Checklist:  Amphibians and Reptiles of Sullivan County
1976 to 2002

Compiled by
posted 6/1/03

Key Turtles Snakes Salamanders Frogs & Toads
Links & References Emergency Where to Send Reports
Online Reporting Form Printable 4x6 Field Checklist & Reporting Form

Key:

++
 Independent NYS Herp Atlas Project record, plus author verification, period 1990 - 1999
+ 
 Independent NYS Herp Atlas Project record, but no author verification during period 1990 - 1999
-
 Independent NYS Herp Atlas Project record, no author verification, period 1990 – 1999 AND record doubted by the author
*
Animal found/confirmed by the author, period 1976 – 2002

Abundance Code:

C

 Common, very abundant, likely to be observed during routine activities
U 
 Uncommon, hard to find; unlikely to be observed without careful searching or sheer luck
R
 Rare, scarce; not at all common, unlikely to be found even with careful searching

Turtles

++ * C

 Common Snapping Turtle, Chelydra serpentina
+   * U
 Wood Turtle, Clemmys insculpta
+   * R
 Spotted Turtle, Clemmys guttata
++ * C
 Painted Turtle, Chrysemys picta
++ * U
 Box Turtle, Terrapene carolina
-      U
 Red-eared Slider, Trachemys scripta elegans
++ * U
 Common Musk Turtle, Sternotherus odoratus

Snakes

++ * C

 Northern Water Snake, Nerodia s. sipedon
++ * C
 Eastern Garter Snake, Thamnophis sirtalis
++ * U
 Eastern Ribbon Snake, Thamnophis sauritus
++ * C
 Northern Redbelly Snake, Storeria occipitomaculata
+      R
 Northern Brown Snake (DeKay’s Snake) Storeria d. dekayi
++ * C
 Northern Ringneck Snake, Diadophis punctatus edwardsii
+    * R
 Eastern Hognose Snake, Heterodon platirhinos
++ * U
 Smooth Green Snake, Liochlorophis vernalis
++ * U
 Northern Black Racer, Coluber constrictor
+    * U
 Black Rat Snake, Elaphe obsoleta
++ * C
 Eastern Milk Snake, Lampropeltis triangulum
+      U
 Timber Rattlesnake, Crotalus horridus
+    * R
 Northern Copperhead, Agkistrodon contortrix mokasen

Salamanders

++ * C

 Eastern Red-Spotted Newt, Notophthalmus v. viridescens
+    * U
 Jefferson Salamander Complex, Ambystoma jeffersonianum X laterale
+    * U
 Blue-spotted Salamander Complex, Ambystoma laterale X jeffersonianum
++ * C
 Spotted Salamander, Ambystoma maculatum
+    * R
 Marbled Salamander, Ambystoma opacum
++ * C
 Allegheny (Mountain) Dusky Salamander, Desmognathus ochrophaeus
++ * U
 Northern Dusky Salamander, Desmognathus fuscus
++ * U
 Northern Spring Salamander, Gyrinophilus p. porphyriticus
+    * U
 Northern Red Salamander, Pseudotriton r. ruber
++ * C
 Northern Slimy Salamander, Plethodon glutinosus
++ * C
 Northern Redback Salamander, Plethodon cinereus
++ * C
 Northern Two-lined Salamander, Eurycea bislineata
++ * R
 Longtail Salamander, Eurycea l. longicauda
+      R
 Four-toed Salamander, Hemidactylium scutatum
-      R
 Eastern Hellbender, Cryptobranchus a. alleganiensis

Frogs & Toads

++ * C

 Eastern American Toad, Bufo a. americanus
++ * U
 Gray Treefrog, Hyla versicolor
++ * C
 Northern Spring Peeper, Pseudacris c. crucifer
++ * C
 Green Frog, Rana clamitans
++ * C
 Bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana
++ * C
 Pickerel Frog, Rana palustris
+      R
 Northern Leopard Frog, Rana pipiens
++ * C
 Wood Frog, Rana sylvatica


Finally, it is not beyond the realm of possibility that one or more of the following species could occur in Sullivan County in undetected populations:

