# Presentation: 499628

## Erika Nowak & Trevor B. Persons

- USGS Southwest Biological Science Center
-  Colorado Plateau Field Station

**Inventory of Reptiles and Amphibians at** 			**Death Valley NP****	****	****	****Manzanar NHS****	****	****	****Mojave NP**

## The Crew

**The Crew**

- Laura Cunningham
- and Erika

- Trevor Persons

- Scott Hillard
- Shawn Knox
- AJ Monatesti
- Bob Parker
- Jason Pilarski
- Justin Schofer
- Eric Zepnewski

- Kevin Emmerich
- Bryan Hamilton
- Kris Heister/I&M Network
- David Morafka
- Dana York & all NPS staff
- CPFS administrative staff

**Thanks to:**

## Potential Inventory Objectives

**Potential Inventory Objectives**

**1. Provide a basis for statistical inference about species richness (provide rigor and repeatability)**

**-OR-**

## Potential Inventory Objectives

**Targeted sampling****	****(DEVA, MOJA)**

**Potential Inventory Objectives**

**1. Provide a basis for statistical inference about species richness**

**Stratified grid-constrained random ****sampling (MANZ)**

**-AND-**

## OUR OBJECTIVES

- Inventory and document the occurrence of reptile and amphibian species
- Within identified priority sampling locations (DEVA and MOJA)
- Within all of MANZ
- Provide one voucher specimen for each species if not previously collected
- Estimate inventory completeness at each park (Master List)
- Enter species data into NPSpecies and provide other deliverables
- 	**	****   ****http://sbsc.wr.usgs.gov/products/ofr**

## METHODS

- Time-recorded visual encounter surveys (VES, NVES)
- Road driving (ROAD)
- Random encounters (RE)
- One hour - one hectare time-area constrained VES (TACS; MANZ)
- 100 m-long lizard line transects (LL; MANZ)
- Pitfall traps (PF; DEVA, MANZ)
- Data mining (museum searches, literature review, contact area experts)
- estimate inventory completeness

## DEVA

-  PSA

**Owlshead**
** ****PSA**

**Greenwater**
** ****PSA**

**DEVA**
**Priority **
**Sampling **
**Areas (6)**
**2002-2004**

## DEVA: NOTABLE SPECIES

**LIZARDS **(16 species)
- *Southern Alligator Lizard (1) *(Elgaria multicarinata)*
- Scotty’s Castle
- Mojave Fringe-toed Lizard  (*Uma scoparia*)
- state species of concern
- Ibex Dunes * *
**SNAKES **(16 species)
- *Ring-necked Snake (1)
- 	(*Diadophis punctatus*)
- near Scotty’s Castle
- Rosy Boa (*Charina trivirgata*)
- rare, collected by poachers
- Darwin Falls

- * = new park record

## DEVA: NOTABLE SPECIES

**DESERT TORTOISE**
- (*Gopherus agassizii*)
- Federally threated
- Greenwater range * *

**AMPHIBIANS **(4 species)
- Bullfrog (*Rana catesbeiana*)
- Saline Valley and Furnace Creek golf course
- Odd-looking Western toads (*Bufo boreas*) hybrids??
- Darwin Falls
- No salamanders documented (*Batrachoseps *seen outside park in 	Waucoba Canyon)

## MANZ: COMPARISON OF METHODS2002-2003

**MANZ: COMPARISON OF METHODS****2002-2003**

| # Species | TACS | LL | VES/
NVES | PF | ROAD | RE |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Total
(per
pers-hr) | 7
(0.36) | 6
(0.11) | 6
(0.09) | 4
(245 
t-days) | 7
(0.09) | 5
 |
| Lizards | 5 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 5 |
| Snakes | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |

**** NO ONE METHOD CAUGHT ALL SPECIES**

## MANZ: NOTABLE SPECIES

**LIZARDS **(7 species)
- Southern Alligator Lizard (*Elgaria multicarinata*)
- apparently rare
**SNAKES **(3 species)
- Nothing unusual:
- Gophersnake (*Pituophis catenifer*)
- Glossy Snake (*Arizona elegans*)
- Coachwhip (*Masticophis flagellum*)

