National Park Service

U.S. Department of the Interior

Natural Resource Program Center

Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site 

Amphibian and Reptile Inventory

March – September 2001

Natural Resource Report NPS/NETN/NRR—2010/248
ON THE COVER

Northern two-lined salamander - Saugus Iron Works NHS is a locally important site for this 

stream-dwelling salamander.

Photograph by: Dave Brotherton
Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site 

Amphibian and Reptile Inventory 

March – September 2001

Natural Resource Report NPS/NETN/NRR—2010/248

Robert P. Cook

National Park Service

Cape Cod National Seashore

Wellfleet, MA 02667

David K. Brotherton

Department of Herpetology

Wildlife Conservation Society

Bronx Zoo

Bronx, NY 10460-1099

John L. Behler1

Department of Herpetology

Wildlife Conservation Society

Bronx Zoo

Bronx, NY 10460-1099

1 deceased

September 2010

U.S. Department of the Interior

National Park Service

Natural Resource Program Center

Fort Collins, Colorado
ii

The National Park Service, Natural Resource Program Center publishes a range of reports that 

address natural resource topics of interest and applicability to a broad audience in the National 

Park Service and others in natural resource management, including scientists, conservation and 

environmental constituencies, and the public. 

The Natural Resource Report Series is used to disseminate high-priority, current natural resource 

management information with managerial application. The series targets a general, diverse 

audience, and may contain NPS policy considerations or address sensitive issues of management 

applicability.

All manuscripts in the series receive the appropriate level of peer review to ensure that the 

information is scientifically credible, technically accurate, appropriately written for the intended 

audience, and designed and published in a professional manner. This report received formal peer 

review by subject-matter experts who were not directly involved in the collection, analysis, or 

reporting of the data, and whose background and expertise put them on par technically and 

scientifically with the authors of the information.

Views, statements, findings, conclusions, recommendations, and data in this report do not 

necessarily reflect views and policies of the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the 

Interior. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or 

recommendation for use by the U.S. Government.

This report is available from the Northeast Temperate Network, 

(http://science.nature.nps.gov/im/units/NETN/monitor/monitor.cfm) and the Natural Resource 

Publications Management website (http://www.nature.nps.gov/publications/NRPM).

Please cite this publication as:

Cook, R. P., D. K. Brotherton, and J. L. Behler. 2010. Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site 

amphibian and reptile inventory: March – September 2001. Natural Resource Report

NPS/NETN/NRR—2010/248. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado.

NPS 444/105740, September 2010
iii

Contents

Tables............................................................................................................................................. vi

Figures............................................................................................................................................ vi

Executive Summary...................................................................................................................... vii

Acknowledgements...................................................................................................................... viii

Introduction..................................................................................................................................... 1

Study Area ...................................................................................................................................... 3

Methods........................................................................................................................................... 5

Sampling Overview .................................................................................................................... 5

Anuran Calling Surveys (ACS) .............................................................................................. 7

Time Constrained Search (TCS)............................................................................................. 7

Stream/River TCS................................................................................................................... 7

Woodland TCS........................................................................................................................ 7

Field TCS................................................................................................................................ 8

Wetland TCS........................................................................................................................... 8

Coverboards (CB) ................................................................................................................... 8

Turtle Trap Surveys (TTS)...................................................................................................... 8

Minnow Trap Surveys (MTS)................................................................................................. 8

Incidental Encounters (IE) ...................................................................................................... 9

Quantifying Abundance .......................................................................................................... 9

Data Management ......................................................................................................................... 11

Supplemental Data .................................................................................................................... 11

Results........................................................................................................................................... 13
iv

Overview of Park Herpetofauna ............................................................................................... 13

Survey Method Summaries....................................................................................................... 13

Anuran Calling Surveys........................................................................................................ 15

Time Constrained Searches................................................................................................... 15

Coverboards.......................................................................................................................... 15

Turtle Traps........................................................................................................................... 15

Minnow Traps....................................................................................................................... 16

Incidental Encounter ............................................................................................................. 16

Discussion..................................................................................................................................... 19

Community Analysis, Factors Affecting Species Presence, and Important Habitats............... 19

Stressors.................................................................................................................................... 20

Recommendations for Management and Future Inventory and Monitoring ............................ 22

Species Accounts.......................................................................................................................... 24

Species Recorded at SAIR........................................................................................................ 25

Northern Two-Lined Salamander (Eurycea b. bislineata).................................................... 25

Northern Green Frog (Lithobates clamitans melanota)........................................................ 26

Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra s. serpentina)............................................................. 27

Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta).......................................................................................... 28

Northern Brown Snake (Storeria d. dekayii) ........................................................................ 28

Common Garter Snake (Thamnophis s. sirtalis)................................................................... 29

Eastern Milk Snake (Lampropeltis t. triangulum)................................................................ 30

Potentially-occurring Species Never Recorded at SAIR .......................................................... 30

Eastern Red-backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus)........................................................ 30
v

Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer)..................................................................................... 31

American Bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus)...................................................................... 32

Northern Water Snake (Nerodia s. sipedon)......................................................................... 32

Literature Cited ............................................................................................................................. 35

Appendix A. Records of amphibians and reptiles at and in the vicinity of Saugus Iron Works 

National Historic Site prior to 2001. Nyman (1991) covers the entire watershed of the Saugus 

River, and Herp Atlas records are for the approximately 25 km2 Herp Atlas block that SAIR is 

located within (Quad 69, Block 4). ............................................................................................. 41

Appendix B. Habitat categories and types surveyed at Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site.

..................................................................................................................42

Appendix C. Coordinates for 11 standardized amphibian and reptile survey sites and two 

incidental encounter localities at Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site........................43
vi

Tables

Table 1. Overview of standardized survey sites at Saugus Iron Works NHS and sampling 

methods used at each site................................................................................................................ 5

Table 2. Number of adult form individuals recorded and species richness (S) at each of five 

standardized surveys sites in Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site in 2001. Frequency of 

Occurrence (FO) is number of sites a species was recorded from, divided by total number of 

sites. .............................................................................................................................................. 13

Table 3. Number and species richness (S) of amphibians and reptiles recorded by survey method 

at Saugus Iron Works NHS in 2001.............................................................................................. 15

Table 4. Number of amphibians recorded during time-constrained surveys at Saugus Ironworks 

National Historic Site in 2001. The capture rate (CR) is the number of individuals captured 

divided by total search effort (individuals/hour). ......................................................................... 17

Table 5. Number of snakes recorded during coverboard surveys in Saugus Ironworks National 

Historic Site, 2001. Capture rate (CR) is the number of captures per 100 board checks. Board 

checks are number of boards/site, multiplied by number of site visits. S = species richness....... 18

Figures 

Figure 1. Location of standardized sampling sites and time-constrained search areas used in 

herpetofaunal inventory at Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site........................................... 6

Figure 2. Location of amphibian and reptile detections at Saugus Iron Works National Historic 

Site in 2001. Solid points represent central location of survey sites where a given species was 

recorded, not each individual. Open symbols represent incidental encounter sites...................... 14
vii

Executive Summary

Under a National Park Service /Wildlife Conservation Society Cooperative Agreement, an 

inventory of amphibians and reptiles at Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site (SAIR) was 

conducted one day per month from April through September 2001. Five standard methods were 

employed: anuran calling surveys, time-constrained searches, coverboard surveys, turtle trap 

surveys, and minnow trap surveys. In addition, animals encountered outside of standardized 

surveys (temporally or spatially) were recorded as incidental encounters. 

The four amphibian and reptile species documented in 2001, plus one observed in 2000, 

represent 50% (5/10) of the species already known or believed to be potentially occurring at 

SAIR. Species recorded were northern green frog, northern two-lined salamander, northern 

brown snake, and common garter snake, plus common snapping turtle in 2000. The diversity of 

herpetofauna at SAIR is limited by its small size, history of disturbance, limited habitats, and 

urban location. There are no ponds present and the Saugus River is well drained, with little 

standing water at low tide. Amphibians and reptiles at SAIR are largely limited to species that do 

not breed in ponds, have small home ranges and are capable of maintaining a population in a 

small habitat patch, or are mobile species that disperse along the river or across the adjacent 

uplands. For these latter, successful movement to SAIR across the adjacent landscape or along 

the Saugus River is challenging due to urban development and culverts. 

Of the species found in SAIR, northern two-lined salamander is the most habitat specific. All life 

stages (eggs, larvae, and adult) are spent in stream habitat. In spite of the park’s history of 

disturbance and presence in an urban landscape, northern two-lined salamanders are abundant at 

SAIR, primarily in the small stream/seep east of the maintenance building. The remaining 

species – northern brown snake, common garter snake, northern green frog, and common 

snapping turtle – are urban-tolerant generalists. Both brown and garter snakes can persist in 

small habitat patches such as SAIR, whereas northern green frogs and common snapping turtles 

likely utilize SAIR as part of larger home ranges. The Slag Heap and uplands of the 

Historic/Administrative survey area provide an important and rare habitat feature in an urban 

area: turtle nesting habitat adjacent to the river. This spares females a risky nesting foray across 

roads, which is a major source of mortality. The Historic/Administrative area’s long history of

use for turtle nesting suggests that female turtles using this stretch of river return to use it 

repeatedly.

The herpetofauna of SAIR are subjected to numerous stressors, including global ones such as 

acid precipitation and mercury deposition; regional ones such as water pollution, streamflow 

alterations, and road kill; and local ones such as invasive alien plants and animals. However, the 

impacts of regional and local stressors may be lessening, and staff at SAIR should continue their 

efforts to improve the site’s environmental quality. Although it is unlikely that SAIR will ever 

support an extensive herpetofauna, it is an important part of a larger system of protected 

“greenspace” along the Saugus River, and provides regionally important habitat. It is likely that, 

over time, additional species will be recorded at SAIR, particularly as environmental conditions 

improve. A monitoring program which uses coverboard surveys, searches of the marshes and 

stream, surveys of the Saugus River with minnow traps and turtle traps, and general timeconstrained searches is recommended.
viii

Acknowledgements 

Funding for this project was provided by the National Park Service, and many people helped with 

fieldwork and logistics. Tami Ransom and Eric Leibgold spent long days and many hours in the 

field, as well as recording and inputting field data. SAIR NHS staff Carl Salmons-Perez, Frank 

Studinski, Bill Fuchs, and Marc Albert provided critical logistic support and background information, 

and/or contributed important observations. Adam Kozlowski and Tim Shepherd of the Northeast 

Temperate Network helped with data review and created the maps used in this report. 

Preliminary drafts of this report were improved as a result of critical review and comments by Marc 

Albert, Adam Kozlowski, and Brian Mitchell and Ed Sharron helped in final formatting of this 

report.
1

Introduction

Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site (SAIR) was established by Congress on 5 April 1968 

to preserve the archeological and historic resources and museum collections associated with 

America’s first successful iron works, which operated on site from 1646 to about 1670 (NPS 

2003). SAIR is located in the town of Saugus, Massachusetts (42° 28' N, 71° 0’ W), 18 km (11 

miles) north of Boston. The 8 acre (3.2 ha) site consists primarily of a developed and landscaped 

historic core adjacent to the Saugus River, which flows through the park, plus riparian 

woodlands and marshes, and a small stream/seep that feeds into the Saugus River. At the time 

this survey began, over two hundred species of plants, 35 species of birds, 10 species of 

mammals, five species of reptiles and amphibians, and at least four species of fish had been 

recorded in the park.

