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Distribution And Natural History Of Amphibians And Reptiles In Western Nebraska With Ecological Notes On The Herpetiles Of Arapaho Prairie, Royce E. Ballinger, John D. Lynch, Patrick H. Cole

Papers in Herpetology

Introduction: The distribution and natural history of amphibians and reptiles have been little studied in the northern states of the great plains. Relative to other vertebrate groups, the herpetofauna of grasslands is depauperate particularly at higher latitudes where temperature becomes a limiting factor to poikilotherms. Nevertheless, certain species of amphibians and reptiles are common in specific habitats and thus form a conspicuous component of the prairie fauna. The purposes of the present study were to document the distributions of herpetiles in a specified region of western Nebraska and to describe general aspects of their natural history. We hope such information …