**AMPHIBIANS**
- NONE!!!!!

**T. Persons**

## MOJA PRIORITY SAMPLING AREAS (4) 2004-2005

-  Clark Range
-  Piute Range
-  Piute Creek
-  Cornfield Spring
- (Providence Mtns)

## MOJA: NOTABLE SPECIES

**LIZARDS **(15 species)
- Mojave Fringe-toed Lizard
- (*Uma scoparia*)
- Kelso Dunes
- Did not find Gila Monster (*Heloderma suspectum*)
- seen in 2005 by tourist bet. Clark and Kingston ranges
**SNAKES **(14 species)
- Nothing unusual except high road mortality
**DESERT TORTOISE**
- federally threatened
- Not uncommon

**AMPHIBIANS **(1 species found)
- Red-spotted Toad (*Bufo punctatus*)
- deformities in Piute Creek (post-fire)
- Did not find Pacific Treefrog (*Hyla regilla*)
- introduced at ZZYZX

## OVERALL RESULTS

## OVERALL RESULTS: % INVENTORY COMPLETENESS

|  | DEVA | MANZ | MOJA |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Overall
 | 92 | 50 | 95-100 |
| Amphibians | 73 | 0 | 67-100 |
| Reptiles
 | 95 | 54 | 97-100 |

## DISCUSSION: TIMING ISSUES

- 2002-2004: Impact of drought on survey results
- Likely decrease in numbers of individuals detected and esp. on detected amphibian species richness
- Possible longer-term effects on age class structure
- 2005: WET!
- Limited surveys done at MOJA
- Importance of longer-term studies
- Done by park-based researchers

## DISCUSSION: RARE SPECIES

-   Secretive snakes
-   Rain-breeding amphibians
-  Patchy spatial / temporal distribution
-  Does not support detection at randomly-generated plots
-  Over half of rare species added by random encounters outside 						standard methods

**DISCUSSION: RARE SPECIES**

**J. Pilarski**

## DISCUSSION: SAMPLING ISSUES

- VES surveys most efficient for limited $$ inventories
- TACS and lizard line transects have limited utility for species inventory
- TACS could be useful for monitoring if properly stratified
- Pitfalls useful if long monitoring periods (or inventory if $$$$)
- Will occasionally detect rare or secretive species
- **MUST BE CHECKED FREQUENTLY**

## DISCUSSION: HERP ISSUES 

- Monitor/control non-native or introduced species
- Bullfrogs (eat everything)
- Fish/crayfish (eat amphibian eggs/larvae)
- Monitor amphibians at springs
- Toad deformities at MOJA Piute Creek
- Salamanders in DEVA Panamints??
- Throw money at surveys in wet years
- More general surveys at MANZ
- Road mortality of snakes at MOJA

**B. Parker**

## CONCLUSIONS I: Implications for Future Herpetofauna Inventories

-  Use a variety of methods for documentation
-  Random points are inefficient for inventories:
-  largely document common, already listed species
-  Time, luck, cameras needed to detect rare species
- Herp inventories uncompleted in
- Mojave and other Network Parks
-  Relative abundance estimable only for common species
-  Droughts necessitate longer 		inventory periods
-  Park-funded best

**CONCLUSIONS I: Implications for Future Herpetofauna Inventories**

**T. Persons**

## CONCLUSIONS II: Implications for Future Herpetofauna Inventories

-  Statistical inference or specific sample designs should not become ends in themselves
-  Don’t confuse inventory and monitoring methods/objectives
-  Documentation (of new species or locations) is simple!
-   Easily done by park-based NPS staff or tourists
-   Need camera, GPS, date
-  http://sbsc.wr.usgs.gov/products/ofr

