Amphibians and Reptiles in Colorado

by Hammerson, Geoffrey A.

• ISBN13: 9780870815348
• ISBN10: 0870815342
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1999-12-01
• Publisher: Univ Pr of Colorado

Summary

Amphibians and Reptiles in Colorado, Revised Edition, is an up-to-date, definitive summary of the distribution, conservation status, habitat, behavior, life history, ecology, and taxonomy of all salamanders, frogs, turtles, lizards, and snakes known to inhabit Colorado. It includes a description of the Colorado landscape, color photographs of each species, detailed range maps, identification keys, and tips on how to find, study, and photograph amphibians and reptiles. In addition, the author addresses the impact of human behavior on the region's herpetofauna, as well as the impact of Colorado's amphibians and reptiles upon humans.

Author Biography

Geoffrey A. Hammerson is a Research Zoologist for The Nature Conservancy.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations	xiii
Acknowledgments	xxiii
Introduction	xxv
History of Herpetology in Colorado	1	(8)
Environmental Relationships	9	(30)
Physiographic Regions	9	(7)
Great Plains	10	(1)
High Plains	10	(1)
Colorado Piedmont	10	(1)
Raton Section	11	(1)
Southern Rocky Mountains	12	(1)
Eastern Granitic Belt	12	(1)
Western Granitic Belt	13	(1)
Mountains West of the Granitic Belts	13	(1)
Intermontane Basins	14	(1)
Middle Rocky Mountains	14	(1)
Wyoming Basin	15	(1)
Colorado Plateau	15	(1)
Uinta Basin	15	(1)
Canyonlands	15	(1)
Navajo Section	15	(1)
Drainage Systems	16	(2)
Elevation	18	(1)
Climate	18	(6)
Habitats	24	(11)
Terrestrial (Upland) Ecosystems	25	(1)
Alpine Tundra	25	(1)
Subalpine Forest/Woodland	25	(1)
Montane Forest/Woodland	26	(2)
Mountain Meadow	28	(1)
Mountain Shrubland	28	(1)
Pinon-Juniper Woodland	28	(1)
Semidesert Shrubland	29	(1)
Plains Grassland	29	(3)
Sandhills	32	(1)
Palustrine (Wetland) Ecosystems	32	(1)
Mountain Riparian	32	(1)
Lowland Riparian	33	(1)
Mountain Marsh	33	(1)
Lowland Marsh	33	(1)
Temporary Pool	34	(1)
Riverine Ecosystems	34	(1)
Lacustrine (Lake) Ecosystems	35	(1)
Ecological Versatility, Habitat Diversity, and the Distribution and Diversity of Amphibians and Reptiles	35	(1)
Spatial Pattern of Amphibian and Reptile Diversity	36	(1)
Biogeographic Context	37	(2)
Relationship to Humans	39	(4)
Impacts of Humans	39	(3)
Impacts on Humans	42	(1)
Conservation Status Ranks and State Regulations	43	(4)
Conservation Status Ranks	43	(2)
Regulations Pertaining to Amphibians and Reptiles in Colorado	45	(2)
How to Observe and Photograph Amphibians and Reptiles	47	(4)
Where and When to Find Amphibians and Reptiles	47	(1)
Preparing for Field Studies	48	(1)
Salvaging Dead Reptiles and Amphibians	48	(1)
Photography	49	(2)
Explanation of Species Accounts	51	(4)
Amphibians	55	(104)
Salamanders	59	(12)
Mole Salamanders---Family Ambystomatidae	59	(1)
Tiger Salamander---Ambystoma tigrinum	60	(11)
Frogs and Toads	71	(88)
Spadefoot Toads and Relatives---Family Pelobatidae	73	(1)
Couch's Spadefoot---Scaphiopus couchii	74	(3)
Plains Spadefoot---Spea bombifrons	77	(5)
Great Basin Spadefoot---Spea intermontana	82	(3)
New Mexico Spadefoot---Spea multiplicata	85	(3)
True Toads---Family Bufonidae	88	(2)
Mountain Toad---Bufo boreas complex	90	(9)
Great Plains Toad---Bufo cognatus	99	(4)
Green Toad---Bufo debilis	103	(2)
Red-spotted Toad---Bufo punctatus	105	(5)
Woodhouse's Toad---Bufo woodhousii	110	(4)
Treefrogs---Family Hylidae	114	(1)
Northern Cricket Frog---Acris crepitans	115	(4)
Canyon Treefrog---Hyla arenicolor	119	(5)
Western Chorus Frog---Pseudacris triseriata	124	(6)
Narrowmouth Toads and Relatives---Family Microhylidae	130	(1)
