Herpetofauna

Now that the trapping season is at a seasonal low and we're starting to lose snow in most areas of Idaho, I slide back into snake/lizard mode. I know a few folks on this forum are into snakes and such, and I also know a few that despise the cold-blooded critters. Nonetheless, I thought a few of you might enjoy periodic photos. My wife and I do quite a bit of "hobby" research near our homestead, catching, measuring, and then releasing ectotherms. Just another interest in the natural fauna that keeps us going through the non-trapping season. I was in the northern part of the state last weekend doing a couple of wolf trapping certification classes and found western skinks (Plestiodon skiltonianus) and Coeur d'Alene salamanders (Plethodon idahoensis). Hope you enjoy...


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had to laugh at my wife. she found a gardner snake and quickly grabbed it when I told her it was harmless. after she held and examined it for a couple minutes I told her to sniff her hands. that snake got released in a quick hurry

The skunk of the snake world! lol

I notice that the skintone of Tony'sanus is blue. Are there other colors in other areas ?

Always like those blue tailed skinks when I was a kid we had a lot of them around the house then but have not seen one in several years just like meadow larks and other critters that seem to have vanished form this area

White -

With skill, Tony's anus can be whatever color you desire. Usually called the blue-tailed skink. (Where is this discussion going?).

Hey now! My anus is normal colored just like everyone else's!
Tony

I have to wonder how you know that ???

Hopefully this ISN'T where this thread is going.

Gulo: Does that tail change color like a chameleon ??

Havent seen one of those in a long time, Jack . Used to catch those in Florida .

Still like seeing my Gator lizards , though.

And my search for a rubber boa will continue !

Is that the lizard that loses its tail to a predator,allowing it to escape?
If so maybe it is blue to attract the attention of a predator away from its head,like a weasels tail has a black tip for the same reason.
After all we know that blue attracts (the blue bucket set,lol.)

I guess I don't "know", but I'm hoping
In seriousness, I'm not sure if they are the exact same, but I find blue tailed skinks in my yard. Not many, but they are here.

Boco -

Yes. The blue-tailed skink has musculature in it's tail that allows it to spontaneously "pinch off" the tail when it senses itself in danger. The tail, after being dismembered, wiggles frantically on the ground, diverting the predator's attention to catching that bright blue wiggling tail, while the lizard itself, with much more cryptic coloration, scoots off into oblivion. They can then grow a new tail, albeit shorter and usually not as bright. The younger the skink, the brighter "electric" blue is the tail. Old adults barely have any hint of blue remaining. Pretty much the same idea as the black-tipped tail of long-tailed and short-tailed weasels, although a bit more involved. In my opinion, pretty cool predator-evasion tactic.

Jack

We have a few Five Lined Skinks around our place, they are neat little beasts. A few years back my bride was outside with me and whipping here and there in her electric wheelchair, supervising the worker (me) she had hired to work on her flowerbeds. All at once she said, in an excited voice "Look, there's a skank!" I was really surprised, because she never used to let me look at skanks, let alone point them out!

She's a keeper !!

Interesting.

Makes you wonder how something like that could evolve.
Similar to amphibians being able to regenerate a severed limb,I suppose.Must have evolved along those lines.
I remember studying an interesting experiment that was done to prove that the limb re-generation only worked outwards from the body.
A frog had its humerus surgically removed,then at a later date the limb was severed half way on the upper arm.The regenerated limb produced half a humerus,from the cut outwards.There was no bone regeneration from the cut towards the body.

I remember my 9th grade class on a field trip. One guy in or class was always showing off in front of the girls. He caught a garter snake and was chasing the girls with it. Eventually, he put the snake around his neck and was dancing around like that. Suddenly, the snake unloaded some of the foulest smelling, white poop that would gag a maggot. He ended up riding in the very far back of the bus by himself on the trip home crying.

White -

Although lots of different species have the ability to "morph" colors, I've not seen nor read anything about the skinks being able to change the color in their tail. On the other hand, I remember that Ronald Reagan was once a Democrat, and was able to change his colors (blue to red) quite successfully. Also, I've known some skanks that were chameleons as well.

Jack

ROFLMAO !!


I remember one of those inviting us to a 'party' that day in Stony River.....................

I, for one, would like to see more pics of lizards and salamanders from around the country. We have a salamander called a amphiuma.(Sorry no pics yet. They are elusive.)
It is aquatic, resembling an eel in appearance and lifestyle. They have two tiny front legs and no back legs. They are reported to have a nasty bite.

