Appendix VI: C. K. Dodd's field notes for research
conducted at Harris Neck and Savannah NWRs.

Field Notes 2005

March (CKD, WJB)

21. High overcast clouds and mild temperatures. Much warmer than last year. Drove up to Harris Neck and checked into the travel trailer. After lunch, we ventured out to set traps and to install automatic frog calling recorders. The water levels are much higher than last year.

–Borrow Pit. Large chorus of P. ocularis calling during mid-day. 2 traps

–We heard more P. ocularis calling from the north shore of Goose Lake in the very shallow grassy areas. Obviously, the water has been higher here, although it is much higher than last year (they have refilled the lake, coupled with the heavy rains of late). We also saw a Rana sp. hop into the water, probably R. sphenocephala.

–There are also P. ocularis calling from the shallow grassy areas adjacent to Greenhead Pond between the south side of the pond and the adjacent road that divides Greenhead from Teal. Collected a Kinosternon shell.

–Widgeon Pond: more P. ocularis as well as the very large alligator and a large number of juveniles, all making a distress call.

–Lucas Pond. Found a E. inexpectatus under one of the boards in the field near the pond.

–Woody Pond. A great many alligators, especially of the smaller size classes. Also saw several at Greenhead.

8:00 PM. Took a drive around the refuge. Very bright moon despite the high clouds – a definite ring around it.

Woody. R. sphenocephala calling; one small one seen on the dike; P. crucifer calling from Woody Swamp near the canal; a few alligator eyeshines despite the cool temperatures; Great Horned Owl calling.

8:15 PM. Borrow Pit Pond. P. crucifer and P. ocularis calling.

Goose. R. sphenocephala; P. crucifer calling from the shallow grassy areas where we heard P. ocularis calling earlier in the day.

Greenhead. P. crucifer; P. ocularis; R. sphenocephala calling.

Teal. R. sphenocephala; B. terrestris (one individual calling in distance).

Widgeon. P. crucifer and P. ocularis calling. Lots of alligator eyes.

Lucas. P. crucifer and R. sphenocephala calling.

Snipe. P. crucifer, P. ocularis, R. sphenocephala, and B. terrestris (SW side) calling.

22. Mostly cloudy and quite breezy; mild. Air feels unstable. Weather service says severe storms are possible today or tonight. Gray and mostly windy all day. Became darker and darker during the day, and thunderstorms with heavy rain began by late afternoon (5 PM). Constant thunder and lightning from 3 PM onwards, but rain held off till later. Cool, kind of a chill in the air.

Trachemys scripta: large female along the road near Snipe Pond. Photographed.

Picked up the traps and checked Runway Pond (including water in the ditch on the the other side of the road), Culvert Pond, and at the Fountain. Nothing at all in Runway and Culvert. We again found N. viridescens in the scum of the Fountain Pool. One recommendation we would have it to clear out the muck in this pool. We just finished the Fountain Pool when the sky really became ominous, so we returned to the trailer to wait it out. Very nasty until about 8 PM

8:15 PM Still raining heavily, but thunderstorm slacking off a little. Drove the refuge wildlife drive, but it was generally too noisy to hear chorusing frogs (rain hitting the truck). Noted:

On Wildlife Drive between Woody Pond and back entrance to HQ compound – very large female B. terrestris (kept for photography).

Wildlife Drive near junction to Goose and Snipe – R. sphenocephala hopping across open ground.

WD, with Greenhead Pond on left – B. terrestris

WD, at Teal – B. terrestris and R. sphenocephala both in chorus, B. terrestris especially midway down Teal on its left hand (south) side.

WD and intersection with Thomas Landing Loop – B. terrestris

Halfway to Thomas Landing from above – B. terrestris

WD, from turnoff to Thomas Landing to Woody turnoff – ca. 6 more B. terrestris

WD, near turnoff to Woody Pond – Hyla cinerea.

Headquarters area – 2 more H. cinerea crossing the road.

We finished the drive about 9:45 PM. Basically, B. terrestris might be expected on the wet road just about anywhere. On the main highway, we recorded a large chorus of P. ocularis across the road from the Friendship Baptist Church in a roadside ditch. The rain had finally stopped, but it started up again later and rained in the night.

23. Cloudy and overcast, giving way eventually to partly cloudy/sunny conditions. Windy. By evening, it was clear and sunny. Stayed quite windy all day.

