William L. Witt

5823 N. Washington Blvd., #80

Arlington, VA 22205

Within the 195,382 acre area comprising Shenandoah National Park there are four turtles, four lizards, 19 snakes, 14 salamanders, and 10 frogs and toads reported or expected. Much of this diversity is due to the 1137 vertical meter range along the 168 km of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia. Some species barely enter the Park from the Shenandoah Valley to the west or from the Piedmont to the east. Species represented range from those that are widespread to those that are severely restricted in distribution. One snake, the eastern garter snake occurs throughout the eastern half of the country, but the Shenandoah salamander ranges in about a dozen apparently separate populations along a 8 km stretch of the ridge between The Pinnacle and Hawksbill Mountain.

This paper presents a review of the species known to occur in Shenandoah National Park and a summary of the previously unpublished checklists of the park's herpetofauna.

Salamanders

Jefferson salamander (Ambystoma jeffersonianum)

Known only from Big Meadows swamp. Not reported outside of its late winter breeding period.

Spotted salamander (Ambystoma maculatum)

Big Meadows, and scattered ridge top marshes. Found occasionally after heavy rain at lower elevations.

Northern dusky salamander (Desmognathus fuscus fuscus)

Banks of streams, under rock, wood. Abundant at all elevations.

Virginia seal salamander (Desmognathus monticola jeffersoni)

Partial to spring seeps. Moderately abundant.

Northern two-lined salamander (Eurycea bislineata)

Banks of streams under rocks, wood. Away from water in summer. Abundant at all elevations.

Long-tailed salamander (Eurycea longicauda longicauda)

In rock crevices, stream bank cover. White Oak Canyon, Big Run. Rare.

Three-lined salamander* (Eurycea longicauda guttolineata)

Occurs in all streams along east side of Park.

Northern spring salamander (Gyrinophilus porphyriticus porphyriticus)

In streams under rocks. Away from water in summer. Uncommon.

Four-toed salamander (Hemidactylium scutatum)

Known only from Big Meadows Swamp but should be in other marshy locations. Rare.

Red-spotted newt (Notophthalmus viridescens viridescens)

Efts [terrestrial larval phase] wander freely in the Park, being seen frequently by hikers. Adults seen in overflow pools along Big Run. Moderately abundant.

Red-backed salamander (Plethodon cinereus)

Abundant, found in most forested areas of the Park.

Slimy salamander (Plethodon cylindraceus)

Our largest commonly seen species. Well drained forest areas. Not abundant but found at all elevations.

Shenandoah salamander (Plethodon shenandoah)

This federally endangered species' entire known range consists of about a dozen separate populations in rock slopes along a 8 km stretch of the ridge between The Pinnacle and Hawksbill Mountain. It closely resembles the red-backed salamander.

Northern red salamander (Pseudotriton ruber ruber)

Under cover on banks of streams. Away from water in summer. Uncommon.

 

Frogs and Toads

Northern cricket frog (Acris crepitans crepitans)

Occurs along margins of streams. Reported from Camp Hoover, Black Rock Spring, and the head of Paines Run. Uncommon.

American toad (Bufo americanus americanus)

Moderately common at all elevations. Seen in early evening.

Fowler's toad (Bufo woodhousii fowleri)

A single report from Big Run. Rare.

Eastern gray treefrog (Hyla versicolor)

It is reported from Big Meadows, Skyland, Park headquarters and Simmons' Gap ranger station.

Northern spring peeper (Pseudacris crucifer crucifer)

Breeds in the Big Meadows swamp in early spring, but its rarely seen afterward.

Upland chorus frog (Pseudacris triseriata feriarum)

Breeds in Big Meadows swamp. Uncommon.

Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana)

Observed in Big Meadows swamp, Big and Jeremey's Runs.

Green frog (Rana clamitans melanota)

Abundant in springs and creeks. Tadpoles reported in Big Meadows swamp, around Camp Hoover and along Big Run.

Pickerel frog (Rana palustris)

Occurs in springs, wet grass, banks of all water courses. Breeds in overflow pools beside all creeks. Moderately abundant.

Wood frog (Rana sylvaticus)

This species breeds in large numbers in the Big Meadows region in late winter yet are seldom seen afterward.

Turtles

Snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina serpentina)

Reported from the Big Meadows area, Panorama, and along the Appalachian Trail. This species probably does not nest in the SNP. Records are probably of transients wandering through the park.

Eastern painted turtle (Chrysemys picta picta)

Occasionally observed along the Drive.

