Amphibians and Reptiles of Northeastern Kentucky

Abstract

the hills are forested with beech, chestnut, oak, pitch and scrub pine, walnut, and sweet and black gum, much of this forest being second growth timber injured by frequent burning. There are a number of caves in the area, particularly in Carter County, where Carter and Cascade Caves are located. Garman (1894) published a preliminary list of the vertebrate animals of Kentucky. For the entire state he listed fifteen amphibians and twentyfive reptiles. Funkhouser (1925) in his Wild Life in Kentucky listed forty reptiles. Dury and Williams (1933) list fifty-two amphibians and reptiles for the state. None of the various scattered records of Kentuckian amphibians and reptiles which have appeared in recent years deal with Rowan County. The apparent shortage of records for eastern Kentucky has stimulated the biological staff of the State Teachers College, Morehead, to make natural history surveys in the vicinity of Morehead, in Rowan County. The senior author has completed a study of the fishes of the Licking River drainage, and, in conjunction with D. E. Sollberger, a study of the mammals of the section. The present paper is the third in the series of studies of the vertebrates of northeastern Kentucky. The specimens obtained during the present survey were deposited in the Biology Museum at the Morehead State Teachers College. A list of the species taken during the present survey follows: Necturus maculosus maculosus (Rafinesque).-Common in the streams of the Licking River drainage. Cryptobranchus alleganiensis (Daudin).-Very common in Triplett and Licking rivers. It is often caught by local fishermen on trot-lines, and is easily taken at night in the smaller streams by the use of a flashlight. Triturus viridescens viridescens (Rafinesque).-Fairly common throughout the area; taken at Morehead and at Carter Caves. Ambystoma maculatum (Shaw).-Taken from ponds near Morehead in late February when breeding begins. Common, but seldom seen during the summer. Ambystoma opacum (Gravenhorst).-Several taken from beneath stones at Morehead. One was also obtained from Morgan County. Ambystoma texanum (Matthes).-Taken under rocks in a moist, low lying meadow near Morehead, and also in a dry pasture. Not very common. Plethodon cinereus (Green).-Very common in shady woodlands beneath decaying stumps and logs. Taken at various stations in Rowan and Carter counties. Plethodon glutinosus (Green).-Very common in shady places. It is most frequently found beneath stones along creek banks. Many were obtained in Rowan and Carter counties. Gyrinophilus porphyriticus duryi (Weller).-Taken at Carter Caves in X-Cave within a few miles of the type locality, and also along North Fork of Triplet Creek near Morehead.