The Missouri Herpetological Association held its first spring field trip Sat 20 May 2006. A herpetofaunal survey of the Saline Valley Conservation Area, located near Eldon in Miller County, was conducted over the course of the weekend. Habitats searched included ponds, streams, wooded hillsides, fens, glades, and old homesteads. The original field trip announcement will be retained for historical purposes.
Nine members caught more than 200 individual reptiles and amphibians, representing a total of 24 species. Most collecting activity occurred on Sat 20 May 2006, but a few species were observed or caught the previous evening (Fri 19 May 2006) by members that arrived to camp. Photos from the weekend can be seen as thumbnails or by clicking on the photo links in the species list. Please send additional photos from the field trip.
Temperatures on Friday exceeded 90oF but it was cloudy and cooler on Saturday, enabling the group to use the entire day for productive collecting. Several presumably common species for the area were not observed at all. The spotted salamanders were represented solely from larvae dipped from a pond and some anuran species numbers were augmented by larvae or by individual males calling Friday night or Saturday during a brief rain. The total species list along with numbers of individuals can be seen below.
| Species | Common Name | Number | Photos |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salamanders (Caudata) | |||
| Ambystoma maculatum | Spotted Salamander | 2 | |
| Eurycea longicauda | Dark-sided Salamander | 2 |  |
| Plethodon albagula | Western Slimy Salamander | 24 | |
| Frogs (Anura) | |||
| Bufo americanus | American Toad | 9 | |
| Acris crepitans | Blanchard's Cricket Frog | 62 | |
| Hyla chrysoscelis | Cope's Gray Treefrog | 1 | |
| Hyla versicolor | Gray Treefrog | 14 | |
| Rana catesbeiana | Bullfrog | 5 | |
| Rana clamitans | Green Frog | 28 | |
| Rana palustris | Pickerel Frog | 1 | |
| Rana sphenocephala | Southern Leopard Frog | 40 | |
| Gastrophryne carolinensis | Eastern Narrow-mouthed Toad | 2 | |
| Turtles (Testudinata) | |||
| Terrapene carolina | Three-toed Box Turtle | 18 | |
| Lizards (Lacertilia) | |||
| Sceloporus consobrinus | Eastern Fence Lizard | 2 | |
| Scincella lateralis | Ground Skink | 9 | |
| Snakes (Serpentes) | |||
| Carphophis vermis | Western Worm Snake | 2 | |
| Coluber constrictor | Eastern Yellow-bellied Racer | 2 | |
| Diadophis punctatus | Prairie Ringneck Snake | 14 | |
| Lampropeltis getula | Speckled Kingsnake | 1 | |
| Lampropeltis triangulum | Red Milksnake | 2 | |
| Nerodia sipedon | Northern Water Snake | 2 | |
| Storeria dekayi | Midland Brown Snake | 1 | |
| Storeria occipitomaculata | Northern Redbelly Snake | 1 | |
| Agkistrodon contortrix | Copperhead | 3 | |