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2009 Envirothon Reptiles

2009 Envirothon Reptiles. Carey Entz Watershed Specialist Lycoming County Conservation District. Reptiles. air-breathing, cold-blooded vertebrates that have skin covered in scales as opposed to hair or feathers. They have descended from vertebrates with four limbs. Turtles Skinks

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2009 Envirothon Reptiles

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  1. 2009 EnvirothonReptiles Carey Entz Watershed Specialist Lycoming County Conservation District

  2. Reptiles • air-breathing, cold-bloodedvertebrates that have skin covered in scales as opposed to hair or feathers. • They have descended from vertebrates with four limbs. • Turtles • Skinks • Lizards • Snakes

  3. Turtles • most of whose body is shielded by a special bony or cartilaginousshell developed from their ribs. • The earliest known turtles date from 215 million years ago; making turtles one of the oldest reptile groups and a more ancient group than lizards and snakes.

  4. Bog TurtleEndangered • Among the smallest turtles in N. America • Adults are four to 4 1/2 inches long • Appears only in isolated populations. • Habitat: wetlands, bogs, and marshes • Habitat loss is the cause of the decline. • Hibernates in the deep mud, under water • In June: lay 6 eggs/yr. • Omnivore: snails, slugs, tadpoles, plants, berries

  5. Snapping Turtle • The only turtle in PA with economic value! • 12 in., Large head, long tail, plastron doesn’t cover the entire underside, strong jaws. • Habitat: anywhere there is water • Hibernates under water for the winter • 20-50 eggs are laid in June in upland

  6. Eastern Box Turtle • Terrestrial Turtle • 4-6” long with a high dome shell • Has a movable plastron with a hinge to close the shell in to protect itself. • Males have red eyes. • Habitat: moist forests, meadows • May to June: 3-8 eggs laid In a deep cavity in a field. • Omnivores: berries, carrion,inveterbrates

  7. Map Turtle • Common in the lower Susquehanna and Delaware watersheds. • Aquatic turtle: 7-11” long, with irregular thin yellow pattern covering its body. • Habitat: slow moving rivers and larger lakes • Has 2 or more clutches a year of 12-14 eggs • Omnivore: • Prefers mollusks and crayfish

  8. Midland Painted Turtle • Most widespread turtle in North America. • 4-6in., Carapace olive- black color, Oval shaped and smooth, plastron is yellow, Bright yellow dots on the side of the head. • Habitat: Found basking on a log at the side of the pond or slow moving stream • Breeding: May-June, 1-2 clutches • 2-20 elliptically shaped eggs in flask shaped nests. Some may over winter in the nest.

  9. Red-eared Slider • Introduced species from the Mississippi • 10” long Aquatic turtle with a red patch above the eye. • The have gained a foothold in PA waters after people illegally released their pets into the wild. • Habitat: Slow moving water with soft muddy bottoms • Opportunistic: • Mostly feeding on plants

  10. Spotted Turtle • 3-4 in., Black with yellow spots, females have yellow eyes while males have brown • Habitat: Spring feed wetlands, and bogs • Often found basking in clumps of grasses. • Breeding: May-March, digs a flask shaped nest and lays 3-5 eggs in June. • Eggs hatch in late September - August

  11. Wood Turtle • Terrestrial Turtle • 5-8in., Brown and keeled, pyramidal scales, plastron is yellow, legs are orange. • Habitat: hardwood forest to marshy meadows, Hibernates in water during the winter months • Breeding: May- June, 4-12 eggs a year • Young may still in the nest through the winter

  12. Lizards • Lizards are often four-legged, with scales. • Lizards possess external ears and most have movable eyelids. • Due to their smooth, shiny appearance, some lizards can appear slimy or slippery although their skin is actually very dry due to a lack of pores to excrete water and oils.

  13. Northern Fence Lizard • Only lizard in pa. • In the spiny lizard family • Only 4-7” long, Gray-Brown • More commonly found in southern pa. • Territorial to grassy or open woodland. • June 2-4 clutches of 13 eggs • Beetles are the preferred food • They will eat other types of insects

  14. Skinks • Skinks look roughly like true lizards, but most species have no pronounced neck and relatively small legs. • Several genera have no limbs at all, others have only reduced limbs. • Skinks usually have long, tapering tails that can be shed and regenerated.

