Species Lists

Reptiles and Amphibians

This is a list provided by Joe Collins of the most common amphibians and reptiles that are seen on or near the Kansas River. Photographs taken by Suzanne Collins are provided on our Critter Corner along with links to the Kansas Herpetological Society species accounts (if you click on the photos you will get a pop-up window with the species account in it).

Download the enitre booklet as a pdf file:

2009 Collins, Joseph T. & Suzanne L. Collins. A Pocket Guide to Kansas Snakes. Second Edition. Friends of the Great Plains Nature Center, Wichita, Kansas. Pp. 69. (2.31 MB)

You can contact Joe at:

Joseph T. Collins, Director
The Center for North American Herpetology (CNAH)
1502 Medinah Circle, Lawrence, Kansas 66047
email: jcollins@ku.edu
http://www.cnah.org

Common Name	Scientific Name
Amphibians
Eastern Tiger Salamander	Ambystoma tigrinum
Plains Spadefoot	Spea bombifrons
Great Plains Toad	Anaxyrus cognatus
Woodhouse's Toad	Anaxyrus woodhousii
Blanchard's Cricket Frog	Acris blanchardi
Plains Leopard Frog	Lithobates blairi
Bullfrog	Lithobates catesbeianus

Turtles
Common Snapping Turtle	Chelydra serpentina
Common Musk Turtle	Sternotherus odoratus
Northern Painted Turtle	Chrysemys picta
False Map Turtle	Graptemys pseudogeographica
Slider	Trachemys scripta
Smooth Softshell	Apalone mutica
Spiny Softshell	Apalone spinifera

Reptiles
Western Rat Snake	Scotophis obsoletus
Eastern Racer	Coluber constrictor
Northern Water Snake	Nerodia sipedon
Common Garter snake	Thamnophis sirtalis
Eastern Hognose snake	Heterodon platirhinos

Birds

This is a list provided by Dr. Raymond Pierotti, Division of Biological Sciences, University of Kansas. Birds—common/conspicuous species found associated with the river and discussed in the lesson The Winged Ones. Species lists by counties can be downloaded from the Kansas Ornithological Society website.

Common Name	Scientific Name
*Waterbirds*
Wood Duck	Aix sponsa
Blue-winged Teal	Anas discors
Mallard	Anas platyrhyncos
Canada Goose	Branta candensis
Bufflehead	Bucephala albeola
Snow Goose	Chen carerulescens
American Coot	Fulica americana
Herring Gull	Larus argentatus
Ring-billed Gull	Larus delawarensis
Common Merganser	Mergus merganser
Pied-billed Grebe	Podilymbus podiceps
Double-crested Cormorant	Phalacrocorax auritis
Least Tern	Sterna antillarum
Forster’s Tern	Sterna forsteri
Common Tern	Sterna hirundo
Wading Birds
Spotted Sandpiper	Actitis macularia
Great Egret	Ardea alba
Great Blue Heron	Ardea herodias
Green Heron	Buteroides viresecens
Killdeer	Charadrius vociferous
Birds of Prey
Bald Eagle	Haliaeetus leucocephalus
Osprey	Pandion haliaetus
Perching Birds
Belted Kingfisher	Ceryle alcyon

Mammals

This is a list provided by Dr. Raymond Pierotti, Division of Biological Sciences, University of Kansas. Common mammals that can be seen near or in the Kansas River.

Species accounts can be found online at

http://www.ksr.ku.edu/libres/Mammals_of_Kansas/list.html

You can contact Ray at:

Dr. Ray Pierotti
Division of Biological Sciences
University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS 66045
Pierotti@ku.edu

Notes:

* Aquatic species: likely to be seen in the river itself
+ Rare or exceptionally shy: Sightings of this species are special.

Opossums (Family Didelphidae)
Virginia Opossum Didelphis virginiana
The only Marsupial native to North America.

Hares and Rabbits (Family Leporidae)
Eastern Cottontail Sylvilagus floridanus
The only rabbit (of 4 Kansas species) likely to be seen along the Kaw.

