2000 Spring Field Meet
April 28-30
After learning that Hibbitts had plans to have our next field meet in the Hill Country, I decided to postpone my personal desire to herp there for a year. I started looking around for someplace in a different part of the state so that we would not be in the same region for two consecutive years. My brother recommended that we try the White Oak Creek Ranch near Mt. Vernon. I was concerned at first, remembering that it has only been a short time since we met at the White Oak Creek WMA. However, Dr. Ford and I decided to check it out and decided that you would all probably enjoy camping and herping at this facility. The ranch is approximately 4300 acres of privately owned land in Franklin Co. The WMA is in Bowie, Cass, Morris and Titus Counties. It is serendipitous, but when I set out to prepare a checklist for the meet, it appeared to me that Franklin is one of the least collected counties in the state. Using my collection of field guides and UT Austin’s web site, (which acknowledges Dr. Dixon for county records), I decided that White Oak Creek Ranch possibly lies within the range of 92 species and subspecies of reptiles and amphibians. Of the 92, there are records of most in those counties adjacent to Franklin Co. Several species range only to about that far east and several more only range to about that far west. Only 18 species appear to have been recorded from Franklin Co.
For the last five years White Oak Creek Ranch has been extensively managed for the production of native wildlife. There is a mixture of habitat, including upland grasslands, some that have been improved by selective grain planting and some that are managed through periodic controlled burns. There are two large lakes and a lot of second growth hardwood as the ranch spreads out along White Oak Creek. Thirty years ago, all but five hundred acres of the ranch was cleared for an attempt at rice farming. That five hundred acres still stands as virgin bottomland hardwood. The ranch Forman told me that they have seen Timber Rattlesnakes there and once caught an Alligator Snapping Turtle there in a beaver trap. From his description I also decided that there were Smallmouth and Spotted Salamanders there. The entire property is very accessible via over twenty miles of improved ATV trails. They will be great for hiking but please leave your ATV at home.
We will be camping on high ground near one of the lakes. Drinking water is available at the barn. I will bring Gott Coolers for transporting water to the campsite. I will also arrange for a portable toilet to be delivered. The ranch is an incredible birding site, be sure to bring your binoculars. Mt. Vernon and Mt. Pleasant are only 15 miles away for those who choose not to sleep or dine in the out of doors.
Once again, the Field Meet will be on April 28,29 & 30. If you have any questions or concerns please let me know. (903) 510-6440 or abyboth @ tenet.edu
I sincerely hope you can attend,
Alan
| Checklist of Herps possible in Franklin County | Texas Herp Society Spring Field Meet White Oak Creek Ranch April 28-30, 2000 |
|
| AMERICAN ALLIGATOR | Alligator mississippiensis |
a |
| ALLIGATOR SNAPPING TURTLE | Macroclemys temminckii | |
| COMMON SNAPPING TURTLE | Chelydra serpentinaserpentina | |
| COMMON MUSK TURTLE | Sternotherus odoratus | |
| RAZORBACK MUSK TURTLE | Sternotherus carinatus | |
| YELLOW MUD TURTLE | Kinosternon flavescens | |
| MISSISSIPPI MUD TURTLE | Kinosternon subrubrum hippocrepis | |
| MISSISSIPPI MAP TURTLE | Graptemys kohnii | |
| WESTERN CHICKEN TURTLE | Deirochelys reticularia miaria | |
| MISSOURI RIVER COOTER | Pseudemys concinna metteri | |
| RED-EARED SLIDER | Tracherys scripta elegans | |
| THREE TOED BOX TURTLE | Terrapene carolina triunguis | |
| ORNATE BOX TURTLE | Terrapene ornata ornata | |
| MIDLAND SMOOTH SOFTSHELL | Apalone mutica | |
| PALLID SPINY SOFTSHELL | Apalone spinifera | |
| GREEN ANOLE | Anolis carolinensis | b |
| TEXAS HORNED LIZARD | Phrynosoma cornutum | b |
| FENCE LIZARD | Sceloporus undulatus hyacinthinus | a |
