Herp ID
This snake is nonvenomous, with a dark body (usually greenish, brown, or black) with a single yellow or cream stripe running down the center of its back and often two lighter side stripes.
Eastern Garter (Thammophis stirtalis)
This sometimes deadly defense mechanism developed by snakes is injected into unlucky victims through long, slender fangs.
Venom
This physical characteristic of amphibians can explain less stable conservation statuses across species, as it makes them reliant on wet environments and less resistant to fluctuation in environmental conditions.
Permeable skin.
The upper part of the shell is called this.
Carapace
This is the structure on the mouths of hatchling herps such as turtles that helps them break out of the egg.
Egg tooth
This turtle has a smooth, dark shell with bright red and yellow markings along the edges, yellow lines along the neck, and thick light bands in between offset carapace scutes.
Eastern Painted Turtle
The ridge that runs along the horizontal length of the scales of certain species of snakes.
Keel
The most common example of this type of habitat degradation is roads.
Habitat Fragmentation.
This is the smallest species of freshwater turtle in NA.
Bog turtle
This is the worlds largest biodiversity hotspot for salamanders.
The Appalachian Mountains.
This snake has a stout body, an upturned snout, and highly variable colors ranging from yellow or orange to gray or black, usually with dark blotches.
Eastern Hognose (Heterodon platyrhinos)
Snakes such as Crotalus horridus and Agkistrodon contortrix that have heat seeking pits on their faces belong to this family.
Viperidae
When moving a turtle out of the road, it is best common practice to move it in this direction.
That which it was facing/walking.
Plastron
This defense mechanism that involves writhing and excreting a foul smell is used by species like the eastern hognose.
Death feigning.
This Herp has a rough, spiny body that is gray or brown with darker patterns, and males often have bright blue patches on their throat and belly.
Eastern Fence Lizard
Crotalus horridus gives birth to live young, so can be referred to as this in terms of its reproductive life history strategy.
Viviparous
This is the most commonly poached group of Herp.
Turtles or tortoises.
ALL turtles lay eggs, making them this, opposed to some snakes that give live birth.
Oviparous
Keratinized structures are often absent in amphibians, but this WV native species is an exception to this.
Eastern Spadefoot
This Herp has a slender, smooth body that is orange to yellow with dark spots extending down the length of the tail.
Cave Salamander
The name used to refer to the vestigial "foot" of certain snake species.
Spur
This is a common practice within herpetological conservation to help boost the success of recruitment of young into the targeted population.
Headstarting.
The shell of a turtle is comprised of parts called scutes, and this is the name for the scutes around the outer circumference of the carapace.
Marginal Scutes.
The process of a lizard being able to detatch its tail referred to as this.
Caudal autotomy