Herpetofauna of Buck Island Ranch

A checklist

by Walter E. Meshaka, Jr., 1997

Pig frog (Rana grylio), showing the diagnostic white line on the hind limb. Photo by Tom Bancroft.

This checklist includes amphibians and reptiles recorded from Buck Island Ranch, Highlands County, Florida; currently the MacArthur Agro-Ecology Research Center operated by Archbold Biological Station (ABS). This list includes 19 amphibian species (5 salamanders and 14 anurans) and 34 reptile species (7 turtles, 1 crocodilian, 8 lizards, and 18 snakes). This list was published as part of Meshaka, 1997 (The herpetofauna of Buck Island Ranch: An altered wetland in south-central Florida. Fla. Sci. 60:1-7). This list is based, in part, on an earlier list by Erika A. Nowak and Walter E. Meshaka (1992. Checklist of amphibians and reptiles: MacArthur Agro-ecology Research Center of Archbold Biological Station. Archbold Biological Station, Lake Placid.). Common names, and their capitalization, for this Web edition of Meshaka’s 1997 list, follow Collins, J.T., 1997 (Standard common and current scientific names for North American amphibians and reptiles, Fourth edition. Hertepological Circular No. 25, 40 pp.), and reflect the growing consensus among herpetologists of the utility and need for standard common names, and for their treatment as proper nouns.--F.E.L.

* = voucher specimens in the ABS reference collection.
+ = introduced species.

AMPHIBIANS

Order Caudata - Salamanders

AMPHIUMIDAE - amphiumas

• Two-toed Amphiuma Amphiuma means*

SALAMANDRIDAE - newts

• Eastern Newt Notopthalmus viridescens*

SIRENIDAE - sirens

• Northern Dwarf Siren Pseudobranchus striatus*
• Greater Siren Siren lacertina*
• Lesser Siren Siren intermedia*

Salientia - Frogs and Toads

BUFONIDAE - toads

• Southern Toad Bufo terrestris*
• Oak Toad Bufo quercicus

HYLIDAE - treefrogs

• Southern Cricket Frog Acris gryllus*
• Green Treefrog Hyla cinerea*
• Barking Treefrog Hyla gratiosa
• Pine Woods Treefrog Hyla femoralis*
• Squirrel Treefrog Hyla squirella*
• Southern Chorus Frog Pseudacris nigrita*
• Little Grass Frog Pseudacris ocularis*

LEPTODACTYLIDAE - tropical frogs

• Greenhouse Frog Eleutherodactylus planirostris*+

MICROHYLIDAE - narrowmouth toads

• Eastern Narrowmouth Toad Gastrophryne carolinensis*

RANIDAE - true frogs

• Gopher Frog Rana capito
• Pig Frog Rana grylio*
• Florida Leopard Frog Rana sphenocephala*

REPTILES

Order Testudines - Turtles

CHELYDRIDAE - snapping turtles

• Common Snapping Turtle Chelydra serpentina

EMYDIDAE - box and water turtles

• Florida Cooter Pseudemys floridana
• Florida Redbelly Turtle Pseudemys nelsoni
• Eastern Box Turtle Terrapene carolina*

KINOSTERNIDAE - mud and musk turtles

• Striped Mud Turtle Kinosternon baurii*
• Eastern Mud Turtle Kinosternon subrubrum

TRIONYCHIDAE - softshell turtles

• Florida Softshell Apalone ferox

Order Crocodylia - Alligators and crocodiles

ALLIGATORIDAE - alligators

• American Alligator Alligator mississippiensis

Order Squamata - Lizards and snakes

Suborder Lacertilia - Lizards

ANGUIDAE - glass and alligator lizards

• Eastern Glass Lizard Ophisaurus ventralis*
• Island Glass Lizard Ophisauris compressus*

GEKKONIDAE - geckoes

• Indo-Pacific Gecko Hemidactylus garnotii*+
• Mediterranean Gecko Hemidactylus turcicus*+

IGUANIDAE - iguanid lizards

• Green Anole Anolis carolinensis*
• Brown Anole Anolis sagrei*+

SCINCIDAE - skinks

• Southeastern Five-lined Skink Eumeces inexpectatus*
• Ground Skink Scincella lateralis*

Suborder Serpentes - Snakes

COLUBRIDAE - colubrid snakes

• Eastern Racer Coluber constrictor*
• Ringneck Snake Diadophus punctatus*
• Eastern Indigo Snake Drymarchon corais
• Corn Snake Elaphe guttata*
• Eastern Rat Snake Elaphe obsoleta*
• Mud Snake Farancia abacura*
• Milk Snake Lampropeltis triangulum*
• Southern Water Snake Nerodia fasciata*
• Florida Green Water Snake Nerodia floridana*
• Rough Green Snake Opheodrys aestivus*
• Striped Crayfish Snake Regina alleni*
• Black Swamp Snake Seminatrix pygea*
• Brown Snake Storeria dekayi*
• Eastern Ribbon Snake Thamnophis sauritus*
• Common Garter Snake Thamnophis sirtalis*

VIPERIDAE - vipers and pit vipers

• Cottonmouth Agkistrodon piscivorus*
• Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake Crotalus adamanteus
• Pigmy Rattlesnake Sistrurus miliarius*