Wood turtle (Clemmys insculpta)

Reported along Dickey ridge to Compton Gap. Occasional reports only.

Eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina)

Only turtle positively known to breed in the Park. Moderately abundant.

Lizards

Northern coal skink (Eumeces anthracinus anthracinus)

A single record is known from Sugar Hollow on Pond ridge west of the Charlottesville Reservoir in Albemarle County.

Five-lined skink (Eumeces fasciatus)

Reported from Camp Hoover and Old Rag Mountain. Rare.

Northern fence lizard (Sceloporus undulatus hyacinthinus)

May be found sunning on open rock faces and dead timber at lower elevations. It is moderately abundant in some areas.

Ground skink (Scincella lateralis)

Reported by Staff/visitor in July 1979 from Hightop Mountain.

Snakes

Eastern worm snake (Carphophis amoenus amoenus)

An uncommon burrowing snake found in and under logs and rocks. Reported from Camp Hoover and along Big Run.

Northern black racer (Coluber constrictor constrictor)

A snake of forest edges and forest clearings. Occurs at all elevations with favorable habitat. Reports from Big Meadows and along U.S. Route 211 in Thornton gap among others. It is not abundant.

Northern ringneck snake (Diadophis punctatus edwardsii)

This is the most common snake in the SNP. Look for it under rocks on sunny hillsides.

Corn snake (Elaphe guttata guttata)

Scattered reports along Skyline Drive. Easily mistaken for small eastern milk snakes (Lampropeltis triangulum). It is uncommon.

Black rat snake (Elaphe obsoleta obsoleta)

Frequently seen along the Skyline Drive. It is also found in standing timber and occurs at all elevations.

Eastern hognose snake (Heterodon platirhinos)

Burrows in loose soil and sand. Rare.

Eastern king snake (Lampropeltis getula getula)

Scattered reports along Skyline Drive. Uncommon.

Eastern milk snake (Lampropeltis triangulum triangulum)

Our most abundant king snake. Mistaken for Corn snakes. Reported from all elevations.

Northern water snake (Nerodia sipedon sipedon)

Seldom found far from water. Reported from an elevation of 833 meters and below. Not abundant.

Rough green snake (Opheodrys aestivus)

Lives among the leaves of bushes and vines. Reported from 1200 meters at Skyland down to Park Headquarters. Uncommon.

Smooth green snake (Opheodrys vernalis vernalis)

Hides under deep set rocks. Frequently seen in the Big Meadows area. Scattered reports further south, but none north.

Northern pine snake (Pituophis melanoleucus melanoleucus)

A single record of this snake from Jarman Gap. Scattered reports along the west side of the south section and along Skyline Drive. Rare.

Queen snake (Regina septemvittata)

Reported from Pass run opposite Park Headquarters and along Big Creek just at the western boundary.

Northern red-bellied snake (Storeria occipitomaculata occipitomaculata)

Frequently reported from Big Meadows and Limberlost area of White Oak Canyon.

Eastern ribbon snake (Thamnophis sauritus sauritus)

Ribbon snakes occur close to water. Observed from Big Meadows to the lowest reaches of Big Run.

Eastern garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis)

Garter snakes are moderately abundant at all elevations. Look for them along the edges of open grassy areas, such as Big Meadows.

Smooth earth snake (Virginia valeriae valeriae)

Reported from Barry Hollow just east of the SNP boundary

Northern copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix mokasen)

Copperheads are found at all elevations but are most numerous in humid forests below 833 meters. Becoming uncommon in recent years.

Timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus)

Our largest poisonous snakes, but less often encountered.

Partial to drier rocky areas, and most active at dusk into early evening. Increasingly uncommon.

Historical Summary of Herpetofaunal Checklists

The first extant checklists of the amphibians and reptiles of the Shenandoah National Park were developed by W. Drew Chick, who was the acting park naturalist 1936-1943. They were both finalized on 22 November 1944. There were apparently two original lists, one on amphibians and one on reptiles, as indicated by the term "Revised" in each of Drew's lists. However, these have not been located and are presumed lost. Paul Favour, who was the chief naturalist in the park following Chick, revised the checklists on 24 April 1951. Witt (1971) further revised these checklists and updated the taxonomy. Shelton (1975) used this version in his natural history book on the Shenandoah National Park. Witt (1992) again updated the 1971 checklist for the park service. A comparison of these checklists (Table 1) shows the development of the amphibian and reptile species lists since about 1940. Future research on the distributions and taxonomy of these animals will produce additional changes in later revisions of these lists.

