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Volume 73—1993

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County Records, Voucher Specimens, and Notes on Turtles (Reptilia: Testudines) in Oklahoma.

Jeffrey H. Black and William A. Carter
Department of Biology, East Central University, Ada, OK 74820

Jimmie Pigg
Oklahoma State Department of Health, Oklahoma City, OK 73124

Received: 1992 Dec 08; Revised: 1993 Apr 16

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Nineteen species and subspecies of turtles have been reported from Oklahoma (1-3). Turtles range throughout Oklahoma; 18 of these have their distribution primarily determined by appropriate aquatic habitats. Owing to their aquatic nature and difficulty of capture, turtles have received little study within Oklahoma.

Webb (1) was the first to publish detailed range maps of reptiles in Oklahoma. He based his distribution maps on specimens he examined, museum records, published records, personal observations, and contributed field records from other herpetologists. In 1984, Secor and Carpenter (2) published distribution maps for reptiles in Oklahoma. Their distribution maps were based on Webb (1), new published distribution records since Webb, sightings by reliable observers, and records from several museums within and outside of Oklahoma. All records were put into a computer base known as DOKARRS (Distribution of Oklahoma Amphibians and Reptiles by Recorded Sightings) developed by Carpenter (4).

Many DOKARRS records in Secor and Carpenter (2) and some distribution records in other publications do not indicate whether records are based on voucher specimens (specimens preserved in a museum or university). Since Secor and Carpenter, several papers have been published reporting county records and voucher specimens for turtles in Oklahoma (5-14). Sievert and Sievert (15) and Conant and Collins (3) also showed distribution maps for turtle species found in Oklahoma, but specific county collection localities were not indicated.

This paper reports one state record, twelve county records, and fifty-five voucher specimens in the East Central University Biological Collection (ECUBC). These specimens represent new state and county records for Oklahoma as well as voucher specimens which verify published records and previous sight (DOKARRS) records in Secor and Carpenter (2).

The ECUBC contains nearly 600 preserved turtle specimens, most collected within the past 30 years. From 1981 through 1991, Jimmie Pigg has conducted a study of rivers, streams, and lakes throughout Oklahoma as part of the Biological Monitoring Program of the Oklahoma State Health Department. Turtle specimens from this study have been catalogued into the ECUBC. The personal collection of W.A. Carter is also housed at East Central University and specimens from this collection are indicated by WAC numbers.

All state and county records and voucher specimens listed in this paper are represented by specimens in the ECUBC. Site of collection, date of collection, collector, ECUBC or WAC number, and whether it is a state or county record or voucher specimen is indicated. For each specimen reference is made to the literature for which the specimen serves as a county or state record or voucher specimen. Localities are arranged alphabetically by county, and scientific and vernacular names used are those recommended by Collins (16).

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REFERENCES

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1.   Webb, R.G., Reptiles of Oklahoma. Univ. Oklahoma Press, Norman, OK (1970).

2.   Secor, S.M. and Carpenter, C.C., Distribution Maps of Oklahoma Reptiles. Oklahoma Herpetol. Soc. Spec. Publ. No. 3. 1-57 (1984).

3.   Conant, R., and Collins, J.T., A Field Guide To Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, 3rd ed., Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, MA (1991).

4.   Carpenter, C.C., DOKARRS. Bull. Oklahoma Herpetol. Soc. 2, 22-25 (1977).

5.   Secor, S. M., New County Records for Oklahoma Reptiles. Bull. Oklahoma Herpetol. Soc. 9, 33 (1984).

6.   Mulvany, P.S., and Mulvany, M.C., New County Records for Reptiles in Craig and Notawa Counties. Bull. Oklahoma Herpetol. Soc. 10, 12-14 (1985).

7.   Mathers, C.M., New County Records for Reptiles in Grady County, Oklahoma. Bull. Oklahoma Herpetol. Soc. 11, 14 (1986).

8.   Vance, T., Two Unreported Turtle Records for Love County, Oklahoma. Bull. Oklahoma Herpetol. Soc. 11, 13 (1986).

9.   Cline, G.R., Miscellaneous Accounts of Some Herptiles of Ottawa County, Oklahoma. Bull. Oklahoma Herpetol. Soc. 11, 32-33 (1986).

10.   Black, J.H., Latham, E., Pigg, J., and Lardie, R., Distribution Records and Notes on Trionyx in Oklahoma. Bull. Oklahoma Herpetol. Soc. 11, 42-44 (1986).

11.   Gates, C.E., Pigg, J., and Black, J.H., Verification of the Yellow Mud Turtle in Pottawatomie and Grant Counties, Oklahoma. Bull. Oklahoma Herpetol. Soc. 11, 19(1986).

12.   Barnes, S.B., Black, J.H., and Pigg, J., New Distribution Records of the Genus Sternotherus in Oklahoma. Bull. Chicago Herpetol. Soc. 21, 98-99 (1986).

13.   Black, J.H., Pigg, J., and Lardie, R.L., Distribution Records of Graptemys in Oklahoma. Bull. Maryland Herpetol. Soc. 23, 65-68 (1987).

14.   Bethune, K.A., Pigg, J., Black, J.H., and Carter, W.A., County Records and Notes on Apalone in Oklahoma. Bull. Oklahoma Herpetol, Soc. 14, 5-7 (1990).

15.   Sievert, G. and Sievert, L., A Field Guide to Reptiles of Oklahoma. Oklahoma Dept. Wildlife Conserv., Oklahoma City, OK (1988).

16.   Collins, J.T., Standard Common and Current Scientific Names for North American Reptiles and Amphibians, 3rd ed., Society for the Study of Reptiles and Amphibians (1990).

17.   Carter, W.A., Distribution Records for Oklahoma Reptiles. Proc. Okla Acad. Sci. 46, 33-36 (1966).

18.   Carter, W.A., Amphibians and Reptiles Known from Pontotoc County, Oklahoma. Proc. Okla. Acad Sci. 47, 66-71 (1968).

19.   Smith, H.M. and Leonard, A.B., Distributional Records of Reptiles and Amphibians in Oklahoma. Am. Midl. Nat. 15, 190-196 (1934).

20.   Burt, C.E., and Burt, M.D., Field Notes and Locality Records on a Collection of Amphibians and Reptiles Chiefly from the Western Half of the United States. II. Reptiles. J. Washington Acad. Sci. 19, 448-460 (1929).

21.   Force, E.R. Notes on Reptiles and Amphibians of Okmulgee County, Oklahoma. Copeia 1925, 25-27 (1925).

22.   Carpenter, C.C., Records of Distribution for Amphibians and Reptiles of Oklahoma. Proc. Okla. Acad. Sci. 35, 39-41 (1955).

23.   Harwood, P.D., Some Parasites of Oklahoma Turtles. J. Parasitol. 18, 98-101 (1931).

24.   Laughlin, H.E., Stomach Contents of Some Aquatic Snakes from Lake McAlester, Pittsburgh [sic] County, Oklahoma. Texas J. Sci. 11, 83-85 (1959).

25.   Carpenter, C.C., Additional Distribution Records for Oklahoma Reptiles. Proc. Okla. Acad. Sci. 38, 71-74 (1958).