A new update if the BFS Reptile and Amphibian List is now available. The changes to the list since the last update are minimal. Here’s what’s new:
- Links to the USGS Western Ecological Research Center’s Field Guide to the Reptiles and Amphibians of Coastal Southern California have been repaired.
- Photos of reptiles and amphibians have been migrated to the BFS Photo Database, and a number of new photos have been added. Check them out!
One of the new photos — a San Bernardino Ring-necked Snake (Diadophis punctatus modestus). ©Stanleigh Jones.
- A few names have changed to conform to the new edition of standard names published by the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles (Crother 2012):
- The common name of Aspidoscelis tigris stejnegeri has been changed from Coast Whiptail to San Diegan Tiger Whiptail
- The common name of Plestiodon skiltonianus skiltonianus has been changed from Western (Skilton’s) Skink to Skilton’s Skink
Skilton’s Skink (Plestiodon skiltonianus skiltonianus) at the BFS. ©Jonathan Wright.
- For Uta stansburiana (Side-blotched Lizard), we now list the subspecies that occurs at the BFS – Uta stansburiana elegans (Western Side-blotched Lizard)
- For Pituophis catenifer (Gophersnake), we now list the subspecies that occurs at the BFS – Pituophis catenifer annectans (San Diego Gophersnake)
- Lampropeltis getula californiae (California Kingsnake) has been elevated to its own species – Lampropeltis californiae
- The subspecies designation has been removed from Anaxyrus boreas halophilus (Southern California Toad), so it’s now just listed as Anaxyrus boreas (Western Toad). Recent molecular evidence suggests that Anaxyrus boreas is a complex of species that do not comform to the traditional limits of species and subspecies, and Crother (2012) has consequently dropped the subspecies names.
A newly metamorphosed Western Toad (Anaxyrus boreas). The toadlet hopped right onto the dime we were using as a scale marker. ©Nancy Hamlett.
If you have any interesting reptiles or amphibian sightings or get any nice photos, please pass them along to the BFS Webmaster.
A Western Pond Turtle (Actinemys marmorata) in pHake Lake. ©Nancy Hamlett.