Table 1. Historical summary of the herpetofauna of Shenandoah National Park as viewed by a sequence of mostly unpublished checklists. Legend: (1) Chick, 1944a, 1944b, (2) Favour, 1951a, 1951b, (3) Shelton, 1975, (4) Witt, 1971, 1992.

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Species 1 2 3 4

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Salamanders:

Ambystoma jeffersonianum ? # # #

Ambystoma maculatum # # # #

Ambystoma opacum $

Ambystoma t. tigrinum $

Desmognathus f. fuscus # # # #

Desmognathus monticola jeffersoni # # # #

Desmognathus ochrophaeus #? #?

Eurycea bislineata # # # #

Eurycea l. longicauda # # # #

Eurycea l. guttolineata $ $

Gyrinophilus p. porphyriticus # # # #

Hemidactylium scutatum % % # #

Notophthalmus v. viridescens # # # #

Plethodon c. cinereus # # # #

Plethodon cylindraceus # # # #

Plethodon shenandoah % % # #

Pseudotriton r. ruber # # # #

Pseudotriton r. niticus ?

Frogs and Toads:

Acris c. crepitans v # # #

Bufo a. americanus # # # #

Bufo woodhousii fowleri ? #? # #

Hyla v. versicolor # # # #

Pseudacris brachyphona $

Pseudacris c. crucifer v # # #

Pseudacris triseriata feriarum v # # #

Rana catesbeiana # # # #

Rana clamitans melanota # # # #

Rana palustris # # # #

Rana sylvaticus % # # #

Scaphiopus h. holbrookii ? % % %

Turtles:

Chelydra s. serpentina # # # #

Chrysemys p. picta # # # #

Clemmys guttata $

Clemmys insculpta % # # #

Sternotherus odoratus $

Terrapene c. carolina # # # #

Lizards:

Eumeces a. anthracinus % % # #

Eumeces fasciatus * # # #

Eumeces inexpectatus $

Eumeces laticeps $

Sceloporus undulatus hyacinthinus # # # #

Scincella lateralis %*

Snakes:

Agkistrodon contortrix mokasen # # # #

Carphophis a. amoenus % # # #

Cemophora coccinea copei $

Coluber c. constrictor # # # #

Crotalus h. horridus # # # #

Diadophis punctatus edwardsii # # # #

Elaphe g. guttata # # # #

Elaphe o. obsoleta # # # #

Heterodon platirhinos % # # #

Lampropeltis c. calligaster $

Lampropeltis g. getula % # # #

Lampropeltis t. triangulum # # # #

Nerodia s. sipedon # # # #

Opheodrys aestivus # # # #

Opheodrys v. vernalis % % # #

Pituophis m. melanoleucus # # # #

Regina septemvittata # # # #$

Storeria d. dekayi ? #? #?

Storeria o. occipitomaculata % % # #

Tantilla coronata $

Thamnophis s. sauritus % # # #

Thamnophis s. sirtalis # # # #

Virginia v. valeriae $ $

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# presence confirmed

* tentatively identified

? doubtful identification [my opinion of the checklist entry]

% new or unreported species [not known to some authors]

v voice record [frogs and toads]

$ possible species; known to occur near border (Witt, 1971; Sheldon, 1975)

Acknowledgments

I am grateful to the Shenandoah National Park staff for numerous courtesies and for permission to study amphibians and reptiles in the park over many years. Joseph C. Mitchell produced the final version of this paper.

Literature Cited

Chick, W. D. 1944a. Revised list of amphibians in the Shenandoah National Park, Virginia. Unpublished report in Shenandoah National Park files, Luray, VA. 4 pp.

Chick, W. D. 1944b. Revised list of reptiles in the Shenandoah National Park, Virginia. Unpublished report in Shenandoah National Park files, Luray, VA. 5 pp.

Favour, P. 1951a. Revised list of amphibians in the Shenandoah National Park, Virginia. Unpublished report in Shenandoah National Park files, Luray, VA. 2 pp.

Favour, P. 1951b. Revised list of reptiles in the Shenandoah National Park, Virginia. Unpublished report in Shenandoah National Park files, Luray, VA. 2 pp.

Shelton, N. 1975. The Nature of Shenandoah. Natural History Series, National Park Service, U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Washington, D.C. 113 pp.

Witt, W. L. 1971. Checklist of the amphibians and reptiles of Shenandoah National Park. Unpublished report to Shenandoah National Park, Luray, VA. 4 pp.

Witt. W. L. 1992. Checklist of the amphibians and reptiles of Shenandoah National Park. Unpublished report to Shenandoah National Park, Luray, VA. 4 pp.