Search found 66 matches

by Todd Pierson
January 15th, 2014, 6:08 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Red Salamander Eggs
Replies: 6
Views: 1373

Re: Red Salamander Eggs

Really damn cool, and I'm really damn jealous.
by Todd Pierson
January 11th, 2014, 5:57 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Pre 2012 Pacific NW Finds Pt. 2 – Amphibians and Habitat
Replies: 13
Views: 6902

Re: Pre 2012 Pacific NW Finds Pt. 2 – Amphibians and Habitat

Great stuff! Damnit, Josh. I'm jealous of the P. vandykei and P. larselli. Next time!
by Todd Pierson
September 17th, 2013, 11:38 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Smallest Flipped Item that Produced
Replies: 26
Views: 7379

Re: Smallest Flipped Item that Produced

I've flipped Eurycea larvae underneath dime-sized pebbles.
by Todd Pierson
August 25th, 2013, 7:02 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: SoCal Closeout and Arizona
Replies: 19
Views: 6304

Re: SoCal Closeout and Arizona

These are really, really nice. What lens are you using? It looks like you're really close to that Thamnophis's face.
by Todd Pierson
August 1st, 2013, 8:41 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: ...
Replies: 31
Views: 7854

Re: Apalachicola Kingsnakes rare and declining?

Sean wrote:My theory has always been that the more time spent out there, the more of these will be found as that has definitely been the case lately.
It'd be shocking if that weren't the case.
by Todd Pierson
July 24th, 2013, 6:42 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Snake Predation
Replies: 19
Views: 5259

Re: Snake Predation

Tim Borski wrote: Ringneck eating Narrowmouth / etc...
I'd like to see that one!
by Todd Pierson
July 21st, 2013, 11:10 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Need an ID on a small salamander
Replies: 17
Views: 3830

Re: Need an ID on a small salamander

And another:
Image
by Todd Pierson
July 21st, 2013, 11:09 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Cliff Chirping Frog?
Replies: 5
Views: 1112

Re: Cliff Chirping Frog?

It's a recently metamorphosed Bufo.
by Todd Pierson
July 10th, 2013, 1:39 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Herping Yellowstone National Park
Replies: 26
Views: 11570

Re: Herping Yellowstone National Park

Yes Ian there are racers, although as it pertains to this discussion, there aren't any websites listing them, and the link I am about to reference doesn't have them on it, even though I am pretty sure I remember seeing them in the book?... Yeah, no Spea intermontana are listed from there. Just the ...
by Todd Pierson
July 6th, 2013, 10:09 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Herping Yellowstone National Park
Replies: 26
Views: 11570

Re: Herping Yellowstone National Park

Whoa--that Spea is a nice find. Koch and Peterson's book speaks of some really old records of them from the western side of YNP, but nothing recent. Have you tried to report the record to the park? I'd imagine that they should be pretty interested. Why would a spadefoot be a frog?...I think they are...
by Todd Pierson
May 24th, 2013, 3:24 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: ID on Tenn Salamander larva
Replies: 11
Views: 3874

Re: ID on Tenn Salamander larva

I'm going to have to disagree with Brian regarding the Pseudotriton . I would say those two on the top of the second photo look like Mud Salamanders P. montanus , just like the diastictus we have in Ohio. I believe the isolated white spots are a characteristic of young diastictus larvae. P. ruber l...
by Todd Pierson
May 4th, 2013, 5:56 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Panama snake ID? ( Now frog too)
Replies: 13
Views: 5408

Re: Panama snake ID? ( Now frog too)

Jeff wrote:Your Vaillant's frog is a species of Leptodactylus
Agreed. Maybe L. bolivianus?
by Todd Pierson
May 4th, 2013, 5:51 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: FL Panhandle
Replies: 9
Views: 3294

Re: FL Panhandle

Cool stuff. What you have labeled as a "Desmognathus auriculatus" is actually a Plethodon grobmani.
by Todd Pierson
April 28th, 2013, 3:00 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Montana Tailed Frog.
Replies: 19
Views: 5296

Re: Montana Tailed Frog.