Great Plains Narrowmouth Toad---Gastrophryne olivacea	131	(2)
True Frogs---Family Ranidae	133	(1)
Plains Leopard Frog---Rana blairi	134	(5)
Bullfrog---Rana catesbeiana	139	(6)
Northern Leopard Frog---Rana pipiens	145	(6)
Wood Frog---Rana sylvatica	151	(8)
Reptiles	159	(232)
Turtles	167	(29)
Snapping Turtles---Family Chelydridae	168	(1)
Snapping Turtle---Chelydra serpentina	169	(6)
Pond Turtles and Box Turtles---Family Emydidae	175	(1)
Painted Turtle---Chrysemys picta	175	(6)
Ornate Box Turtle---Terrapene ornata	181	(6)
Mud and Musk Turtles---Family Kinosternidae	187	(1)
Yellow Mud Turtle---Kinosternon flavescens	188	(3)
Softshell Turtles---Family Trionychidae	191	(1)
Spiny Softshell---Trionyx spiniferus	192	(4)
Lizards	196	(87)
Collared and Leopard Lizards---Family Crotaphytidae	197	(1)
Collared Lizard---Crotaphytus collaris	198	(6)
Longnose Leopard Lizard---Gambelia wislizenii	204	(4)
Phrynosomatids---Family Phrynosomatidae	208	(1)
Lesser Earless Lizard---Holbrookia maculata	209	(4)
Texas Horned Lizard---Phrynosoma cornutum	213	(5)
Short-horned Lizard---Phrynosoma hernandesi	218	(5)
Roundtail Horned Lizard---Phrynosoma modestum	223	(3)
Sagebrush Lizard---Sceloporus graciosus	226	(4)
Desert Spiny Lizard---Sceloporus magister	230	(4)
Prairie and Plateau Lizards---Sceloporus undulatus	234	(11)
Tree Lizard---Urosaurus ornatus	245	(5)
Side-blotched Lizard---Uta stansburiana	250	(4)
Whiptails---Family Teiidae	254	(1)
Triploid Checkered Whiptail---Cnemidophorus neotessellatus	255	(3)
Six-lined Racerunner---Cnemidophorus sexlineatus	258	(3)
Diploid Checkered Whiptail---Cnemidophorus tesselatus	261	(3)
Western Whiptail---Cnemidophorus tigris	264	(5)
Plateau Striped Whiptail---Cnemidophorus velox	269	(2)
Skinks---Family Scincidae	271	(1)
Variable Skink---Eumeces gaigeae	272	(4)
Many-lined Skink---Eumeces multivirgatus	276	(3)
Great Plains Skink---Eumeces obsoletus	279	(4)
Snakes	283	(108)
Slender Blind Snakes---Family Leptotyphlopidae	285	(1)
Texas Blind Snake---Leptotyphlops dulcis	285	(3)
Colubrids---Family Colubridae	288	(1)
Glossy Snake---Arizona elegans	289	(3)
Racer---Coluber constrictor	292	(6)
Ringneck Snake---Diadophis punctatus	298	(3)
Great Plains Rat Snake---Elaphe guttata	301	(4)
Western Hognose Snake---Heterodon nasicus	305	(4)
Night Snake---Hypsiglena torquata	309	(5)
Common Kingsnake---Lampropeltis getula	314	(4)
Milk Snake---Lampropeltis triangulum	318	(4)
Smooth Green Snake---Liochlorophis vernalis	322	(3)
Coachwhip---Masticophis flagellum	325	(4)
Striped Whipsnake---Masticophis taeniatus	329	(3)
Northern Water Snake---Nerodia sipedon	332	(4)
Bullsnake/Gopher Snake---Pituophis catenifer	336	(9)
Longnose Snake---Rhinocheilus lecontei	345	(2)
Ground Snake---Sonora semiannulata	347	(2)
Southwestern Black-headed Snake---Tantilla hobartsmithi	349	(3)
Plains Black-headed Snake---Tantilla nigriceps	352	(2)
Blackneck Garter Snake---Thamnophis cyrtopsis	354	(2)
Western Terrestrial Garter Snake---Thamnophis elegans	356	(6)
Western Ribbon Snake---Thamnophis proximus	362	(2)
Plains Garter Snake---Thamnophis radix	364	(4)
Common Garter Snake---Thamnophis sirtalis	368	(4)
Lined Snake---Tropidoclonion lineatum	372	(2)
Vipers---Family Viperidae	374	(1)
Western Rattlesnake---Crotalus viridis	375	(12)
Massasauga---Sistrurus catenatus	387	(4)
Appendix A: Species of Possible Occurrence in Colorado	391	(2)
Appendix B: Amphibians and Reptiles in National Parks, National Monuments, and River Canyons of Colorado and Eastern Utah	393	(2)
Appendix C: Key to Amphibians and Reptiles of Colorado	395	(16)
Appendix D: About Scientific Names	411	(6)
Glossary	417	(4)
References	421	(56)
Index	477