Completed goals of 2014

Dedicated exclusively to field herping.

Moderator: Scott Waters

Post Reply
User avatar
axeman2729
Posts: 445
Joined: November 5th, 2012, 2:10 pm
Location: Cranberry township, PA

Completed goals of 2014

Post by axeman2729 »

I had a very ambitious goal list for 2014 and I made a lot of progress surprisingly and got pics of almost every herp I found so here is my list from last year:
Turtles- just photos
snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina)
common musk turtle (Sternotherus odoratus)
wood turtle (Clemmys insculpta)
eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina)
eastern spiny softshell (Apalone spinifera spinifera)

Turtles- Species plus Photos
spotted turtle (Clemmys guttata)
common map turtle (Graptemys geographica)

Lizards- just photos
fence lizard (Sceloporus undulatus)
six lined racerunner (Cnemidophorus sexlineatus sexlineatus)
five lined skink (Eumeces fasciatus)
southeastern five lined skink (Eumeces inexpectatus)

Snakes- just photos
northern ringnecked snake (Diadophis punctatus edwardsii)

Snakes- Species plus Photos
northern redbelly snake (Storeria occipitomaculata occipitomaculata)
shorthead garter snake (Thamnophis brachystoma)
eastern ribbon snake (Thamnophis sauritus sauritus)
northern black racer (Coluber contrictor constrictor)
smooth green snake (Opeodrys vernalis)
black rat snake (Elaphe obsoleta obsoleta)
eastern milk snake (Lampropeltis triangulum triangulum)
northern copperhead (Agkistrodon contortix mokasen)
eastern massasauga (Sistrurus catenatus catenatus)
timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus)

Salamanders- just photos
red spotted newt (Notophthalmus viridescens viridescens)
longtail salamander (Eurycea longicauda longicauda)

Salamanders- Species plus Photos
eastern hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensus alleganiensus)
mudpuppy (Necturus maculus)
marbled salamander (Ambystoma opacum)
jefferson salamander (Ambystoma jeffersonianum)
spotted salamander (Ambystoma maculatum)
seal salamander (Desmognathus monticola)
ravine salamander (Plethodon richmondii)
four toed salamander (Hemidactylium scutatum)
northern red salamander (Pseudotriton ruber ruber)

Frogs and Toads- just photos
spring peeper (Pseudocris crucifer)

Frogs and Toads- Species and Photos
gray treefrog (Hyla versicolor/Hyla chrysoscelis)
western chorus frog (Pseudocris triseriata triseriata)
wood frog (Lithobates sylvaticus)
northern leopard frog (Lithobates pipiens)
pickerel frog (Lithobates palustris)

here are all my lifers from this year:
Jefferson salamander
Image

wood frog eggs
Image

longtail salamander (all I needed was a pic)
Image

eastern box turtle (again just needed a pic)
Image

snapping turtle (just needed a pic)
Image

adult wood frog
Image

red spotted newt
Image

gray tree frog
Image

spotted salamander
Image

red salamander
Image

spring peeper
Image

I would have had a hellbender as well had French Creek not been flooded during the week I was at creek camp...

Feel free to post your own completed goals here
User avatar
Jeff
Posts: 620
Joined: June 11th, 2010, 6:01 am
Location: Louisiana

Re: Completed goals of 2014

Post by Jeff »

Trip to Iowa:
Goals achieved: Eastern Massassauga, Smooth Greensnake
Goals missed: Fox Snake, Blanding's Turtle

Down here:
No Rainbow Snake yet, but it's still summer
I had a very ambitious goal list for 2014 and I made a lot of progress
Are you done for the year?
Also, your Red Salamander looks a lot like a Spring Salamander -- just my hunch

Jeff
User avatar
chrish
Posts: 3295
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 11:14 pm
Location: San Antonio, TX
Contact:

Re: Completed goals of 2014

Post by chrish »

I had a few things I wanted to achieve this year, but one of my big ones was....

- photo of a Sheep Frog calling -

Image

and a recording of this coolest-of-frog-species calling -



Didn't get any Rhinophrynus photos, but I have photos of them from Mexico.

