Amphibian community monitoring at Horseshoe Bend National Military Park, 2012
Smrekar BD, Byrne MW, Kleinschmidt L, Schwartz NP. 2013. Amphibian community monitoring at Horseshoe Bend National Military Park, 2012. Natural Resource Data Series. NPS/SECN/NRDS—2013/550. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado
This report summarizes amphibian community vital signs monitoring data collected at Horseshoe Bend National Military Park in 2012. During 2012, visual encounter surveys (VESs) and automated recording devices (ARDs) were used to collect data at 30 spatially balanced random locations within Horseshoe Bend National Military Park. Auditory recordings were collected at the park from 3/23/2012 through 6/11/2012 and visual surveys were conducted from 5/9/2012 to 5/25/2012. We detected 22 amphibian species during 2012 monitoring activities. We detected 226 vocalizations from 12 identifiable anuran species using the ARDs. We detected 154 post-metamorphic amphibians in 22 species and five identifiable taxa (order or genus), and 83 larval stage amphibians in five species and one genus during the VESs. The American toad (Anaxyrus americanus) had the highest frequency of occurrence among amphibians at HOBE in 2012. American toad and Fowler’s toad (Anaxyrus fowleri) had the highest relative detection frequencies of vocalizations during the 77-day ARD recording period. Southern two-lined salamander (Eurycea cirrigera) had the highest relative abundance of post-metamorphic amphibians during VESs in 2012. American toad was both the most widely distributed amphibian and the most widely distributed anuran species at HOBE in 2012, while slimy salamander (Plethodon glutinosis) was the most widely distributed salamander species. Both species were found in all four quadrants of the park. We detected 303 reptiles in 16 identifiable taxa (genus or species) during the VESs. One reptile was confirmed for the first time in the park and added to the species list; the gray rat snake (Elaphe obsoleta spiloides). Although we detected a higher number of live Eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina) individuals during the 2012 monitoring activities than in the 2011 surveys, most detections of live turtles were restricted to the Northeast quadrant of the park, leading to some concern on the status of the species at HOBE. No non-native species were detected.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Smrekar, Briana; Byrne, Michael; Kleinschmidt, Lisa; Schwartz, Nathan
- Date of Issue
- 2013-09-12
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- HOBE , NRSS , SECN
- Keywords
- Amphibian, Amphibian Monitoring