In 1998, a Cooperative Agreement between the National Park Service (NPS) and the Wildlife 

Conservation Society was formed to assess amphibian and reptile assemblages within the parks 

of the “New England Cluster” of the National Park Service. Since information was lacking or 

inadequate for the amphibians and reptiles of SAIR, a comprehensive, broad-based inventory was 

conducted in 2001 using a number of survey techniques. As part of this inventory project, SAIR 

was surveyed one day per month from April through September 2001. While the goals of the 

project varied between parks, they generally were as follows:

• Assist the park service in documenting at least 90% of the species currently estimated to occur in 

the park.

• Determine the occurrence and status of species of management concern (e.g., state and 

federal Threatened, Endangered, and Special Concern Species, and other declining species).

• Determine abundance categories, distribution, and habitat use of documented species.

• Identify critical habitats of Threatened, Endangered, and Special Concern species. 

• Provide a basis for the future development of a long term monitoring program.

• Analyze species occurrence against historical occurrence and evaluate the state of the park’s 

herpetofauna, on a site and regional scale.

Because of the site’s small size, relatively recent establishment, and location in a highly

urbanized landscape, it is not possible to determine what the “historic” herpetofauna of SAIR 

was. Nyman (1991) lists 18 species of amphibians and 17 species of reptiles as historically 

present in the 47 square mile Saugus River basin. Many of these species have large home ranges, 

and most of them were historically widespread and use a combination of aquatic and terrestrial 

habitats in the course of their annual life cycle. It is therefore likely that many of these species at 

least occasionally utilized the habitats historically present at SAIR. However, because SAIR is 

small and lacks any of the pond or lake habitat used for most amphibian breeding, most of these 

historic occurrences would have involved animals using SAIR as a small part of a much larger 

landscape needed to support viable populations. 
2

An “estimate” of species known to or possibly occurring at SAIR was generated based on 

interviews with park staff, site reconnaissance on 27 June 2000, observations from the Saugus 

River Basin (Nyman 1991), and data collected by the Massachusetts Herp Atlas (Jackson et al. 

2010) . Staff observations included common snapping turtle (Chelydra s. serpentina), common 

garter snake (Thamnophis s. sirtalis), painted turtle (Chrysemys picta), and northern green frog 

(Lithobates clamitans melanota). Species observed on 27 June 2000 were northern two-lined 

salamander (Eurycea b. bislineata), northern green frog, and common snapping turtle. Nyman 

(1991) recorded 11 amphibian and five reptile species for the entire Saugus River Basin and 

from 1992 through 1998, and eight amphibian and 10 reptile species were confirmed within the 

25 square kilometer Massachusetts Herp Atlas block that contains SAIR (Jackson et al. 2010). 

Based on these observations, the habitat use and life history of species known from the region, 

and the amount and type of habitat present at SAIR, we estimated that in addition to the five 

species already observed at SAIR, the following five were likely to or might presently occur or 

occasionally utilize habitats at SAIR: eastern red-backed salamander (Plethodon cinereus), 

spring peeper (Pseudacris crucifer), American bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeiana), northern brown 

snake (Storeria d. dekayi), and northern water snake (Nerodia s. sipedon). Thus, although it was 

not possible to provide a meaningful estimate of the historic herpetofauna, our estimate of the 

species currently known or potentially present at SAIR was 10 species (Appendix A).
3

Study Area

Saugus Iron Works is the site of the first integrated iron works in North America, which operated 

from 1646 to about 1670. A set of reconstructed iron works structures, including a blast furnace, 

forge, and a rolling and slitting mill are maintained on site, along with a restored early eighteenth 

century house. The approximately 8 acre (3.2 ha) site consists of a historic zone of buildings with 

shade trees, flowerbeds, and lawn, and a “natural zone” consisting of the land on either side of 

the Saugus River and associated seeps/streams, tidal freshwater marshes, and woodlands. The 

“natural zone” has been severely impacted by human activities, as evidenced by the presence and 

abundance of invasive alien plant species. At the time of this survey, roughly half of the marsh 

was dominated by common reed (Phragmites australis) and purple loosestrife (Lythrum 

salicaria), with the rest dominated by the narrow-leaved cattail (Typha angustifolia). The 

riparian woodlands were dominated by the invasive alien Norway maple (Acer platanoides), 

with some native species such as red maple (Acer rubrum), silver maple (Acer saccharinum), 

boxelder (Acer negundo), American beech (Fagus grandifolia), white oak (Quercus alba), 

scarlet oak (Quercus coccinea), black cherry (Prunus serotina), and shagbark hickory (Carya 

ovata) also present (Clemants 1997). Subsequent to the survey, ecological restoration activities 

have converted the marsh to a combination of tidal mudflat and freshwater tidal marsh, and many 

Norway maples have been removed from the riparian zone. The principal habitats for amphibians 

and reptiles are the Saugus River channel, a small unnamed stream/seep that flows into the west 

side of the Saugus River below the maintenance building, small patches of riparian forest on both 

sides of the river, marshes on both sides of the river, and fields, lawns and landscape plantings 

comprising the historic/administrative zone.
4
5

Methods

Sampling Overview

Sampling at SAIR was conducted by a two person crew as part of an effort to survey the 

herpetofauna of four NPS sites during the 2001 field season. Because the herpetofauna of most 

sites in the northeast United States consists of a variety of species, each with differing periods of 

greatest activity/detectability (which can also vary somewhat annually), the sampling plan called 

for distributing the sampling effort over the course of the spring and summer activity season. 

Given this, and the logistics of sampling at four sites (located in Cornish, NH, Saratoga NY, 

Lexington, MA, and Saugus, MA), we sampled sites in bouts that varied in duration in 

proportion to a site’s size and presumed faunal/zoogeographic complexity. 

Over the course of a month the crew sampled a site and moved on to the next, such that a full 

round of sampling was conducted each month during the months of April, May, June, August, 

and September. For SAIR, each monthly sampling bout was one day long, beginning in early to 

mid-morning and lasting until mid-afternoon or sunset. 

Both general and targeted standard survey methods were used in stream, wetland, and upland 

habitats. Multiple methods were often used in a given habitat because these habitats might 

support several amphibian and reptile species and require several methods to sample the entire 

herpetological community. The habitat of each standardized survey site was classified to provide 

a general description of each survey site (Appendix B). Site selection for standardized surveys 

was designed to sample across the range of habitat types available (Table 1, Figure 1). Because 

of the park’s small size, all sites were sampled. 

Table 1. Overview of standardized survey sites at Saugus Iron Works NHS and sampling methods used 

at each site.

Site

Habitat 

Type

Calling 

Survey Coverboard

Time-constrained 

Search

Turtle 

Trap

Minnow 

Trap

Saugus River

river 

channel

X X

Marsh

freshwater 

marsh

X X X X

Stream/Seep

permanent 

stream/seep X

East Woodland 

hardwood 

forest

X X

Historic/ 

Administrative

landscaped 

and field

X X
6

Figure 1. Location of standardized sampling sites and time-constrained search areas used in 

herpetofaunal inventory at Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site.
7

Anuran Calling Surveys (ACS)

Anuran calling surveys were conducted using the Wisconsin frog and toad survey method (Heyer 

et al. 1994). Anuran calling surveys record the presence of species at specific sites and provide 

an index of abundance based on the calling intensity of species heard. Call index values and 

criteria for assigning them are: 0 = no calls, 1 = individuals can be counted (no overlapping of 

calls), 2 = overlapping of calls (can still be counted), 3 = full chorus (calls are constant and 

individually indistinguishable). The surveyors arrived at each sample site at least a half-hour 

after dusk and listened for anuran calls for 5 minutes, recording an index value for each species 

heard. For each sampling occasion, the number of individuals of each species calling was also 

counted or estimated. 

Due to variable activity patterns among anuran species, multiple calling surveys conducted 

throughout spring and early summer months are necessary to thoroughly document species 

presence at a site (Conant and Collins 1998, Crouch and Paton 2002). Anuran calling surveys, 

conducted from atop the “Slag Heap,” sampled the Marsh on 22 April, 25 May, and 23 June 

2001.

Time Constrained Search (TCS)

Habitat-specific time-constrained search (TCS) was conducted in all habitats likely to support 

amphibians and reptiles, i.e., Stream/Seep, Saugus River Channel, East Woodland, Marsh, and 

Historic/Administrative. Each marsh, stream or river section, or upland TCS area (East 

Woodland and Historic/Administrative) was searched for a pre-determined period of time, which 

was commensurate with size. The amount of time allotted to search an area on a given occasion 

was not enough to search all available cover, and searchers used an approach intended to 

maximize the numbers and diversity of captures by moving through the area and searching under 

the best available cover (e.g. logs, rocks, boards, metal debris) favored by amphibians and 

reptiles (Bury and Raphael 1983), and by dip netting in ponds and marshes (Heyer et al. 1994). 

Although the original plans called for sites within each habitat type to be sampled the same 

number of times, and sampling sessions at a given site to be the same duration each time, due to 

the exigencies of field work, this was not always possible. Results of TCS were standardized as a 

capture rate (CR) for each species, calculated by dividing the total number of individuals 

recorded by the total search effort (person hours) spent for each search. Person hours are the total 

amount of time spent searching, multiplied by the number of people participating in the search.

Stream/River TCS

The Stream/Seep and the Saugus River Channel sites were searched on 22 April, 25 May, 23 

June, 22 August, and 15 September 2001 for a total search time of 2.7 and 3.7 search hours 

respectively. Starting and ending times (Eastern Standard Time) and the number of people 

searching were recorded. Investigators systematically moved upstream, using a dip net in the 

stream to capture amphibians as rocks were overturned. Rocks, logs, and debris were overturned 

and searched under. Identification and life stage (adult or larva) were recorded for each animal 

captured. The adult life stage was defined as any individual not in the larval stage and the larval 

stage was defined as an individual with gills, showing pre-metamorphic characteristics. 

Woodland TCS

The East Woodland area was searched on 22 April, 25 May, 23 June, 22 August, and 15 

September 2001 for a total search time of 3.3 search hours. Start and end times, number of 

searchers, and the identification, number, and sex of individuals found were recorded.
8

Field TCS

The Historic/Administrative area was searched on 22 April, 25 May, 23 June, and 22 August 

2001 for a total search time of 2.8 search hours. Start and end times, number of searchers, and 

the identification, number, and sex of individuals found were recorded. 

Wetland TCS

The Marsh area was searched 22 April, 25 May, 23 June, and 22 August 2001 for a total search 

time of 4.7 search hours. Searches were conducted by traversing the entire marsh, sampling with 

a dip-net for amphibian larvae and adults, as well as turtles and snakes. Start and end times, 

number of searchers, and the identification, number and sex of individuals found were recorded. 

Coverboards (CB)

Coverboards (Grant et al. 1992) were used primarily to inventory snakes and terrestrial 

amphibians. Boards were 0.6m x 1.2m (2’ x 4’) and made of corrugated sheet metal or plywood. 

