Spend all or part of their lives in water, View a list of the amphibian and reptile species of Montgomery County (PDF, 52KB). For visuals of snake anatomy features, please click here. Reptiles and amphibians will come to forage for food, hide, and nest. Incidental encounters of herpetofauna consist of any amphibian or reptile observed outside of a search effort.
I found a tiny snake under a flower pot this AM, it almost looked like a garden snake on the head end but the bottom half was a BRIGHT bule. Other Maryland Snake ID This guide covers commonly encountered snakes. of each snake species in Maryland are also included. In addition to physical descriptions of snakes, maps depicting the distribution
This page presents a truncated version of Maryland states. , Call toll-free in *Maryland* at 1-877-620-8DNR (8367), Survey Techniques, Collecting Ethics, Safety and the Law, Problems with Buying Frogs and Tadpoles for Wild Release. Stream Survey and Natural Heritage Program, and from additional literature where The distribution maps Preferred herpetofauna habitat consists primarily of cover objects (logs, rocks, vegetation, and even trash) and wetlands (such as seeps, springs, and seasonal pools). Amphibians and reptiles are cold-blooded vertebrates (having a backbone) and are collectively called herpetofauna or "herps" for short. Also under human debris and in bushy areas. They are a separate genera and fairly common in the Southeast.
Development, habitat destruction, water quality decline, and loss of wetlands all impact reptile and amphibian population. Snakes are an integral part of Maryland’s fauna, functioning as important predators. From the 27 snake species in Maryland, some are common throughout the state, while others are found only in a few counties. This could occur while collecting organisms for benthic macroinvertebrate or fish sampling, evaluating habitat, collecting water quality, accessing a site, setting up a block net, or just walking around. The pilot program consisted of spring and summer ten-minute visual encounter survey searches on both sides of the stream and in the stream channel. They can be found in many of the stream valleys, ponds, reservoirs, and wetlands.
The all black body makes it a fairly easy species to recognize. Amphibians and reptiles found in vernal/seasonal pools are recorded, but no special search effort or data collection is applied to seasonal pools. In suburban areas, species like Common Brown Snakes, Eastern Rat Snakes, and Eastern Garter Snakes can be abundant.
There are 25 different types of snakes (including sub-species) from the Family Colubridae that can be found in Maryland. Probably the corn snake is the most common of the species in the pet trade. Although they are often discussed together, and some may even look similar, there are several differences between reptiles and amphibians. These books are recommended to anyone seeking more comprehensive information on The Black Rat Snake ranks as the most wide ranging of the species. Their moist, porous skin is very sensitive to environmental changes and serve as good indicators of stream health. The snake’s body color changes depending on age and location. Usually the Plain-bellied Watersnake (Nerodia erythrogaster) is called the Red-bellied Watersnake, with a range limited to the lower Eastern Shore. The most common lizard is the five-lined skink. I have a snake in My Garage. (2002) provided a great deal of distributional information for snakes on The rat snake is one of the largest of the most common Maryland snakes and can grow up to 80 inches in length. About eight subspecies of Milk Snakes are described in the United States. Maryland hosts the more common eastern milk snake along with a subspecies called the Coastal Plain Milksnake ()Lampropeltis triangulum elapsoides). include historical distributional information that was compiled by Harris (1975) Maryland is home to 27 species and sub-species of snakes. Listen carefully for calls. Look under rocks and logs. Maryland colubrids differ from vipers by having round pupils in the eyes, no heat seeking pit between each eye and nostril, a complete set of divided sub-caudal scales, and a series of large plates (scales) on the dorsum of the head. North American snake ecology and identification. Both of these species are dangerously venomous and should be treated with caution. Maryland has several species of snakes that live in rural, suburban and urban areas.
. Four species of Lizard can be found in Montgomery County, the Eastern Fence Lizard and three species of Skink. Do not mow lawns near the stream banks (also known as the riparian zone), Limit the use of pesticides around streams, Do not take reptiles or amphibians out of the wild, Watch your pets and keep cats and dogs indoors. Do not kill a snake or any other unwanted reptile or amphibian. Montgomery County is home to almost 60 species of amphibians and reptiles. They are fairly common in the East and easily recognized by their smooth brown body. Amphibians and reptiles are easily recognized by the public, which associates them with the natural ecology of this region. Nonetheless, when seeing a long and bulky snake basking near or swimming in the state’s lakes and ponds it’s always a good first guess to start with waternakes. Look under rocks, logs and tall grasses. Amphibians and Reptiles of Pennsylvania by Arthur C. Now is a good time to also mention the Scarlet snake. Salamanders and Newts are specialized amphibians that spend much of their time as adults underground, or hiding beneath rocks, logs, and leaves. and distributional surveys of select species by Thompson (1984).
