A REVIEW OF SOUTH CAROLINA PLEISTOCENE TERRESTRIAL VERTEBRATE DIVERSITY

The published Pleistocene terrestrial vertebrate fauna of South Carolina includes mammals, reptiles, and birds. Sanders (2002) reported 74 species and 9 orders of terrestrial mammals, in addition to 12 species and 3 orders of marine mammals. The terrestrial records included Early Irvingtonian Neofiber muskrat and Irvingtonian and Rancholabrean Cervus elaphus elk. Roth and Laerm (1980) and Bentley and Knight (1998) reported 20 species and 3 orders of reptiles including 17 species of turtles, 2 snakes, and an alligator. Chandler and Bentley (2007) and Chandler and Knight (2009) reported 19 species and 9 orders of birds. Bentley and Knight (1998) noted additional reptile, amphibian, and fish specimens awaiting descriptions.

The Pleistocene faunas from Virginia (Eshelman and Grady, 1986; Holman, 1986) provide comparisons for the South Carolina faunas. Eshelman and Grady (1986) reported 90 species and 10 orders of terrestrial mammals, in addition to 3 species and 2 orders of marine mammals. The terrestrial records included Cervus elaphus and Cervus cf. C. elaphus elk. Holman (1986) reported 29 species and 2 orders of reptiles including 4 turtles, 3 lizards, and 22 snakes. Eshelman and Grady (1986) reported 100 species and 17 orders of birds. As noted by Eshelman and Grady (1986), many out of 77 localities in Virginia were either cave deposits or owl roosts in caves, and these deposits included many of the 100 bird species and 26 rodent species.