| TEXAS SPINY LIZARD | Sceloporus olivaceus | b |
| GROUND SKINK | Scincella lateralis | a |
| SOUTHERN PRAIRIE SKINK | Eumeces septentrionalis obtusirostris | b |
| FIVE-LINED SKINK | Eumeces fasciatus | a |
| BROADHEAD SKINK | Eumeces laticeps | b |
| SOUTHERN COAL SKINK | Eumeces anthracinus pluvialis | b |
| TEXAS SPOTTED WHIPTAIL | Cnemidophorus gularis gularis | b |
| PRAIRIE RACERUNNER | Cnemidophorus sexlineatus sexlineatus | b |
| WESTERN SLENDER GLASS LIZARD | Ophisaurus attenuatus attenuatus | b |
| BROAD-BANDED WATER SNAKE | Nerodia fasciata confluens | a |
| YELLOWBELLY WATER SNAKE | Nerodia erythrogaster flavigaster | a |
| DIAMONDBACK WATER SNAKE | Nerodia rhombifer | a |
| GULF CRAYFISH SNAKE | Regina rigida sinicola | b |
| GRAHAM'S CRAYFISH SNAKE | Regina grahamii | c |
| TEXAS GARTER SNAKE | Thamnophis sirtalis annectans | c |
| WESTERN RIBBON SNAKE | Thamnophis proximus proximus | a |
| LINED SNAKE | Tropidoclonion lineatum | |
| TEXAS BROWN SNAKE | Storeria dekayi texana | b |
| FLORIDA REDBELLY SNAKE | Storeria occipitomaculata obscura | b |
| ROUGH EARTH SNAKE | Virginia striatula | b |
| WESTERN SMOOTH EARTH SNAKE | Virginia valeriae elegans | b |
| RINGNECK SNAKE | Diadophis punctatus stictogenys | a |
| EASTERN HOGNOSE SNAKE | Heterodon platirhinos | b |
| DUSTY HOGNOSE SNAKE | Heterodon nasicus gloydi | b |
| NORTHERN SCARLET SNAKE | Cemophora coccinea copei | b |
| ROUGH GREEN SNAKE | Opheodrys aestivis | a |
| WESTERN MUD SNAKE | Farancia abacura | b |
| EASTERN YELLOWBELLY RACER | Coluber constrictor flaviventris | b |
| SOUTHERN BLACK RACER | Coluber constrictor priapus | b |
| EASTERN COACHWHIP | Masticophis flagellum flagellum | b |
| BULLSNAKE | Pituophis catenifer sayi | c |
| LOUISIANA PINE SNAKE | Pituophis ruthveni | b |
| TEXAS RAT SNAKE | Elaphe obsoleta lindheimeri | b |
| CORN SNAKE | Elaphe guttata | b |
| LOUISIANA MILK | Lampropeltis triangulum amaura | b |
| PRAIRIE KINGSNAKE | Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster | b |
| SPECKLED KINGSNAKE | Lampropeltis getula holbrooki | b |
| FLATHEAD SNAKE | Tantilla gracilis | a |
| WESTERN COTTONMOUTH | Agkistrodon piscivorus leucostoma | a |
| COPPERHEAD | Agkistrodon contortrix contortrix X A. c. laticinctus | b |
| TEXAS CORAL SNAKE | Micrurus tener | b |
| WESTERN PIGMY RATTLESNAKE | Sistrusus miliarius streckeri | b |
| TIMBER RATTLESNAKE | Crotalus horridus | b |
| WESTERN LESSER SIREN | Siren intermedia nettingi | |
| THREE-TOED AMPHIUMA | Amphiuma tridactylum | b |
| GULF COAST WATERDOG | Necturus beyeri | b |
| CENTRAL EASTERN NEWT | Notophthalmus viridescens louisianensis | b |
| SMALLMOUTH SALAMANDER | Ambystoma texanum | b |
| EASTERN TIGER SALAMANDER | Ambystoma tigrinum tigrinum | b |
| SPOTTED SALAMANDER | Ambystoma maculatum | b |
| MARBELED SALAMANDER | Ambystoma opacum | b |
| MOLE SALAMANDER | Ambystoma talpoideum | b |
| SLIMY SALAMANDER | Plethodon glutinosus glutinosus | b |
| DWARF SALAMANDER | Eurycea quadridigitata | b |
| SOUTHERN DUSKY SALAMANDER | Desmognathus auriculatus | b |
| HURTER'S SPADEFOOT TOAD | Scaphiopus hurterii | a |
| GREAT PLAINS NARROWMOUTH TOAD | Gastrophryne olivacea | a |
| EASTERN NARROWMOUTH TOAD | Gastrophryne carolinensis | b |
| DWARF AMERICAN TOAD | Bufo americanus charlesmithi | b |
| WOODHOUSE'S TOAD | Bufo woodhousii woodhousii | b |
| EAST TEXAS TOAD | Bufo woodhousii velatus | a |
| GULF COAST TOAD | Bufo valliceps valliceps | b |
| GREEN TREEFROG | Hyla cinerea | a |
| GRAY TREEFROG | Hlya versicolor/chrysoscelis | a |
| UPLAND CHORUS FROG | Pseudacris triseriata feriarum | b |
| SPRING PEEPER | Pseudacris crucifer crucifer | b |
| SPOTTED CHORUS FROG | Pseudacris clarkii | b |
| STRECKER'S CHORUS FROG | Pseudacris streckeri streckeri | b |
| BLANCHARD'S CRICKET FROG | Acris crepitans blanchardi | b |
| BRONZE FROG | Rana clamitans clamitans | b |
| BULLFROG | Rana catesbeiana | a |
| SOUTHERN LEOPARD FROG | Rana sphenocephala | a |
| CRAWFISH FROG | Rana areolata areolata | b |
| PICKEREL FROG | Rana palustris | b |