In March 2001, coverboards were deployed on top of vegetation in the Historic/Administrative 

area above its edge with the Marsh, and in the East Woodlands, also above its edge with the 

Marsh (Figure 1). At each site, eight boards were placed 5 meters apart in linear “arrays” 

consisting of alternating wood and metal boards. Coverboards were checked on 22 April, 25 

May, 23 June, 22 August, and 15 September 2001. 

Capture rates (CR) were calculated as the number of captures of each species divided by the total 

number of board checks for each site. Each time a board was checked constituted a “board 

check”. Therefore, a site with eight boards visited five times equaled 40 board checks. The 

number of captures per 100 coverboard checks was calculated as:

 (# of individuals captured)

 CR = —————————— x 100

 (total # of board checks) 

Turtle Trap Surveys (TTS)

Funnel traps made of D-shaped metal hoops and 2.6 cm (1”) nylon mesh were used to sample the 

Marsh for aquatic turtles such as painted and common snapping turtles. Since visits to the park 

were only conducted one day a month, two traps, baited with sardines in vegetable oil, were set 

in the Marsh and checked on the same day on 25 May and 23 June 2001, for a total of four trap

days. Turtle abundance was quantified as a capture rate, captures per 100 trap days.

Minnow Trap Surveys (MTS)

Standard funnel-shaped wire mesh minnow traps measuring 15.2 cm x 15.2 cm x 30.5 cm (6” x 6” x 

12”) were used to sample shallow pond areas for adult and larval salamanders, adult and larval 

anurans, and aquatic snakes (Heyer et al. 1994). Since visits to the park were only conducted one 

day a month, two traps were deployed per site in the Marsh and Saugus River Channel on 22 

April, 25 May, 23 June, and 22 August 2001 and checked the same day, for a total of eight trap 

days per site (16 trap days total). Since this method primarily captures amphibians, which were 

not marked for individual recognition, abundance was quantified as total captures (rather than 

unique individuals) per 100 trap days.
9

Incidental Encounters (IE)

Any encounter with an amphibian or reptile not recorded during one of the standardized surveys 

was considered an incidental encounter. These were recorded on observation cards (“Green 

Cards”) to augment data collected during formal surveys, and include credible observations 

made by park staff and visitors. For each incidental encounter the species, life stage, method of 

documentation, as well as location, habitat, and UTM coordinates were recorded. 

Quantifying Abundance

Quantifying actual abundance of the species encountered was not possible for a number of 

reasons. The methods used generally did not estimate actual population size, but rather provided 

a method-specific index of abundance, such as a capture rate (catch per unit effort). In addition, 

each of the methods used provided a sample biased towards a particular species, group of 

species, or sex. Although sampling effort was divided among the different methods in an attempt 

to compensate for possible sampling bias, the amount of sampling bias, the extent to which the 

use of different methods may have balanced this bias, and the influence of other covariates, such 

as habitat type and breeding habits, were not estimated.

An index of overall abundance for each species was derived by summing the number of adult 

form individuals (as opposed to eggs or larvae) encountered during each of the six survey 

methods. For time-constrained search, coverboard checks, turtle and minnow trap surveys, and 

incidental encounters, the numbers of adults of a given species encountered during each 

sampling occasion were summed. Because amphibians were not marked for individual 

identification, for the purposes of estimating an overall index of abundance, reptiles were also 

treated as though they had not been marked. 

Although the total numbers recorded for each species provide an index of abundance, it is an 

uncalibrated index and its relationship to actual abundance is unknown. These numbers, and their 

derivatives, are best viewed as indicating the order of magnitude of a species’ abundance and 

providing a reasonably accurate representation of relative and ranked abundance within 

taxonomic orders. Although these numbers are of value for some inter-specific comparisons and 

community analysis, and are likely accurate in identifying abundant versus rare species, 

differences between species whose index of abundance are of the same order of magnitude may 

not reflect true differences in abundance.
10
11

Data Management

Common and scientific names and spellings are those of the Integrated Taxonomic Information 

System (ITIS) at the time data were collected. Data collected during the course of this study were 

entered into a Microsoft Access database that is associated with this report. The original data 

sheets are archived with the Northeast Temperate Network (NETN) Inventory and Monitoring 

program located at Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park in Woodstock, Vermont.

Given the low-impact nature of this study, voucher specimens of live animals were not collected. 

NETN’s data manager can be contacted to obtain unpublished data files produced by this study.

A Garmin III Plus Global Positioning System (GPS) unit was used to record the coordinates of 

each survey site (Appendix C). GPS locality data were recorded as Universal Transverse 

Mercator (UTM) grid coordinates (zone 18 N) with X = x-axis or Easting, and Y = y-axis or 

Northing, using the NAD1983 datum.

Supplemental Data

Observations made in years subsequent to this survey (e.g. McNiff and Albert 2010) have 

expanded, clarified, and/or confirmed aspects of our knowledge of SAIR’s amphibians and 

reptiles. Although we have not incorporated these data into any of the tables of this report, the 

discussion and species account sections of this report do include this information. 
12
13

Results

Overview of Park Herpetofauna

Four species – northern two-lined salamander, northern green frog, northern brown snake, and 

common garter snake – were recorded during surveys in 2001. When combined with a common 

snapping turtle nest observed during reconnaissance in 2000, these five species represent 50% of 

the species thought to possibly occur at SAIR (Appendix A). Amphibians dominated the 

herpetofaunal community, accounting for 80% of the 25 adult form individuals recorded and 

100% of larvae. By order, salamanders comprised 72% (18/25) of all adult forms recorded, 

snakes 20% (5/25), and anurans (frogs and toads) 8% (2/25). The northern brown snake and 

common garter snake were both recorded from “field” habitat within the Historic/Administrative 

zone. Northern two-lined salamanders were only found in the Stream/Seep, and northern green 

frogs were recorded from the Saugus River Channel. Target species were recorded from three of 

five survey sites, but each of the four species recorded was only recorded from one survey 

site/habitat type. The greatest number of individuals were recorded from the Stream/Seep, while 

no individuals were recorded in either the Marsh or East Woodland habitats (Table 2, Figure 2).

Table 2. Number of adult form individuals recorded and species richness (S) at each of five standardized 

surveys sites in Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site in 2001. Frequency of Occurrence (FO) is 

number of sites a species was recorded from, divided by total number of sites.

Common 

Garter 

Snake

Northern 

Brown 

Snake

Northern 

Green 

Frog

Northern 

Two-lined 

Salamander

Site Adult Adult Adult Adult Larvae

Total 

Adults

% 

Adults S

Saugus River 2 2 8 1

Marsh 0 0 0

Stream/Seep 18 15 18 72 1

East 

Woodland 0 0 0

Historic/ 

Administrative 3 2 5 20 2

Total # of 

Individuals 3 2 2 18 15 25 100 4

Total # of sites 1 1 1 1 1 3

FO (%) 20 20 20 20 20 60

Survey Method Summaries

Of the standardized survey methods, both stream TCS and CB detected two species each. 

Northern green frog and northern two-lined salamander were detected with TCS and common 

garter snake and northern brown snake were detected with the CB method. Stream TCS was the 

single most productive method, accounting for all amphibians recorded and 19 of 25 (76%) of all 

adults. Two species, both recorded during standardized surveys, were also recorded as incidental 

encounters (Table 3). 
14

Figure 2. Location of amphibian and reptile detections at Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site in 

2001. Solid points represent central location of survey sites where a given species was recorded, not 

each individual. Open symbols represent incidental encounter sites.
15

Table 3. Number and species richness (S) of amphibians and reptiles recorded by survey method at 

Saugus Iron Works NHS in 2001.

Common 

Garter 

Snake

Northern 

Brown 

Snake

Northern 

Green 

Frog

Northern 

Two-lined 

Salamander

Survey 

Method Adult Adult Adult Adult Larvae

Total 

Adults

% 

Adults S

Anuran 

Calling Survey 0 0 0

TCS Stream 2 17 15 19 76 2

TCS Field 0 0 0

TCS 

Woodland 0 0 0

TCS Marsh 0 0 0

Coverboards 3 1 4 16 2

Minnow Trap 

Surveys 0 0 0

Turtle Trap 

Surveys 0 0 0

Incidental 

Encounter 1 1 2 8 2

Total 3 2 2 18 15 25 100 4

Anuran Calling Surveys

No anurans were heard during the three calling surveys conducted in April, May, and June 2001. 

Time Constrained Searches

Saugus River Channel and Stream/Seep TCS: Two species were detected during TCS in the two 

stream/river sites sampled. A total of 17 adult and 15 larval northern two-lined salamanders were 

recorded from the Stream/Seep and two northern green frogs were recorded in the Saugus River 

Channel (Table 4). 

Historic/Administrative, Marsh, and East Woodland: No amphibians or reptiles were recorded 

during TCS in marsh, field, or woodland habitats.

Coverboards

A total of 38 board checks in the Historic/Administrative area produced one northern brown 

snake and three common garter snakes. No amphibians or reptiles were observed in 40 board 

checks in the East Woodland area (Table 5). 

Turtle Traps 

No amphibians or reptiles were recorded in two days (4 trap days) of turtle trapping in the 

Marsh.
16

Minnow Traps

No amphibians or reptiles were recorded in four days (16 trap days) of minnow trapping in the 

Marsh and the Saugus River Channel areas. 

Incidental Encounter

One northern brown snake was recorded from the Slag Heap within the Historic/Administrative 

area and one northern two-lined salamander was recorded from the Stream/Seep (Table 3).
17

Table 4. Number of amphibians recorded during time-constrained surveys at Saugus Ironworks National 

Historic Site in 2001. The capture rate (CR) is the number of individuals captured divided by total search 

effort (individuals/hour).

Site Date 

Search 

Hours

Northern Two-lined 

Salamander

Northern Green 

Frog 

# individuals (CR) # individuals (CR)

adult larvae adult

Saugus River 

Channel

22-Apr 0.7

25-May 1.0

23-Jun 0.8

22-Aug 0.7 2 (2.9)

15-Sep 0.5

Total 3.7 0 (0) 0 (0) 2 (0.5)

Marsh 22-Apr 1.0

25-May 1.3

23-Jun 1.2

22-Aug 1.2

Total 4.7 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0)

Stream/Seep 22-Apr 0.5 3 (6.0) 3 (6.0)

25-May 0.7 2 (2.9) 3 (4.3)

23-Jun 0.7 5 (7.1)

22-Aug 0.3 2 (6.7) 1 (3.3)

15-Sep 0.5 10(20.0) 3 (6.0)

Total 2.7

 

17(6.3) 15(5.6) 0 (0)

Historic/Administrative 22-Apr 0.7

25-May 1.0

23-Jun 0.7

22-Aug 0.5

Total 2.8 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0)

East Woodland 22-Apr 0.7

25-May 0.8

23-Jun 0.7

22-Aug 0.7

15-Sep 0.5

Total 3.3 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0)
18

Table 5. Number of snakes recorded during coverboard surveys in Saugus Ironworks National Historic Site, 2001. Capture rate (CR) is the 

number of captures per 100 board checks. Board checks are number of boards/site, multiplied by number of site visits. 

