Detailed Identification & Life History Information

Need more info about a species? Use these detailed identification and life history tables for Vermont frogs, salamanders, turtles, snakes, and lizards. (PDFs):

An example of a detailed identification chart.

The tables give very detailed identification and life history information. All tables include adult (and hatchling for snakes) identification information, with important field marks underlined to help differentiate between similar-looking species. Information comes from a variety of sources, including our own Vermont data where available (e.g., for timing of egg-laying, hatching, and number of eggs per mass).

The amphibian tables include information on larval and egg mass identification, as well as timing of mating, timing and location of oviposition, incubation time, length of larval stage, and how many egg masses each female lays, sexually dimorphic characteristics and size at sexual maturity, in addition to interesting notes.

The turtle table includes if the species has deciduous scutes, reported longevity, temperature-dependent sex determination information, egg shape and size, number of eggs laid per clutch, whether the young overwinter in the nest, sexual differences, and size and age at sexual maturity.

The snake and lizard table includes the number of scale rows at mid-body and other characteristics helpful for identifying shed skins, whether they give live birth or lay eggs, egg identification information, number of eggs or neonates, timing of mating, egg laying, and hatching/birth, size of hatchlings/young, and reported longevity.

Underlining in the tables indicates something unique (e.g. a field mark) that differentiates the animal either from other similar-looking species or from animals of the other sex.

Click on a link below (or above) to download or view the table for each group of animals. (Whether it downloads or appears in a browser window or tab depends on your browser settings. If nothing seems to happen when you click the link, check your Downloads folder. If the file has downloaded to your computer but you prefer to see it in your browser, try using a different browser or changing your browser settings.)