Amphibians and Reptiles in Minnesota

Snakes on the patio, salamanders in the basement, frogs crossing the road, and turtles nesting on the shore in the land of 10,000 lakes: from the enchanted child to the curious adult, from the amateur naturalist to the dedicated conservationist, living with wildlife in Minnesota means finding amphibians and reptiles in prairies and forests and your own backyard.

Amateur and professional alike will find this book a comprehensive source and a user-friendly guide, invaluable for discovering, identifying, and learning about any of the state’s fifty-three amphibian and reptile species from the common American Toad to the little seen Western Ratsnake. This handbook takes readers through the steps for studying these species in the field.

Including current information about designations of species in need of conservation, this reference covers the latest research and work on environmental threats and amphibian and reptile protection, such as the deformed frog phenomenon, turtle legislation, climate change, and habitat restoration. With more than 200 photographs, written descriptions, county-based maps, habitat and distribution data, life histories, and circular keys to adult and larval specimens, the book brings readers up-to-date on Minnesota’s new species and changes to scientific names. Amphibians and Reptiles in Minnesota is the most complete and authoritative guide of its kind.

Information in this book was partly funded by proceeds of the Minnesota Environmental and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources.

John J. Moriarty is senior wildlife manager for Three Rivers Park District, a regional park system; coauthor of Amphibians and Reptiles Native to Minnesota (Minnesota, 1994); and author of Turtles and Turtle Watching for the North Central States. He started the Minnesota Frog and Toad Survey.


Carol D. Hall has worked for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources since 1991 coordinating statewide amphibian and reptile surveys for the Minnesota Biological Survey. 

Carrol L. Henderson has been Nongame Wildlife Program supervisor since 1977 at the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.?

Contents

Minnesota County MapForeword Carrol L. HendersonPreface and AcknowledgmentsIntroductionChecklist of the Amphibians and Reptiles in Minnesota

Class AmphibiaFamily Bufonidae—True ToadsAmerican Toad, Anaxyrus americanusGreat Plains Toad, Anaxyrus cognatusCanadian Toad, Anaxyrus hemiophrys

Family Hylidae—TreefrogsBlanchard’s Cricket Frog, Acris blanchardiCope’s Gray Treefrog, Hyla chrysoscelisGray Treefrog, Hyla versicolorSpring Peeper, Pseudacris cruciferBoreal Chorus Frog, Pseudacris maculata

Family Ranidae—True FrogsAmerican Bullfrog, Lithobates catesbeianusGreen Frog, Lithobates clamitansPickerel Frog, Lithobates palustrisNorthern Leopard Frog, Lithobates pipiensMink Frog, Lithobates septentrionalisWood Frog, Lithobates sylvaticus

Family Ambystomatidae—Mole SalamandersBlue-Spotted Salamander, Ambystoma lateraleSpotted Salamander, Ambystoma maculatumWestern Tiger Salamander, Ambystoma mavortiumEastern Tiger Salamander, Ambystoma tigrinum

Family Plethodontidae—Lungless SalamandersFour-Toed Salamander, Hemidactylium scutatumEastern Red-Backed Salamander, Plethodon cinereus

Family Proteidae—Waterdogs and MudpuppiesMudpuppy, Necturus maculosus

Family Salamandridae—NewtsEastern Newt, Notophthalmus viridescens

Class ReptiliaFamily Scincidae—SkinksCommon Five-Lined Skink, Plestiodon fasciatusPrairie Skink, Plestiodon septentrionalis

Family Teiidae—Racerunners and WhiptailsSix-Lined Racerunner, Aspidoscelis sexlineatus

Family Colubridae—Colubrid SnakesNorth American Racer, Coluber constrictorRing-Necked Snake, Diadophis punctatusPlains Hog-Nosed Snake, Heterodon nasicusEastern Hog-Nosed Snake, Heterodon platirhinosMilksnake, Lampropeltis triangulumCommon Watersnake, Nerodia sipedonSmooth Greensnake, Opheodrys vernalisWestern Ratsnake, Pantherophis obsoletusWestern Foxsnake, Pantherophis ramspottiGophersnake, Pituophis cateniferDekay’s Brownsnake, Storeria dekayiRed-Bellied Snake, Storeria occipitomaculataPlains Gartersnake, Thamnophis radixCommon Gartersnake, Thamnophis sirtalisLined Snake, Tropidoclonion lineatum

Family Viperidae—Pit VipersTimber Rattlesnake, Crotalus horridusMassasauga, Sistrurus catenatus

Family Chelydridae—Snapping TurtlesSnapping Turtle, Chelydra serpentina

Family Emydidae—Pond and River TurtlesPainted Turtle, Chrysemys pictaBlanding’s Turtle, Emydoidea blandingiiWood Turtle, Glyptemys insculptaNorthern Map Turtle, Graptemys geographicaSouthern Map Turtle, Graptemys ouachitensisFalse Map Turtle, Graptemys pseudogeographicaPond Slider, Trachemys scripta

Family Kinosternidate—Musk TurtlesEastern Musk Turtle, Sternotherus odoratus

Family Trionychidae—SoftshellsSmooth Softshell, Apalone muticaSpiny Softshell, Apalone spinifera

Species of Possible OccurrenceWoodhouse’s Toad, Anaxyrus woodhousiiPlains Leopard Frog, Lithobates blairiPlains Spad