AMPHIBIANS

Salamanders, frogs and toads are amphibians. Amphibians have long tails and slender bodies. They live near water. Unlike reptiles, they do not have scaly skin. The skin is smooth and moist. Mucous glands help to keep the skin moist. Blood vessels just beneath the surface allow the amphibian to use its skin to help it breathe. Special color cells allow the amphibian to change its skin color by expanding or contracting. If a limb is lost to a predator, some amphibians can re-grow a new limb. Amphibians are cold-blooded and those living in cold regions hibernate during winter. Eggs are laid in jelly-like masses in the water. Some amphibian larvae have gills and live underwater until they metamorphose into land-dwelling forms. Adult amphibians are carnivorous, but larvae are herbivorous.

Salamander, Tiger

Northern Leopard Frog (Rana pipiens)

Frog, Western Chorus (Pseudacris triseriata)

We love to chase frogs.
The Western Chorus Frog (Pseudacris triseriata) livens up the airwaves after a rain and even quite early in the spring as the snow melts.

Toad

REPTILES

Reptiles include snakes, lizards, crocodilians, and turtles. Reptiles are cold-blooded. (They depend upon their environment to provide warmth.) Most reptiles are egg-layers, although some produce live young. In cold regions, reptiles hibernate. In extremely hot or dry climates, some reptiles will estivate, or go into a torpor. Because they lack internal heating mechanisms, reptiles depend on external heat sources. Thus, you will often find them lying in the sun on rocks and logs. Most reptiles have a three chambered heart

Bull Snake (Pituophis catenifer sayi)

August 30, 2016
And in Natural Science Class today...we studied bull snakes. I know that someone will give me grief about the snake pictures...but think about some of the other things that our kids are learning in school and you will be OK with Caleb Reinhold catching the smallest Bull Snake we have ever caught. The bottom photo shows one of the larger ones we have caught...notice how young those kids were in 2008, All participants were unharmed after the lessons and released back into their natural habitat including the snakes

Common Garter Snake (Thamnopis sirtalis)

Blue Racer (Coluber constrictor)

Milk Snake (Lampropeltis triangulum)

June 23, 2015
The pale milk snake is found in the counties adjacent to and west of the Missouri River in South Dakota including right here on the Lonetree Ranch. They are actually quite amazing.

Prairie Rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis viridis)

Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina)

Turtle, Painted (Chrysemys picta)

The Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta) is a reptile that is common in South Dakota.. Its shell is used to protect it from its predators. The bottom of the Painted turtle's shell has a beautiful design looks like it is painted . The painted turtle spends most of its time in the water, but often lies on floating logs in the sun, as well as on rocks or by the shore. During winter, painted turtles hibernate, burying themselves for months in the mud beneath streams and ponds. This turtle, when young, eats mostly carnivorously, dining on larvae, crickets, beetles and maggots. When it matures, it eats more omnivorously, with its primary diet including duckweed, water lilies and algal matter, as well as eating insects, worms, leeches, crayfish, tadpoles, frogs, snails and small fish. Turtle hatchlings are about the size of a quarter. Once the turtles are out of their egg shell, they climb up through the soil or sand to the surface. They set out to find water. If they survive, the males will reach maturity in 2 to 5 years and the females in 4 to 8 years. Painted turtles may live 20 years.

March 16, 2015
And you know who else started showing up on shore as the ice was going out? The Western Painted Turtle is actually "quite a piece of art" when you observe the vibrant colors especially of the underside. The kids that attend Rainbow Bible Ranch love chasing these creatures.