Set traps around the Wildlife Drive. The water was quite high and the rice fields were easily accessible, which made for many choices for setting. Saw a Nerodia fasciata on the WD near WD-3, and chased it off the road.

At Kingfisher Pond, Bufo were calling, but it did not seem to be the same species as last year. These guys had definite cranial crests and patterns of B. terrestris. We set 8 traps this time in the pond, one set at each end. Found a large very freshly dead R. heckscheri of the eastern side and preserved it. Had dinner at Mi Tierrita and called it a night.

24. Bright clear and beautiful day all day. We were joined by Steve Bennett (SC DNR) and Joe Mitchell (Mitchell Ecological Associates) all day as we checked traps (2 Siren and a hatchling Sternotherus odoratus) and surveyed 6 sites along the Dodge Tram Road. Kingfisher yielded more R. heckscheri tadpoles, and we confirmed the Acris at Kingfisher as A. gryllus. We picked up Desmognathus auriculatus at a number of new sites, as well as from DT-1 again. Steve kept several for the DNR collection, and confirmed them as auriculatus as opposed to the fuscus-like animal found in the ravines further north. Also a T. carolina (photographed) at DT-4. After Steve departed (late), with the remaining light left we surveyed a nice patch of upland woods at the corner of US 17 and the Seaboard Coast Line tracks. We did not find any salamanders, but we did find a juvenile Elaphe guttata and a bright new hatchling Agkistrodon contortrix.

After dinner at the Cripple Crab, we drove back to the rice fields. Downright cool temperatures (AT 16.1 C; RH 51%).

8:15 PM. Junction of SC 170 and end of the Wildlife Drive –  R. sphenocephala calling from nearly all fields.

8:25 PM. Swamp between the location above and the northeastern rim where SC 170 leaves the river bottom – R. sphenocephala

Then we drove up Dodge Tram Road listening as we went. Not much!

Kingfisher Pond – only 1 B. terrestris calling; R. sphenocephala; a few P. crucifer calling here, but others calling in the distance.

DT-3 – R. sphenocephala and a few P. crucifer.

60 m NW of DT-6 – R. sphenocephala and a few P. crucifer

DT-6 – a few P. crucifer down toward the river.

As we left Union Creek landing and the refuge, we passed a pond on the right side of the road about 0.5 mile from the landing that was reverberating with frog sounds: P. crucifer, P. ocularis, P. nigrita, H. chrysoscelis, B. terrestris, R. sphenocephala. Quite loud! Jamie recorded several minutes of it.

25. Overcast and cool to start, which gave way to treacherous thunderstorms and lightening as we tried to retrieve our traps. Even though they were close to the road, the curtains of torrential rain and lightening caused us to be stuck in the truck sitting on the dike for about 80 minutes. As I noted on a piece of paper "... then heavy thunderstorms and darkness ruled the land."

Before leaving, we photographed the Pseudacris nigrita, P. brimleyi, P. ornata, and Scaphiopus holbrooki that Joe had brought down with him. They were collected.

Even got stuck in Easter traffic on I-95 going south. Tractor trailer and roadwork (three lanes to two) will stop the flow every time. Fortunately, the rain and storms stopped shortly after we departed.

May (CKD, WJB, DRG; MSG, JS at HN)

16. Drive to Harris Neck. Margaret and Jennifer will take the boating safety course, and Jamie, Denise and I will sample amphibian populations. Generally nice day, as we set traps at Woody, Borrow Pit, Goose, Greenhead, Widgeon, Lucas, and Lucas Borrow Pit. Water levels are still higher than I expected, and it appears that this has been a good wet spring on the Georgia coast.

After the ladies left for their hotel, Jamie and I cruised around the refuge looking for animals on the road. We found a juvenile Elaphe guttata on the road between the HQ and Woody Pond (feisty, photographed). Two Bufo terrestris (1 near HQ and the other on the raised gravel bed on the Wildlife Drive between Greenhead and Teal ponds). At Woody Pond, we heard A. gryllus, H. cinerea (very large and loud chorus), R. grylio, and R. catesbeiana. Many many alligator eye shines. Spectacular night: bright clear skies and moon overhead, lightning bugs flashing along the dike, distant lightning flashes on the horizon lighting up the sky, tremendous green treefrog chorus.

Out on the main Harris Neck Road opposite the Friendship Baptist Church, we heard a chorus of Hyla femoralis, Pseudacris ocularis, Hyla cinerea, and Acris gryllus. This represents a new refuge location for H. femoralis, and the discovery of a new freshwater breeding site. We called this place Snake Bog because of our later encounters.