Squirrels (Family Sciuridae)
Southern Flying Squirrel Glaucomys volans +
Beautiful and graceful, likely to be seen at night. Has huge dark eyes.
Woodchuck Marmota monax +
Fox Squirrel Sciurus niger

Beavers (Family Castoridae)
Beaver Castor canadensis *

New World Mice and Rats (Family Cricetidae)
Woodland Vole Microtus pinetorum
Small dark mouselike creature, with small ears and short tail.
Eastern Woodrat Neotoma floridana
Big and attractive, look for its nests which are complex piles of sticks.
Muskrat Ondatra zibethicus *
Smaller than a beaver, does not have a flat tail.
White-footed Mouse Peromyscus leucopus
Small, beautiful mice with large ears and big dark eyes.

Dogs (Family Canidae)
Coyote Canis latrans
Red Fox Vulpes vulpes
Gray Fox Urocyon cinereoargenteus +
Graceful, with small ears, moves like a cat. Can even climb trees.

Procyonids (Family Procyonidae)
Raccoon Procyon lotor

Weasels (Family Mustelidae)
River Otter Lutra canadensis *
Big and playful. Slides down muddy banks.
Striped skunk Mephitis mephitis
Long-tailed Weasel Mustela frenata +
Mink Mustela vison *
Smaller than otter. Might be confused with a small dark cat.

Cats (Family Felidae)
Mountain Lion Felis concolor +
Look for the big long tail. It is unmistakeable.
Bobcat Lynx rufus +
Short tail. Might be mistaken for a big short-tailed housecat.

Deer (Family Cervidae)
White-tailed Deer Odocoileus virginianus
Mule Deer Odocoileus hemionus
Big ears. Only seen in the western counties along the river.

* Aquatic species: likely to be seen in the river itself.
+ Rare or exceptionally shy⎯Sightings of this species are special.

Mussels

LIST OF KANSAS FRESHWATER MUSSELS

This list was provided by Craig Thompson, Biologist, EPA Region 7

Notes: * Extirpated in Kansas
(T/E) = Threatened or Endangered in Kansas

Common Name	Scientific Name	In Kansas River
Mucket (T/E)	Actinonaias ligamentina
Slippershell mussel *	Alasmidonta virdis
Elktoe (T/E)	Alasmidonta marginata
Threeridge	Amblema plicata
Flat floater (T/E)	Anodonta suborbiculata
Giant floater	Pyganadon grandis	Yes
Paper pondshell	Anodonta imbecillis
Cylindrical papershell	Anodontoides ferussacianus
Rock pocketbook (T/E)	Arcidens confragosus
Western fanshell (T/E)	Cyprogenia aberti
Butterfly (T/E)	Ellipsaria lineolata
Spike	Elliptio dilitata
Snuffbox *	Epioblasma tiquetra
Wabash pigtoe	Fusconaia flava
Plain pocketbook	Lampsilis cardium
Neosho mucket (T/E)	Lampsilis rafinesqueana
Fat mucket	Lampsilis siliquoidea	weathered/relict shells
Yellow sandshell	Lampsilis teres	weathered/relict shells
Fluted-shell (T/E)	Lasmigona costata
White heelsplitter	Lasmigona complanata	Yes
Fragile papershell	Leptodea fragilis	Yes
Black sandshell *	Ligumia recta
Pondmussel	Ligumia subrostrata	weathered/relict shells
Washboard	Megalonaias nervosa
Threehorn wartyback	Obliquaria reflexa	weathered/relict shells
Hickorynut *	Obovaria olivaria	weathered/relict shells
Round pigtoe	Pleurobema coccineum
Pink heelsplitter	Potamilus alatus	Yes
Pink papershell	Potamilus ohioensis	Yes
Bleufer	Potamilus pupuratus
Ouachita kidneyshell (T/E)	Ptychobranchus occidentalis
Rabbitsfoot (T/E)	Quadrula cylindrical
Monkeyface	Quadrula metanevra
Wartyback	Quadrula nodulata
Pimpleback	Quadrula pustulosa	weathered/relict shells
Mapleleaf	Quadrula quadrula	Yes
Creeper	Strophitus undulatus
Lilliput	Toxolasma parvus
Pistolgrip	Tritogonia verrucosa
Deertoe	Truncilla truncata	weathered/relict shells
Fawnsfoot	Truncilla donaciformis	Yes
Pondhorn	Uniomerus tetralasmus	Yes
Ellipse (T/E)	Venustaconcha ellipsiformis
Purple wartyback	Cyclonaias tuberculata