Site Habitat

Common 

Garter 

Snake

Northern 

Brown 

Snake

Total # 

Snakes S1

# 

Boards

# Site 

Visits

# Board 

Checks

# Boards 

w/Snakes

East Woodland hardwood forest 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 8 5 40 0

Historic/ 

Administrative landscaped/field 3 (7.9) 1 (2.6) 4 (10.5) 2 8 5 382 2

Total 3 (3.8) 1 (1.3) 4 (5.1) 2 16 10 78 2

1

S = species richness. 2Two boards were submerged on one occasion.
19

Discussion

Community Analysis, Factors Affecting Species Presence, and Important Habitats

Of the 44 species of native, non-marine amphibians and reptiles that occur in Massachusetts, the 

numbers of species are fairly evenly divided among the four orders present: 10 salamander, 10 

anuran, 10 turtle, and 14 snake (Cardoza and Mirick 2009). Although only a small number of 

species occur at SAIR, the species composition recorded in 2000-2001 is also fairly evenly 

distributed among the four orders (one salamander, one frog, one turtle,two snakes). Not 

surprisingly, within each order, the species present at SAIR are among the most urban tolerant of 

the group.

The diversity of herpetofauna at SAIR is limited by its small size, history of disturbance, 

urbanized location, and limited habitats. There are no ponds present and the Saugus River and 

associated marshes are well drained, with four foot tidal fluctuations that leave little standing 

water at low tide. Moreover, of the five miles of Saugus River upstream of SAIR, pools occupy 

only 1.3% of this length (MA DEM 2002), which suggests there may be few individuals of pooldwelling species available to colonize or transit through SAIR. This lack of ponds or sluggish 

river habitat at and above SAIR precludes the use of SAIR by many of the amphibian and turtle 

species found in eastern Massachusetts. Thus, amphibians and reptiles at SAIR are largely 

limited to species that do not breed in ponds, have small home ranges and are capable of 

maintaining a population in a small habitat patch, or are mobile species that disperse along the 

river or across the adjacent uplands and include SAIR as part of a larger home range. For these 

latter, successful movement across the adjacent landscape is challenging due to the level of 

urbanization. Although there are larger patches of wetland/upland habitat complexes nearby, 

including Marion Road swamp (~125 meters away), Pranker’s Pond (less than 1 km away), 

Breakheart Reservation, and Lynn Woods, the intervening urban development of homes and 

roads largely isolates these sites from SAIR. Some species occurring at these sites (e.g. spring 

peeper) have not been recorded at SAIR. Furthering the isolation of SAIR along the Saugus 

River corridor are restrictive culverts under roads. These structures date from a time period when 

flow of water, not passage of wildlife along a riparian corridor, was the prime design 

consideration. 

Of the species found in SAIR, northern two-lined salamander is the most habitat specific. Its 

entire life cycle (eggs, larvae, and adults) is spent in stream habitat, although adults may be 

found short distances upland from streams. In spite of the park’s history of disturbance and 

presence in an urban landscape, northern two-lined salamanders are abundant at SAIR, primarily 

in the small Stream/Seep east of the SAIR maintenance building. Maintaining the integrity and 

quality of this site should be a high priority. An individual was also found under rocks in a seep 

on the east side of the Saugus River on 21 July 2010, indicating that this urban tolerant species 

occurs elsewhere at SAIR. The remaining species recorded – northern brown snake, common

garter snake, northern green frog, and common snapping turtle – utilize a variety of habitats and 

are more general in their requirements, allowing them to survive in urbanized landscapes. Both 

northern brown and common garter snakes are capable of persisting on “weedy” lots in urban 

areas and SAIR provides adequate quantity and quality of habitat for these two species. In 

contrast, eastern milk snakes (Lampropeltis t. triangulum), one of which was observed at SAIR 
20

in 2009 (McNiff and Albert 2010) generally require much larger habitat patches than present at 

SAIR, and the origins of this individual are uncertain. 

The northern green frogs observed at SAIR are likely non-breeding individuals using the Saugus 

River as a dispersal corridor and juvenile habitat, and the common snapping and painted turtles 

likely move up and down the river and riparian habitats through SAIR. The Slag Heap and 

uplands of the Historic/Administrative zone provide an important and rare habitat feature in an 

urban area: turtle nesting habitat immediately adjacent to the river. This spares females a risky 

nesting foray across roads and through urban neighborhoods, a major source of mortality for 

urban turtles. The long history of its use for turtle nesting suggests that female turtles using this 

stretch of river return to use it repeatedly over the years. Potentially-occurring species such as 

American bullfrog or northern water snake would use SAIR similarly and the mostly terrestrial 

spring peeper could range into SAIR outside of breeding season from other nearby habitat 

patches. 

The recent restoration of the turning basin and freshwater wetland (James-Pirri et al. 2010a) is 

unlikely to have much effect on the herpetofauna of the park. The lack of habitat for pondbreeding and pond-dwelling species, plus the site’s relatively small size and highly urbanized 

adjacent landscape will continue to be the primary limitations to herpetofaunal diversity.

However, with continued observations and documentation of animals seen on site by SAIR staff, 

the number of amphibian and reptile species recorded at SAIR is likely to grow. 

Stressors

Given its urban location, SAIR is subjected to numerous stressors, both local and global. Global 

stressors tend to affect large geographic areas, often far removed from their ultimate cause or 

source. Global stressors include ultraviolet-B radiation and atmospherically transported 

pollutants such as mercury and acid rain. Stressors such as other heavy metals, chemicals found 

in fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides, habitat degradation, disease, road mortality, and 

introduced species (Dunson et al. 1992, Blaustein 1994, Blaustein et al. 1994, Pechmann and 

Wilbur 1994, Hunter et al. 1999, Daszak et al. 2000, Knapp and Matthews 2000) may also be 

widespread in their scope, but tend to be more variable across the landscape in their intensity. 

Thus their impacts may be at either a regional or local level. 

Mercury is transported atmospherically and often deposited far from the source. Upon entering 

aquatic ecosystems, particularly acidified ones, mercury is biologically and chemically converted 

to methylmercury, a biologically active and highly toxic form (Bank et al. 2005) that can be 

accumulated by aquatic organisms to the point of causing lethal or sub-lethal effects. 

Anthropogenically produced mercury deposition is occurring throughout the Northeast, and even 

aquatic systems of relatively undeveloped areas such as Acadia National Park (Bank et al. 2006) 

and Cape Cod National Seashore contain high levels of mercury. Because methylation of 

mercury increases at low pH, either naturally acidic waters or acid rain, can lead to elevated 

concentrations of methyl mercury. This process has been linked to the decline of northern dusky 

salamanders at Acadia NP, and both northern green frogs and northern two-lined salamanders 

also show elevated mercury levels (Bank et al. 2006, Bank et al. 2007) there. Given that both 

acid precipitation and mercury deposition occurs in the vicinity of SAIR (Likens et al. 1996, 

Chalmers et al. 2005), it is reasonable to conclude that SAIR is subjected to inputs from both of 
21

these stressors. However, the Saugus River is circumneutral, averaging pH 7.28, with acceptable 

levels of acid neutralizing capacity (James-Pirri et al. 2010b). Thus, at present, the buffering 

capacity of SAIR waters is likely preventing acidification and tempering the levels of 

methylmercury present. Mercury levels of river sediments at SAIR do not exceed sediment 

quality guidelines and mercury levels in river waters are below benchmarks for “reference 

stream” in the region, but values were greater than those proposed to be protective of wildlife 

(James-Pirri et al. 2010b). 

Although SAIR is subjected to these global stressors, considering the extensive urbanization that 

surrounds it, and the history of the Saugus as one of the first American rivers to be harnessed for 

industrial purposes (MA DEM 2002), it is likely that localized stressors have had a greater 

impact on its amphibians and reptiles than global stressors. As noted above, the site’s small size 

and lack of pond habitat limits the number of species capable of persisting there. In addition, the 

general decline of herpetofauna in the Boston region, and SAIR’s isolation within this highly 

fragmented, urbanized landscape limits both the availability and ability of species to colonize or 

re-colonize SAIR in the event of a local extinction. The threat of roadkill is high for any animals 

that move out of SAIR into the adjacent neighborhood, as well as any animals dispersing from 

any nearby habitat patches. 

The Saugus is a Class B water quality river and continues to be used for a variety of industrial 

purposes. Its fish populations are not thriving (MA DEM 2002), and both its fish and aquatic 

invertebrate communities are dominated by pollution-tolerant species (James-Pirri et al. 2010b). 

In terms of physical-chemical stressors, James-Pirri et al. (2010b) summarized the Saugus River 

thus: “Physically, the only Riverine Resource that appears to be in good condition is water 

quality as it relates to acid neutralizing capacity (ANC) and pH. Dissolved oxygen, salt, and trace 

metals can occasionally exceed desirable thresholds. Fecal coliform, nutrients, and temperature 

modifications are persistent impairments to the water quality of the river. Contaminants are 

present in river sediments and some such as lead, chromium, and nickel, occasionally exceed 

threshold values.” In addition, Saugus River sediment samples also contain levels of 

organochlorine compounds and semi-volatile organic compounds that exceeded sediment quality 

guidelines (James-Pirri et al. 2010b). 

Similar to the aquatic resources, the terrestrial habitats of SAIR have been dramatically altered 

from their natural condition by over 350 years of intense manipulation, which has facilitated the 

invasion of many non-native plants. Most of the uplands of SAIR are in the 

Historic/Administrative area, dominated by lawn, ornamental plantings, and coarse “weedy” 

vegetation near the Slag Heap. The small amount of successional forest on the east and west side 

of the river is dominated by invasive plant species. The most prolific of the invasive, non-native 

species in SAIR are common reed, purple loosestrife, Japanese knotweed (Polygonum 

cuspidatum), multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora), curly pondweed (Potamogeton crispus), mugwort 

(Artemisia vulgaris), and Norway maple (Acer platanoides). Most of the aquatic invasives were 

removed in the restoration of the turning basin in 2007 (James-Pirri et al. 2010a) and the park has 

been working to remove terrestrial species such as multiflora rose and Norway maple and 

oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) throughout the park (SAIR, Marc Albert , 

Stewardship Program Manager, pers. comm.).
22

While these efforts continue, it is clear that the vegetation of SAIR will remain highly impacted 

and dominated by non-native species for a long time. 

Another stressor likely affecting terrestrial amphibians at SAIR is non-native earthworms. The 

earthworms currently found in New England are non-native (Schaetzl and Anderson 2005) and 

have been linked to decreased leaf litter, invasion by non-native plants, and declines in numbers 

of terrestrial salamanders (Maerz et al. 2009). Casual observations at SAIR suggest that the leaf 

litter layer in forest habitats is very thin, and suggest that the quality of the forest floor habitats at 

SAIR may be limiting to terrestrial amphibians, perhaps explaining the lack of any records of 

red-backed salamanders there. 

