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Amphibian
Species of
Reptile Species of
Resources for
Tips for
Photographing
Other Links:
North American
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Welcome to the Pennsylvania Online Herpetological Atlas
Check out the great new webpage Pennsylvania Herp Identification, created by Jason Poston, one of the regular contributors to the atlas project. Pennsylvania is home to an incredible diversity of amphibian and reptile species. For many of these species, scientists and managers do not presently have sufficient information on their distribution and abundance to make informed management decisions. In 1997, Dr. Art Hulse of Indiana University of Pennsylvania began the Pennsylvania Herpetological Atlas Project. He established a network of volunteers to collect information on the distribution of amphibians and reptiles throughout the state. The project ran for six years, during which time a tremendous amount of important and useful information was gathered. For example, some of the data were used in the decision to designate two species as endangered in Pennsylvania. However, we still lack critical information on 36 of Pennsylvania’s 73 native amphibian and reptile species. Therefore, it was decided to revitalize the Pennsylvania Herpetological Atlas Project in a new online form, as the Pennsylvania Online Herpetological Atlas.
Why these 36 species? In 2004, the Amphibian and Reptile Technical Committee of the Pennsylvania Biological Survey composed a list of 36 species of conservation concern. Species were listed for a number of reasons, including evidence of declining populations, restricted and/or patchy distribution, and susceptibility to threats such as habitat destruction or over collecting.
What are the 36 species? The fourteen amphibian species of concern are the Jefferson Salamander, Marbled Salamander, Green Salamander, Hellbender, Four-Toed Salamander, Northern Cricket Frog, Fowler's Toad, Mountain Chorus Frog, Upland Chorus Frog, New Jersey Chorus Frog, Western Chorus Frog, Northern Leopard Frog, Southern Leopard Frog, and Eastern Spadefoot. A short description of these species, including photographs, can be found by clicking on the "Amphibian Species of Conservation Concern" link on the left side of the page. The twenty two reptile species of concern are the Spotted Turtle, Blanding's Turtle, Wood Turtle, Bog Turtle, Common Map Turtle, Redbelly Turtle, Eastern Box Turtle, Northern Coal Skink, Broadhead Skink, Eastern Fence Lizard, Northern Copperhead, Timber Rattlesnake, Kirtland's Snake, Eastern Hognose Snake, Smooth Green Snake, Rough Green Snake, Queen Snake, Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake, Shorthead Garter Snake, Eastern Ribbon Snake, Mountain Earth Snake, and Eastern Earth Snake. A short description of these species, including photographs, can be found by clicking on the "Reptile Species of Conservation Concern" link on the left side of the page.
How can I participate in the Atlas Project? Participating is easy. When you see one (or more) of the species of concern, fill out the online form - just click on the Submit a Finding link on the left side of this page and submit the information electronically. If possible, please include a digital photograph of the animal. A photograph will help to positively identify the species, should questions arise as to its identity.
Are you only collecting information on these 36 species? What if I have information on other species? We will gladly accept data on other species. However, we only have the resources to manage and map information submitted on the species of conservation concern. Information on other species will be stored so that it will be available for future analysis if the need arises.
The form asks for GPS coordinates. I'm a bit confused about how to report them. There are a variety of ways to display coordinates, and your GPS unit will have a setup option that allows you to change the way they are displayed. Although we would prefer that the coordinates be reported in decimal degrees, we will accept any format. If you report coordinates in degrees/minutes/seconds, please leave a blank space between them. Your GPS unit will also be set for a certain datum. If you haven't changed it, the default will be WGS 84. Other commonly used datums are NAD 27 and NAD 83. It does not matter which of these you use, as long as you report it. If you don't have GPS coordinates, see the next section.
What if I don't have GPS coordinates? You can find the coordinates of any location by using either Google Earth or TerraServer-USA. Google Earth is eaiser to use than TerraServier-USA, but to use it you must go to the website (http://earth.google.com/) and download the free program. Google Earth will allow you to view high quality color images of any location. The easiest way to find a location is to "Fly to" the closest town and then scroll around and zoom in from there. Move the cursor over the location you are interested in and the coordinates will show up at the bottom of the window (or if you want to permanently mark the location, you can add a placemark). Google Earth uses the WGS 84 datum, so if you get coordinates this way, be sure to select WGS 84 when you report it to the atlas. The default method of reporting coordinates is degrees/minutes/seconds. You can change it to decimal degrees (which we prefer) by selecting Tools, Options, 3D View, and clicking on Decimal Degrees. If you prefer not to download Google Earth, you can use TerraServer-USA to view either digital images (black and white) or a topographic map. When you click on a location, the coordinates show up to the left of the image. TerraServer-USA uses the NAD 83 datum.
How important is it to include a digital photograph? Very! In the old days, scientists provided proof of a species by collecting a voucher specimen that was placed in a museum. That way, if anyone ever doubted the identity of the specimen, they could go look at the museum specimen. Although voucher specimens are often no longer practical (or desirable if a species is rare), it is still important to be able to provide proof of proper identification. Although you may be certain of the identification, and we may trust you, sometime in the future people may question it. A good photograph is almost as good as a voucher specimen. When taking a photograph, don’t aim to be artistic. Try to take a clear, close picture to ensure a positive identification. The photograph does not necessarily need to include the entire animal, and it is perfectly OK to include someone’s hand. If you are dealing with a rare species that looks similar to a common one, be sure the photograph shows the distinguishing marks. For example, the best way to tell a broadhead skink (an extremely rare species in PA) from an old five-lined skink (a much more common species) is to examine the scales on the side of the head. In this case, a close-up photo showing the side of the head would be much more useful than a picture of the entire animal. Take lots of photographs, and feel free to attach more than one. You can also e-mail photographs to tjmare@ship.edu. For more information on taking photographs, click on Tips for Photographing Specimens on the left side of this page. Note that the maximum photo size that will be accepted is 2 MB. If your photo is larger than that, you should be able to reduce it using the software for your camera.
What will you do with the photographs? The photographs will be kept on file in a manner similar to voucher specimens being stored behind the scenes in a museum. You will still own the copyright to the photo. The photo will not be displayed on the web page (or any other location) without your permission.
Can I submit information even if I don’t have a photograph? Definitely! However, because we won’t be able to verify the species identification, the information will not be as useful.
Can I submit information from previous years? Yes. Older information is fine, as long as it is reliable. However, please do not submit information that you previously submitted to the old herpetological atlas project.
Do I have to type in contact information every time I fill out the form? No. If you have already submitted information before, you can leave the space for contact information blank.
What kind of habitat information do you want? At the least, please let us know in what kind of habitat the animal was found – forest, meadow, crossing a road, in a pond or stream, etc. More detailed information would be useful. Was it a mature or young forest and what were the main tree species, how large was the pond and did it contain vegetation, how wide and deep was the stream and was it running through a field or forest? Any of this type of information that you can provide will be helpful.
Will you share the information that is submitted? We will post maps on the website to show where each species has been found. However in the interest of protecting the species, these maps will only show the general areas in which the species has been found. Information on exact locations of sightings will only be shared with the appropriate state agencies. This information will be valuable to improving the management and conservation efforts for these species.
I have more questions. Who can I contact? You can contact Tim Maret. He is a professor in the biology department at Shippensburg University and is responsible for the operation of the web page. You can reach him at tjmare@ship.edu.
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