With the exception of the ornate box turtle, the other turtles in the Sand Hills prefer moister conditions or are literally aquatic. Of the two closely related gartersnakes, the plains and red-sided gartersnakes, the latter requires moister conditions, as does the common watersnake. Like the other vertebrates, the amphibians and reptiles come together in the Sand Hills in a complex entwining of habitats, wet and dry. The wet habitat is further divided into temporary and permanent, still ponds and streams. Complete records of distribution and abundance of amphibians and reptiles in the central Sand Hills area are still unavailable.
G is grassland and P is widespread.
Includes isolated pools left by thunderstorms and by spring flooding and flooded areas next to permanent bodies of water. 3 Found around ponds and lakes away from running water in Eastern Nebraska. Species marginal to the Sand Hills. Prairie Naturalist, no. 11, p. 65-74. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston.