Join herpetologist Scott Smyers as he guides us through the types of snakes and salamanders you can find on Cape Cod. Amphibians and Reptiles all around the world are in trouble. Of the 11 salamander species in the state, three are listed under the MA Endangered Species Act. Of the 14 species of snakes in the state, five are state-listed. They face several dangers throughout their lives, and many amphibians and reptiles perish when they cross roads during their seasonal movements. Loss of habitat is another major threat. Scott will provide a background on their biology and lead us through actions we can take to help these creatures survive on Cape Cod.

This event is free and open to the public, but donations to the PCT are encouraged to keep our nature programming free to the public.

About Scott Smyers

Scott Smyers is President and Principal Scientist at Oxbow Associates. Scott has studied the behavior and ecology of amphibian and reptile species native to the eastern United States for more than 20 years. He has conducted field research, including radio-telemetry, on freshwater turtles Blanding’s turtle (Emydoidea blandingii), spotted turtle (Clemmys guttata), eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina), and wood turtle (Glyptemys insculpta); as well as two venomous snakes: copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix) and timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus). He has also led field studies for pond-breeding amphibians using various trapping techniques. His experience with amphibians includes laboratory studies of three species of pond-breeding salamanders in southern Louisiana including Ambystoma opacum, A. maculatum, and A. talpoideum.