Recommendations for Management and Future Inventory and Monitoring

Many of the stressors affecting the amphibians and reptiles of SAIR are broad global or 

continental scale ones beyond direct NPS control, but some of the more local regional and sitespecific stressors are within the ability of SAIR and other NPS staff to affect changes. First and 

foremost, SAIR and the NPS should continue to work at the regional level with state and local 

agencies on planning and remediation projects aimed at improving environmental quality of the 

Saugus River and its watershed. Reducing water pollution, restoring more natural streamflow, 

and replacing old culverts with new designs to enhance wildlife passage are just some of the 

ways to ameliorate some of the problems identified in the Saugus River watershed analysis (MA 

DEM 2002) and SAIR condition assessment (James-Pirri et al. 2010b). 

On site, efforts should continue to control invasive alien plants and increase the dominance of 

native vegetation. Park staff and managers should also be careful to minimize any direct 

mortality of animals. We are not aware of any reports of road kill or mower mortality in the park, 

and SAIR staff should continue to be mindful of common snapping turtle use of SAIR and be 

careful when mowing during their nesting season, late May through June. Areas of coarse 

vegetation that do not receive regular mowing are best mowed/cut during the cold months, when 

snakes and turtles are not active. Protecting the Stream/Seep is important for maintaining the 

population of northern two-lined salamanders. Given the local importance of this population, and 

the fact that it occurs in a very small, isolated habitat patch, it is important that the NPS ensures 

that the quantity and quality of water flowing into this small tributary of the Saugus River 

continues undiminished. Although we are not aware of any proposals that could potentially alter 

local hydrology, staff and managers at SAIR should be mindful of the importance of maintaining 

current hydrology. Also, considering that runoff from the main parking lot flows into the seep, it 

is important to ensure that spills and leakage from vehicles and street run-off does not enter the 

stream.

Although it is unlikely that SAIR will ever support an extensive herpetofauna, it is an important 

part of a larger system of protected areas or “greenspace” along the Saugus River, and does 

provide some regionally important habitat, e.g. Stream/Seep for northern two-lined salamanders. 

It is likely that, over time, additional species will be recorded at SAIR, particularly if 

environmental conditions improve, either watershed-wide or site-specific, and efforts to improve 

biological connectivity are made. Given this, inventory and monitoring of amphibians and 

reptiles should continue. A program of coverboard surveys (large plywood for snakes, small 

planks for terrestrial salamanders), searches of the marshes and stream, surveys of the Saugus 
23

River with minnow traps and turtle traps, and general time-constrained searches are 

recommended. Systematic sampling is preferable, but even incidental observations, when well 

documented with photographic confirmation, can be valuable.
24
25

Species Accounts

Species Recorded at SAIR

Northern Two-Lined Salamander (Eurycea b. bislineata) 

The northern two-lined salamander is likely the most widespread and abundant stream 

salamander in New England, and is the most urban tolerant (Klemens 1993). This stream 

salamander is typically more aquatic in nature than the northern dusky salamander, often found 

in the stream and splash zones of cool, swift moving streams. Females deposit eggs singly on the 

underside of flat rocks in streams (Pfingsten and Downs 1989, Petranka 1998). This species is 

considered common in Massachusetts except on Cape Cod (Klemens 1993). Nyman (1991) 

recorded northern two-lined salamanders at two sites within the Saugus watershed immediately 

north of Route 1: Hawkes Brook and Breakheart Reservation. He also speculated that northern 

two-lined salamanders may occur extensively in the Saugus River and its tributaries, but noted it 

was not abundant. There are few recent records in the Massachusetts Herp Atlas in the vicinity of 

SAIR. In the nine Herp Atlas quads centered on SAIR (an area of approximately 1350 km2

), 

there is only one record of this species, from the town of Belmont (Jackson et al. 2010), outside 

of the Saugus watershed. 

Eight adults, 10 juveniles, and three clutches of eggs were recorded during pre-inventory site 

reconnaissance of SAIR on 27 June 2000. These were found during approximately one hour of 

searching under rocks in the small rocky stream/seep that flows out of the river bank, northeast 

of the maintenance shop. This site, now referred to as the Stream/Seep, extends approximately 

75’ from its point of origin to the high tide line of the Saugus River. Time-constrained searches 

of the Stream/Seep in 2001 recorded 17 adults and 15 larvae during 2.7 search hours of effort in 

the same stream, and an additional adult form (juvenile) was recorded as an incidental encounter 

(Tables 2, 3, 4). 

These observations indicate the northern two-lined salamander is common in the Stream/Seep at 

SAIR. The size/age structure and presence of eggs in 2000, and again in 2001, when a gravid 

(pregnant) female was observed laying eggs under a rock on 22 April 2001, all show it to be 

reproducing successfully. A follow-up survey, conducted on 21 July 2010, recorded 7 adults and 

3 larvae in the Stream/Seep in 1 hour of search effort. In addition, an adult northern two-lined 

salamander was found as an incidental encounter under rocks on the east side of the Saugus 

River, in a small, rocky seep on the riverbank, just above the high tide line. These most recent 

observations indicate that the northern two-lined salamander remains common at SAIR, and is 

more widespread here than originally thought. 

Our records for SAIR extend the current known distribution of northern two-lined salamanders 

in the Saugus watershed over 3 km further south. Additionally an adult northern two-lined 

salamander was found in about 1 hour of searching on 21 July 2010 in a small tributary of the 

Saugus just east of Pranker’s Pond, filling in the gap between SAIR and the records of Nyman 

(1991). Because northern two-lined salamanders are less likely to be found by casual observers, 

they may be under-represented in recent Herp Atlas records and Nyman’s (1991) 

characterization of them as widespread but not abundant may generally be true. However, 
26

northern two-lined salamanders are common at SAIR and, in spite of SAIR’s urban setting, the 

capture rate of adults (6.3 individuals/search hour) and larvae (5.6 individuals/search hour) 

(Table 4) compares favorably with capture rates at Saint-Gaudens NHS (SAGA) in rural New 

Hampshire and Acadia National Park in Maine. At SAGA’s Blow-Me-Up Brook, the capture 

rate in 2001 (by the same field crew that surveyed SAIR) was 7.74 adults/search hour and 0.75 

larvae/search hour (Cook et al. 2008). At Acadia, the capture rate for adults and larvae were 2.8 

adults/search hour and 0.5 larvae/search hour (Brotherton et al. 2005). 

Considering the paucity of species at SAIR and the apparent abundance of this population of 

northern two-lined salamanders, it is the most significant component of SAIR’s herpetofauna. 

Given the local regional importance of this population, and the fact that it occurs in a very small, 

isolated habitat patch, it is important that the NPS ensures that the quantity and quality of water 

flowing into this small tributary of the Saugus River continues undiminished. Although we are 

not aware of any proposals that could potentially alter local hydrology, staff and managers at 

SAIR should be mindful of the importance of maintaining current hydrology. Also, considering 

that runoff from the main parking lot flows into the seep, it is important to ensure that spills and 

leakage from vehicles and street run-off does not enter the stream.

Northern Green Frog (Lithobates clamitans melanota) 

The northern green frog is common and widespread throughout the eastern United States and 

Canada, using a wide range of wetland habitats (Klemens 1993). However, in northern 

populations, northern green frog tadpoles must overwinter in the breeding pond (Wright and 

Wright 1949), limiting successful reproduction to ponds that are permanent and semi-permanent. 

Although adult northern green frogs breed and forage in permanent ponds, non-breeding 

juveniles and dispersing adults may also be found in and along vernal ponds, streams, rivers, 

marshes, and on roads on rainy nights. Some adults are also known to hibernate in streams 

(Gibbs et al. 2007). Dorsolateral ridges extending down the back help distinguish the northern 

green frog from the American bullfrog in which the ridges are absent. 

Because permanent ponds are more likely to survive urbanization than shallow, temporary ones, 

and have increased in some instances through the damming of streams (Schlauch 1976), 

permanent pond species such as northern green frogs have remained one of the most widespread 

and abundant amphibians of urban and suburban landscapes (Rubbo and Kiesecker 2005). 

Nyman (1991) recorded them from four sites within the Saugus watershed, including Breakheart 

Reservation and Reedy Meadows Conservation Area, and speculated it was found elsewhere. In 

the recent Massachusetts Herp Atlas project, there were nine records of northern green frogs in 

the nine Herp Atlas quads centered on SAIR (an area of approximately 1350 km2

), including one 

from the Golden Hills Area of Critical Environmental Concern, 4 km from SAIR (Jackson et al. 

2010).

Site reconnaissance conducted on 27 June 2000 recorded one adult northern green frog in the 

Marsh and one juvenile in an aqueduct within the Historic/Administrative area. Surveys in 2001 

recorded two adults in the Saugus River Channel during time-constrained surveys (Table 3), but 

none during calling surveys. More recently, a total of five northern green frogs were observed in 

the well within the Historic/Administrative district in July and August 2009 (McNiff and Albert 

2010). Although northern green frogs are an urban tolerant species and are common in the SAIR 
27

region, they are uncommon at SAIR. The lack of breeding habitat or any pond or non-tidal marsh 

habitat at SAIR seems to limit their numbers here, and the relatively few northern green frogs 

observed at SAIR are likely non-breeding individuals using the Saugus River as a dispersal 

corridor. 

Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra s. serpentina)

The common snapping turtle occurs from southern Canada, south through the mid-west and east

coast, down to Florida and the Gulf of Mexico (Ernst et al. 1994). It is abundant and widespread 

in New York State (Gibbs et al. 2007) and New England (Klemens 1993), and is the largest 

freshwater turtle in the northeastern United States. It has a high tolerance for water pollution and 

tends to be among our most urban tolerant turtles (Klemens 1993). Although common snapping 

turtles occur in nearly all freshwater habitats and also in brackish marshes, adults tend to occur 

more frequently in permanent water bodies and are most abundant in shallow, muddy ones 

(Klemens 1993, Cook et al. 2007). These highly aquatic turtles are common in the United States, 

but because they are bottom walkers more than swimmers, and they bask in shallow waters along 

the shore of a pond or wetland rather than haul out like a painted turtle does, they are not as 

readily observable. Typical of all turtles, their eggs are laid on land. Female common snapping 

turtles must emerge from wetlands and travel overland in search of nesting areas, generally open, 

sandy, sparsely vegetated patches (Gibbs et al. 2007). They are often seen crossing roads in late 

spring to early summer. Females dig nests and deposit eggs in loose sand or soil, and the 

hatchlings emerge in the late summer or early fall (Ernst et al. 1994). 

Locally, Nyman (1991) reported capturing adult common snapping turtles in Reedy Meadows 

conservation area and observed numerous predated eggs along the railroad tracks there. He also 

noted they were reported from SAIR and speculated that they occurred in sluggish deep water 

reaches of the Saugus River. In the recent Massachusetts Herp Atlas project, there were nine 

records of common snapping turtle in the Herp Atlas quads centered on SAIR (an area of 

approximately 1350 km2

), including one from the Golden Hills Area of Critical Environmental 

Concern, approximately 4 km from SAIR (Jackson et al. 2010). 