Southern Leopard Frog, Rana utricularia (? rumor from late 1970's…)
Northern Cricket Frog, Acris c. crepitans
Eastern Worm Snake, Carphophis a. amoenus
Five-lined Skink, Eumeces fasciatus (sunny slopes - confirmed north of Ellenville, NY)
Fence Lizard, Sceloporus undulates hyacinthinus

Prospects of finding the Bog Turtle, Clemmys muhlenbergii, are not very good either, as their habitat requirements (small, placid & sunny open meadow streams with grassy tussocks) are not met in much of Sullivan County. I would love to be found wrong on this point, however! And I am looking forward to any revised reports in the forthcoming NYS Herp Atlas; ‘domestics’ (like Red Eared Sliders) are a possibility, but a Blanding’s Turtle or Worm Snake would certainly showcase the area’s wonderful biodiversity.

Reporting Your Sightings

If you encounter any unusual herps or herp reports please .

For monthly reporting, you can submit your sightings in one of two ways:

  Save your postage!  Enter your numbers directly into our online form and send them off electronically. Please complete one form per topoquad for each month.
 

If you prefer to fill out and mail a paper form, you can print our Herp Checklist on a 4x6 index card (which can be mailed at the USPS postcard rate) or just print it on paper and mail in an envelope. Please complete one card per topoquad for each month and mail to:

Sullivan County Audubon
PO Box 30
Loch Sheldrake, NY 12759

Herp Links, Interesting Extras and Formal References

Internet:

American Museum of Natural History Department of Herpetology
            http://research.amnh.org/herpetology/index.html
American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists
            http://www.asih.org
Cortland Herpetology Connection, State University of New York at Cortland
            http://www.cortland.edu/herp/index.htm
Herp Index, Links to Societies and Organizations
            http://www.herpindex.com/soc.html
New York State Herp Atlas Project
            http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dfwmr/wildlife/herp/index.html
Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles
            http://www.ssarherps.org
VenomousReptiles.org
            http://venomousreptiles.org

Audio:

Voices of the Night – The Calls of the Frogs and Toads of Eastern North America. Produced by the Library of Natural Sounds. 1982. Ithaca, NY: Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology.

The Calls of Frogs and Toads. Produced by Lang Elliott. 1994. Minocqua, WI: NatureSound Studio, NorthWord Press.


Literature:

Conant, Roger and Joseph T. Collins. 1998. A Field Guide to Reptiles & Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America. Third Edition, Expanded. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Bartlett, Richard D. 1988. In Search of Reptiles and Amphibians. New York: E. J. Brill.

Bishop, Sherman C. 1947. Handbook of Salamanders. Ithaca, NY: Comstock.

Collins, Joseph T. 1990. Standard Common and Current Scientific Names for North American Amphibians and Reptiles. 3rd ed. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles.

Duellman, William E., and Linda Trueb. 1986. Biology of Amphibians. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Halliday, Tim R., and Kraig Adler (editors). 1986. The Encyclopedia of Reptiles and Amphibians. New York: Facts on File.

Hulse, Arthur C., C. J. McCoy and Ellen J. Censky. 2001. Amphibians and Reptiles of Pennsylvania and the Northeast. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.

Kauffeld, Carl F. 1957. Snakes and Snake Hunting. Garden City, NY: Hanover House.

Kauffeld, Carl F. 1969. Snakes: The Keeper and the Kept. New York: Doubleday.

Klauber, Laurence M. 1972. Rattlesnakes: Their Habits, Life Histories, and Influence on Mankind. 2nd ed. 2 Vols. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.

Porter, Kenneth R. 1972. Herpetology. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders.

Seigel, Richard A., Joseph T. Collins, and Susan S. Novak (editors). 1987. Snakes: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. New York: Macmillan.

Smith, Hobart M. 1946. Handbook of Lizards. Ithaca, NY: Comstock.

Williams, Kenneth L. 1988. Systematics and Natural History of the American Milk Snake, Lampropeltis triangulum. 2nd ed. Milwaukee Public Museum Publication.

Zug, George R., Laurie J. Vitt, and Janalee P. Caldwell. 2001. Herpetology: An Introductory Biology of Amphibians and Reptiles. San Diego, CA: Academic Press.

For Snake Venom Poisoning Emergencies

Central New York Poison Center
750 East Adams Street
Syracuse, NY 13210

Emergency Phone: 1-800-222-1222