414 



NATURALIST'S GUIDE TO THE AMERICAS 



Reptiles: Green lizard (Anolis caro- 

 linensis), glass snake (Ophisaurus ventra- 

 lis), whip snake (Coluber flagellum), 

 corn snake (Elaphe guttata), southern 

 green snake {Opheodrys aestivus), ground 

 snake {Carphophis amoena), southern 

 hog-nosed snake (Heterodon sirmis), 

 red-bellied water snake (Natrix sipedon 

 fasziata). 



Amphibians: Ditch eel (Aviphiuma 

 means), dwarf salamander (Manctdus q. 

 quadridigitatus), narrow-mouthed toad 

 {Gastrophryne carolinensis) . 



For convenience the Coastal Plain 

 may be divided into the following areas : 

 (a) Sand Dunes, (b) Sounds, (c) Bay 

 Lands, (d) Cypress Swamps, (e) Savan- 

 nas, (J) Pine Flat Woods, (g) Sand 

 Ridges, (h) Sand Hills and (i) Upland 

 Pine Forests. 



a. Sand dunes. These are mostly 

 small, from 8 to 10 ft. high but locally 

 they range upward to 80 ft. Usually 

 they form narrow bars called "banks" 

 which separate the sea from the sounds. 

 The northeast facing coast is charac- 

 terized by the absence of dune cliffs 

 which may be found in the southeast 

 facing coast. The characteristic plants 

 are sea oats {TJniola paniculata), and 

 sea kale {Cakile edentula). Charac- 

 teristic animals are the ghost crab, 

 sand crabs, salt marsh cicada, Spartina 

 leaf hopper, beach tiger beetle, beach 

 grasshopper, dune fiddler crab. 



h. Sounds. The sounds are broad or 

 narrow shallow areas cut off from the 

 sea by the banks. They vary from 

 fresh water at the mouths of the rivers 

 through brackish water to the salt 

 water of the sea. The characteristic 

 plants are, eel grass [Zostera marina) 

 in the salt water, pond weed in the 

 fresh water, Chara spp. and Ruppia 

 marifima. Some of the characteristic 

 animals are the blue crab, and the 

 oyster. 



1. The salt marshes are characterized 

 by Jtmcus roemerianus and salt marsh 

 grass {Spartina glabra). This is the 

 haunt of the salt marsh fiddler crab 

 and the boat-tailed grackle. 



2. The fresh water marshes are charac- 



terized by the broad -leaved cattail 

 {Typha latifolia) and by Scirpus spp. 

 and the river fiddler crab. 



c. Ray lands. Large areas of level, 

 poorly drained soil covered with a 

 growth of evergreen shrubbery, charac- 

 teristic species being inkberry {Ilex 

 glabra), bayberry {Myrica Carolinensis), 

 Leucothoe spp., and pond pine {Pinus 

 serotina). Characteristic animals are, 

 painted bunting, and diamond rattle- 

 snake {Crotalus adamanteus) . ■ 



d. Cypress swamps. Swamp forest 

 characterized by deep humus soil and 

 the following plants, Nyssa spp., bald 

 cypress {Taxodium distichum), southern 

 white cedar {Chamaecyparis thyoides), 

 and red maple {Acer rubrum). Charac- 

 teristic animals are marsh rabbit {Syl- 

 vilagus palustris), Prothonotory warb 

 ler, Swainson's warbler, American egret, 

 snowy egret, Louisiana heron, little 

 blue heron, Florida cormorant, cotton- 

 mouthed moccasin {Agkistrodon piscivo- 

 rus) and alligator {Alligator missippien- 

 sis). 



e. Savanna. Upland sandy bogs 

 which are level and essentially treeless 

 and covered with a vegetation com- 

 posed of bog xerophytes such as toothache 

 grass {Ctenium aromaticum), trumpets 

 {Sarracenia flava) and Dichromena 

 latifolia. 



f. Pine flat woods. Formerly exten- 

 sive areas of longleaf pine which have 

 been cut and largely replaced by loblolly 

 pine commonly associated with black- 

 jack {Quercus Marylandica), post oak 

 {Q. stellata), water oak {Q. nigra), and 

 Spanish oak {Q. falcata). Characteris- 

 tic animals are ground rattlesnake 

 {Sistrurus miliarius), glass snake and 

 green lizard. 



g. Sand ridges. Local areas in south- 

 eastern part of the state with course 

 sandy soil which appears as a layer of 

 glistening sand, with a characteristic 

 vegetation adapted to this habitat in 

 various ways. The prominent plants 

 are turkey oak {Quercus Catesbaei) 

 and wire grass {Aristida stricta). 



h. Sand hills. Large areas in Hoke, 

 Moore, Cumberland and Montgomery 



