MHA - Spring 2007 Field Trip Details

The Missouri Herpetological Association held its second annual spring field trip Sat 26 May 2007 in the vicinity of Truman Lake. The purpose of the trip (in priority order) was to a) search for historical populations of the Ground Snake (Sonora semiannulata), b) document species found on the H Roe Bartle (Boy) Scout Reservation, and c) search for new and updated records in the three-county area of Saint Clair, Benton, and Henry Co MO. Habitats searched included ponds, stream beds, the shores of Truman Lake, wooded hillsides, glades, and roadcuts. The original field trip announcement will be retained for historical purposes.

Fifteen members caught more than 300 individual reptiles and amphibians, representing a total of 32 species. Several photographs are available of members and animals but more are welcome! Also, Glenn Manning included a brief commentary and several photographs from the trip at a forum post at FieldHerpForum.com. Most collecting activity occurred on Sat 26 May 2007, but a few species were observed or caught at the reservation the previous evening (Fri 25 May 2007) by members that arrived to camp. Also, several species were observed and photographed on the reservation on Sun (27 May 2007) morning. Finally, a subset of the participants spent a few hours in nearby Cedar Co MO, which yielded several additional animals.

The target species, the Ground Snake (Sonora semiannulata), was not located. However, the group's efforts were hindered by the lack of large tracts of suitable glade habitat. Other glade species were observed during the trip and more work is needed in the area to determine the status of Sonora. Eighteen species were recorded at the scout reservation (see table) with many common species missing from the list. At least one hillside on the reservation was an extensive but partially overgrown glade site and only a small part of the area was surveyed. More survey work on that area will very likely yield a much larger species list. Finally, several new localities were documented for the four collection counties (Benton, Cedar, Henry, and Saint Clair), including two "open circle" county records from the scout reservation (Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) and Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer) for Saint Clair Co) and a new county record (Broadhead Skink (Eumeces laticeps) for Cedar Co).

During the survey, a simple datasheet was used to record all finds and a list of guidelines and target species was provided to each of the participants. Copies of those documents are in the standard portable document format (PDF) created by Adobe. You must download and install the Adobe Reader to view them. Since some documents are large, we recommend that you download each to your hard drive (right-click, save file) and open it from there.

The entire weekend was characterized by mild temperatures and cloudy conditions although it was sunny for brief periods. A thunderstorm went through the area on Sat afternoon. The total species list along with numbers of individuals can be seen below. The spotted salamanders were represented solely from larvae observed in a pond and some anuran species numbers were augmented by larvae or by individual males calling during the weekend. These numbers are marked with an asterisk (*) and the total represents a minimum count for that species. Presence of a species in each county or on the scout reservation is indicated with a checkmark.

Photos from the weekend will be posted as they become available. Please send photos from the field trip! It is also acceptable to post photos on sites such as photobucket.com. We can provide a byline and a link to a personal site if you wish. Also, photos should be submitted for photo specimens so they can be included in the next atlas update.

The MHA would like to thank the US Army Corps of Engineers and the Missouri Department of Conservation for providing permission to use public land for the survey. Special appreciation is extended to Bob Krager, Tammy Gilmore, and Len Gilmore for providing assistance in locating collecting localities. Finally, the Boy Scouts of America and the Bartle Scout Reservation were extremely generous to provide a camping site and a large area for part of the survey. In particular, we would like to thank Judy Flett and John Christiansen for their helpful nature and hospitality.

Species	Common Name	Number	Scout Reservation	Benton Co	Cedar Co	Henry Co	Saint Clair Co
Salamanders (Caudata)
Spotted Salamander	Ambystoma maculatum	40*
Frogs (Anura)
Species	Common Name	Number	Scout Reservation	Benton Co	Cedar Co	Henry Co	Saint Clair Co
American Toad	Bufo americanus	40*
Northern Cricket Frog	Acris crepitans	30*
Gray Treefrog	Hyla versicolor	9
Spring Peeper	Pseudacris crucifer	8
Bullfrog	Rana catesbeiana	4
Pickerel Frog	Rana palustris	3
Southern Leopard Frog	Rana sphenocephala	9
Turtles (Testudinata)
Species	Common Name	Number	Scout Reservation	Benton Co	Cedar Co	Henry Co	Saint Clair Co
Snapping Turtle	Chelydra serpentina	2
Common Map Turtle	Graptemys geographica	1
Eastern Box Turtle	Terrapene carolina	24
Ornate Box Turtle	Terrapene ornata	2
Slider	Trachemys scripta	3
Lizards (Lacertilia)
Species	Common Name	Number	Scout Reservation	Benton Co	Cedar Co	Henry Co	Saint Clair Co
Fence Lizard	Sceloporus consobrinus	12
Six-Lined Racerunner	Aspidoscelis sexlineatus	13
Coal Skink	Eumeces anthracinus	3
Five-Lined Skink	Eumeces fasciatus	12
Broadhead Skink	Eumeces laticeps	3
Ground Skink	Scincella lateralis	43
Snakes (Serpentes)
Species	Common Name	Number	Scout Reservation	Benton Co	Cedar Co	Henry Co	Saint Clair Co
Western Worm Snake	Carphophis vermis	10
Eastern Racer	Coluber constrictor	8
Ringneck Snake	Diadophis punctatus	18
Western Rat Snake	Elaphe obsoleta	2
Prairie Kingsnake	Lampropeltis calligaster	1
Common Kingsnake	Lampropeltis getula	2
Milk Snake	Lampropeltis triangulum	2
Coachwhip	Masticophis flagellum	2
Redbelly Snake	Storeria occipitomaculata	1
Flathead Snake	Tantilla gracilis	3
Common Garter Snake	Thamnophis sirtalis	4
Rough Earth Snake	Virginia striatula	5
Copperhead	Agkistrodon contortrix	1