Herpetofaunal
Surveys of the Duke Energy Bypass along the Catawba River, SC - 2004
|
My thesis advisor at Davidson,
Mike Dorcas, has provided me with countless amazing opportunities and
I am forever indebted to him. One such opportunity came in 2004 when
Mike invited me to help him survey a section of Duke Energy propery
along the Catawba River in the Piedmont of South Carolina. The property
in an old section of riverbed that is below a diversion dam and has
been dry for almost 100 years. The result is some very interesting habitat.
Rocky sections of old riverbed are now overgrown with forest and intermittant
overflow over the dam has created a series of pocket wetlands as well
as some larger perminant pools and canals with flowing water. All in
all, great herp habitat.
|
|
|
| We
begain our surveys in chilly march weather. Despite the cold,
some amphibians were out and about. Some of the rocky pools showed
evidence of anuran activity. Southern Leopard Frog (Rana
spenocephala) egg masses. |
|
|
|
|
|
| Upland
Chorus Frogs (Pseudacris ferarium) were found calling
on even the coldest of days... |
|
|
| ...and
Fowler's Toads (Bufo fowleri) and Norther
Cricket Frogs (Acris crepitans) were abundant. |
|
|
|
|
|
Log-flipping
quickly yield some Marbled Salamanders (Ambystoma opcaum),
including this newly-metamorphosed juvenile. |
|
| Although
reptiles were scarce in the chilly weather, we did turn up a single young
Brown Watersnake (Nerodia taxispilota) sunning
on a snag. |
|
|
| As the weather
warmed, reptiles began to show themselves. Turtles were abundant in the
wetlands, including painted turtles, musk turtles, sliders, and a very
wily softshell. I grabbed this male River Cooter (Pseudemy
concinna) from a slow-moving canal, managing to get totally
soaked in the process. |
|
|
| Mike
and I spotted this fellow sunning on a wetland bank on an April morning.
Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina). |
|
|
|
|
| Shortly
after, Mike spied this guy on the crawl. Black Rat Snake (Elaphe
obsoleta). |
|
|
|
| We
continued along a rocky section of stream... |
|
| ...and
I managed to grab this big momma as she dashed for deep water. Midland
Watersnake (Nerodia sipedon). |
|
|
| By
May weather had warmed and snakes were out in force. Redbellied
Watersnakes (Nerodia erythrogaster) proved to be the
most common watersnake, but sometimes difficult to capture. |
|
|
|
|
| Log-flipping
yeided good numbers of small fossorial snakes, especially these Worm
Snakes (Carphophis amoenus). |
|
|
|
| |
I
got to the point where I could fairly accuratly predict which logs would
contain these snakes (well-rotted, small, pine logs were the best) . Especially
good logs would sometimes produce several. |
|
| Interestingly,
Eastern Kingsnakes (Lampropeltis getula) proved
to be the most common large snake at this site. We found at least one
on every visit in the summer, sometimes several. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Copperheads
(Agkistrodon contortrix) were also fairly common, although
their coloration made them hard to spot. This one was found in a debris
pile and photographed in situ. |
|
|
|
|
| This
pretty Copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix) was
found in the same spot several weeks in a row. He was a large (> 3')
male but his skinny condition made us think that he probably wasn't doing
too well. |
|
| A
night walk in May revealed lots of calling anurans, including this Gray
Treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis) |
|
| Bent
on finding a sleeping green snake by spotlighting shrubbery, I was surprised
to find this Black Racer (Coluber constrictor) fast
asleep, about 10 feet up in a tree. |
|
| Walking
the edges of rocky wetlands such as this proved productive... |
|
| ..
Yielding good numbers of snakes, including this young Midland
Watersnake (Nerodia sipedon). |
|
|
| Several
Black Rat Snakes (Elaphe obsoleta) were found
sunning along wetland edges... |
|
|
| As
well as more Eastern
Kingsnakes (Lampropeltis getula). |
|
|
|
| This
Green Anole (Anolis carolinensis) was spotted
trying to make off with a large katydid. |
|
| On
a huge fallen snag Mike and I spotted a pair of skinks that, by their
size, just had to be broadheads. As this was potentially a new species
we needed to capture one to take voucher photos. In the ensuing 20 minutes
of scrambling and chasing the lizards around the log, I almost tripped
over this female Kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula)
that was streatched out beside the log. |
|
| We
did finally catch the skinks. Broadhead Skinks (Eumeces laticpes). |
|
|
| |
| Of
course, herps weren't the only exciting finds during our surveys. We were
lucky to spot this Whitetail Deer fawn. It stayed in
the same place all day long. |
|
|
| Below
the diversion dam was a large pool where falling water-levels had stranded
a huge school of gar, carp, and catfish. I decided to be macho and free
some gar... |
|
|
|
