Fish & Wildlife Service

Bombay HookNational WildlifeRefugeAmphibiansandReptiles

Fish & Wildlife ServiceU.S. Fish & Wildlife ServiceBombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge2591 Whitehall Neck RoadSmyrna, DE 19977-6872302/653 9345E-mail: FW5RW_BHNWR@FWS.GOVhttp://bombayhook.fws.govhttps://www.facebook.com/bombayhookwildliferefuge

Federal Relay Servicefor the deaf and hard-of-hearing1 800/877 8339

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service1 800/344 WILDhttp://www.fws.gov

July 2013

Green treefrogJane M. Rohling

This goose, designed byJ.N. “Ding” Darling, hasbecome the symbol of theNational Refuge System.

Bombay Hook National WildlifeRefuge comprises 16,251 acres,approximately three-quarters ofwhich is tidal salt marsh. It alsoincludes freshwater impoundments,brushy and timbered swamps, andupland habitats. The general terrainis flat and less than ten feet above sealevel.The variety of habitats withinBombay Hook Refuge provides theessential living requirements for aninteresting array of amphibians(salamanders, toads, and frogs) andreptiles (turtles, snakes and lizards).Many of these kinds of animals areoften overlooked by visitors. Theyare hard to see; however, closerscrutiny may expose a “clump ofmoss” as a frog or “part of a vine” tobe a snake. A slight movement ontheir part as you approach may be thegiveaway. The frogs and toads canalso be identified by their voiceswhich ring out in loud chorus duringspring nights, and into the summer.

Amphibians

Salamanders Redback Salamander (Plethodon cinereus) Common woodland salamander.Hides beneath logs, bark slabs andstones during the daytime. In thisarea, it is usually in the “lead” phase,that is, the reddish pigment is usuallylacking. They mate in the fall and thefemale lays her eggs in the spring.

Marbled Salamander (Ambystoma opacum) Fairly common. Found in woodlandareas hiding under logs. A molesalamander, spending most of its lifeunderground. Fall breeder.

Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma maculatum)Uncommon. Found in woodland andpond areas. Hides beneath logsduring the day. Recognized by brightyellow spots. Like marbledsalamander, breeds in fishless pools.Early spring breeder.

Toads and Frogs Fowler’s Toad (Bufo woodhousii fowleri) Common in woodland and grassyareas. Has three or more warts ineach dark spot unlike the Americantoad which has l or 2. Breeds inshallow temporary pools in warmmonths, usually May and June.

Northern Cricket Frog (Acris c. crepitans) Common. Inhabits emergent andshoreside vegetation of freshwaterpools. Call sounds like two marbleshitting together. Breeding usuallyoccurs May through July.

Marbled salamander

Redback salamander

Green Treefrog (Hyla cinerea) Common in woodland areas adjacentto ponds. Seen particularly duringspring. Visits windows at night,seeking insects attracted by light.Cowbell-like breeding call can beheard early to mid summer.

Gray Treefrog (Hyla versicolor) Uncommon. Forages aloft in smalltrees and shrubs near water. Breedsin quiet shallow waters.

Northern Spring Peeper (Pseudacris c. crucifer) Common. Congregates and callsloudly in early spring where shrubsstand in shallow water. BreedsFebruary through June.

New Jersey Chorus Frog (Pseudacris triseriata kalmi)Common. Congregates during thespring in low vegetation along theedges of freshwater pools and ponds.Call is reminiscent of a finger goingacross a comb. Breeds Februarythrough June.

Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) Common large frog of the freshwaterpools. The familiar jug-o-rum call canbe heard throughout the warmweather.

Green Frog (Rana clamitans melanota) Inhabits the shallow freshwater ofpools, ponds, and ditches. Its callsounds like a loose banjo string.Breeds April through August.

Southern Leopard Frog (Rana u. utricularia) Common in shallow freshwater areas.Travels into grass fields, far fromwater, during the summer.

Pickerel Frog (Rana palustris) Common. Inhabits shallow,freshwater areas. Travels into grassfields during the summer.

Wood Frog (Rana sylvatica) Common. Should be looked for inshallow woodland pools during theearly spring. One of the first frogs tocall in spring. Gasping or clacking likecall heard in early March.

Green treefrog

Pickerel frog

Eastern Painted Turtle (Chrysemys p. picta) The most frequently seen turtle.Basks in the warm sunlight on logs,stumps and vegetated clumps in thefreshwater pools.

Redbelly Turtle (Pseudemys rubriventris)Uncommon. Inhabits the freshwaterpools. Basks like the painted turtlebut is much larger. Feeds primarily onaquatic vegetation.

Northern Diamondback Terrapin(Malaclemys t. terrapin) Common estuarine species. Lives inunpolluted salt marsh and brackishwater habitats. Lays eggs on thedikes or other accessible areas inearly June to early July.

Reptiles

Turtles Common Snapping Turtle(Chalydra s. serpentina) Common in the freshwater pools, butalso inhabits brackish and salt water.The largest nesting turtle inDelaware, it lays its eggs in theupland fields and dike road duringthe late spring.