Park staff have previously observed common snapping turtles nesting in the Slag Heap area and 

on open lawn areas. These reports were confirmed when several nest excavations and a 

depredated nest were recorded on the unvegetated area of the Slag Heap during site 

reconnaissance on 27 June 2000. Although no common snapping turtles were observed during 

surveys conducted in 2001, seven were observed in 2009 (McNiff and Albert 2010), both in the 

river and nesting in the Historic/Administrative area. These observations indicate that common 

snapping turtles do inhabit the Saugus River in and around SAIR, and use the uplands of SAIR 

for nesting. The open upland habitat in the Historic/Administrative area of SAIR provides an 

important and rare habitat feature in an urban area, turtle nesting habitat immediately adjacent to 

the river, which spares females a risky nesting foray across roads and through urban 

neighborhoods, a major source of mortality for urban turtles. The long history of its use for turtle 

nesting suggests that the female turtles using this stretch of river return to use it repeatedly over 

the years. Park staff and managers should be mindful of common snapping turtle use of SAIR 

and be careful when mowing during their nesting season, late May through June. 
28

Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta) 

The painted turtle is the only North American turtle whose range extends across the continent, 

from southern Canada down through the Pacific northwest, midwest, and the northeast coast to 

Louisiana, Georgia, and the Carolinas (Ernst et al. 1994). There are four subspecies, with 

standard English names that describe each subspecies’ distribution. The eastern painted turtle has 

an unmarked yellow plastron and the seams of the central and lateral carapace scutes are aligned, 

while the midland painted turtle has a variable dark marking on the plastron and alternating 

seams on the carapacial scutes (Ernst et al. 1994). Hybrid painted turtles are intermediate in these 

characters and are highly variable both within and among populations. In the Northeast and New 

England, the eastern painted turtle (C. p. picta) and the midland painted turtle (C. p. marginata) 

intergrade, forming a hybrid swarm (Pough and Pough 1968) and it is best referred to simply as 

“painted turtle”. 

In addition to a wide geographic distribution, painted turtles are widespread ecologically, 

occurring in a broad range of freshwater habitats, including vernal ponds. However, they prefer 

permanent, shallow, standing or slow-moving water bodies with soft bottoms and an abundance 

of aquatic vegetation (Ernst et al. 1994, Cook et al. 2007, Gibbs et al. 2007). Painted turtles are 

highly aquatic, feeding and hibernating in ponds. However, they lay their eggs on land and, as 

with all aquatic turtles, must leave the relative safety of the wetland and travel overland to 

patches of open habitat with well drained soils to nest. 

Painted turtles have long been considered New England’s most abundant turtle and because of 

their abundance and habit of basking on rocks, logs, and clumps of vegetation, they are also the 

region’s most familiar and conspicuous turtle (Babcock 1919, Klemens 1993). Because 

permanent water bodies are more likely to survive urbanization, and have increased in some 

instances through the damming of streams, painted turtles tend to remain relatively common in 

urban and suburban areas (Schlauch 1976). Painted turtles were found extensively in the Saugus 

River basin, in lakes, marshes, and slow-moving backwaters of the Saugus, including in Reedy 

Meadows, Breakheart Reservation and SAIR (Nyman (1991). In the more recent Massachusetts 

Herp Atlas, painted turtle was the most recorded species in the nine Herp Atlas quads centered 

on SAIR (an area of approximately 1350 km2

), accounting for 24 of 209 (11.5%) of all records 

(Jackson et al. 2010). 

Although park staff have previously observed painted turtles at SAIR, none were observed in 

2000 or 2001, and only one was observed during 2 months of observations in summer 2009 

(McNiff and Albert 2010). This suggests that despite the fact that painted turtles are an urban 

tolerant species that is widespread and common in the region, they are fairly rare at SAIR. 

Perhaps the 4 foot tidal range and near complete draining of water from the Saugus River at low 

tide limit its usefulness as habitat for painted turtles. 

Northern Brown Snake (Storeria d. dekayii) 

The brown snake is a species that ranges throughout most of the eastern half of the United States 

and into eastern Mexico (Ernst and Ernst 2003). The subspecies found at SAIR, the northern 

brown snake, occurs from South Carolina northward into central New England, southern Canada, 

and westward to lower Michigan and Ohio (Conant and Collins 1998). Formerly called 

“DeKay’s snake,” the northern brown snake was named after New York naturalist James Edward 
29

Dekay (Conant and Collins 1998). It is widespread throughout New York and New England 

(Klemens 1993, Gibbs et al. 2007), and occurs statewide in Massachusetts, except for the islands 

of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket (Cardoza and Mirick 2009).

This small, inconspicuous species inhabits moist upland and lowland habitats, and can be 

common in urban and suburban areas with plenty of cover (Conant and Collins 1998, Ernst and 

Ernst 2003). They are relatively small and sedentary, feed heavily on slugs and worms (Lazell 

1976) and they give birth to live young, thus avoiding the need for “nesting habitat.” These traits 

enable them to persist on small, disturbed patches of habitat, sometimes becoming more 

abundant in these settings than in undisturbed patches (Schlauch 1978). Northern brown snakes 

are urban tolerant (Klemens 1985) and in Massachusetts they are abundant in cities and suburbs 

(Lazell 1974), but there are limits to their ability to survive intense urbanization (Klemens 1993). 

Nyman (1991) found one northern brown snake under a board at Reedy Meadows Conservation 

Area and speculated that this species occurred extensively in suitable habitat throughout the 

Saugus watershed. In the more recent Massachusetts Herp Atlas, northern brown snake was the 

eighth most recorded species in the nine Herp Atlas quads centered on SAIR (an area of 

approximately 1350 km2

), accounting for 10 of 209 (4.8%) of all records, including one in the 

town of Saugus at the Golden Hills ACEC (Jackson et al. 2010). In this survey, two northern 

brown snakes were observed in 2001 in the Historic/Administrative area, one under a coverboard 

and the second on top of the slag heap, apparently depredated. The capture rate at SAIR, 1.3 

captures/100 board checks (Table 5), exceeds the capture rate of three sites sampled at Gateway 

NRA, but is lower than the capture rate of four other Gateway sites, which ranged from 3.11 to 

100.0 captures/100 board checks (Cook, in prep). Thus, although brown snake populations are 

able to persist in small habitat patches such as SAIR, and SAIR provides plenty of seemingly 

suitable upland and marsh habitat for this species, it is not particularly common here. 

Common Garter Snake (Thamnophis s. sirtalis) 

The common garter snake is a species that ranges throughout the United States, except for Texas 

and the southwest, and all of southern Canada (Ernst and Ernst 2003). The subspecies found at 

SAIR, also known as the common garter snake, occurs primarily east of the Mississippi River 

from Florida northward into New York and southern New England and also into Canada (Conant 

and Collins 1998). In New York and southern New England, common garter snakes are 

widespread and common, both inland and along the coast, and are the most conspicuous and well 

known snake in this area (Klemens 1993, Gibbs et al. 2007). They are abundant throughout 

Massachusetts (Lazell 1974). 

Common garter snakes are ubiquitous in New England (DeGraaf and Rudis 1983), found in a 

variety of habitats including meadows, marshes, woodlands, and cultivated and developed areas 

(Behler and King 1979). They are relatively urban tolerant because of their generalized food and 

habitat needs (Schlauch 1976), live birth of young, and ability to persist in relatively small 

habitat patches. But, they can decline in areas subject to intense urbanization (e.g. Ziminski 

1970, Schlauch 1978). Nyman (1991) found one common garter snake under a board at Reedy 

Meadows Conservation Area and speculated that this species occurred widely in the Saugus 

River basin. That view is supported by the more recent Massachusetts Herp Atlas. Common 

garter snake was the second most recorded species (of 27) in the nine Herp Atlas quads centered 
30

on SAIR (an area of approximately 1350 km2), accounting for 22 of 209 (10.5%) of all records, 

including one in the town of Saugus at the Golden Hills ACEC (Jackson et al. 2010). The three 

common garter snakes found under coverboards in the Historic/Administrative Area in 2001 

(Table 2 and Table 3) confirm earlier reports by SAIR staff, while the eight observed over the 

course of summer 2009 (McNiff and Albert 2009) demonstrate their continued persistence at 

SAIR and suggest this species is relatively common here. The 2001 capture rate at SAIR, 3.8 

captures/100 coverboard checks (Table 5), exceeds the capture rate at the four Gateway NRA 

sites where the common garter snake occurs, which ranged from 0.44 to 2.24 captures/100 

coverboard checks (Cook, in prep). 

Eastern Milk Snake (Lampropeltis t. triangulum)

The eastern milk snake is a subspecies of the milk snake, which is one of the most widespread 

species of snakes, ranging from the east and mid-western United States down to Ecuador in 

South America (Ernst and Ernst 2003). The eastern milk snake occurs from northern Georgia and 

Alabama northward to Wisconsin and through the northeastern states into southern Canada 

(Conant and Collins 1998). Identifying characters include a “Y” shaped, cream-colored patch on 

the nape, and a black and white checkerboard pattern on the belly (Conant and Collins 1998). 

Eastern milk snakes are widespread in the northeast U.S., including Massachusetts (Lazell 1974) 

and occur both inland and along the coast in habitats ranging from woods, meadows, bogs, 

streams, and farmland. They are frequently associated with old farm fields, dilapidated 

structures, and trash piles, and thrive in such human altered habitats (Klemens 1993, Gibbs et al. 

2007). Eastern milk snakes eat a wide range of prey items, have a large home range, and are 

primarily nocturnal and inconspicuous (Kjoss and Litvaitis 2001, Ernst and Ernst 2003). Their 

large home range makes them vulnerable to habitat fragmentation, and although still common in 

rural areas, they are absent from the most urbanized areas (Klemens 1993). Nyman (1991) did 

not record any, but stated that suitable habitats existed at Reedy Meadows and Breakheart 

Reservation. In the more recent Massachusetts Herp Atlas, eastern milk snake accounted for only 

2 of 209 (1%) records in the nine Herp Atlas quads centered on SAIR (an area of approximately 

225 km2). Only one of these records was in the town of Saugus (Jackson et al. 2010). 

An eastern milk snake was observed on the ground near the SAIR herb garden on June 7, 2009 

(McNiff and Albert 2010). Although not considered as a species likely to occur at SAIR and the 

photograph taken of this individual is poor quality, it shows the pattern of dorsal bands typical of 

this species. The origins of this animal remain uncertain and continued monitoring is needed to 

determine how regularly eastern milk snakes occur at SAIR. 

Potentially-occurring Species Never Recorded at SAIR

Eastern Red-backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus) 

The eastern red-backed salamander is a lungless terrestrial salamander that is widespread and 

common throughout the Northeast, including New York State (Gibbs et al. 2007) and New 

England (Klemens 1993). It occurs as a number of different color morphs, with the red striped 

and unstriped (or lead-backed) the two most common and widespread (Petranka 1998). Although 

they reach their greatest density in well-drained deciduous and mixed forests with well 

developed leaf litter (Gibbs et al. 2007) and in some forest ecosystems dominate the vertebrate 
31

biomass (Burton and Likens 1975), eastern red-backed salamanders are not necessarily restricted 

to mature forest habitats (Klemens 1993). At Cape Cod National Seashore, they can also be 

found in open habitat such as beneath power lines and under woody debris deposited by storm 

surge at the upper limits of salt marshes (R. Cook, pers. obs.). Because all embryonic and larval 

development takes place in the “aquatic” environment within the egg membrane, eastern redbacked salamanders are completely terrestrial and do not require wetlands for reproduction. This 

attribute, in conjunction with their small home range and limited movements, has facilitated their 

widespread distribution and made them one of the most urban tolerant amphibians, capable of 

persisting in small woodland patches in highly fragmented urban landscapes (Schlauch 1976, 

Gibbs 1998). 