Of course, there are still a couple of months yet to knock out another goal or two.
User avatar
axeman2729
Posts: 445
Joined: November 5th, 2012, 2:10 pm
Location: Cranberry township, PA

Re: Completed goals of 2014

Post by axeman2729 »

Are you done for the year?
Also, your Red Salamander looks a lot like a Spring Salamander -- just my hunch
yeah Im done for the year as school has started for me and I have to stay after almost everyday for JROTC and bio club plus I work on the weekends.... :cry: and I am one hundred percent sure that the red salamander is not a spring salamander I was with a herpetologist when I found it and she was the one who ided it
User avatar
axeman2729
Posts: 445
Joined: November 5th, 2012, 2:10 pm
Location: Cranberry township, PA

Re: Completed goals of 2014

Post by axeman2729 »

what frog call was that chris?
User avatar
chrish
Posts: 3295
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 11:14 pm
Location: San Antonio, TX
Contact:

Re: Completed goals of 2014

Post by chrish »

axeman2729 wrote:what frog call was that chris?
Mexican Burrowing Frog (Rhinophrynus dorsalis).
User avatar
axeman2729
Posts: 445
Joined: November 5th, 2012, 2:10 pm
Location: Cranberry township, PA

Re: Completed goals of 2014

Post by axeman2729 »

sweet dude!
User avatar
Jeff
Posts: 620
Joined: June 11th, 2010, 6:01 am
Location: Louisiana

Re: Completed goals of 2014

Post by Jeff »

and I am one hundred percent sure that the red salamander is not a spring salamander I was with a herpetologist when I found it and she was the one who ided it
I'm also a herpetologist, and I've seen larvae of both

Have a look at these photos

http://www.paherps.com/herps/salamander ... alamander/
http://www.paherps.com/herps/salamander ... alamander/

Have a look at the larvae galleries toward the bottom of each page. Red Salamander larvae have black spots, young spring salamanders and large larvae, like the one in your net, have a reticulate pattern.

Jeff
Craig
Posts: 23
Joined: May 19th, 2013, 4:39 pm
Location: Ohio

Re: Completed goals of 2014

Post by Craig »

Congratulations on your achievement!

French Creek is awesome. I've found some some big ones there.

Craig
User avatar
axeman2729
Posts: 445
Joined: November 5th, 2012, 2:10 pm
Location: Cranberry township, PA

Re: Completed goals of 2014

Post by axeman2729 »

but wouldn't a spring have a canthus rostralis?
User avatar
Jeff
Posts: 620
Joined: June 11th, 2010, 6:01 am
Location: Louisiana

Re: Completed goals of 2014

Post by Jeff »

The canthus rostralis is the angled slope anterior to the eye between the top and side of the snout - something both of those salamanders have. Both can have a dark, longitudinal mark on the canthus, and spring salamanders may have a pale line. The markings in both species tend to change with age, and the indicative canthal marks may or may not be present at the time of metamorphosis.

Jeff
User avatar
The Real Snake Man
Posts: 405
Joined: June 12th, 2010, 4:08 pm
Location: Pasadena, CA or Mission, TX

Re: Completed goals of 2014

Post by The Real Snake Man »

Jeff wrote:I'm also a herpetologist
Boom.
User avatar
axeman2729
Posts: 445
Joined: November 5th, 2012, 2:10 pm
Location: Cranberry township, PA

Re: Completed goals of 2014

Post by axeman2729 »

Darn well I got one less lifer I guess... but hey I still got quite a few! :)
simus343
Posts: 566
Joined: March 30th, 2014, 1:16 pm
Location: Okaloosa ca, Fla.

Re: Completed goals of 2014

Post by simus343 »

Yeah even seasoned herpetologists may sometimes make a mis-identification while on the go. I know several herpetologists, retired, going to school (including myself haha - though I hardly consider myself seasoned), and actively employed. So far all of them, except one, that I have brought up the question of "what species is this?" have at least been a little confused until double checking multiple field guides and range maps. Reason being I believe, all of the herpetologists that I know specialize into one order / sub-order more than others under class Reptilia. Most of the double-checks are from orders / sub-orders out of their specialization. My point being, even well trained herpetologists can make a make an easy-to-make mistake now and then.

Over all though you did a darn good job at finding loads of target species haha. I am still missing a majority of mine such as Heterodon simus and Farancia abacura because of work and college :(. And I have small lists ;).
User avatar
Jeff
Posts: 620
Joined: June 11th, 2010, 6:01 am
Location: Louisiana

Re: Completed goals of 2014

Post by Jeff »

Darn well I got one less lifer I guess... but hey I still got quite a few!
Welcome, you are a herpetologist!

Jeff
Post Reply