By CAROLYN VAN VLECK AND JIM ANDREWS
SALISBURY—Jim Andrews of Salisbury recently gave a presentation at the Salisbury Meeting House/Church on many of the reptiles and amphibians that live in our area and around the state. He shared information and photos on a variety of frogs, snakes, salamanders, and turtles. (You’ll need to Google VtHerpAtlas.org for photos of the animals!) Jim is a conservationist and has been since his years at Middlebury Union High School. Since then, he has obtained higher education degrees from UVM and Middlebury College. His interest in reptiles and amphibians grew from his interest in making a contribution to the world of nature within Vermont in a field that hadn’t yet been well explored.
Frogs:
You can identify frogs by their call, as well as by what they look like. There are circular flat areas on the sides of frogs’ heads which are their ears. It appears that frogs cut down on the call noise that they make when the ears are covered. This was discovered in an experiment by students who covered the frogs’ ears with muffs! Frogs eat almost anything that moves and that they can catch. American Bullfrogs have even been known to eat weasels and chipmunks: “If they can fit it in their mouths, they’ll eat it!”
Both green and bullfrogs lay a film of eggs, which are then guarded by the males of the species. It takes from one to two winters to develop from tadpole to frog in Vermont in a deep pond, as our winter season is not long enough to develop fully or “transform.”
The Gray Treefrog looks bumpy and round like a toad. It is freeze tolerant and its breathing and circulation stop in the cold. Other freeze-tolerant frogs in Vermont include the Wood frog and the Spring Peepers. The Pickerel frog needs cold clear water to successfully reproduce.
The Northern Leopard frog sometimes has very successful breeding years! Several years ago, there were thousands of them moving out of the flooded fields along Otter Creek in Salisbury. This was a result of a series of wet springs. Needless to say, many ended up squashed on the roads!
Salamanders:
Local salamanders include the impressively large and salmon pink Spring Salamander, which prefers cold, clear mountain streams. Other local salamanders include the Four-toed Salamander, Blue-spotted Salamander and Jefferson Salamander. There is conserved land on Morgan Road in Salisbury that has been set aside specifically for salamanders to winter in. Salamanders can regrow tails, toes, legs, and eyes! You will also see an appeal every year to volunteer to help salamanders cross the road (generally led by Jim Andrews!).
Snakes:
The rare Eastern Ratsnake can climb up a tree! The Common Gartersnake is one of the most widespread snakes in the state. The Eastern Milksnake can rattle like a rattlesnake in self-defense. Some snakes like the Eastern Milksnake and the Ring-necked Snake lay eggs. Others, like the Common Gartersnake, Red-bellied Snake, and DeKay’s Brownsnake give live birth. The tiny Red-bellied Snake is also widespread in Vermont but since it is so small (about 12 inches) and since it usually hides under cover objects, many people have never seen one.
The only surviving Timber Rattlesnakes in the state are located in western Rutland County, where there is a relatively mild climate, rocky ridges, and lots of water. They are venomous. Bites are exceptionally rare, but if you try to handle them, they may bite in self-defense. If you are envenomated, you will feel a burning sensation and the bite area is likely to swell. It is recommended to visit the emergency room at Rutland Regional at that point. That being said, rattlesnakes can give “dry” bites. In other words, without the venom. Some snakes will defend themselves if you are aggressive towards them, but if you leave them alone, they will leave you alone. Many snakes have very attractive and interesting colors and patterns. One interesting fact that came up was, when asked if it was only vipers (poisonous) snakes that had the triangular heads, Jim shared that other snakes have learned to mimic the rattler as a self-defense mechanism! They will flatten their heads, puff up with air, and shake their tails if they feel threatened.
People are needlessly scared of snakes. If you can handle a snake correctly, it won’t be aggressive, unlike plenty of other wildlife! If you really want to be able to see the snakes in your area, make a snake motel by stacking wood with space between the pieces or laying a piece of slate on the ground, then propping up another piece above it, which will heat them. A wooden box with holes works, as well.
Snakes shed roughly once a year. Youngsters and injured snakes shed more often. Most snakes have relatively poor vision and hearing, but they have stereoscopic smelling with their tongues. This means that their “forked” tongues can tell them which direction to go to find food or avoid danger.
With climate change, more snakes from the south will be moving north as the summers become longer and hotter. Loss of snow during winter rains in past winters has been a problem since it removes the insulating layer of snow. The total amount of snow is not the issue, rather the intermittent rains that remove the snow and expose the ground. On the other hand, the warmer summers may allow some reptiles to reproduce more successfully.
Turtles:
Painted turtles hatch from eggs in the fall, but don’t emerge from their nests until the spring after they hatch. Snapping turtles emerge in the fall. They both lay eggs with the sex being determined by the temperature!
We also have had rare sightings of the Spotted Turtle and the Spiny Softshell Turtle.
What is challenging to the reptiles and amphibians in our state? Habitat loss is the biggest threat, with habitat fragmentation and degradation (pollution and pesticides) as additional threats. People needlessly killing snakes is also a threat. Snakes are more interested in getting away from us than anything else. Acid rain is still an issue and higher elevation ponds and lakes are not productive for amphibians that are sensitive to pH such as Jefferson Salamanders. Remember that snakes will clean your yard of rats, mice, slugs, snails, and other annoying garden-eating animals. The state a now has a Fish and Game biologist who specializes in reptiles: Luke Groff. The Vermont Reptile and Amphibian Atlas was begun by the Reptile and Amphibian Scientific Advisory Group back in 1994 in an effort to gather data in order to make more informed conservation recommendations to the Vermont Endangered Species Committee
Jim is always interested in receiving photos of any reptile or amphibian that you have taken. Working with another organization called Crowspath, they put together the Vermont Amphibian Field Guide which folds up very nicely to put into a pocket. It can be ordered from Jim or on-line. He continues to seek reports and photos of certain reptiles and amphibians in particular parts of the state, so you can help out that way, as well. You can report them through the Vermont Reptile and Amphibian Atlas website at VtHerpAtlas.org.