**CONCLUSIONS II: Implications for Future Herpetofauna Inventories**

## J. Pilarski

**J. Pilarski**

## DEVA: EFFORT BY METHOD

**DEVA: EFFORT BY METHOD**

- PFs at Hummingbird Springs, Mahogany Flats
- (also Cunningham and Emmerich traps at Scotty’s Castle and Last Chance Range)

## MOJA: EFFORT BY METHOD

## MANZ 

**MANZ **
**Random **
**Plots* ****(*TACS ****& LL) **
**2002-3003**

## DEVA Potential Reptile Species List Review

- long-tailed brush lizard
- tree lizard
- northern alligator lizard
- southern alligator lizard
- gila monster
- ringneck snake
- Mojave rattlesnake
- western rattlesnake
- western diamondback rattlesnake
- rubber boa
- western terrestrial garter snake

- previously seen in Greenwater Valley
- not likely present – out of range
- low probability of presence in N. mtns
- we documented at Scotty’s Castle
- not likely present- out of range
- we documented at Scotty’s Castle
- high probability of presence in S.
- high probability of presence in N. mtns
- not likely present- out of range
- not likely present- out of range
- low probability of presence

## DEVA Other Potential Species

- western skink
- Mediterranean or house gecko** **
- CA mountain kingsnake
- slender salamanders (*Batrachoseps*)
- ensatina (*Ensatina escholtzii*) or web-toed salamander (*Hydromantes)*
- northern leopard frog
- Great Basin spadefoot
- black toad

- specimen misidentified- not likely
- unconfirmed reports at Scotty’s Castle- unlikely
- possibly present in moist habitats
- slight probability of presence in canyons of Panamint Mountains
- previously recorded on Telescope Peak, low probability of finding it
- likely present historically, low probability of presence in wetlands
- low-fair probability of presence
- introduced in the Saline Valley Marsh

## MANZ Potential Species List- Amphibians

- Slender Salamander (*Batrachoseps* *sp.*)
- Owens Valley web-toed salamander (*Hydromantes* *sp*.)
- Great Basin Spadefoot (*Spea intermontana*)
- Boreal (Western) Toad (*Bufo boreas)*
- Pacific Treefrog (*Hyla regilla*)

- low probability of presence along Bairs Creek
- not likely present – out of elevational range
- good probability of presence
- fair probability of presence
- low probability of presence  along creek

## MANZ Potential Species List- Lizards

- Western Banded Gecko (*Coleonyx variegatus*)
- Desert Night Lizard (*Xantusia vigilis*)
- Great Basin Collared Lizard (*Crotaphytus bicinctores*)
- Western Fence Lizard (*Sceloporus occidentalis*)
- Sagebrush Lizard (*Sceloporus graciosus*)
- Western Skink (*Eumeces skiltonianus*)

- high probability of presence
- good probability of presence
- low probability of presence
- low probability of presence
- low probability of presence
- fair probability of presence

## MANZ Potential Species List - Snakes

-  Ringneck Snake (*Diadophis punctatus*)
- Common Kingsnake (*Lampropeltis getulus*)
- Longnose Snake (*Rhinocheilus lecontei*)** **
- Western Patchnose Snake (*Salvadora hexalepis*)
- Ground Snake (*Sonora semiannulata*)

- low probability of presence along Bairs Creek
- high probability of presence
- high probability of presence
- high probability of presence
- high probability of presence

## Manz Potential Species List – More Snakes

- Western Terrestrial Garter Snake (*Thamnophis elegans*)
- Western Aquatic Garter Snake (*Thamnophis couchii*)
- Night Snake (*Hypsiglena torquata*)
- Southwestern Black-headed Snake (*Tantilla hobartsmithi*)
- Sidewinder (*Crotalus cerastes*)
- Speckled Rattlesnake (*Crotalus mitchelli)*

- low probability of presence along Bairs Creek
- not likely present- unsuitable habitat
- high probability of presence
- good probability of presence
- high probability of presence
- high probability of presence