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The simplest technique for collecting most reptiles and amphibians is 
simply to slap a hand on or over them. Snakes may be pinned with a foot 
or a stick and picked up just behind the head. When held in this manner, a 
snake should also have a hand placed under it to support the body or it may 
thrash violently enough to snap its neck. The inexperienced person never 
should pick up or handle poisonous snakes. (In Canada the only poisonous 
snakes known to occur are rattlesnakes. These may usually be recognized 
by the rattles on the tail, but an occasional specimen may have its rattles 
broken off.) When in a rattlesnake area there is no substitute for being 
able to identify the local snakes on sight. Non-poisonous snakes have many 
fine needle-sharp recurved teeth, and the larger ones may inflict a painful 
bite. However, this is not dangerous unless the wound becomes infected. 
Frogs should be held around the body just in front of the hind legs. Lizards 
and salamanders may be held behind the head or by the body but never by 
the tail. In some species the tail readily snaps off. Frogs and salamanders 
are incapable of inflicting wounds, and even the bite of our larger lizards is 
usually no more than a painful pinch. Turtles should be grasped with one 
hand on either side of the shell, by the rear edge of the shell, or by the tail. 
Particular care must be exercised when handling Snapping Turtles ( Chelydra 
serpentina) and Softshelled Turtles ( Trionyx spinifer ) as both can inflict 
nasty w r ounds with their razor-sharp jaws. Their long necks allow them to 
reach some distance back over their shells. Most other turtles may give a 
painful nip but rarely break the skin. Because of their sharp claws, the 
flailing feet of a struggling turtle are to be avoided. 
Collecting Techniques 
Permanent and temporary water. Many reptiles and amphibian species 
are associated, at least for some period in their life history, with permanent 
or temporary water habitats. Some species are restricted to this environ- 
ment. The collector should walk around the margins of all water areas, 
alertly watching for specimens. Frogs, snakes, and turtles may all be found 
basking on the edge of such areas or on logs, boards, vegetation, and debris 
which project above the surface of the water. For larger ponds, rivers, and 
lakes, a boat may prove very useful as it allows the collector to approach 
from the open water side of a resting animal. It is essential to approach 
such areas carefully and make as little disturbance as possible. 
Both day (particularly a warm, sunny one) and night collecting are 
profitable. A dip net is very useful, and hook and line, seines, and traps can 
yield specimens difficult to obtain by hand. These are discussed below. 
A good pair of binoculars (8 x 30 or 7 x 35) is invaluable to carefully scan 
for animals from some distance and to locate and identify specimens that 
might otherwise slip away unnoticed. 
Some special methods for collecting turtles from a boat have been 
discussed by Haney and Smith (1950). Water goggling has been recom- 
mended by Marchand (1945) as effective in both observing and collecting 
aquatic turtles. Svihla (1959) has given a method of collecting the 
specialized stream-dwelling tadpoles of the Tailed Toad ( Ascaphus truei). 
Martof (1963) has discussed a damming procedure for diverting one channel 
of a two-channelled stream for effective collecting in this habitat. 
Cover. One cardinal rule in herpetological collecting is that the com- 
petent collector literally ‘leaves no stone unturned’ in his search for specimens. 
