Box Turtle: Adult box turtles have been reported from several habitats on Kiawah
Island, including in the maritime forest and probably were pets released by visitors.
smell it. You’ll think you just opened
a jar of peanut butter. Also, you might
sneeze, a common response by some
people.
Little Brown Skink (family
Scincidae). Also called ground skinks,
these tiny, long-tailed lizards have shiny
brown bodies and reach no more than
four or five inches in length. They are
not tree climbers like anoles and the
large skinks and w ill only be seen on
the ground, quickly seeking cover under
leaves and palm fronds. They may show
up in almost any vegetated habitat but
are common in the maritime forest.
Southeastern Crowned Snake (family
Colubridae). These small, slender snakes
are highly secretive, burrowing into
sandy soil and rarely being seen above
ground. They are readily recognizable
by their smooth brown body and shiny
black head and neck. A band behind
the head is brownish and not yellow like
that of the ring-necked snake.
Crowned snakes prey on a variety
of invertebrates including snails and
spiders but unhesitatingly will attack
and eat centipedes they find beneath
WINTER/SPRING 2018 • VOLUME 39
the ground litter. You may not be able
to find one of these clandestine little
snakes, but they thrive in the maritime
forest of Kiawah Island.
Box Turtle (family Emydidae).
Everybody recognizes a softball-sized
box turtle with its dark, rounded
shell and splashes of yellow or orange
markings. The shell can be closed up
completely, an effective protection from
carnivorous predators like raccoons,
bobcats, and foxes.Box turtles are
typically terrestrial, wandering around
during the day eating mushrooms,
berries, and any earthworms or grubs
they can find.
Eastern Narrow-mouthed Toad: The
teardrop-shape of narrow-mouthed toads
makes them easy to identify.
Although individuals have been
found in the maritime forest and other
habitats on the Island, these are most
likely pets that have been released by
residents or visitors as none were found
during extensive studies in the 1970s.
Kiawah Island is a touchstone
for coastal diversity of reptiles and
amphibians. Many are relatively
common and collectively occur in all
of the natural habitats on the Island.
Some are partial to the maritime forest
habitats that most residents and visitors
only see in passing. Venture into the
forest and see what you can find. NK
Whit Gibbons is Professor Emeritus
of Ecology, University of Georgia, and
former head of Educational Outreach
at the Savannah River Ecology
Laboratory. He has written numerous
scientific articles and books on reptiles
and amphibians. His latest book is
Snakes of the Eastern United States
(University of Georgia Press).
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