Records of Ancistrodon piscivorus leucostoma (Troost)Author(s): Richard J. BaldaufSource: Copeia, Vol. 1957, No. 3 (Aug. 26, 1957), p. 229Published by: American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (ASIH)Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1439364 .

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HERPETOLOGICAL NOTES HERPETOLOGICAL NOTES HERPETOLOGICAL NOTES HERPETOLOGICAL NOTES

to examine the specimens used in this study. All are in the Texas Natural History Collection of the University of Texas.-WILLIAM W. MILSTEAD, Department of Biology, Sul Ross State College, Alpine, Texas.

BULLFROG PREDATION ON THE EAST- ERN SPADEFOOT, SCAPHIOPUS HOL- BROOKI.-Pearson (1955, Ecol. Mono., 25) states, "One big gap in the knowledge of Scaphiopus concerns its predators." Goin (1947, COPEIA, (4): 275) reported predation by a southern hognose snake (Heterodon simus), and Carr (1940, Univ. Florida Biol. Sci. Ser., 3) by several species of gulls. These reports appear to be the only mention of

predation on adult S. holbrooki. The stomach of an adult male bullfrog (Rana

catesbeiana), caught October 19, 1956, in a tempo- rary pond in a hydric hammock at Newnans Lake, Alachua County, Florida, contained two adult spadefoots. The frog had a head width of 57 mm. and a snout-vent length of 135 mm.

The two spadefoots were fully adult having head widths of 19.9 and 18.8 mm. Sex could not be determined. Two wood beetles (Passalus cornutus), a cricket (Gryllus), a wolf spider (Lycosa), four ants, and a small millipede were also in the stomach.

It would appear that usually bullfrogs would not exert much predation pressure on Scaphiopus, a

burrowing terrestial form, except perhaps when

Scaphiopus was breeding. No breeding choruses of

spadefoots were heard at the time of capture of the

frog. It is possible that flooded conditions forced the

spadefoots and wood beetles out of concealment. It has been noted previously that large, non-breeding ranids occupy temporary ponds where displaced non-aquatic animals might offer a ready food

supply.-J. ALAN HOLMAN, Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.

RECORDS OF ANCISTRODON PISCIVORUS LEUCOSTOMA (TROOST).-Published records of the occurrence of the western cottonmouth in Brazos County, Texas are rare. Brown (1950, Annot. Check List of the Reptiles and Amphibians of Texas, Baylor Univ. Studies: 214) does not list this snake from Brazos County, although the

county is included in the distribution given for this snake. Peterson (1950, Amer. Midland Nat., 43 (1): 157-164) records two specimens collected near

College Station, Brazos County. As one familiar with the general range of this subspecies would

suspect, Peterson's records cannot be interpreted to mean that the cottonmouth is rare in the county. Indeed, it is very common. James Baldauf, Ernest

Tanzer, and several other youths living in College Station have regularly collected and observed the western cottonmouth along Whites Creek, a few

to examine the specimens used in this study. All are in the Texas Natural History Collection of the University of Texas.-WILLIAM W. MILSTEAD, Department of Biology, Sul Ross State College, Alpine, Texas.

BULLFROG PREDATION ON THE EAST- ERN SPADEFOOT, SCAPHIOPUS HOL- BROOKI.-Pearson (1955, Ecol. Mono., 25) states, "One big gap in the knowledge of Scaphiopus concerns its predators." Goin (1947, COPEIA, (4): 275) reported predation by a southern hognose snake (Heterodon simus), and Carr (1940, Univ. Florida Biol. Sci. Ser., 3) by several species of gulls. These reports appear to be the only mention of

predation on adult S. holbrooki. The stomach of an adult male bullfrog (Rana

catesbeiana), caught October 19, 1956, in a tempo- rary pond in a hydric hammock at Newnans Lake, Alachua County, Florida, contained two adult spadefoots. The frog had a head width of 57 mm. and a snout-vent length of 135 mm.

The two spadefoots were fully adult having head widths of 19.9 and 18.8 mm. Sex could not be determined. Two wood beetles (Passalus cornutus), a cricket (Gryllus), a wolf spider (Lycosa), four ants, and a small millipede were also in the stomach.

