Vermont Reptile and Amphibian Abundance Tables

These tables give a rough idea of the relative abundance of Vermont’s herptiles. They are subject to bias by the audibility, visibility, notoriety, and ease of identification of species. For example, since salamanders don’t call and are usually under cover, they are reported less often than frogs. Consequently, the species are sorted by taxonomic group so that some of these biases are alleviated. However, some other biases remain. Fowler’s Toads may be assumed to be American Toads and hence they may be under-reported. The same situation exists with Ribbonsnakes and Gartersnakes. Aquatic species of turtle that bask only infrequently are probably reported less often than terrestrial or basking species. Still, these tables help the Scientific Advisory Group decide if the state rank and/or state status of a species needs to be reevaluated.

Species are listed in descending order of the number of sites from which they have been reported. State Ranks are as of July, 2007.

Vermont Amphibian Records

January 1, 1981 to January 1, 2006

Salamanders

Species	# of Towns	# of Sites	# of Records	State Rank	State Status	Site Size
Eastern Newt	205	624	3564	S5		*
Eastern Red-backed Salamander	225	545	3485	S5		*
Spotted Salamander	190	518	1276	S5		*
Northern Two-lined Salamander	208	463	1194	S5		*
Northern Dusky Salamander	173	323	772	S5		*
Spring Salamander	92	155	340	S4		*
Blue-spotted Salamander Group	41	119	404	S3	SC	*
Jefferson Salamander Group	43	65	183	S2	SC	*
Mudpuppy	17	21	38	S2	SC	*
Four-toed Salamander	14	16	72	S2	SC	*

* Used site size of 0.25 km.

Frogs

Species	# of Towns	# of Sites	# of Records	State Rank	State Status	Site Size
Green Frog	244	842	2855	S5		*
American Toad	241	743	2107	S5		*
Wood Frog	238	708	2498	S5		*
Spring Peeper	231	699	2148	S5		*
Gray Treefrog	144	377	783	S5		*
Pickerel Frog	147	304	652	S5		*
American Bullfrog	148	293	574	S5		*
Northern Leopard Frog	68	210	708	S4		*
Mink Frog	45	74	116	S3		*
Fowler's Toad	4	4	22	S1	SC	*
Boreal Chorus Frog	1	2	5	S1	E	*

* Used site size of 0.25 km.

Vermont Reptile Records

January 1, 1981 to January 1, 2006

Turtles

Species	# of Towns	# of Sites	# of Records	State Rank	State Status	Site Size
Painted Turtle	143	331	770	S5		1.0 km
Snapping Turtle	144	274	403	S5		1.1 km
Wood Turtle	157	99	411	S3	SC	2.4 km
Northern Map Turtle	19	25	249	S3	SC	1.2 km
Eastern Musk Turtle	13	15	41	S2	SC	3.7 km
Spotted Turtle	3	4	24	S1	E	1.0 km
Spiny Softshell	9	3	296	S1	T	29 km

Snakes

Species	# of Towns	# of Sites	# of Records	State Rank	State Status	Site Size
Common Gartersnake	218	671	1584	S5		*
Milksnake	110	236	318	S5		*
Red-bellied Snake	108	164	217	S5		*
DeKay's Brownsnake	51	120	174	S4		*
Ring-necked Snake	62	91	148	S3		*
Smooth Greensnake	62	91	109	S3		*
Northern Watersnake	27	55	170	S3		1.0 km
Eastern Ratsnake	11	47	193	S2	T	0.6 km
Eastern Ribbonsnake	9	15	84	S2	SC	*
North American Racer	11	10	69	S1	T	3.0 km
Timber Rattlesnake	12	9	484	S1	E	16 km

* Used site size of 0.25 km.

Lizards

Species	# of Towns	# of Sites	# of Records	State Rank	State Status	Site Size
Common Five-lined Skink	2	8	45	S1	E	*

* Used site size of 0.25 km.

Notes

Both the reptile and amphibian charts summarize data that were gathered by volunteers and professionals using a variety of methods. Historical records (before January 1, 1981) were not included, nor were records entered after August 1, 2006. Any unverified or negative records were omitted and have not been included in these charts. In order to eliminate multiple records from the same area, we included the column entitled “Number of Sites.” We defined a minimum site as a location that is equal to or greater than one-half kilometer from the nearest reported location (2 x 0.25 km). If two or more records were gathered within a half-kilometer of each other, they were considered to be the same site.

In the column entitled “Number of Records,” the charts do not include long-term monitoring data (cover check, cover boards, drift fence, egg-mass counts, LT Drift Fence, minnow traps, radio telemetry, snake covers).

In this chart, all individuals identified as Jefferson X Blue-spotted Complex were omitted from all three columns, as they could not be placed in either group.

Site Sizes

Rule 1: Although we know many species have a much smaller home range, we used 0.5 km as a minimum distance between two sites (0.25 km each). This allows for the possibility that two adjacent reports could each be on the outside of a considered 0.25 km home range.

Rule 2: If a species is known to travel > 0.5 km regularly over the course of a year, we determined the minimum distance between two sites to be twice the average distance traveled by an individual based on distances in the published literature.

Rule 3: If we have evidence that an animal was found in the center of a range (i.e. vernal pool or den site) we could not assume that they were outliers in their range and hence two sites may be closer than 0.5 km, or twice the determined site size of that species.

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