17. Clear in the morning, giving way to partly cloudy with high overhead clouds as the day wore on. We checked the traps and dipnetted, but found nothing at Woody and Culvert Pond. At Borrow Pit Pond, we captured the usual newts, cricket frogs, leopard frogs and little grass frogs. All newts appeared to be adults in breeding condition. Goose Pond is the only location where we got large tads in the traps – all southern leopard frogs. Jamie saw an adult Nerodia fasciata in the grass. North Runway Pond seemed sterile despite plenty of water, but in one small shallow cove we captured 3 P. crucifer metamorphs. We kept them to ensure identity. On the way to the next site, we saw a large adult Coluber constrictor on the road (to the east) that quickly made its escape. No amphibians were trapped at Greenhead or Widgeon (we did not see the large gator). Only green treefrogs were calling at Lucas, and newts were present at Lucas Borrow Pit. We also chased an adult Ophisaurus ventralis and Scincella lateralis near the little cinder block building, but they escaped (the glass lizard without its tail, unfortunately).

After lunch, we checked Snipe Pond via dipnetting at the location where they released 2 million bluegill, but no tadpoles. We heard R. catesbeiana calling, so maybe we'll try and hit this location later in the year. We checked the shallow water remaining in the field beside the road on the southeast side of the road across from Goose Pond ("Goose Meadow") but found no tadpoles. Yesterday as we set traps we saw a very tiny B. terrestris, suggesting successful metamorphosis from the March breeding event. We dipnetted the Lorillard Fountain, and captured a single newt. Thunderstorms were brewing in the area. One way to benefit amphibian populations at Harris Neck would be to clean out this fountain of all the mud and muck. It would not take long, and would help the amphibians. Although it was rumbling, we went back to Snake Bog to see what the site looked like (a low lying boggy area), take photos and get a GPS reading. As we went back to get the GPS reading, Jamie spotted a coiled Agkistrodon contortrix in hunting posture, and I saw a juvenile Crotalus horridus. They were within about 2 minutes of walking between one another. We got pictures of both using the digital camera (too dark for mine).

After dinner, all of us drove around the Wildlife Drive, but we saw no snakes. Found a few H. cinerea and B. terrestris on the road – it had (was) raining a little, but not too hard. We were surprised at not seeing more.

18. Rained some last night, but clear in the morning. This quickly gave way to clouds, rain squalls and thunderstorms which followed us up to Savannah. Again nothing in the traps at Woody, although R. grylio, R. catesbeiana, and H. cinerea were calling. The Borrow Pit Pond produced a welcome surprise – a Hyla gratiosa calling from high in the wax myrtle trees bordering the pond. We captured him and took many photos before releasing him back to his tree. We also caught or heard more newts, cricket frogs, a pinewoods treefrog, and leopard frogs. We again caught leopard frog tads at Goose, with H. cinerea calling in the distance. We saw a large female Trachemys scripta on the way to Greenhead; she looked like she was getting ready to nest? Got photos. We also caught a nice N. fasciata in a trap at Greenhead (plus a leopard frog tadpole). Only a newt at Widgeon, with green treefrogs occasionally calling. At Lucas Pond, we caught R. grylio tads, and more newts at Lucas Borrow Pit. Partly cloudy and threatening to storm, then dumping on us at Lucas Borrow Pit.

We had to rebattery the weather station, as for some reason the previous batteries malfunctioned. We were late getting away from Harris Neck, and then hit traffic associated with an accident at the Port Wentworth exit. Finally got to Savannah and checked in – everything was ready for us. As many of the rice fields were dry or lacked hardly any water, we set around the Wildlife Drive and northern dikes, three locations of which we had previously sampled. The unpredictability of water at sampling locations makes it difficult to pre-determine sites, even from one trip to the next. We only set 4 traps at Kingfisher this time because the traps will be out on a Friday night.

We met Jennifer and Margaret (and her brother and his girlfriend) at an Indian restaurant in Savannah. Not our normal routine, but I enjoyed the food.

19. Beautiful clear morning. We picked up the boat FWS (Russ Webb) kindly lent us, and launched from Beck's Ferry. We went upriver around Hickory Bend to the mouth of muddy Bear Creek, then down the creek 100 m or so before we ran into an impassible log jam. The creek looked navigable beyond the jam, but there was no way we were getting through it. We docked and surveyed the high ground and a shallow (now dry) wetland channel running in to the interior (45 min) (site BI-5). Great huge trees of sycamore and ??? towered overhead, with diameters of 1.5 m and more, and thick stands of canebreak lined the banks and some of the sunny interior sites. Plenty damp under logs and litter (yesterday's rain), but no amphibians or reptiles seen. H. squirella and H. chrysoscelis were calling occasionally from high in the trees. Lots of mosquitos, as there would be everywhere we went on Bear Island and later on the Solomon Tract. As I later found out, the ticks and chiggers also were pretty abundant.

We then went back out to the river channel and surveyed a series of pools and channels (60 min) (BI-4). We found a few of what appeared to be leopard frog tadpoles in remaining pools, but not many of them. I caught a very large R. clamitans (photo), and gray treefrogs were again calling occasionally high in the trees. No reptiles.

We continued down river to FWS transect 1, and followed it for 471 m inland (BI-6) (50 min). Again there were many pools and channels paralleling the river, but again most were empty of amphibians. We saw both adult and metamorphosing R. clamitans, a single clutch of Bufo terrestris eggs (photo; at least I assume it was southern toad eggs), and heard H. chrysoscelis calling from the trees. This time, Jamie spotted a lone Anolis carolinensis on a tree. Lots of mossies and poison ivy everywhere. The temps weren't too bad (the thermometer's battery had died) and the humidity tolerable. Too many bitees however.

We again stopped at FWS transect 2 (BI-1) but we did not venture very far inland (45 min). There was much more water than when we were here last year, and it somewhat difficult to remember exactly where we collected because of the different water levels. When we stopped, there was a fairly large chorus of R. clamitans and H. chrysoscelis calling, but they stopped abruptly upon our arrival and remained quiet while we looked around. Found metamorph R. clamitans and another anole, but that's it. I kept expecting to see a toad or a snake, but no luck. Lots of inverts in the pools might inhibit the production of amphibian larvae. Collected a raccoon skeleton for Scott.

Finally, we cruised down river to an old river meander channel (BI-7), which was an isolated beautiful spot with open forest and good sized cypress. We spent looking 30 min there, but only heard gray treefrogs despite outstanding availability of coarse woody debris and loose bark. As we were preparing to leave (ca. 17:30), the shade was covering the meander, an alligator cruised the water, and a great blue heron watched our noisy boat. I am sure they were happy to have their quiet returned. I collected a few shells of freshwater mussels for Jim.

We got the boat back (collected another valve at the landing), but it wasn't until late that we finally got to the Cripple Crab. Slept hard and deep until very early AM.

20. Generally cloudy to partly cloudy all day, until about 17:00 when a cold front moved through dropping temps and bringing heavy rain. We were supposed to go frog call listening that night, but the thunderstorms and rain (severe t'storm warnings) caused us to bail out.

Spent the morning checking traps. At Kingfisher, the usual cricket frogs, calling bull and pig frogs, a possible R. sphenocephala (retained), and metamorphosing bronze frogs. Saw a large Coluber constrictor sunning itself (or trying to) at the south end of the pond on plant debris. Dipped the shallow end to supplement trapping/frog logger, but no toads. There were no amphibians seen or heard at WD-8, and a little stinker (S. odoratus) and a larval leopard frog at WD-3. However, we got two Siren lacertina at ND-4, including the largest one I have ever seen (got photos). Pig frogs were calling both here and at HQ-1, where we also got two more Siren. Real good day for them. After collecting our data, we drove over to the Solomon Tract to spend the rest of the afternoon. Very large numbers of mossies, and some distant thunder as the afternoon wore on.

At a little puddle (ST-5), we got more transforming bronze frogs and a single newt. This pond was drying rapidly. Surprisingly, they had bulldozed "Malformation Pond," and nothing was left of this site. AT ST-3, more of the same, but with Hyla chrysoscelis tads (we think; collected and photo). The slope at ST-1 had moisture, but the river floodplain had drastically receded since March. Jamie saw a Diadophis punctatus sunning itself, and a lone H. squirella called. Pretty depauperate. At ST-4 and ST-6, the mosquitos got serious. However, we turned up good numbers of Plethodon variolatus, a Gastrophryne carolinensis (new refuge record; ST-6), and a nice adult Nerodia erythrogaster (photographed). Captured a small armadillo (one of 4 with its adult mom) to show Denise, then let it scamper to safety (and mom waiting) in its nearby den. Saw a large Eumeces at ST-6, but could not capture it.

Dinner at Los Magueyes – really good authentic Mexican food. Then lots of rain.

21. Picked up the traps in very cool (cold?), misty and heavily overcast, and windy weather. Felt more like March. Virtually no amphibians in any traps or even calling, where yesterday they had been common. Got a little stinkpot at HQ-1. Locked up the FWS compound, and boogied home to arrive in another thunderstorm in Gainesville. At least it was warmer.

July (CKD, WJB, DG)

25. Drive from Gainesville to Harris Neck NWR. Cloudy to clear, depending on time, with temperatures in the low to mid90's. White heat over the marsh.

Deb gave us the fish stocking information  millions of fish stocked over the last two years.

We set at:

Borrow Pit (2): Rana sphenocephala and Acris gryllus calling/seen. The small alligator was present and, as usual, quite curious. Saw a subadult Hyla femoralis along the shore.

Woody (4): Traps set on east side. A few alligators, but not many considering the intense heat and sun. Many fledgling wood storks.

Snipe 1 and 2: Very drawn down, but put 4 traps out in each in an effort to catch tadpoles for the disease study.

Goose (3): Saw a school of large ranid tadpoles gulping air in the center.

Widgeon (2): Very low. Heard a small pod of baby gators, and saw the head of the attending female. Subadult Hyla cinerea observed.

Lucas (3): Saw a Coluber constrictor.

Drove wildlife drive about 20:00. Saw nothing, but took photo of the red boiling sun descending over the marsh.

About 20:45, Jamie and I walked over to Borrow Pit Pond. Saw the juvenile alligator, and called him to the shoreline where he just hung in the water. Saw H. cinerea juvenile on the willows, and heard Acris calling. Nothing else. We then walked over to Woody Pond, and heard R. grylio, R. catesbeiana, H. cinerea, and A. gryllus calling. Nothing serious though. Very large numbers of alligators everywhere in the pond. Lightning bugs still making quite a show for so late in the year. Saw nothing on the road walking back to the trailer. Very humid with lots of stars, and the temperatures somewhat bearable.

26. Cloudy in the morning, but shortly clearing completely; promises to be the hottest day of the year. We recorded 98 F in the shade behind the refuge headquarters at about 14:30 as we were heading out. Bloody hot. White shimmering heat.

Drove around the circuit, and checked traps. Nothing much at Woody; newt larvae at Borrow Pit (also photographed a nice A. gryllus tadpole) and while dipnetting at Lucas Borrow Pit (some medium sized to ca. 30 mm total length); R. sphenocephala at Culvert, but no tadpoles; H. femoralis and G. carolinensis at North Runway Ditch the GC transforming (photo); nothing at Snipe 1, but tons of catfish (bullheads) and 8 R. catesbeiana at Snipe 2; lots of gulping tads at Goose, but nothing in the traps; a newt and H. cinerea tads at Widgeon (lots of banana spiders!); nothing at all at Lucas Pond. Didn't see the gators at Widgeon (but heard a few juvenile grunts). Tremendous numbers of gators in Snipe 2.

We wanted to get tadpoles at Goose, so we went back and got a cast net from Deb. Jamie tried many times without success before getting a tadpole. Then he hit the jackpot and got about 10 very large R. catesbeiana tads. The interesting thing is that the RC tads from Goose and those from Snipe 2 are very different in size and appearance. In Goose, they are large, dark green dorsally, yellowcolored ventrally, and slightly mottled. In Snipe, they are mediumsized, olive green dorsally, creamcolored ventrally, and heavily mottled. As such, the RC from Snipe 2 match those of Orangeburg NFH, and those from Goose match the Coastal Plain variety. This is not surprising, perhaps, because of the origin of the fish shipments (Deb gave us the records). In any case, we spent the hottest part of the hottest day standing in the direct sun trying to catch tadpoles. Took photos of both types.

We packed up 5 RC from each location, and took them to the FedEx office in Brunswick to be sent to David Green in Madison. He should have them tomorrow morning.

We drove over to Snipe Pond to see how the wood stork netting was going (it wasn't; the birds were not cooperating). Lots of wood storks, egrets, and white and glossy ibis. Stood around talking for a while before giving up and heading to the Morgan for dinner. On the way to Snipe, we surprised a 5 foot alligator walking down the middle of wildlife drive between Woody and Borrow Pit. Took photo, but have no clue where it was heading. Still quite warm, but the setting sun has calmed the day's fire.

