Inventory of amphibians and reptiles at Sagamore Hill National Historic Site

Cook, Robert

Under a National Park Service/Wildlife Conservation Society Cooperative Agreement, we inventoried amphibians and reptiles at Sagamore Hill NHS (SAHI) on Cove Neck, Oyster Bay, New York from March to September 2002. Six standard sampling methods were used; anuran calling surveys, egg mass counts, visual encounter surveys, coverboards, turtle traps, and minnow traps. We recorded animals encountered outside of standard surveys as incidental encounters. Ten species were recorded, representing 91% (10/11) of the species known to be present historically at SAHI and 59% (10/17) of the species that may have occurred. Spotted salamander, wood frog, northern diamond-backed terrapin, and eastern garter snake were the most abundant species in each taxonomic group. In descending order, the most widespread species were eastern box turtle, wood frog, eastern garter snake, spring peeper, and all others. The only “listed” species was eastern box turtle (NY Special Concern). Visual encounter surveys recorded 8 of 10 species, followed by incidental encounters (7), minnow trap survey (3), egg mass count and turtle trap survey (2), anuran calling survey (1), and coverboards (0). Six species, accounting for 61.5% of all individuals recorded, were recorded in permanent pond, four in vernal pond (24.5%) and deciduous forest (4.7%), three (1.4%) in field and one (7.9%) on coastal beach. Two wetlands, Woodpile pond and Heron pond had the greatest numbers of species and individuals recorded at them, highlighting the importance of wetlands at SAHI to amphibians and reptiles. Yet, most species at SAHI are primarily terrestrial, spending most of the year in woodland and field habitats. Amphibians use wetlands at SAHI primarily for reproduction and conversely, the three species of aquatic turtles at SAHI require well drained, open uplands for nesting.Because there was virtually no historic data, a comprehensive trend analysis was not possible. However, painted turtles have declined and there is reason to believe that snakes have also, due to regional urbanization impacts. Although the herpetofauna of SAHI has likely declined, another reason for its low species richness is simply its small size (83 acres) and relative lack of wetland habitats. It has only two small ponds, one of which (Heron pond) appears to be a relatively short hydroperiod vernal pond, and no riparian habitat. Most of the species recorded at SAHI in 2002 are fairly common, suburban tolerant species. However, wood frog, spotted salamander, gray treefrog, and box turtle are locally uncommon species that generally do not survive well in urban-suburban landscapes. Given the impacts of urbanization on amphibians and reptiles, it is clear that the persistence of many species in suburbanized landscapes will be limited to landscapes where patches of several hundred acres of reasonably intact native habitat are present, generally with a park, preserve, or similar “greenspace” at its core. Cove Neck provides a landscape of relatively low density suburban development with much of the native vegetation still intact and SAHI as the core of protected habitat needed to support populations of box turtles and other native amphibians and reptiles in what is the least urbanized corner of Nassau County. However, park management needs to be vigilant for external threats and should ensure that the mowing necessary to maintain the cultural landscape is done without impacting box turtles and other species using field and pasture habitat.

Inventory of amphibians and reptiles at Sagamore Hill National Historic Site

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