  15. Northern Coal Skink • 5-7” brown with a pair of light stripes • Juveniles have a bluish colored tail • Found foraging during the daylight hours • Found in North central and N.west Pa • Habitat: damp, moist woods • June: 8-9 eggs • Female will guard the eggs • Insectivores

  16. Snakes • Snake is an elongate reptile of the suborder Serpentes. Like all reptiles, snakes are ectothermic and covered in scales. • All snakes are carnivorous and can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids, limbs, external ears, and vestiges of forelimbs.

  17. Black Rat Snake • Largest snake in pa. 42-100” long • Active during the day. • Plain shiny black with a whitish belly • Young are deeply patterned gray/brown • Habitat: Varity- farms, forests, hillsides • Jun- Aug:30 eggs laid • In decayed logs or leaf pile • Eats tree frogs, mice and other small mammals.

  18. Eastern Garter Snake • Most common snake in North America • 18-26” long, dark green/ black with 3 stripes with spots between the stripes • Generally the last to hibernate in the fall. • Built in self defense: Musk glands • Habitat: wet meadows, marshes • Livebearer: 7-85 in August • Prefers earthworms • Salamanders, frogs and toads.

  19. Eastern Hognose Snake • AKA Puff Adder, Hissing, Spreading Adder • 18-45” upturned snot, square patches • If disturbed it flattens its head and hisses • It also may play dead… Its harmless! • Habitat: Dry terrain, open areas and rocky hillsides. • June- July: 6-61 eggs in the sand • Prefers toads and frogs • Salamanders and insects

  20. Eastern MassasaugaENDANGERED • Rattlesnake, Venomous, Pit Viper • Vertical pupil similar to a cats eye. • Smallest of the 3 poisonous snake in pa. • Venom is not as toxic as the timber rattler. • Endangered due to loss of habitat • Habitat: Marshy, swamplands • Livebearer of 2-20 young in July • Prefers frogs, toads and salamanders

  21. Eastern Milk Snake • Pa most beneficial and misidentified snake • Often killed by mistake for a copperhead. • Cream colored snake with red patches • Belly: black and white checkerboard • Copperheads belly is unmarked • Found in all 67 counties in Pa • July:6-25 eggs laid in rotting log • Eats rodents, lizards, birds, snakes • Including venomous snakes!

  22. Eastern Smooth Green Snake • AKA Green Grass Snake • Most gentle of all North America snakes • 14-20” long, bright green, plain white belly • Active during the day • Habitat: meadows, moist grassy fields. • Aug: 3-10 eggs laid under a stone • Females may nest together • Insectivorous

  23. Northern Brown Snake • AKA Dekay’s Snake for the zoologist that named the snake, James Edward Dekay. • One of PA smallest snakes 9-13” • Brown with 2 parallel rows of darker spots • Habitat: Generally found around water, moist upland and marshes. • Livebearer to 3-30 young in July-Sept • Prefers worms, slugs, and snails.

  24. Northern Copperhead • Venomous, Pit Viper • Vertical pupil similar to a cats eye. • 24-26” long, stout-bodied, copper-brown • Livebearer: 1-14 are born in August • Young are gray with a yellow tail • They use the tail as a lure. • Habitat: upland, wooded hillsides • Eats insects at first then rodents • Sometimes birds, cicadas, caterpillars

  25. Northern Ringneck Snake • Relatively small harmless snake • If threatened can emit a pungent musk • 10-24” black snake with a yellow belly and matching yellow collar. • Found in all 67 counties in pa. • Habitat: Mostly forested rocky hillsides. • 2-6 eggs are laid in June • Prefers salamanders • Worms, slugs, lizards, insects

  26. Northern Water Snake • Largest Pa water snake, Non poisonous • 24-50” long, Array of colors red, brown, black. Light bands sometime hard to see. • Territorial, nasty disposition, inflicts a severe bite that may bleed profusely. • Due to an anticoagulant in the saliva. • Habitat: found near water. • Livebearer to 25 young in October • Prefers frogs, salamanders, crayfish, slow moving fish

  27. Ribbon Snakes • A cousin to the Garter, but more aquatic • 18-26” long, slender, agile, 3 bright yellow stripes. • Two species in pa: Eastern and Northern • Eastern: black body and Northern: Reddish • Habitat: Wet meadows, bogs, marshes, shallow lakes and ponds, small streams • Livebearer: 3-25 in July • Prefers frogs, salamanders, small fish

  28. Endangered: Bog Turtle Eastern Massasauga Kirtland's Snake Threatened: Red Bellied Turtle Rough Green Snake Timber Rattlesnake Candidates: Brodhead Skink Blandlings Turtle PA Threatened and Endangered

  29. 2009 Envirothon Aquatic Resources http://www.envirothonpa.org/Aquatic-Ecology.shtml

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