Humans need not worry, their popularity in the pet trade is an indication they are generally peaceful, nonvenomous snakes. Here is a guide on how to find these animals in the wild: Look under rocks, logs, and leaves. Maryland’s geographic situation on the Mason/Dixon line puts in in the middle of East Coast geography. Data is compiled and analyzed to develop conservation strategies for frog and toad species, and their habitat. Maryland is home to 27 species and sub-species of snakes, including two with medically significant venom, the copperhead and the timber rattlesnake. Maryland is home to 27 species and sub-species of snakes, including two with medically significant venom, the copperhead and the timber rattlesnake. Amphibians spend at least part of their lives in water habitats such as flowing streams, seasonal pools, or other wetland types. Two methods were utilized for surveying vernal pools: Search of the riparian area during spring monitoring at the biological monitoring sites and recording only location and size of pools. Snakes are limbless reptiles with elongate bodies that are covered with scales. These two species are found in the viper family (Viperidae). In addition to general herpetofauna searches, targeted searches for vernal pools were done with the intent of better understanding their distribution throughout the County. Copperheads are generally secretive and avoid people. By: Carlton Stoiber on July 3, 2009 at 3:31 pm. They are found statewide, including Montgomery, Howard, Carroll, Frederick, Anne Arundel, Harford, and Baltimore County. Snakes of Maryland Snakes are an integral part of Maryland’s fauna, functioning as important predators of mice, rats and other animals. From 2001-2007, DEP collected herpetofauna data as part of a pilot program. Snakes are limbless reptiles with elongate bodies that are covered with scales. Species and sub-species descriptions follow. The pit vipers also differ noticeably from the colubrids by having vertical pupils, and undivided subcaudal scales (Conant and Collins 1998). provided by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Maryland Biological Distribution data is needed to best understand how to protect amphibians and reptiles and their key habitats. The term racer describes a behavior pattern often witnesses by people. They are included in the evaluation of stream and riparian habitat quality and overall watershed health. DEP is using its amphibian and reptile monitoring program to: Stream salamanders are good candidates as a second indicator of water quality (where benthic macroinvertebrates are the first) in small headwater streams where fish are not reliable indicators.
Here is our easy photo guide to common snakes of Maryland. Montgomery County began a pilot program in 2001 to gather distributional data. These animals are an important part of the County's ecosystem.
Frogs are particularly active during rainy periods and at night. Maryland’s eastern shore. Species, life stage (adult, larva, egg), number of individuals, and type of habitat searched are recorded. Reptiles found in Montgomery County include four species of lizard, 17 species of snake, and nine species of turtle.
While many of the species have common names with rat snake included, other species are known as Corn Snakes and Fox Snakes. The picture at the top of the page shows a Black Racer (Coluber constrictor), a common species in Maryland. They can be used as symbols of public support for their conservation and protection. Second, they, like other rat snakes are very good climbers. Want to join our next season of FrogWatch? Others non venomous snakes include the Black Racer, Scarlett Snake, Eastern Hog Nosed Snake, Milk Snake, Ring Necked Snake, and Scarlett Snake are among a few snake species of Maryland. The picture highlights two facts. A number of documents were used to compile the snake descriptions that follow. Visit the County's FrogWatch website. … It’s twenty seven snake species also puts it at the higher middle range of snake diversity among all US states.
In 2008, stream salamander data was collected at sites too small to fish (where only benthic macroinvertebrates had been collected) and in areas selected for long term monitoring (Special Protection Areas and Clarksburg Integrated Ecological Study Areas). The methods and data were evaluated in 2007, after which a full amphibian and reptile monitoring program was established in 2008. As the picture shows, it’s easy to mistake the Scarletsnake (Cemophora coccinea) for a Milksnake or Kingsnake. Trend analysis can be used to help assess effectiveness of land use practices and policies directed at water quality protection. Maryland is also home to corn snakes (Pantherophis guttatus). The log black body covered by a series of thin white bands down the back are the best identification clues. In the summer of 2007, Montgomery County conducted stream salamander sampling using Maryland Biological Stream Survey methods (MD DNR, CBWP/MANTA 2007) at twelve stations. The goal of the pilot program was to get a general idea of presence or absence of herpetofauna species in the County and to investigate a future index of biological integrity (IBI). If you have wetlands in your yard, no matter how small or mucky, leave them be and don't worry about mosquitoes—frogs, toads, and other wildlife like birds and bats attracted to the wetlands will take care of the mosquitoes for you! They are long, thin snakes with a black body, and as the picture highlights, white chins. Look for them basking on logs or sunny spots. Reopening Montgomery: Phase 2 & 3 Guidelines. Hulse, C. J. McCoy, and Ellen Censky (2001) and Amphibians and Reptiles of Please press the green snake button for more pictures and information on a variety of snake species. Findings of herpetofauna habitat were also recorded. Reply. They climb trees primarily in search of bird prey. Snakes are a very common call in the Maryland. Whether you live in metropolitan Baltimore, suburban Potomac or in the middle of nowhere in the Howard County, you could have a snake problem. Vernal pools have a distinctive biological community of animals that are specially adapted to these conditions (Brown and Jung 2005). The stream channel and left and right riparian areas (vegetated areas paralleling the stream) associated with the 75 meter stream sampling segment are searched for 10 minutes each. All snakes lack external ear openings and eyelids and have long, forked tongues. All are perfectly harmless except for the Copperhead and the Timber Rattlesnake (light phase, dark phase).