The eastern red-backed salamander is widespread and abundant in Massachusetts (Lazell 1974, 

Cardoza and Mirick 2009). Nyman (1991) recorded this species at two sites upstream from SAIR 

and speculated it may be widespread in wooded areas along the Saugus River. Recent data from 

the Massachusetts Herp Atlas project (Jackson et al. 2010) show this to be the most widespread 

and abundant amphibian in the SAIR region, including a recent record from the Golden Hills 

Area of Critical Environmental Concern, 4 km from SAIR. However, in spite of its ubiquity and 

urban tolerance, no eastern red-backed salamanders were observed in 2000 or 2001. SAIR is 

certainly large enough to support a population of eastern red-backed salamanders. However, 

declines in eastern red-backed salamanders have been observed at sites where non-native 

earthworms lead to leaf-litter loss and invasion by non-native plants (Maerz at al. 2009). Much 

of the forest floor at SAIR is occupied by non-native plants, and casual observation suggests that 

there is little leaf litter at SAIR. Thus, the quality of woodland habitat for this species at SAIR 

may be impaired. Additional searches of woodland habitats at SAIR for this species should be 

undertaken in the future to better determine if it is truly absent. Coverboards made of heavy 

boards and placed in the woodlands would aid this effort. 

Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer) 

The spring peeper is widespread throughout the eastern United States and Canada (Klemens 

1993) and ubiquitous, breeding in a wide range of wetland habitats. On Cape Cod, spring peepers 

breed in vernal ponds (both woodland and inter-dune), semi-permanent ponds, and in the marshy 

margins of permanent kettle and inter-dune ponds (Cook et al. 2006). Spring peepers are 

terrestrial outside of the breeding season, and utilize a broad range of terrestrial habitats (Gibbs 

et al. 2007). Its unique, high-pitched breeding call is often a deafening chorus of hundreds or 

even thousands of individuals. These loud and distinct calls, in combination with a prolonged 

calling season that stretches from mid-March to mid-May (Overton 1914), make it one of the 

most readily detectable of local anurans (Klemens 1993).

The spring peeper is abundant throughout Massachusetts (Lazell 1974) and among the most 

urban tolerant of amphibians (Schlauch 1976, Gibbs 1998). Nyman (1991) did not record spring 

peeper on field surveys in June and August, outside of spring peeper calling season. However, he 

speculated they occurred in Reedy Meadows and Breakheart Reservation, but not directly in the 

Saugus or its tributaries. In recent data from the Massachusetts Herp Atlas project (Jackson et al. 

2010), spring peeper ranked fifth in records among amphibians in the SAIR region, 12 of 209 

(5.7%) records, including a recent record from the Golden Hills Area of Critical Environmental 

Concern, 4 km from SAIR. 
32

In spite of its ubiquity and urban tolerance, there have been no records of spring peeper at SAIR. 

This is primarily because there is no breeding habitat for spring peeper at SAIR. However, there 

are unconfirmed but reliable reports of calling spring peepers nearby at the Marion Street Swamp 

(125 meters NW of SAIR) and in the Pranker’s Pond area (500 meters NW of SAIR). At least 

some of the animals breeding in these wetlands should be able to survive movements across the 

intervening urbanization on rainy nights and range onto SAIR outside of the breeding season. 

Therefore, spring peeper should be considered as a potentially-occurring species, primarily 

outside of breeding season. 

American Bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus) 

The American bullfrog is a widespread and common species throughout much of the Northeast, 

(Behler and King 1979, DeGraaf and Rudis 1983). Bullfrogs require two or more years for their 

tadpoles to metamorphose, hence they breed in open bodies of water such as lakes and 

permanent ponds (Conant and Collins 1998). Their primary habitat requirement is a permanent 

water body with abundant emergent and shoreline vegetation (Albright 1999). However, because 

American bullfrogs may require a few years beyond metamorphosis to reach adulthood and, in 

the case of males, attain a size capable of defending a breeding territory, juveniles will also 

inhabit temporary ponds and streams. This species is an aggressive predator and includes other 

frogs, young turtles, small snakes, and many invertebrates in its diet. It is adept at colonizing new 

habitats, especially those constructed or modified by humans (Lacki et al.1992) and is relatively 

urban tolerant (Klemens 1993). 

American bullfrogs occur throughout most of Massachusetts and may be locally abundant 

(Lazell 1974). Nyman (1991) did not record any American bullfrogs, but speculated they would 

occur in permanent water bodies, such as those found in Reedy Meadows and Breakheart 

Reservation, but not directly in the Saugus or its tributaries. This prediction was borne out in the 

recent Massachusetts Herp Atlas project. American bullfrog was the fourth most recorded 

species in the Herp Atlas quads centered on SAIR (an area of approximately 1350 km2), 

accounting for 16 of 209 (7.7%) records, including one from the Golden Hills Area of Critical 

Environmental Concern, 4 km from SAIR (Jackson et al. 2010). To date there have been no 

confirmed records of American bullfrog at SAIR, nor is there any breeding habitat there. 

However, considering the use of streams and rivers for dispersal, especially by juveniles 

(Klemens 1993, Gibbs et al. 2007), it is possible that American bullfrog may yet be recorded at 

SAIR and should therefore be considered as potentially occurring, at least as a transient.

Northern Water Snake (Nerodia s. sipedon) 

The northern water snake is a sub-species of water snake that occurs from the northeastern 

United States and southeastern Canada westward into the mid-west (Conant and Collins 1998). 

In New York and New England, the northern water snake is widespread and common, occurring 

both along the coastal plain and inland, although it does not range into high elevations (Klemens 

1993, Gibbs et al. 2007). Northern water snakes are primarily aquatic and occur in a broad range 

of freshwater wetlands, provided that they contain an abundance of cover and food, primarily 

fish and secondarily amphibians (Ernst and Ernst 2003). They are frequently observed basking 

on the shore, on rocks, and on branches overhanging the water and occasionally enter brackish 
33

waters (Conant and Collins 1998, Ernst and Ernst 2003). Similar to the brown snake and garter 

snake, water snakes give birth to live young rather than laying eggs.

In Massachusetts, northern water snakes are widespread and common in and near ponds, slow 

moving streams, swamps, and vernal ponds, and are often seen basking on rocks (Lazell 1974, 

DeGraaf and Rudis 1983, Klemens 1993). Nyman (1991) did not observe any in the Saugus 

River basin, but felt they should be present at Reedy Meadows, Breakheart Reservation, and in 

sunny, quiet, waters along the Saugus River where prey and brushy cover exist. This view seems 

to be supported by the more recent Massachusetts Herp Atlas, in which there were eight records 

of water snake in the nine Herp Atlas quads centered on SAIR (an area of approximately 1350

km2), including one in the town of Saugus at the Golden Hills ACEC, 4 km from SAIR (Jackson 

et al. 2010). However, there have been no records of water snakes at SAIR either prior to this 

survey, during this survey, or in 2009 (McNiff and Albert 2009). There is still the possibility that 

northern water snakes may occur at Saugus, most likely as individuals traveling along the Saugus 

River, but the low numbers of frogs present here probably limit the quality of habitat for water 

snakes and their inclination to remain. 
34
35

Literature Cited

Albright, J. 1999. Bullfrog. In: Hunter, M. L., A. J. K Calhoun., and M. McCollough. Maine 

Amphibians and Reptiles. The University of Maine Press, Orono, ME. pp. 90-93.

Babcock, H.L. 1919. The Turtles of New England. Memoirs of the Boston Society of Natural 

History 8:325-431.

Bank, M. S., C. S. Loftin, and R. E. Jung. 2005. Mercury bioaccumulation in northern two-lined 

salamanders from streams in the northeastern United States. Ecotoxicology 14:181-191.

Bank, M. S., J. B. Crocker, S. Davis, D. K. Brotherton, R. Cook, J. Behler, and B. Connery. 

2006. Population decline of northern dusky salamanders at Acadia National Park, Maine, 

USA. Biological Conservation 130:230-238.

Bank, M. S., J. Crocker, B. Connery, and A. Amirbahman. 2007. Mercury bioaccumulation in 

green frog (Rana clamitans) and bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) from Acadia National Park, 

Maine, USA. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 26:118-125.

Behler, J. L., and F. W. King. 1979. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North 

American Reptiles and Amphibians. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 719 pp.

Blaustein, A. R. 1994. Chicken little or Nero’s fiddle? A perspective on declining 

amphibian populations. Herpetologica 50:85-97.

Blaustein, A. R., P. D. Hoffman, D. G. Hokit, J. M. Kiesecker, S. C. Walls, and J. B. 

Hays. 1994. UV repair and resistance to solar UV-B in amphibian eggs: a link to 

population declines? Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 91:1791-1795.

Brotherton, D. K., J. L. Behler, and R. P. Cook. 2005. Acadia National Park Amphibian and 

Reptile Inventory March-September 2001. Technical Report NPS/NER/NRTR—

2005/007. National Park Service. Woodstock, VT.

Burton, T.M. and G.E. Likens. 1975. Salamander populations and biomass in the Hubbard Brook 

Experimental Forest, New Hampshire. Copeia 1975:541-546.

Bury, R. B., and M. G. Raphael. 1983. Inventory methods for amphibians and 

reptiles. In J. F. Bell and T. Atterbury (eds.), Renewable Resources Inventories for 

Monitoring Changes and Trends, pp. 416-419. Oregon State University, Corvallis, 

Oregon.

Cardoza, J. E. and P. G. Mirick. 2009. State Reptiles and Amphibians List. 3rd ed.2000, Revised 

2009. Fauna of Massachusetts Series No. 3, Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and 

Wildlife. http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/wildlife/facts/reptiles/herp_list.htm#list. 

Accessed 4 August 2010.
36

Chalmers, A., M. A. Nilles, D. P. Krabbenhoft, and E. Prestbo. 2005. Analysis of mercury wetdeposition data collected with a newly designed sampler, Boston, Massachusetts 

Metropolitan Area, 2002–04: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2005–1368, 17 p.

Clemants, S. 1997. Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site Vascular Plant Survey 

1996-1997. United States Department of the Interior. National Park Service. Park 

records. 

Conant, R., and J. T Collins. 1998. Reptiles and Amphibians Eastern/Central North

America. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston and New York.

Cook, R.P. in prep. Amphibians and reptiles of Gateway NRA: Impacts of urbanization and 

restoration. Technical Report NPS/NER/NRTR-XXXX/xxx. National Park Service, Boston, 

MA.

Cook, R. P., M. Schult, A. Goodstine, and G. Radik. 2006. Monitoring of pond breeding 

amphibians at Cape Cod National Seashore, 2005. Technical Report, Long-term Coastal 

Ecosystem Monitoring Program, Cape Cod National Seashore, Wellfleet, MA.

Cook, R. P., K. M. Boland, S. J. Kot, J. Borgmeyer, and M. Schult. 2007. Inventory of aquatic 

turtles at Cape Cod National Seashore with recommendations for long term monitoring. 

Technical Report NPS/NER/NRTR-2007/091. National Park Service, Boston, MA.