It would appear that usually bullfrogs would not exert much predation pressure on Scaphiopus, a

burrowing terrestial form, except perhaps when

Scaphiopus was breeding. No breeding choruses of

spadefoots were heard at the time of capture of the

frog. It is possible that flooded conditions forced the

spadefoots and wood beetles out of concealment. It has been noted previously that large, non-breeding ranids occupy temporary ponds where displaced non-aquatic animals might offer a ready food

supply.-J. ALAN HOLMAN, Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.

RECORDS OF ANCISTRODON PISCIVORUS LEUCOSTOMA (TROOST).-Published records of the occurrence of the western cottonmouth in Brazos County, Texas are rare. Brown (1950, Annot. Check List of the Reptiles and Amphibians of Texas, Baylor Univ. Studies: 214) does not list this snake from Brazos County, although the

county is included in the distribution given for this snake. Peterson (1950, Amer. Midland Nat., 43 (1): 157-164) records two specimens collected near

College Station, Brazos County. As one familiar with the general range of this subspecies would

suspect, Peterson's records cannot be interpreted to mean that the cottonmouth is rare in the county. Indeed, it is very common. James Baldauf, Ernest

Tanzer, and several other youths living in College Station have regularly collected and observed the western cottonmouth along Whites Creek, a few

to examine the specimens used in this study. All are in the Texas Natural History Collection of the University of Texas.-WILLIAM W. MILSTEAD, Department of Biology, Sul Ross State College, Alpine, Texas.

BULLFROG PREDATION ON THE EAST- ERN SPADEFOOT, SCAPHIOPUS HOL- BROOKI.-Pearson (1955, Ecol. Mono., 25) states, "One big gap in the knowledge of Scaphiopus concerns its predators." Goin (1947, COPEIA, (4): 275) reported predation by a southern hognose snake (Heterodon simus), and Carr (1940, Univ. Florida Biol. Sci. Ser., 3) by several species of gulls. These reports appear to be the only mention of

predation on adult S. holbrooki. The stomach of an adult male bullfrog (Rana

catesbeiana), caught October 19, 1956, in a tempo- rary pond in a hydric hammock at Newnans Lake, Alachua County, Florida, contained two adult spadefoots. The frog had a head width of 57 mm. and a snout-vent length of 135 mm.

The two spadefoots were fully adult having head widths of 19.9 and 18.8 mm. Sex could not be determined. Two wood beetles (Passalus cornutus), a cricket (Gryllus), a wolf spider (Lycosa), four ants, and a small millipede were also in the stomach.

It would appear that usually bullfrogs would not exert much predation pressure on Scaphiopus, a

burrowing terrestial form, except perhaps when

Scaphiopus was breeding. No breeding choruses of

spadefoots were heard at the time of capture of the

frog. It is possible that flooded conditions forced the

spadefoots and wood beetles out of concealment. It has been noted previously that large, non-breeding ranids occupy temporary ponds where displaced non-aquatic animals might offer a ready food

supply.-J. ALAN HOLMAN, Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.

RECORDS OF ANCISTRODON PISCIVORUS LEUCOSTOMA (TROOST).-Published records of the occurrence of the western cottonmouth in Brazos County, Texas are rare. Brown (1950, Annot. Check List of the Reptiles and Amphibians of Texas, Baylor Univ. Studies: 214) does not list this snake from Brazos County, although the

county is included in the distribution given for this snake. Peterson (1950, Amer. Midland Nat., 43 (1): 157-164) records two specimens collected near

College Station, Brazos County. As one familiar with the general range of this subspecies would

suspect, Peterson's records cannot be interpreted to mean that the cottonmouth is rare in the county. Indeed, it is very common. James Baldauf, Ernest

Tanzer, and several other youths living in College Station have regularly collected and observed the western cottonmouth along Whites Creek, a few

to examine the specimens used in this study. All are in the Texas Natural History Collection of the University of Texas.-WILLIAM W. MILSTEAD, Department of Biology, Sul Ross State College, Alpine, Texas.

