Amphibians and reptiles (often referred to as herps, short for herpetofauna, by those interested in them) are fascinating to some, disgusting to others and feared by many.  If mythology, lore and general ignorance were put aside and the uninformed learned a little about these animals I believe people would at the very least lose their fear and perhaps even gain an appreciation and respect for them.  These animals live fascinating and complex lives, they occupy many drastically different habitats and terrain, they are often quite beautiful and as such they make great photo subjects!  In the Summer of 2003 I had the idea of photographing every species of reptile and amphibian normally found in Essex County and adding a few comments to each (Click the blue link to see where Essex County is located in Ontario) .  Of course this is all much easier said then done as there are some very difficult species to find and a few that have not been recorded here for several years and may no longer occur here at all.  Furthermore, the secretive nature and/or low numbers of some of the species listed add to the difficulty.  At the very least though, it will be a fascinating journey through this county's fragmented natural areas and one that will hopefully help our herps in terms of conservation by educating people.  This project will undoubtedly yield some fantastic finds and I am excited to be able to share these on this website in the form of photos.  Below is a list of species that have been recorded in Essex County.  (Click the blue link to see a satelite image of Essex County and Pelee Island)  The species that are highlighted in blue are the ones that have accompanying photos and text, those that aren't blue are the ones I need to find and photograph so that they can be added.  Those species that are Italicized are species I consider to be extirpated from this county.  Where possible I have tried to include only photos of animals found in Essex County but a few are from other areas.  Whether an animal was found within the county or not I have labelled each photo with the animals origin.  All photos are wild individuals that were found in their natural habitat....and left there.

Salamanders and Newts mudpuppy spotted salamander blue-spotted salamander northern redback salamander smallmouth salamander eastern tiger salamander eastern (red-spotted) newt

Frogs and Toads american toad fowler's toad spring peeper gray treefrog midland chorus frog northern leopard frog green frog bull frog blanchard's cricket frog

Turtles common snapping turtle stinkpot turtle midland painted turtle map turtle blanding's turtle spiny softshell turtle

Lizards and Snakes five-lined skink eastern gartersnake butler's gartersnake northern watersnake lake erie watersnake queen snake northern redbelly snake brown snake eastern foxsnake blue racer eastern massasauga

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Above: A satellite image of Essex County and Pelee Island showing the devastating impact humans have had on the area in terms of habitat loss.  We will never bring back what has been lost but we can manage and protect what little remains and we can get a taste of what this area must have been like before it was destroyed.  Click on the image to see a larger version.