Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm still sleuthing out the origins of the term, as it applies to collared lizards. I just emailed Joseph Collins about it, since the Peterson Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America is one of the sources of the "the noisemaker is a barking frog under the same rock" theory, in which I don't put much stock. I'm hoping he'll have some background on where he heard that rumor.

My position is that the barking frogs can't be the source of any noise attributed to collared lizards since their range is much more southerly than C. collaris. The pioneers of the 19th century embarked mainly from 2 locations: St Louis, Missouri, and Ft Smith, Arkansas. The primary trail I've found that comes into barking frog territory is the Butterfield Overland Trail, which starts in Ft Smith and ends up in SoCal. At any rate, the settlers would encounter collaris along the trails long before they ever got into the range of the frogs.

I've posted some on the subject on my Mountain Boomer Site and will be adding to it as I gather more info.
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Chris McMartin
www.mcmartinville.com
I'm Not a Herpetologist, but I Play One on the Internet

them being found around military bases...We heard lots of booming where we were. I always wondered if it was an Indian term that described them. It may just be a descriptive term like our "baby boomers." Doesn't really have anything to do with sound. I have never found any frogs under rocks with collareds. One would have to be pretty jacked up to mistake one for the other.

John E.

I always wondered if it was an Indian term that described them.

Negative. The term "mountain boomer" was already in existence and applied to red squirrels "back East" before collared lizards were described (by Say on Long's expedition). The red squirrels DO make noise, from what I hear (ha!), and presumably the settlers thought the lizards did too. Perhaps the sound heard was far-off thunder (after all, another bit of folklore is that mountain boomers can predict precipitation).

It may just be a descriptive term like our "baby boomers." Doesn't really have anything to do with sound.

The term "baby boomer" doesn't have anything to do with sound, and neither does the term "mountain boomer" when applied to people, as it applies to people who rushed into the mountains in the South looking for work when new mines were opened (following the "boom" of progress).

However, it appears that "mountain boomer," when applied to animals, is not an anthropomorphization ("look at that lizard standing on its hind legs--it looks just like a hillbilly!" ), but is descriptive of a sound (actual or perceived) the animal makes. Another substantiating example would be the "prairie boomer" (prairie chicken).

I have never found any frogs under rocks with collareds. One would have to be pretty jacked up to mistake one for the other.

For us "in the know," sure. But just think of all the crazy things the pioneers encountered on their journeys west. With the dearth of scientific information available, their imaginations could run wild (hoop snakes and such, for example).
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Chris McMartin
www.mcmartinville.com
I'm Not a Herpetologist, but I Play One on the Internet

The are found near the peyote buttons. Last trip I was on, I nearly got runned over by one. Luckily for me, I was able to deflect its rolling advances with my snake stick.

J

Its true!
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0.1 Veiled Chameleon
0.1.1 Green Anoles 4 eggs
1.1 Easten Collared Lizards

Let there be Lizardz
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