - `L n - 'ldl ~ ~e H / '-,> NP~ Nj '? ~e i i ~se;- -i -~.8R 7 -': ----.-. - "-." V S - t-3~, 1 t -- -2 - -). - r-' - - r-- E/ir 6,_ ~~~,;t ~, Map B. Location of Wooded Wonderland, Herpetological Special Concern Site B. (Hanover 7.5' Quadrangle)

Appendix. Map C / -~------~ f* ^"., \J..\iJi?, E--4 < 3 -.-.- i 4534^ '. ----,-f4 '' - /- ( N,> -... o T~- N i 2 '^~~~, "^ 'J '1/. - -~ 4 K - 4--.- ' 3 1 / - Map C. Location of Smallpox Creek Bluffs, Herpetological Special Concern Site C. (Scales Mound West 7.5' Quadrangle)

Appendix. Map D 'A -' i i 52-j~: i~ f 8 356 ( ( -~ - - 3 -~ 1:. 87-5 v8 K 1 P - - "l' 8 ;XA;,5r< ')~ -- -1~ --- ---- ---- 2;-t~f-'l., " moo" T 8 J-7 Rig se 8 9 WT *T( a b 6.,/~ 8 f Map D. Location of Galena Hill Prairies (Galena 7.5' Quadrangle)

Appendix. Map E,.h A-9 N R A Simm\ns Mound /' 6 -N ~ ) ~6 18 17 928 ^ ý.--..,ex Map E. Location of Yellow Creek Timber (Kent 7.5' Quadrangle)