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Broadhead Skink (Eumeces laticeps) on nest in Turkey Run Park. - Photo by Brent Steury |
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The woodlands, streams and riverbanks found within the units of the George Washington Memorial Parkway (GWMP) provide habitat for a total of 19 species of reptiles that live here. These include seven species of snakes, two species of skinks, and seven species of turtles.
The ten species of snakes known from GWMP are, Northern Copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix mokasen), Eastern Worm Snake (Carphophis a. amoenus), Northern Ringneck Snake (Diadophis punctatus edwardsi), Black Rat Snake (Elaphe obsoleta), Northern Black Racer (Coluber c. constrictor), Eastern Milksnake (Lampropeltis t. triangulum), Mole Kingsnake (Lampropeltis calligaster rhombomaculata), Northern Watersnake (Nerodia sipedon), Rough Green Snake (Opheodrys aestivus), and Eastern Garter Snake (Thamnophis s. sirtalis). Only one of these, the Northern Copperhead, is venomous. Northern Copperheads have been reported from Turkey Run and Great Falls Parks, where they are fairly common.
The two species of skinks known from GWMP are the Broadhead Skink (Eumeces laticeps) and the Five-lined Skink (Eumeces fasciatus). These two species can look quite similar at certain stages of there life cycles, however the Broadhead Skink matures at a larger size than that of the Five-lined Skink.
A total of six species of native turtles and one non-native (introduced) species have been recorded from GWMP. The five native species are Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina), Common Musk Turtle (Sternotherus odoratus), Eastern Painted Turtle (Chrysemys p. picta), Eastern Snapping Turtle (Chelydra s. serpentina), Red-bellied Turtle (Pseudemys rubiventris), and Wood Turtle (Clemmys insculpta). The feral, introduced, species is the Red-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans). The Wood Turtle is known in GWMP from a single record from Great Falls Park in 1994 and a single observation from Turkey Run Park in 2005. It is a state listed Threatened species in Virginia. Any observations of Wood Turtles, or other species not listed here, within GWMP should be reported to the park's Natural Resource Management Staff at brent_steury@nps.gov.
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