The Missouri Herpetological Association held its third annual fall field trip on Sunday 28 September 2008 at Onondaga Cave State Park, Crawford County, Missouri. Habitats searched included a glade, wooded hillsides, the Meramec River, and Onondaga Cave.
Eleven members, representing five different institutions, caught more than 119 individual reptiles and amphibians, representing a total of 17 species. Several photographs are available of members and animals but more are welcome! Send photos from the field trip directly or post photos on sites such as photobucket.com. We can provide a byline and a link to a personal site if you wish. Submitted photos will be included in the atlas database as a photo specimen. More photos by Glenn Manning and Kevin Stohlgren can be found on the forum at the Missouri Herpetological Atlas Project web site.
The entire weekend was characterized by warm temperatures (80oF+) and sunny conditions. The total species list along with numbers of individuals can be seen below. The ratsnake was represented solely by a freshly shed skin. Spring peepers were heard calling at most sites. Eastern Gray Treefrogs were also heard calling near the river. Finally, many of the "Cave Salamanders" (Eurycea lucifuga) seen in the cave were hybrids with Long-Tailed Salamanders (Eurycea longicauda).
The MHA would like to thank the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and Tara Flynn for providing permission to use state park land for the field trip. Special appreciation is extended to Greg Hanson, our contact at the park, and Daniel Gruhn, our guide for the glade and cave portions of the trip.
| Species | Common Name | Number | Photos |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salamanders (Caudata) | |||
| Eurycea lucifuga | Cave Salamander | 10 |  |
| Eurycea spelaea | Grotto Salamander | 4 | |
| Plethodon albagula | Western Slimy Salamander | 7 | |
| Frogs (Anura) | |||
| Acris crepitans | Cricket Frog | 13+ | |
| Pseudacris crucifer | Spring Peeper | 6+ | |
| Hyla versicolor | Gray Treefrog | 2 | |
| Lithobates catesbeianus | Bullfrog | 2 | |
| Lithobates palustris | Pickerel Frog | 13 | |
| Turtles (Testudinata) | |||
| Graptemys geographica | Northern Map Turtle | 4 | |
| Terrapene carolina | Three-toed Box Turtle | 1 | |
| Trachemys scripta | Red-Eared Slider | 16 | |
| Apalone spinifera | Spiny Softshell | 2 | |
| Lizards (Lacertilia) | |||
| Sceloporus consobrinus | Prairie Lizard | 22+ | |
| Scincella lateralis | Ground Skink | 6 | |
| Snakes (Serpentes) | |||
| Diadophis punctatus | Ringneck Snake | 9 | |
| Pantherophis obsoletus | Texas Ratsnake | 1 (skin only) | |
| Lampropeltis triangulum | Red Milksnake | 1 | |