Okefenokee Swamp Vertebrates 
53 
amphibians are known (Fountain 1901 [cited in Wright and Funkhouser 
1915]; Reese 1907). At least three herpetologists participated in the Cor- 
nell collections: A.H. Wright, W.D. Funkhouser, and S.C. Bishop. Dur- 
ing the same period (and possibly with the same expedition) F. Harper 
began recording observations on some of the reptiles and amphibians. In 
two summary publications (Wright and Bishop 1915; Wright and 
Funkhouser 1915), 9 chelonians, 6 saurians (actually 7, as Wright and 
Funkhouser had 2 species of Ophisaurus), 21 serpents and 1 crocodilian 
were recorded. This represents less than half the currently known fauna. 
Harper (1934) discussed aspects of the ecology and behavior of several 
Okefenokee reptiles and amphibians based on his visits, and numerous 
short papers on aspects of the biology of Okefenokee species, mostly 
authored by A.H. Wright, appeared in various scientific journals. Many 
of the observations on anurans in Wright (1932) and Wright and Wright 
(1949) were based on Okefenokee studies. Since these early visits to the 
swamp (up to about 1946), there has only recently been a renewed in- 
terest in its herpetofauna. Several southeastern herpetologists made small 
collections in the area, including W.T. Neill and F.L. Rose, but the 
collections made by C.H. Wharton and his students at Georgia State 
University are by far the most extensive. Additional surveys have been 
conducted by L. Vitt and J. Laerm. Significant collections of Okefenokee 
material can be found at Cornell University, Florida State Museum, 
National Museum of Natural History, University of Georgia Museum of 
Natural History, and University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. 
Comparison With Regional Fauna 
The Okefenokee Swamp contains a diverse herpetofauna of 103 
species and subspecies including 2 crocodilians, 15 chelonians, 38 ser- 
pents, 11 saurians, 16 urodeles, and 21 anurans (Table 2). The present 
herpetofauna can be considered a typical southeastern Atlantic Coastal 
Plain fauna (see Conant 1975). There are no species endemic to the 
swamp. In general species diversity within the swamp and surrounding 
uplands is greater than in similar sized areas in the adjacent southeastern 
Atlantic Coastal Plain, primarily because of the high habitat diversity 
associated with the swamp. However, the high species diversity can also 
be attributed to the fact that at least 20 species of reptiles and amphibians 
reach the limit of their natural range in the region of the swamp (see Co- 
nant 1975). Thus, the faunal diversity is somewhat greater in the 
Okefenokee region in comparison to other Atlantic Coastal Plain 
localities to the immediate north or south. 
Habitat Distribution of the Amphibians and Reptiles 
Unlike the other vertebrates, most amphibians and reptiles in the 
Okefenokee are not usually associated with a particular vegetational 
habitat (blackgum swamps, for example) but rather seem to be associated 
with structural habitats (water courses, sandy bottoms, etc.) Thus, it 
