The amphibians and reptiles are normally treated together as herpetofauna, although they represent two different Vertebrate classes with distinct characteristics and habitat requirements. There are twenty-five species recorded from Nova Scotia, including three marine turtles. The fauna is relatively poor when compared to adjacent mainland areas of the continent, mostly because of the difficulty of post-glacial colonization of this peninsula. Several Nova Scotia species became isolated from the main continental populations during a period of cool climate. Due to this isolation, these species show more morphological variation. The Blanding's Turtle and Northern Ribbon Snake are disjunct populations in southwest Nova Scotia.

This Document Includes:

Colonization
Amphibians
Reptiles

Snakes
Freshwater Turtles
Marine Turtles

Special Features
Cultural Factors

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Additional Keywords:
Chignecto Isthmus, COSEWIC, DAPCAN (Declining Amphibian Populations in Canada), IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Areas), temperature, sex ratio

Associated Topics:

T4.1 Post-glacial Climatic Change
T4.3 Post-glacial Colonization by Animals
T8.2 Freshwater Environments
T8.3 Freshwater Wetlands

Associated Habitats:

H3 Fresh Water
H4 Freshwater Wetlands