As a component of the Bucks County Natural Areas Inventory update project (BCNAI), Marlin Corn, Naturalist for the Churchville Nature Center, is conducting the herpetological inventory (reptile and amphibian surveys). The original BCNAI project, coordinated by Dr. Ann Rhoads of the University of Pennsylvania and the Morris Arboretum, was conducted in the late 1990's. Essentially, this project was an attempt to document as many plant and animal species within Bucks County as possible, with Dr. Rhoads conducting the botanical work. While a number of individuals contributed herpetological data, the original project did not have an official herpetologist per se. The current update project, once again spearheaded by Dr. Rhoads, begain in 2009, and is an effort to document additional species, as well as re-verify previously documented populations. To date over fourty amphibian and reptile species have been documented withing the county borders. The project will continue until the autumn of 2010. We are very interested in hearing from county residents who would welcome us to survey their properties, particularly if wetlands are present. We are also interested in hearing from potential volunteers for this project. If you have any reptile and amphbian data you would be willing to share, or if you are interested in participating in field surveys, please contact CNC Naturlalist Marlin Corn at (215) 357-4005 ext. 13, or via e-mail at mdcorn@co.bucks.pa.us . A list of documented species will be posted once the BCNAI project is completed.

Pictured: Top - Eastern Milksnake

Left - Eastern Box Turtle

Right - Five-lined Skink

Photos taken by M.D. Corn