Oooh! One of my favorite posts on here.
by Todd Pierson
March 29th, 2013, 12:28 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Mostly salamanders from the mountains of NC
Replies: 34
Views: 12654

Re: Mostly salamanders from the mountains of NC

Nshepard wrote:Mike's ID is correct, I actually second guessed (wasn't 100%) him at the time in the field but then I flipped a Gyrinophilus larva and then immediately knew Mike was right.
Yep, definitely P. ruber!
by Todd Pierson
March 26th, 2013, 8:04 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Amphibians of Talladega National Forest (plus Walker County)
Replies: 7
Views: 1525

Re: Amphibians of Talladega National Forest (plus Walker Cou

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but your 'aeneus' is actually a young D. conanti. The former almost always has a straight dorsal stripe and typically has an obvious 'y' on the nape.
by Todd Pierson
February 23rd, 2013, 6:17 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Photos from a quick trip to Oman
Replies: 23
Views: 8537

Re: Photos from a quick trip to Oman

WW** wrote:The mystery gecko in the crevice looks like a Ptyodactylus to me, but I am no gecko expert.
Ditto. And FANTASTIC post!
by Todd Pierson
February 21st, 2013, 11:56 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Anoles - enough said
Replies: 34
Views: 23649

Re: Anoles - enough said

Really great! What's the story of Anolis distichus in Florida?
by Todd Pierson
February 21st, 2013, 10:25 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: An added “lunatic fringe” thread on an amphib rule
Replies: 14
Views: 2842

Re: An added “lunatic fringe” thread on an amphib rule

I have to agree Todd, but, alas, no ventral shots. I do check venterl as a matter of habit because D. quadramaculatus is so variable here, but this was almost 4 years ago (2009). I guess I'll just have to get these kids out again this summer to the same spot! That sounds like a good plan! That spec...
by Todd Pierson
February 21st, 2013, 8:59 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: An added “lunatic fringe” thread on an amphib rule
Replies: 14
Views: 2842

Re: An added “lunatic fringe” thread on an amphib rule

D. quadramaculatus is certainly our most common in the area, but the ventral of the adult was very light. I didn't open the mouth because these kids didn't really care about specifics. Any thoughts? The head shape, dorsal pattern, etc. seem much more consistent with D. quad . Do you have any photog...
by Todd Pierson
February 20th, 2013, 5:20 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: An added “lunatic fringe” thread on an amphib rule
Replies: 14
Views: 2842

Re: An added “lunatic fringe” thread on an amphib rule

Cool! Those actually appear to be D. quadramaculatus, not D. marmoratus, though.
by Todd Pierson
February 20th, 2013, 5:18 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Salamander Larva ID Request
Replies: 12
Views: 1879

Re: Salamander Larva ID Request

FWIW, I'd say P. montanus as well.
by Todd Pierson
December 28th, 2012, 1:49 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: My recent life as a herper
Replies: 9
Views: 2129

Re: My recent life as a herper

Nice! What county is the E. junaluska from?
by Todd Pierson
December 11th, 2012, 1:28 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Thanks Coors for sponsoring the Sweetwater Roundup!
Replies: 22
Views: 5161

Re: Thanks Coors for sponsoring the Sweetwater Roundup!

Mattlesnake King wrote:Terrapin Hopsecutioner will always be my number 1! We are lucky to have Terrapin here in Athens, to say the least.
:thumb:
by Todd Pierson
November 20th, 2012, 7:25 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: The Return of Snakemastermyke Part 2
Replies: 7
Views: 2463

Re: The Return of Snakemastermyke Part 2

What were you doing in Dubai?
by Todd Pierson
November 18th, 2012, 4:26 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: 2012 Caudata
Replies: 19
Views: 3639

Re: 2012 Caudata

Brian Folt wrote:I'm fairly skeptical that your dusky salamander is Desmognathus auriculatus. Your animal does not appear to have the lateral rows of white spots or the heavily-keeled tail that are characteristic of this species.
Yup, I'd call it D. conanti/fuscus.

