On May 8 2010, the Virginia Herpetological Society surveyed the new Powhatan State Park. The VHS would like to thank Anne Wright, Joy Ware and Irene Frentz for their help in planning and organizing the Powhatan survey. We would also like to thank all the attending members that made this survey possible.

Powhatan Survey Species List:
Common Name
Scientific Name
QTY
Amphibians
Frogs & Toads
Northern Cricket Frog
Acris crepitans crepitans
14
American Toad
Anaxyrus americanus americanus
2
Fowler's Toad
Anaxyrus fowleri
1
Narrow-mouthed Toad
Gastrophryne carolinensis
1
Green Treefrog
Hyla cinerea
1
Bullfrog
Lithobates catesbeianus
4
Green Frog
Lithobates clamitans melanota
1
County Record!
Southern Leopard Frog
Lithobates sphenocephalus utricularius
6
Wood Frog
Lithobates sylvaticus
1
Spring Peeper
Pseudacris crucifer crucifer
5
Salamanders
Spotted Salamander
Ambystoma maculatum
4
Marbled Salamander
Ambystoma opacum
3
Southern Two-lined Salamander
Eurycea cirrigera
2
Four-toed Salamander
Hemidactylium scutatum
1
Red-spotted Newts
Notophthalmus viridescens viridescens
10
Red-backed Salamander
Plethodon cinereus
3
Reptiles
Lizards
Five-lined Skink
Plestiodon fasciatus
9
Broad-headed Skink
Plestiodon laticeps
1
Northern Fence Lizard
Sceloporus undulatus
3
Snakes
Eastern Worm Snake
Carphophis amoenus amoenus
9
Northern Black Racer
Coluber constrictor constrictor
1
Ring-necked Snake
D. p. edwardsii x D. p. punctatus
7
Eastern Hog-nosed Snake
Heterodon platirhinos
1
Rough Green Snake
Opheodrys aestivus aestivus
3
Eastern Ratsnake
Pantherophis alleghaniensis
5
Turtles
Eastern Box Turtle
Terrapene carolina carolina
4

 

VHS membership has its privileges!

 
Spotted Salamander
Marbled Salamander
Southern Leopard Frog
Narrow-mouthed Toad
Red-spotted Newt Efts
Four-toed Salamander
Paul was able to tree Gene by simply shouting, "Mouse!"
Northern Black Racer
Rough Green Snake
Mitchell with a nice Eastern Ratsnake

 

A five-lined skink mistook Robert for an oak tree, but luckily Paul was at the ready.

 

In Virginia we have two subspecies of ring-necked snake, the northern ring-necked snake and the southern ring-necked snake. We also have a fairly large zone where these two subspecies interbreed. Powhatan County lies within this zone of integration where ring-necked snakes can have characteristics of one subspecies or a combination of characteristics from both subspecies.

The northern ring-necked snake (D. p. edwardsii) has a plain venter and a complete ring around the neck.

The southern ring-necked snake (D. p. punctatus) has a midventral row of spots and a broken or incomplete ring around the neck

The specimen pictured on the right has a complete ring around the neck, consistent with that of the northern ring-necked snake and a spotted venter, consistent with southern ring-necked snake.

 

 

 

As stated above, a complete ring around the neck is consistent with the northern ring-necked snake.
A plain venter is consistent with the northern ring-necked snake.
The almost incomplete ring seen above, is an indication of some amount of southern ring-necked snake influence.
A midventer row of spots is consistent with the southern ring-necked snake.

 

 

Eastern Hog-nosed Snake
Eastern Hog-nosed Snake playing dead
Eastern Box Turtle
Group Photo

Thanks to Mike Clifford, Kyle Harris, Paul Sattler, Kory Steele and Susan Watson for the use of their photos.