Common Musk Turtle (Sternotherus odoratus) Common. Lives in the freshwaterpools. May give off musky smell whenhandled, sometimes called stinkpot.

Eastern Mud Turtle (Kinosternon s. subrubrum) More common than the musk turtlewhich is resembles. Inhabits bothfresh and brackish water.

Spotted Turtle (Clemmys guttata) Uncommon. Inhabits shallowfreshwater in the pools, ponds andditches. Most individuals have yellowor orange spots on shell.

Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene c. carolina)Uncommon. This is a dry-land turtlemost frequently seen in thewoodlands. Feeds on slugs, wormsand vegetation. May live to 80+years.

Eastern box turtle

Lizards Five-lined Skink (Eumeces fasciatus) Uncommon. Lives in cut-overwoodlands that have rotting stumpsand logs. Mainly terrestrial, but canclimb trees. Juveniles have brightblue tails. Adult males have reddishorange heads.

Northern Fence Lizard (Sceloporus undulatus hyacinthinus) Uncommon. Favors rotting logs andopen woodlands. Seldom far fromtrees.

Five-lined skink

Rough Green Snake (Opheodrys aestivus) Difficult to observe because it blendswith the background. Favors densevegetation along shallow bodies offreshwater. Feeds on insects.

Black Rat Snake (Elaphe o. obsoleta) Common. Seen in the upland woods oron field edges. A large, thick, bodiedsnake. Excellent climber, often foundin trees.

Eastern Kingsnake (Lampropeltis g. getula) Uncommon. Secretive, hiding underboards and logs. Hunts along thebanks of freshwater pools andswamps. May feed on other snakes.

Eastern Milk Snake (Lampropeltis t. triangulum) Rare on Delaware’s coastal plain.Secretive. Found around farmbuildings and in fields and woods.

Eastern Hognose Snake (Heterodon platirhinos) Uncommon. Prefers cultivated fieldsand woodland meadows. Feeds ontoads and frogs. Will play dead ifharassed.

Eastern Worm Snake (Carphophis a. amoenus) Uncommon. Inhabits farmlandbordering woodlands; dwells in dampsituations under rocks, decaying logs,and loose soil.

Snakes Northern Water Snake (Nedrodia s. sipedon) Most commonly encountered snake onRefuge. Common in and about freshand brackish water. Harmless, butwill bite if provoked. Feeds on frogsand fish.

Eastern Garter Snake (Thamnophis s. sirtalis) Frequently seen. Inhabits fields,woods and marsh edges.

Eastern Ribbon Snake (Thamnophis s. sauritis) Frequently seen. A semiaquatic snakefound along the edges of thefreshwater pools, swamps and ditches,and occasionally in fields and woods.

Ringneck Snake (Diadophis punctatus) Secretive. Hides under stones andbark slabs in woodlands, especiallynear damp spots. Bright yellow toorange ring around neck.

Northern Black Racer (Coluber c. constrictor) Seen occasionally in the woods andalong field edges. A large snake,active during the day. Rough green snake

Northern water snake

Robert Savannah

Bombay Hook is one of more than560 refuges in the National WildlifeRefuge System administered bytheU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.The National Wildlife Refuge Systemis a network of lands and watersmanaged specifically for theprotection of wildlife and wildlifehabitat and represents the mostcomprehensive wildlife resourcemanagement programs in the world.Units of the system stretch across theUnited States from northern Alaskato the Florida Keys, and include smallislands in the Caribbean and SouthPacific. The character of the refugesia as diverse as the nation itself.The Service also manages NationalFish Hatcheries, and providesFederal leadership in habitatprotection, fish and wildlife research,technical assistance and theconservation and protection ofmigratory birds, certain marinemammals and threatened andendangered species.

The 35 species on this list have beenidentified on the Bombay HookRefuge by refuge personnel withcooperation from the staff of thePhiladelphia Zoological Garden. Aspecial thanks also goes to Dr. RogerConant, author of the Field Guide tothe Reptiles of Amphibians ofEastern and Central North America,in the Peterson Series. To SkipConant USFWS volunteer; JimWhite of the Delaware NatureSociety, Mike McLaughlin associatedwith Delaware conservation groupswho assisted in updating this list.Names were taken from “Commonand Scientific Names” by the Societyfor the Study of Reptiles andAmphibians.

Other species no doubt exist on therefuge and reports of theiridentification will be welcomed at therefuge headquarters. Following is alist of other possible species:Northern Brown Snake (Storeriadekayi), Ground Skink (Scincellalateralis), Eastern Mud Salamander(Pseudotriton montanus), NorthernRed Salamander (Pseutotritonruber), Cope’s Gray Treefrog (Hylachrysoscelis), and Eastern Spadefoot(Scaphiopus h. holbrookii).

Robert Savannah

Eastern painted turtle

Northern Spring peeper

U.S. Fish andWildlife Service