Ticks are pretty common; deer flies are still around. Mosquitoes and noseeums seem to be giving us a break. Maybe it's too hot for them. Saw a single deer this morning out by the runway, and a cotton rat over by Lucas Borrow Pit. Lots of R. sphenocephala at the borrow pit too.

27. Definitely the hottest day of the year, with temps predicted about 100 and a heat index of 115. Not a cloud in the sky for much of the day, especially all morning. The heat turned completely white out over the marsh and in distant horizons. Looked like smoke at times, with a milky film covering the horizon. Not a day for intensive field work, but we had trapping to do.

Started by collecting the traps. Not too much of interest. A few R. catesbeiana tads for the most part (at Goose, Snipe 1 and 2) and another H. cinerea tad at Widgeon; most of the traps were devoid of amphibians. Even the fish were largely dead, inasmuch as the % DO was very pitiful in most of these highly eutrophic systems. Not a single snake seen, and no turtles basked. However, there were lots of alligators virtually everywhere, and we saw the female and her yearold brood at Widgeon again (one was guarding the trap).

While we were at Harris Neck, a group from FWS and SREL were trying to "gun" for mature wood storks to apply satellite transmitters. They only caught 1 while we were there (Tues night and Wed morning). Very hot out on the dikes. Two grad students were involved: one from UF (Peter Fredericks' student) and the other from Florida A&M. very hot out there, and we quickly tired of the wait.

Moved on to Savannah, and set traps along Wildlife Drive, northern dikes (at the waterfowl net site) and Kingfisher Pond. Hazy hot out over the marshes. Russ told us they did not stock Kingfisher, but had stocked the marshlands with the "leftovers" from Orangeburg. More bells ringing. Nothing moving on the marsh, but alligators seem to prefer "put in" sites (where small boats can be launched) along the marsh banks. We often saw heads of pretty goodsized animals waiting at these sites.

Dinner at Mi Tierrita. Seafood chimichanga. Yum.

28. Another very hazy and hot day. All morning the haze fell over the marsh in white heat while we checked the traps. We had set mostly along the Wildlife Drive where the water was accessible. Most of the time it was either too shallow, or completely blocked by very dense stands of cutgrass stems. Looks like sawgrass but not that sharp. Still, it is not an option to try and hack through the vegetation and wade through deep mud to set at a steepwalled canal. The alligators would eat up the traps anyway, and it would be damn dangerous.

We captured another Siren lacertina (WD3) and two Amphiuma means (at ND3). Also another Sternotherus odoratus (not much larger than a hatchling, but very feisty). Pig frogs called from the marsh during the heat of the day.

At the farthest north point on the northeast dikes, we hiked through a beautiful swamp forest directly east along a high dike. It went toward Dodge Tram Road, and we intersected it near the Garret Cemetery (the location of which is incorrect on the topo map). We could not find the sugar mill ruins mentioned by Russ Webb, but we got to see the old "lost" cemetery in the woods (most graves in the early 1920's) and a forest we never would have otherwise seen. Rana clamitans were heard occasionally calling from the swamps  mostly "clunks."

A few alligators patrolled the canals, but I think it was even too hot for them. We hit gold at Kingfisher Pond  2 traps had 333 and 321 Rana heckscheri tads (all told, 662 tads in the 4 traps). Only 2 R. grylio. Unfortunately, a number died, so we got a nice collection for disease screening and the museum. A softshell turtle nest was destroyed along the road. Bloody hot as we tried to photograph a heckscheri tad.

As we got up to DT3, a series of thunderstorms rolled through, dropping the temperature but not causing the mosquitoes to let up. Some rain (but not torrential) which caused us to sit and wait and sweat until it ended. Then we did time constrained surveys at DT3, DT5, DT1 and DT6. The mosquitoes were most unnerving at the first three in the wet and still darkened forest. At DT6, however, there was no sign of rain and the mosquitoes were not so bad. We saw 2 cottonmouths (DT3; DT1) and I saw 2 Desmognathus auriculatus under a single log at DT1. Hot and thoroughly drenched with sweat. Denise has earned the nickname "bumps" because of all her welts.

Dinner at the Cripple Crab.

29. Picked up the traps and headed back to Gainesville. Collected a DOR C. constrictor just on the other side of the causeway leading into Georgia (Port Wentworth).

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