Here you go Carl. My buddy sent me a pic of the yellow/black one yesterday.
The black/orange one I find every now and then in the fall raking leaves.
This waterdog, as we call them, or Hellbender, I posted on here sometime back.

Growing up 35 years ago we got $6 a dozen for the large black salamanders. The Feds would probably bury you under the jail now for even turning over a rock looking for them!?!?

Scout1, those Hellbenders are a Bucket List beast for me. I would love to see one in the wild before I croak!

We had skinks in Mn where I grew up. Was weird though. I never saw or heard of one then moved about 20 miles north off the lakes area and into sand/oak country and it was thick with them. After we established our horse farm the loss of the grass in the pasture and the barn cats we had basically wiped them out. Saw a few a year after all that. When we first got there I’d see 30 taking water to the horses just walking 200yds.

Here in ID I haven’t seen much exciting. We have a pet toad that we’ve had for 3 years and now a turtle. My little guy sometimes self describes as a herpatologist.

Some Herpetofauna from my farm.

DeKay's Brown Snake.



Black Rat Snakes.



Gray Tree Frog.



Eastern Garter Snake eating a Fowler's Toad.



Eastern Garter Snakes making more Eastern Garter Snakes.



I also have American Toads, Leopard Frogs, Green Nosed Frogs, Spring Peepers, Red Milk Snakes, Eastern Ringsnakes, Eastern Painted Turtles, Eastern Box Turtles and Common Snapping Turtles on my farm, at least occasionally.

Keith

Thanks for adding more images, especially the Hellbender.

Next one from here in Idaho is the Northern Alligator Lizard (Elgaria coerulea). Biggest ones I've caught were about 10" long.





All you out there with herps, please post images. Just interested....

Jack

Keith C -

Excellent photos, man! Thanks.

Sure like those gators, Jack ! They like the rafters of woodsheds and such , and I always look for them when Im working with firewood. If I see one Ill be sure to take a pic .

Thanks !

These are great! When I was a child I was quite obsessed with reptiles and amphibians and maintained a collection of wild caught ones over each summer LOL. Turtles in a kiddy pool, snakes in a large aquarium along with crayfish, various fish, fairy shrimp, baby killdeer, etc.

Here in Ontario, the only lizard we have is the 5 line skink. There are not many in my area but lots around Rondeau and Point Pelee parks.
I have personally seen/caught:
1) Tiger salamander
2) Mud Puppy/Water dog
3) 5 line skink
4) Dusky salamander (up north)
5) Dekay's Snake, Blue Racer Snake, Butler's Garter Snake, Mississauga Rattlesnake, Fox Snake, Lake Erie Water Snake, Eastern Water Snake, Ribbon Snake, Fox Snake,Hog Nose Snake
15) Fowler's Toad, American Toad, Spadefoot Toad
17) Grass Frog, Leopard Frog, Bull Frog, Green Tree Frog, Gray Tree Frog, Spring Peeper frog

I was told by someone far older than me that they used to catch quite a few of the bright green Grass Snakes back in the 60's and 70's, but I never did see one.
Also, we had very large brown snakes (resembling fox snakes, but VERY big) that people used to call "Bull Snakes". Never was able to properly identify what those were and the last time I saw one I was probably 7 years old so maybe memory is shaky LOL

I have never found any salamanders on my farm. Last year, I bought some "top soil" from the local feed store, that was from Canada and I found 2 large tiger salamanders in the bags.

My godfather, lived up near Chardon, Ohio and I would catch large numbers of Northern Two Lined Salamanders, Long Tailed Salamanders, Red Backed Salamanders and Northern Dusky Salamanders, when we would visit.

In the woods across from where I grew up, in Springdale, Ohio, there were very few salamanders. I caught a very few Small Mouth Salamanders and 1 Blue Spotted Salamander.

The coolest salamander I caught was a Tiger Salamander I caught under a rock, by a cave in Gallia County. I found 6 in the area and kept one and gave it to a friend of mine. He had it for 5 or 6 years and it got just a little over 14 inches long. It did not look real. It looked like some huge rubber toy. It was a very, voracious eater and moved much faster than I would of thought it could.

Keith

I try to give these guys some room

Got a picture of a buddy that broke the ice on a wind mill stock tank one winter when we were coyote trapping. He had seen some of those black with yellow spot salamanders in it. Took off his coat and shirt and plunged half in half out to grab one as a gift for his two year old daughter. It would come up and eat night crawlers from her fingers. Thing lived in a aquarium for a couple years.