BULLFROG PREDATION ON THE EAST- ERN SPADEFOOT, SCAPHIOPUS HOL- BROOKI.-Pearson (1955, Ecol. Mono., 25) states, "One big gap in the knowledge of Scaphiopus concerns its predators." Goin (1947, COPEIA, (4): 275) reported predation by a southern hognose snake (Heterodon simus), and Carr (1940, Univ. Florida Biol. Sci. Ser., 3) by several species of gulls. These reports appear to be the only mention of

predation on adult S. holbrooki. The stomach of an adult male bullfrog (Rana

catesbeiana), caught October 19, 1956, in a tempo- rary pond in a hydric hammock at Newnans Lake, Alachua County, Florida, contained two adult spadefoots. The frog had a head width of 57 mm. and a snout-vent length of 135 mm.

The two spadefoots were fully adult having head widths of 19.9 and 18.8 mm. Sex could not be determined. Two wood beetles (Passalus cornutus), a cricket (Gryllus), a wolf spider (Lycosa), four ants, and a small millipede were also in the stomach.

It would appear that usually bullfrogs would not exert much predation pressure on Scaphiopus, a

burrowing terrestial form, except perhaps when

Scaphiopus was breeding. No breeding choruses of

spadefoots were heard at the time of capture of the

frog. It is possible that flooded conditions forced the

spadefoots and wood beetles out of concealment. It has been noted previously that large, non-breeding ranids occupy temporary ponds where displaced non-aquatic animals might offer a ready food

supply.-J. ALAN HOLMAN, Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.

RECORDS OF ANCISTRODON PISCIVORUS LEUCOSTOMA (TROOST).-Published records of the occurrence of the western cottonmouth in Brazos County, Texas are rare. Brown (1950, Annot. Check List of the Reptiles and Amphibians of Texas, Baylor Univ. Studies: 214) does not list this snake from Brazos County, although the

county is included in the distribution given for this snake. Peterson (1950, Amer. Midland Nat., 43 (1): 157-164) records two specimens collected near

College Station, Brazos County. As one familiar with the general range of this subspecies would

suspect, Peterson's records cannot be interpreted to mean that the cottonmouth is rare in the county. Indeed, it is very common. James Baldauf, Ernest

Tanzer, and several other youths living in College Station have regularly collected and observed the western cottonmouth along Whites Creek, a few

miles southwest of College Station, Brazos County, Texas. Some of these specimens now repose in the

private collections of these ardent herpetologists; in

addition, the collection of the Dept. of Wildlife

Management, A. and M. College of Texas, contains several specimens collected in Brazos County by other collectors.

On May 18, 1955, James Baldauf collected a 615 mm. western cottonmouth from the August Sim- mons ranch, 11 miles west of Mason, Mason County, Texas. Brown (op. cit.) gives the Texas distribution of the western cottonmouth as "Eastern Texas west to Bexar, Burnet, and Grayson counties." Reports of this snake from counties farther west (Valverde) need confirmation, according to Brown. Smith and Sanders (1952, Texas Jour. Sci., 4 (2): 214) report a specimen taken from Kimble County by Mr. I. Lester Firschein and Dr. Charles E. Burt. Although this Kimble Co. specimen has been lost, according to Smith and Sanders, the record was re-established when Ramsey (1948, Herpetologica, 4: 228) re-

ported the snake from the same county. On October 24, 1956, Mr. R. F. McAllister, Dept.

of Oceanography and Meteorology, A. and M.

College of Texas, collected a western cottonmouth from a point in the Gulf of Mexico about 1/ miles southeast of South Pass Jetty of the Mississippi Delta in Louisiana. The 760 mm. specimen was taken from water having an approximate current velocity of 0.7 knots/hour toward the south.

Reports of these and other snakes in brackish waters are not uncommon, and their habit of cross- ing rivers is well known. The present report indicates how a reptile exhibiting such habits might either be swept out into the open Gulf or reach such waters by getting lost while crossing wide areas such as the southern mouth of the Mississippi River.- RICHARD J. BALDAUF, Dept. Wildlife Management, A. and M. College of Texas, College Station, Texas.