I dig the tiger salamander!
by Todd Pierson
October 24th, 2012, 7:43 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: A few Spring and Red Salamanders.
Replies: 8
Views: 1901

Re: A few Spring and Red Salamanders.

Cainschams wrote:
Todd Pierson wrote:Thanks for the clarification. Do you know of any good resources that will help me ID the egg masses and larvae?
There really aren't any great resources, but I'm working on putting a larval guide together for plethodontids.
by Todd Pierson
October 24th, 2012, 6:38 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: A few Spring and Red Salamanders.
Replies: 8
Views: 1901

Re: A few Spring and Red Salamanders.

Two of the coolest salamanders, for sure! Your larvae are actually Pseudotriton ruber.
by Todd Pierson
October 15th, 2012, 9:19 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: D. ochrophaeus???
Replies: 20
Views: 3275

Re: D. ochrophaeus???

I'd call 'em all D. ochrophaeus. Does that first (melanistic) individual have a keeled tail? It's hard to tell with all the dirt. If it's keeled, call it D. fuscus. Otherwise, I'd call it a big adult D. ochrophaeus, too.
by Todd Pierson
October 15th, 2012, 9:17 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Mostly salamanders from the mountains of NC
Replies: 34
Views: 12654

Re: Mostly salamanders from the mountains of NC

+1 for monticola
by Todd Pierson
August 24th, 2012, 8:37 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: The Smokies
Replies: 7
Views: 2707

Re: The Smokies

Cool! Those first Plethodon you posted are interesting. The P. glutinosus complex hybridizes with the P. jordani complex throughout several parts of their ranges. Notice the red spots on the legs of some of your first Plethodon ? There's even a little red cheek pattern on your fourth photograph. I'd...
by Todd Pierson
July 19th, 2012, 5:37 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Unknown Tennessee Salamanders
Replies: 2
Views: 1094

Re: Unknown Tennessee Salamanders

Those are members of the Desmognathus fuscus complex. You're near the contact zone between D. fuscus and D. conanti, so it's hard to get any more specific than that.
by Todd Pierson
June 6th, 2012, 6:40 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Panamanian Herp IDs Needed ASAP
Replies: 7
Views: 1571

Re: Panamanian Herp IDs Needed ASAP

#5: Anolis lemurinus
#17: Craugastor bransfordii

It's possible that your Panamanian species are split from these taxa, but those are the Nicaraguan relatives I'm familiar with.
by Todd Pierson
May 18th, 2012, 1:00 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Herp guide for Qatar?
Replies: 5
Views: 1345

Re: Herp guide for Qatar?

This book is pretty nice.

I spent six weeks in Oman and the UAE last summer and have some photographs online on my Flickr page. There should be a HerpNation article coming out soon...
by Todd Pierson
May 7th, 2012, 4:20 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Herping in So. Illinois April 2012
Replies: 7
Views: 1576

Re: Herping in So. Illinois April 2012

A trip down memory lane.

BTW, that metamorphic Ambystoma is actually A. opacum. That's typical coloration for them at metamorphosis.
by Todd Pierson
April 15th, 2012, 8:16 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Please help Idenify this Salamander
Replies: 10
Views: 1795

Re: Please help Idenify this Salamander

I would call that a young Desmognathus fuscus. They can be easy to confuse with the D. ochrophaeus complex, but your animal appears to be a bit stout for the latter.
by Todd Pierson
March 27th, 2012, 8:19 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Borneo Dispatches #30: Two Horned, One Flying
Replies: 18
Views: 4702

Re: Borneo Dispatches #30: Two Horned, One Flying

Wow--you'd be hard-pressed to find a cooler combination of frogs than those two. Awesome stuff.
by Todd Pierson
March 12th, 2012, 4:01 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Please help me idenify some salamanders
Replies: 9
Views: 2734

Re: Please help me idenify some salamanders

I'd call 1 and 4 quadramaculatus and 2 and 3 fuscus-type.
by Todd Pierson
February 29th, 2012, 7:31 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Rich Mountain Wildneress Area, North Georgia
Replies: 14
Views: 5388

Re: Rich Mountain Wildneress Area, North Georgia

I'd go with D. ocoee. It's not typical coloration for them, but is there any such thing?

