THE HERPETOLOGY OF MICHIGAN. 



GENERAL INTRODUCTION. 



BY ALEXANDER G. RUTHVEN. 



In view of the geographical situation of Michigan, it miglit be 

 expected that its reptile and amphibian faunas would by this time 

 be at least as well known as those of other states east of the 

 Mississippi River. As it is our knowledge of the status of these 

 groups in the state is astonishingly meager. It is true that all of 

 the species known to occur in the state are well known to herpe- 

 tologists, as they are, without exception, forms that occur com- 

 monly elsewhere in eastern North America, but of the actual num- 

 ber of forms that occur within our limits and the distribution, 

 habits and variations of these we have as yet most inadequate data. 

 Furthermore, there are practically no general works on the amphi- 

 bians and reptiles of the state for the use of students and other 

 persons interested in natural history. 



Recognizing the need of a summary of the herpetology of Michi- 

 gan the survey set aside out of the appropriation for 1907, |250.00 

 for the preparation of a work on the reptiles of Michigan and out 

 of the appropriation for 1911, |200.00 for the preparation of a re- 

 port on the amphibians of the state. The writer took personal 

 charge of the reptile work, and with the appropriation engaged 

 Miss Frances Dunbar, assistant in zoology in the University of 

 Michigan, to assist him. The second appropriation was given to 

 Miss Crystal Thompson and Miss Helen Thompson, who have had 

 charge of the amphibian work under the direction of the writer. 



In the pursuit of the work two ideas have been kept in mind: 

 first, to make the results of genuine scientific value as a summary 

 of our knowledge of the status of the groups in the state, and, 

 second, to present the results in such form that the}^ may be readily 

 grasped by students and teachers and used as a reference work in 

 the schools of the state. In order to place Michigan herpetology 

 on a firm basis only those species are included (a) of which the 

 writers have examined specimens^ from authentic Michigan local- 



1 All specimens refeired to in this report are in the University of Michigan Museum of Nat- 

 ural History unless otherwise stated. 