NOTES CONCERNING TURTLE HATCH- LINGS.-Many workers have commented upon the fact that the hatchlings of some turtles remain within the nest during the fall and winter and emerge the following spring. From April 17 until May 2, 1942, Hartweg (1944, COPEIA, (1): 20-22) found hatchling Chrysemys picta marginata that were evidently leaving nests of the previous year in the vicinity of Ann Arbor, Michigan; the nests were not located. In a later paper (1946, COPEIA, (4): 255) he reported that eggs deposited June 18, 1944 pro- duced hatchlings that emerged from the nest about March 25, 1945, an interval of 280 days.

During field studies of Chrysemys picta marginata from the spring of 1953 until the early summer of 1955 at the Edwin S. George Reserve, near Pinckney, Livingston County, Michigan, I ob- served no hatchling painted turtles during the fall.

miles southwest of College Station, Brazos County, Texas. Some of these specimens now repose in the

private collections of these ardent herpetologists; in

addition, the collection of the Dept. of Wildlife

Management, A. and M. College of Texas, contains several specimens collected in Brazos County by other collectors.

On May 18, 1955, James Baldauf collected a 615 mm. western cottonmouth from the August Sim- mons ranch, 11 miles west of Mason, Mason County, Texas. Brown (op. cit.) gives the Texas distribution of the western cottonmouth as "Eastern Texas west to Bexar, Burnet, and Grayson counties." Reports of this snake from counties farther west (Valverde) need confirmation, according to Brown. Smith and Sanders (1952, Texas Jour. Sci., 4 (2): 214) report a specimen taken from Kimble County by Mr. I. Lester Firschein and Dr. Charles E. Burt. Although this Kimble Co. specimen has been lost, according to Smith and Sanders, the record was re-established when Ramsey (1948, Herpetologica, 4: 228) re-

ported the snake from the same county. On October 24, 1956, Mr. R. F. McAllister, Dept.

of Oceanography and Meteorology, A. and M.

College of Texas, collected a western cottonmouth from a point in the Gulf of Mexico about 1/ miles southeast of South Pass Jetty of the Mississippi Delta in Louisiana. The 760 mm. specimen was taken from water having an approximate current velocity of 0.7 knots/hour toward the south.

Reports of these and other snakes in brackish waters are not uncommon, and their habit of cross- ing rivers is well known. The present report indicates how a reptile exhibiting such habits might either be swept out into the open Gulf or reach such waters by getting lost while crossing wide areas such as the southern mouth of the Mississippi River.- RICHARD J. BALDAUF, Dept. Wildlife Management, A. and M. College of Texas, College Station, Texas.

NOTES CONCERNING TURTLE HATCH- LINGS.-Many workers have commented upon the fact that the hatchlings of some turtles remain within the nest during the fall and winter and emerge the following spring. From April 17 until May 2, 1942, Hartweg (1944, COPEIA, (1): 20-22) found hatchling Chrysemys picta marginata that were evidently leaving nests of the previous year in the vicinity of Ann Arbor, Michigan; the nests were not located. In a later paper (1946, COPEIA, (4): 255) he reported that eggs deposited June 18, 1944 pro- duced hatchlings that emerged from the nest about March 25, 1945, an interval of 280 days.

During field studies of Chrysemys picta marginata from the spring of 1953 until the early summer of 1955 at the Edwin S. George Reserve, near Pinckney, Livingston County, Michigan, I ob- served no hatchling painted turtles during the fall.

miles southwest of College Station, Brazos County, Texas. Some of these specimens now repose in the

private collections of these ardent herpetologists; in

addition, the collection of the Dept. of Wildlife

Management, A. and M. College of Texas, contains several specimens collected in Brazos County by other collectors.

On May 18, 1955, James Baldauf collected a 615 mm. western cottonmouth from the August Sim- mons ranch, 11 miles west of Mason, Mason County, Texas. Brown (op. cit.) gives the Texas distribution of the western cottonmouth as "Eastern Texas west to Bexar, Burnet, and Grayson counties." Reports of this snake from counties farther west (Valverde) need confirmation, according to Brown. Smith and Sanders (1952, Texas Jour. Sci., 4 (2): 214) report a specimen taken from Kimble County by Mr. I. Lester Firschein and Dr. Charles E. Burt. Although this Kimble Co. specimen has been lost, according to Smith and Sanders, the record was re-established when Ramsey (1948, Herpetologica, 4: 228) re-

ported the snake from the same county. On October 24, 1956, Mr. R. F. McAllister, Dept.

of Oceanography and Meteorology, A. and M.

