Amphibian and Reptile Inventory and Monitoring, Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks, 2000-2003 Final Report

Patla, Debra; Peterson, Charles

A project report for an inventory and monitoring project that lasted from 2001-2003, surveying the species of amphibians and reptiles that are present in the Greater Yellowstone Network and then monitoring these species. Amphibian and reptile surveys have been conducted in Grand Teton (GRTE) and Yellowstone (YELL) national parks since 2000, supported by the United States Geological Surveys's Amphibian Research & Monitoring Initiative and National Park Service's Inventory & Monitoring program. This is the final report for the inventory project, covering 2000 through 2003. For amphibians, work consisted of systematic surveys in randomly selected catchments, targeted species searches, and monitoring of a frog population at a long-term study area. For reptiles, searches were conducted in likely habitat for targeted species. Species lists were updated: 5 species of amphibians and 4 species of reptiles are present in GRTE; 4 species of amphibians and 6 species of reptiles are present in YELL. Several other species of amphibians and reptiles are historic and/or remain unconfirmed in the parks. This project provided the first systematically-collected amphibian occurrence data for YELL and GRTE, including remote areas where amphibians have not been documented previously. Surveys of potential amphibian breeding habitat were conducted at 150+ sites in 13 catchments in GRTE, and at 466 sites in 19 catchments in YELL. The Columbia Spotted Frog was the most widely distributed species in both parks; the Boreal Toad was the least common. In YELL, more breeding sites were found for Boreal Chorus Frogs than any other species in all 4 years of surveys. In GRTE, Boreal Chorus Frogs vied with Columbia Spotted Frogs for having the most numerous breeding sites. Statistical methods are being developed and tested with these data to provide unbiased estimates of proportion of area occupied, which can be used to investigate amphibian population trends across the parks. Targeted surveys for Northern Leopard Frogs failed to detect this species in areas that were historically occupied or where leopard frogs were recently reported: the species remains historic and unconfirmed in GRTE, and unconfirmed in YELL. Targeted surveys of previously-identified breeding sites for Boreal Toads indicated that the species persists at most of these sites, but concerns remain about disease and the potential for declines. Among reptiles, the Intermountain Wandering Gartersnake is the most common and widely-distributed species in both parks. Other reptile species (except the Rubber Boa, which is uncommon but widely distributed) appear to be mostly confined to certain areas within the parks, such as low elevations or thermal areas. A Columbia Spotted Frog population near Lodge Creek was studied historically (1950s) and has been monitored annually since the early 1990s. Recruitment was low 2001-2003, probably due to drought. Nearly the entire cohort of young-of-the-year spotted frogs at the mouth of Lodge Creek were infected by encysted parasites in 2003, a phenomenon that has not been seen previously elsewhere in the parks or northwest Wyoming to our knowledge. Diagnostic examinations by USGS of collected specimens (found dead) revealed that two major infectious diseases are present in amphibian populations of YELL: ranavirus and chytridiomycosis (chytrid fungal disease). (Abstract as submitted by authors).

Amphibian and Reptile Inventory and Monitoring, Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks, 2000-2003 Final Report

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