Here's a D. ochrophaeus from KY with a similar-shaped head and herringbone pattern.

Image
by Todd Pierson
February 26th, 2012, 7:15 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Rich Mountain Wildneress Area, North Georgia
Replies: 14
Views: 5388

Re: Rich Mountain Wildneress Area, North Georgia

Your first salamander is a young seal salamander (Desmognathus monticola). The D. aeneus ID is correct, and I would call the the last two photographs Desmognathus conanti (a split from D. fuscus). These guys can all be pretty confusing, but you'll get the hang of it.
by Todd Pierson
February 26th, 2012, 7:09 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: A cool Experience
Replies: 5
Views: 1316

Re: A cool Experience

I'm not sure what those are (maybe some invertebrate eggs), but they don't belong to the Eurycea . In Indiana, they typically deposit eggs in March/April. Remember that mating in these salamanders is different than frogs, too. They have internal fertilization. After courting the females, the male de...
by Todd Pierson
February 20th, 2012, 10:45 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: 12 months of herping in Iowa
Replies: 9
Views: 5832

Re: 12 months of herping in Iowa

Don, you're the man. I dig the Pituophis!
by Todd Pierson
December 26th, 2011, 10:23 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: 2011
Replies: 19
Views: 3545

Re: 2011

Cool stuff. Your "oddly colored and patterned southern redback sal" is most likely P. ventralis. Still oddly colored, but not as much for that species.
by Todd Pierson
November 8th, 2011, 7:41 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Great Smoky Mountains - October, 2011
Replies: 23
Views: 3993

Re: Great Smoky Mountains - October, 2011

Also, your "santeetlah" is a quadramaculatus and the following "quad" is a fuscoid thing. I would add that your ""stardust form" Desmognathus quadramaculata" looks like D. santeetlah (from what I can see). Yeah, if that's from a site where D. santeetlah is kn...
by Todd Pierson
November 7th, 2011, 7:19 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Great Smoky Mountains - October, 2011
Replies: 23
Views: 3993

Re: Great Smoky Mountains - October, 2011

Cool stuff. I agree on the "wrighti" being an ocoee . I would guess that the ones your found "under moss by the creek" were also ocoee , as that'd be a weird place to get wrighti . Also, your "santeetlah" is a quadramaculatus and the following "quad" is a fusc...
by Todd Pierson
November 7th, 2011, 1:38 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Salamander ID confirmation, please
Replies: 7
Views: 1411

Re: Salamander ID confirmation, please

RCampbell wrote:Is the one I found serratus?
'Tis ventralis.
by Todd Pierson
November 7th, 2011, 12:38 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Salamander ID confirmation, please
Replies: 7
Views: 1411

Re: Salamander ID confirmation, please

That's P. ventralis. The orangish coloration (especially around the armpits) is typical of that species.
by Todd Pierson
October 17th, 2011, 7:01 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Salamander ID
Replies: 15
Views: 2253

Re: Salamander ID

Yeah, it's P. ventralis.
by Todd Pierson
September 6th, 2011, 5:43 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Herping West Virginia's Blackwater Falls State Park
Replies: 35
Views: 5117

Re: Herping West Virginia's Blackwater Falls State Park

gone herpin wrote:I had a Park Naturalist identify it for me later. She told me the looks, and habitat matched perfectly. So I'm going to stick with her.
It is, without a doubt, Desmognathus.
by Todd Pierson
April 19th, 2011, 10:51 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Viviparous Lizards in the UK
Replies: 7
Views: 1248

Re: Viviparous Lizards in the UK

Sweet! I saw a few while searching for Vipera last May, but I couldn't get my hands on any of them. Did get this guy, though...

Image