Amphibians and Reptiles of the
University of Kansas Field Station

 

Forty species of amphibians and reptiles have been found on the University of Kansas Field Station (KUFS). Approximately 70 percent of the 56 species in the local herpetofauna have been recorded on the northern tracts of KUFS (Fitch Natural History Reservation, Nelson Environmental Study Area, and Rockefeller Experimental Tract). Missing are 8 fluviatile species: Necturus maculosus, Graptemys pseudogeographica, Trachemys scripta, Trachemys floridana, Apalone mutica, Apalone spinifera, Nerodia erythrogaster, Nerodia rhombifera; also 7 floodplain or wetland species: Ambystoma texanum, Rana areolata, Bufo cognatus, Thamnophis proximus, Thamnophis radix, Regina grahami, Sistrurus catenatus; 3 forest species: Eumeces anthracinus, Opheodrys aestivus, Storeria occipitomaculata; and one arenicolous species, Heterodon platirhinos.

The Fitch Natural History Reservation (FNHR) has been sampled the most thoroughly of all KUFS areas, with thousands of records based upon almost continuous live trapping over a 50-year period by Henry S. Fitch. Fitch has noted changes in the herpetofauna at (FNHR) over the last few decades as ecological succession from open habitats (field, pasture, and prairie) to brush and woodland eliminated some species, while reducing the abundance of others. However, some of the species eliminated from FNHR due successional shifts in habitat are found in managed areas on the adjacent Rockefeller Tract and NESA. Six of the species in our lists (Ambystoma tigrinum, Spea bombifrons, Chrysemys picta, Terrapene carolina, Elaphe guttata and Lampropeltis getula) are thought to have reached northern tracts of KUFS as occasional dispersers from more favorable habitats, or to have been brought and released by people, but without establishing permanent populations. More species may be found on KUFS with increased sampling of areas little surveyed thus far, most notably the forested habitat of the Baldwin Woods Area.

The herpetofauna of KUFS is representative of the ecotonal (transitional) area between the forest to the east and the Great Plains grasslands dominating to the west. Of the 40 species occurring on KUFS, 7 are transcontinental in distribution; 9 are characteristic of the Great Plains; 1 is mainly western, and the remaining 23 species (57%) are most characteristic of the Eastern Deciduous Forest Biome. Of the 23, 12 have overall ranges corresponding well with the Forest Biome; 8 others have ranges extending west far into the Great Plains grasslands, while 3 range southward into the tropics.

This checklist is intended to provide the reader with an overview of the herpetofauna of KUFS. General information on ecology and abundance of many of these species, and others in the region, can be found in Collins (1982), Amphibians and Reptiles in Kansas. Likewise, broader information on herptile abundance and natural communities in the region can be obtained by contacting the Kansas Biological Survey. Detailed information on the ecology of the herpetofauna of KUFS can be found in the scores of scientific publications based on research at KUFS, especially those by H. S. Fitch. Specific questions as to abundance and ecology of KUFS species, and current emphasis of ecological research, can be obtained by contacting the KUFSadministrative office. An extensive research collection of amphibians and reptiles is housed at the Natural History Museum on the main campus of the University of Kansas.

In the accompanying lists, species are presented in phylogenetic sequence by family and scientific and common (species or subspecies) names follow Conant and Collins (1991), Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America. A generalized key to abundance and occurrence is given with the following codes: a=abundant, m=moderately abundant, r=rare, s=single record of occurrence, and i=introduced species with no extant population. Acknowledgement to Henry S. Fitch for providing this information.

Checklist of KUFS Amphibians and Reptiles

AMPHIBIANS
Ambystomatidae
Ambystoma tigrinum	Eastern Tiger Salamander	r
Pelobatidae
Spea bombifrons	Plains Spadefoot	r
Bufonidae
Bufo americanus	Eastern American Toad	m
Bufo woodhousii	Woodhouse's Toad	m
Hylidae
Acris crepitans	Blanchard's Cricket Frog	a
Hyla chrysoscelis	Cope's Gray Treefrog	m
Pseudacris triseriata	Western Chorus Frog
Ranidae
Rana blairi	Plains Leopard Frog	a
Rana catesbeiana	Bullfrog	a
Microhylidae
Gastrophryne olivacea	Great Plains Narrowmouth Toad	m

REPTILES
Chelydridae
Chelydra serpentina	Snapping Turtle	m
Emydidae
Chrysemys picta	Midland Painted Turtle	s
Terrapene carolina	Three­toed Box Turtle	s
Terrapene ornata	Ornate Box Turtle	r
Crotaphytidae
Crotaphytus collaris	Eastern Collared Lizard	i
Teiidae
Cnemidophorus sexlineatus	Six­lined Racerunner	r
Scincidae
Eumeces anthracinus	Northern Coal Skink	r
Eumeces fasciatus	Five­lined Skink	a
Eumeces obsoletus	Great Plains Skink	m
Eumeces septentrionalis	Northern Prairie Skink	r
Scincella lateralis	Ground Skink	m
Anguidae
Ophisaurus attenuatus	Western Slender Glass Lizard	m
Colubridae
Carphophis vermis	Western Worm Snake	m
Coluber constrictor	Eastern Yellowbelly Racer	a
Diadophis punctatus	Prairie Ringneck Snake	a
Elaphe guttata	Great Plains Rat Snake	r
Elaphe obsoleta	Black Rat Snake	m
Lampropeltis calligaster	Prairie Kingsnake	m
Lampropeltis getula	Speckled Kingsnake	r
Lampropeltis triangulum	Red Milk Snake	m
Nerodia sipedon	Northern Water Snake	m
Pituophis catenifer	Bullsnake	r
Storeria dekayi	Texas Brown Snake	m
Storeria occipitomaculata	Northern Redbelly Snake	r
Tantilla gracilis	Flathead Snake	r
Thamnophis sirtalis	Red­sided Garter Snake	a
Tropidoclonion lineatum	Lined Snake	r
Virginia valeriae	Western Earth Snake	r
Viperidae
Agkistrodon contortrix	Osage Copperhead	m
Crotalus horridus	Timber Rattlesnake	r

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Last modified  8 October 2009