I was searching the Ohio DNR website and came across this information about the Lake Erie Water snake and the Eastern Spadefoot Toad... so for my fellow Ohio herpers... keep your eyes open, but it sounds like it would be rare to see either of these species.
Wetland Species Overview
LAKE ERIE WATER SNAKE
The Lake Erie water snake (Nerodia sipedon insularum), a subspecies of the Northern water snake, comes in a variety of colors, ranging from banded gray and brown blotches to solid gray. The Lake Erie water snake is a federally threatened and state endangered species. This snake has one of the smallest geographic ranges of any vertebrate in the world and is only found on the islands of Lake Erie. Lake Erie water snakes are active primarily between early May and October, depending on seasonal temperatures and weather. Snakes typically enter hibernation between mid-September and mid-October. When not hibernating, the snakes spend most of their time near the lake’s edge basking on the rocky shoreline or foraging just offshore.
The snake’s diet is composed mainly of non-game fish and amphibians found in and around rocks and vegetation near the shore and in the lake’s near-shore waters. Recent studies have shown that the snakes eat mostly the round goby, an aquatic nuisance species. They mate from late May to early June by forming “mating balls” consisting of 1 female and several males. Live birth of 30 or so pencil-sized young occurs in early September. Only about 15% of the young survive their first year. The snake has benefited from the construction of docks and shoreline protection done in a snake-friendly manner demonstrating its ability to coexist with humans, a condition necessary for the snake to persist on the islands.
The current distribution of Lake Erie water snakes is reduced compared to their historic distribution. The historic range of the Lake Erie water snake included 22 or more offshore islands and rock outcrops (12 U.S. offshore islands, 9 Canadian islands, and various rock outcrops) of western Lake Erie, shorelines of the Catawba/Marblehead Peninsula, and nearshore islands (Mouse and Johnson) in Ohio. Today, Lake Erie water snakes no longer occur on 3 islands: Middle Sister Island (Ontario), North Harbour Island (Ontario), and West Sister Island (U.S.).
Recent data show fluctuations in population density (i.e., number of Lake Erie water snakes per km of shoreline). Comparisons of population density estimates over time suggest that population sizes generally decreased from 1980-85 to 1988-92 (by 33 adults/km at 3 sites), and from 1988-92 to1996 (by 13 adults/km at 4 sites). Comparisons of population density estimates also suggest that population sizes generally increased from 1988-92 to 2000-02 (by 23 adults/km at 3 sites), and from 1996-98 to 2000-02 (by 88 adults/km at 10 sites).
Population Surveys
The Lake Erie water snake has declined in population abundance and distribution from historic levels. At the time of listing (1999), the estimate for the U.S. population ranged from 1,530 to 2,030 adults, and U.S. populations of the Lake Erie water snake were restricted to only 8 islands. Population fluctuations during the late 1990s and early 2000s, which coincide with intensive public outreach efforts and Federal listing of the snake, have resulted in increases and decreases in local populations, but in general, populations appear to be increasing. Results of surveys on Kelleys, South Bass, Middle Bass, North Bass, Green, and Sugar Islands conducted from 2000-2002 suggest that the current U.S. population of Lake Erie water snakes on these islands is approximately 5,473 adults. In the 4 years since listing, the adult population estimate has more than doubled, likely due to increases in the actual snake population as well as improved survey data. Also since the time of listing, Lake Erie water snakes have recolonized Green Island, from which the snakes had previously been extirpated. These 2 events demonstrate that recovery of the snake population is already well underway.
Population surveys were first extensively conducted by Dr. Richard King, Northern Illinois University, in the mid-1980s. Expanded surveys by King were funded by the Division of Wildlife throughout the 1990s. In 1999, the Division and the USFWS jointly funded a 3-year study to research the population size, movement patterns, foraging behavior, and hibernation sites of the Lake Erie water snake on the U.S. islands. Much of the data gathered from this current study and past work by King and Research Associate Kristin Stanford were utilized in developing the USFWS’s Lake Erie Watersnake Recovery Plan. Mark-recapture and telemetry work are ongoing with neonates being marked for a survivorship study.
EASTERN SPADEFOOT TOAD
Ohio’s only endangered frog is small with a body length of approximately 1.75-2.25 inches. The body color is brownish with 2 yellow lines extending from the eyes down the back where they join together forming an hourglass pattern. Another defining characteristic is the vertically elliptical pupils of the notably large eyes. Spadefoot toads get their name from the hard, black spade found on the underside of each hind foot. Unlike true toads, the warts on the skin are small and red.
This species is found only in areas of sandy soils that are associated with river valleys in southeastern Ohio. Breeding habitats are located within these areas and may include flooded agricultural fields or other water-holding depressions. Spadefoot toads spend most of their life hidden underground in burrows of their own making. Strong storms with heavy precipitation (at least 1.5 inches in one event) are needed to induce breeding, which is short and explosive. The male’s croak sounds like “whar,” and some have likened it to the sound of a young crow. The tadpoles hatch in several days and, if the water-filled pool begins to dry, can complete transition to adulthood in only a couple of weeks. Breeding can occur several times a year, or not at all, depending on the weather. Spadefoots are principally nocturnal but are most active for several hours after dusk.
Population Surveys
The spadefoot was only recorded breeding at 2 locations during the 1990s. In 2001, 2 new breeding sites were discovered. As of 2002, there were only 2 distinct populations of spadefoot toads located in Morgan-Washington, Lawrence, and Athens counties. Because of the frog’s fossorial habits, limited activity, and restricted habitat, they are very difficult to find. Ohio University Professor Scott Moody has been monitoring known breeding sites and searching for new spadefoot breeding locations for many years. In addition, participation of volunteers in the statewide Frog and Toad Survey has helped increase awareness of this unusual frog. Over the past few years, the Division has confirmed additional populations of spadefoot toads as a result of interested residents who have alerted us about possible new sightings. The statewide Frog and Toad Survey effort is coordinated by herpetologist Jeff Davis and supported by volunteers who record frogs chorusing and document the numbers of individuals and species at stops along a permanent survey route. More than 100 individuals participate in the survey in 53 of Ohio’s 88 counties.
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