College of Texas, collected a western cottonmouth from a point in the Gulf of Mexico about 1/ miles southeast of South Pass Jetty of the Mississippi Delta in Louisiana. The 760 mm. specimen was taken from water having an approximate current velocity of 0.7 knots/hour toward the south.

Reports of these and other snakes in brackish waters are not uncommon, and their habit of cross- ing rivers is well known. The present report indicates how a reptile exhibiting such habits might either be swept out into the open Gulf or reach such waters by getting lost while crossing wide areas such as the southern mouth of the Mississippi River.- RICHARD J. BALDAUF, Dept. Wildlife Management, A. and M. College of Texas, College Station, Texas.

NOTES CONCERNING TURTLE HATCH- LINGS.-Many workers have commented upon the fact that the hatchlings of some turtles remain within the nest during the fall and winter and emerge the following spring. From April 17 until May 2, 1942, Hartweg (1944, COPEIA, (1): 20-22) found hatchling Chrysemys picta marginata that were evidently leaving nests of the previous year in the vicinity of Ann Arbor, Michigan; the nests were not located. In a later paper (1946, COPEIA, (4): 255) he reported that eggs deposited June 18, 1944 pro- duced hatchlings that emerged from the nest about March 25, 1945, an interval of 280 days.

During field studies of Chrysemys picta marginata from the spring of 1953 until the early summer of 1955 at the Edwin S. George Reserve, near Pinckney, Livingston County, Michigan, I ob- served no hatchling painted turtles during the fall.

miles southwest of College Station, Brazos County, Texas. Some of these specimens now repose in the

private collections of these ardent herpetologists; in

addition, the collection of the Dept. of Wildlife

Management, A. and M. College of Texas, contains several specimens collected in Brazos County by other collectors.

On May 18, 1955, James Baldauf collected a 615 mm. western cottonmouth from the August Sim- mons ranch, 11 miles west of Mason, Mason County, Texas. Brown (op. cit.) gives the Texas distribution of the western cottonmouth as "Eastern Texas west to Bexar, Burnet, and Grayson counties." Reports of this snake from counties farther west (Valverde) need confirmation, according to Brown. Smith and Sanders (1952, Texas Jour. Sci., 4 (2): 214) report a specimen taken from Kimble County by Mr. I. Lester Firschein and Dr. Charles E. Burt. Although this Kimble Co. specimen has been lost, according to Smith and Sanders, the record was re-established when Ramsey (1948, Herpetologica, 4: 228) re-

ported the snake from the same county. On October 24, 1956, Mr. R. F. McAllister, Dept.

of Oceanography and Meteorology, A. and M.

College of Texas, collected a western cottonmouth from a point in the Gulf of Mexico about 1/ miles southeast of South Pass Jetty of the Mississippi Delta in Louisiana. The 760 mm. specimen was taken from water having an approximate current velocity of 0.7 knots/hour toward the south.

Reports of these and other snakes in brackish waters are not uncommon, and their habit of cross- ing rivers is well known. The present report indicates how a reptile exhibiting such habits might either be swept out into the open Gulf or reach such waters by getting lost while crossing wide areas such as the southern mouth of the Mississippi River.- RICHARD J. BALDAUF, Dept. Wildlife Management, A. and M. College of Texas, College Station, Texas.

NOTES CONCERNING TURTLE HATCH- LINGS.-Many workers have commented upon the fact that the hatchlings of some turtles remain within the nest during the fall and winter and emerge the following spring. From April 17 until May 2, 1942, Hartweg (1944, COPEIA, (1): 20-22) found hatchling Chrysemys picta marginata that were evidently leaving nests of the previous year in the vicinity of Ann Arbor, Michigan; the nests were not located. In a later paper (1946, COPEIA, (4): 255) he reported that eggs deposited June 18, 1944 pro- duced hatchlings that emerged from the nest about March 25, 1945, an interval of 280 days.

During field studies of Chrysemys picta marginata from the spring of 1953 until the early summer of 1955 at the Edwin S. George Reserve, near Pinckney, Livingston County, Michigan, I ob- served no hatchling painted turtles during the fall.

229 229 229 229

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