Northeast FL - Oct 2002

Northeast Florida - October 2002

After several years of getting around to it, Dr. Mike Dorcas and I finally got around to visiting a friend in Florida who has been doing long-term research on pygmy rattlesnakes (Sistrurus miliarius). His studies have produced numerous high level scientific papers and the population at his site is reportedly one of the densist in the Southeast. We were accompanied by three other graduate students who were gathering data on defensive behavior of these snakes.

On the way down we made a stop at Timicuan National Ecological and Historic Preserve, in Jacksonville, Floorida where the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory has been conducting herp surveys for the NPS. As we pulled into the parking lot, we found this large female Florida Softshell (Apalone ferox) crossing the road.

The next finds were a hatchling Black Racer (Coluber constrictor) and a pretty Pine-Woods Snake (Rhadinaea flavilata). This area is the only place that I have found this species commonly.

Although we didn't spend long at the park, an hour or so of searching at one of the wetlands yielded a few interesting species. Metamorph Green Treefrog (Hyla cinerea) and Dwarf Salamander (Eurycea quadradigitata).

While investigating an abandoned alligator nest, I turned up this Black Swamp Snake (Seminatrix pygaea).

And a bluish Eastern Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis).

The next morning we headed down to central Florida to visite a friend and see a site where he has been studying pygmy rattlesnakes (Sistrurus miliarius) for many years. As we walked out to the site along a dike we stumbled upon a large Florida Redbellied Turtle (Pseudemys nelsoni) munching on grass at the canal edge, lifer for me!

We arrived at the site, a wooded hammock surrounded by flooded ground and within minutes had found the first pygmy... and another!

As we walked through the palmetto, honing our search image, amphibians revealed themselves in abundance: Little Grass Frog (Pseudacris ocularis) and Southern Leopard Frog (Rana spenocephala), perched in a palmetto.

... And more pygmys...

We also turned up a few other snakes, including a Southern Ringneck (Diadophis punctatus) and this Penninsula Ribbon Snake (Thamnophis sauritus)

Even with all the pygmys, the ribbon snakes turned out to be the most vicious snakes of the day. We also found several neonates.

We also turned up another bluish Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis)... and more pygmys... the density was unbelievable, we probably found thirty or more over the course of a couple of hours...

Florida Box Turtles (Terrapene carolina) also proved common at the site, including this pretty female and happy couple...

And more pygmys... even in pairs...

Some in odd places, such as off the ground in palmetto...

Most strange was a female perched about five feet off the ground in a leafless bush

That night we looked around some suburban areas and found several introduced geckos (Hemidactylus garnotii) and this Cuban Treefrog (Osteopilus septentrionalis).

All in all a great couple of days, certainly the most pygmys I will ever see in one trip and a lot of other cool herps as well.

Species List:

Timicuan NEHP, FL
Eurycea quadridigitata (Dwarf Salamander) - 2
Bufo terrestris (Southern Toad) - several
Gastrophryne carolinensis (Eastern Narrow-Mouthed Toad) - 1
Acris gryllus (Florida Cricket Frog) - several
Hyla cinerea (Green Treefrog) - several
Rana clamitans (Bronze Frog) - call
Rana grylio (Pig Frog) - call
Rana spenocephala (Southern Leopard Frog) - several
Anolis carolinensis (Green Anole) - several
Anolis sagrei (Brown Anole) - (introduced) - several
Eumeces laticeps (Broad-Headed Skink) - several
Scincella lateralis (Ground Skink) - several
Cnemidophorus sexlineatus (Six-Lined Racerunner) - TMTC
Sceloporus undulatus ( Fence Lizard) - several
Ophisaurus ventralis (Eastern Glass Lizard) - 2
Seminatrix pygaea (Black Swamp Snake) - 2
Thamnophis sirtalis (Eastern Garter Snake)
Rhadinaea flavilata (Pine Woods Snake) - 1
Coluber constrictor (Black Racer) - 1
Apalone ferox (Florida Softshell) - 1
Gopherus polyphemus (Gopher Tortoise) - several
Trachemys scripta (Red-Eared Slider) - (introduced) - 3

Pygmy Rattler Site, central FL
Bufo terrestris (Southern Toad) - several
Gastrophryne carolinensis (Eastern Narrow-Mouthed Toad) - several
Hyla cinerea (Green Treefrog) - several
Osteopilus septentrionalis (Cuban Treefrog) - 1
Pseudacris ocularis (Little Grass Frog) - several
Rana grylio (Pig Frog) - call
Rana spenocephala (Southern Leopard Frog) - several
Hemidactylus garnotii (Indo-Pacific Gecko) - (introduced) - 2
Anolis carolinensis (Green Anole) - several
Anolis sagrei (Brown Anole) - (introduced) - several
Thamnophis sirtalis (Eastern Garter Snake) - 3
Thamnophis sauritus (Peninsula Ribbon Snake) - 4
Diadophis punctatus (Southern Ringneck Snake) - 2
Sistrurus miliarius (Dusky Pygmy Rattlesnake) - 30+
Psuedemys nelsoni (Florida Redbelly Turtle) - 1
Terrapene carolina (Florida Box Turtle) - 4