Cook, R. P., D.K. Brotherton, and J.L. Behler. September 2008. Saint-Gaudens National Historic 

Site Amphibian and Reptile Inventory: March-September 2001. Technical Report 

NPS/NER/NRTR—2008/120. National Park Service. Boston, MA.

Crouch, W. B. and P. W. C. Paton. 2002. Assessing the use of call surveys to monitor 

breeding anurans in Rhode Island. Journal of Herpetology 36:185-192.

Daszak, P., L. Berger, A. A. Cunningham, A. D. Hyatt, D. E. Green, & R. Speare. 2000. 

Emerging Infectious Diseases and Amphibian Population Declines. Center for Disease 

Control. Vol. 5, No. 6.

DeGraaf, R. M. and D. D. Rudis. 1983. Amphibians and reptiles of New England: 

habitats and natural history. The University of Massachusetts Press, Amherst, MA. 

Dunson, W. A., R. L. Wyman, and E. S. Corbett. 1992. A symposium on amphibian 

declines and habitat acidification. Journal of Herpetology 26:349-352.

Ernst, C. H., J. E. Lovich, and R. W. Barbour. 1994. Turtles of the United States and 

Canada. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington D. C. 578pp.

Ernst, C. H. and E. M. Ernst. 2003. Snakes of the United States and Canada. Smithsonian 

Institution Press, Washington D. C.
37

Gibbs, J.P., 1998. Distribution of woodland amphibians along a forest fragmentation corridor. 

Landscape Ecology 13:263-268. 

Gibbs, J.P., A.R. Breisch, P.K. Ducey, G. Johnson, J.L Behler, and R. C. Bothner. 2007. The 

amphibians and reptiles of New York State. Oxford University Press, New York.

Grant, B. W., A. D. Tucker, J. E. Lovich, A. M. Mills, P. M. Dixon and J. W. Gibbons. 

1992. The use of coverboards in estimating patterns of reptile and amphibian 

biodiversity. In D. R. McCullough and R. H. Barrett (eds.). Wildlife 2001: Populations, 

pp. 379-403. Elsevier Science Publication, Inc. London, England.

Heyer, R. W., M. A. Donnelly, R. W. McDiarmid, L. C. Hayek, M. S. Foster. 1994. 

Measuring and Monitoring Biological Diversity – Standard Methods for Amphibians. 

Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington D.C.

Hunter, M. L., Calhoun, A. J. K., and M. McCollough. 1999. Maine Amphibians and 

Reptiles. The University of Maine Press, Orono, Maine

Jackson, S.D., R.M. Richmond, T.F. Tyning and C.W. Leahy (eds). 2010. Massachusetts 

Herpetological Atlas 1992-1998, Massachusetts Audubon Society & University of 

Massachusetts (www.massherpatlas.org). Accessed 4 August 2010. 

James-Pirri, M.J., J. Burgess, C. T. Roman, and M. Albert. 2010a. Restoration of the Turning 

Basin and Tidal Wetlands at Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site: 2008 PostRestoration Monitoring Data Report. Natural Resource Program Center. Fort Collins, 

Colorado. Natural Resource Data Series. NPS/NERO/NRDS—2010/054.

James-Pirri, M.J., S.J. Nelson, and P.D. Vaux. 2010b. Natural Resource Assessment for 

Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site. Natural Resources Report NPS/NER/NRR—

2010/XXX. National Park Service. Boston, MA.

Kjoss, V. A. and J. A. Litvaitis. 2001. Community structure of snakes in a human-dominated 

landscape. Biological Conservation 98:285-292.

Klemens, M.W. 1985. Survivors in megalopolis: Reptiles of the urban Northeast. Discovery 

18:22-25.

Klemens, M. W. 1993. Amphibians and reptiles of Connecticut and adjacent regions. 

State Geological and Natural History Survey of Connecticut Bulletin 112. 

Knapp, R. A., and K. R. Matthews. 2000. Non-native fish introductions and the 

decline of the Mountain Yellow-legged Frog from within protected areas. Conservation 

Biology 14:428-438.

Lacki, M. J., J. W. Hummer, and H. J. Webster. 1992. Mine-drainage treatment wetland
38

as habitat for herpetofaunal wildlife. Environmental Management 16:513-520.

Largay, E. F., and L. A. Sneddon. 2008. Vegetation Classification and Mapping at Saugus Iron 

Works National Historic Site. Technical Report NPS/NER/NRTR—2008/123. National 

Park Service. Philadelphia, PA.

Lazell, J. D. 1974. Reptiles & amphibians in Massachusetts. Massachusetts Audubon Society, 

Lincoln, MA.

Lazell, J.D. 1976. This Broken Archipelago: Cape Cod and the islands, amphibians and reptiles. 

New York: Demeter Press (Quadrangle: The New York Times Book Co.).

Likens, G .E., C. T. Driscoll, and D. C. Buso. 1996. Long-term effects of acid rain: Response and 

recovery of a forest ecosystem. Science 272 (5259):244-246.

Maerz, J. C., V.A. Nuzzo, and B. Blossey. 2009. Declines in woodland salamander abundance 

associated with non-native earthworm and plant invasions. Conservation Biology 23:975-

981.

Massachusetts Department of Environmental Management. 2002. Saugus River Water Budget and 

Instream Flow Study. Final Report, June 2002. Gomez and Sullivan Engineers and 

Environmental Scientists. Weare, NH.

McNiff, C., and M. Albert. 2010. Saugus Iron Works wildlife observation summary: Summer 2009. 

National Park Service. Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site, January 9, 2010.

National Park Service. 2003. Annual performance plan for Salem Maritime and Saugus 

Iron Works National Historic Sites. United States Department of the Interior. National 

Park Service. http://data2.itc.nps.gov/parks/sair/ppdocuments/APP%202003.doc. 

Accessed 16 September 2010.

Nyman, S. 1991. Report on the Amphibian and Reptile Fauna of the Saugus River. Pages

F1 to F10 in Tashiro, J. S. editor. Baseline Assessment of the Saugus System, 

Appendices. Report prepared for New England Natural Resources Research Center and 

Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group by Hudsonia Limited, Bard College Field 

Station, Annadale-On-Hudson, New York. 

Overton, F. 1914. Long Island flora and fauna III: the frogs and toads (Order Salientia). Museum 

of the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Science, Science Bulletin 2(3):21-40.

Pechmann, J. H. K., and H. W. Wilbur. 1994. Putting declining amphibian populations 

in perspective: natural fluctuations and human impacts. Herpetologica 50:65-84.

Petranka, J. W. 1998. Salamanders of the United States and Canada. Smithsonian 

Institution Press, Washington, D. C. 587 pp.

Pfingsten, R. A. and F. L. Downs (eds.). 1989. Salamanders of Ohio. Ohio Biological

Survey Bulletin New Series 7(2):315pp.
39

Pough, F. H., and M. B. Pough. 1968. The systematic status of painted turtles (Chrysemys) in 

the northeastern United States. Copeia 1968:612-618.

Rubbo, M. J., and J. M. Kiesecker. 2005. Amphibian breeding distribution in an urbanized 

landscape. Conservation Biology 19:504-511. 

Schaetzl, R. J. and S. Anderson. 2005. Soils: genesis and morphology. Cambridge University 

Press. Cambridge, UK.

Schlauch, F.C. 1976. City snakes, suburban salamanders. Natural History 85:46-53.

Schlauch, F. C. 1978. Urban geographical ecology of the amphibians and reptiles of Long 

Island. In C.M. Kirkpatrick (ed.), Wildlife and People, pp. 25-41. John S. Wright Forestry 

Conference Proceedings, Cooperative Extension Service, Purdue University, West 

Lafayette, IN.

Wright, A.H. and A.A. Wright. 1949. Handbook of Frogs and Toads of the United States 

and Canada. Comstock Publishing Associates. Ithaca, New York.

Ziminski, S.W. 1970. Notes on the decline of snakes at the Long Island Village of Hempstead and 

its vicinities. Engelhardtia 3:2.

41

Appendix A. Records of amphibians and reptiles at and in the vicinity of Saugus Iron Works National 

Historic Site prior to 2001. Nyman (1991) covers the entire watershed of the Saugus River, and Herp 

Atlas records are for the approximately 25 km2 Herp Atlas block that SAIR is located within (Quad 69, 

Block 4).

Common Name Nyman 1991

Herp Atlas 

1992-98

SAIR 

Staff

Cook 2000 

Observations

(K)nown or 

(P)otential 

at SAIR

red-spotted newt present

blue-spotted salamander 

complex present

marbled salamander historic report

spotted salamander historic report confirmed

four-toed salamander possible

northern dusky salamander possible

northern two-lined 

salamander present confirmed K

E. red-backed salamander present confirmed P

spadefoot toad unlikely 

American toad present

Fowler’s toad possible

spring peeper likely confirmed P

gray treefrog present

American bullfrog likely confirmed P

northern green frog present confirmed reported confirmed K

northern leopard frog possible

pickerel frog present confirmed

wood frog present confirmed

common garter snake present confirmed reported K

eastern ribbon snake possible

northern ring-necked snake possible confirmed

smooth green snake possible

black racer possible

eastern milk snake possible confirmed

northern brown snake present confirmed P

redbelly snake possible

northern water snake likely confirmed P

eastern hognose snake unlikely

common musk turtle possible confirmed

snapping turtle present confirmed reported confirmed K

Blanding’s turtle possible confirmed

wood turtle historic report

eastern box turtle possible

spotted turtle historic report confirmed

painted turtle present confirmed reported K
42

Appendix B. Habitat categories and types surveyed at Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site.

Habitat 

Category Habitat Type Description1

East 

Woodland Woodland

Northeastern modified successional forest dominated by Acer platanoides

(Norway maple), Carya alba (mockernut hickory), Fagus grandifolia

(American beech), Prunus serotina (black cherry), and Quercus rubra

(northern red oak).

Historic / 

Administrative

Fields, lawns and 

landscape 

plantings

Public and administrative zone characterized by buildings with shade 

trees, flowerbeds, and lawn. Also includes the historic ‘slag heap’ 

comprised of the inorganic waste from processing iron.

Marsh Emergent Marsh

Seasonally and tidally flooded herbaceous alliance characterized by Typha 

angustifolia (narrowleaf cattail), common reed (Phragmites spp.), and 

Phalaris arundinacea (reed canarygrass) communities.

Saugus River

Channel River Channel Tidally influenced river channel with floating and submerged aquatic vegetation.

Stream / Seep Permanent 

Stream Permanent stream (seep) on forested slope. 

1

Description follows Largay and Sneddon 2008
43

Appendix C. Coordinates for 11 standardized amphibian and reptile survey sites and two incidental 

encounter localities at Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site. For coverboards and stream timeconstrained searches, the pair of coordinates represent the start and end points of linear features. For 

field and wetland time-constrained searches, the pair of coordinates represents centroids for the two 

areas searched. For anuran calling surveys, incidental encounters, minnow and turtle trap surveys, and 

woodland time-constrained searches, the single point indicates the location of the observer, observation, 

trap, or centroid of the area searched respectively.

Site Survey Method UTM X UTM Y UTM X UTM Y

East Woodland Coverboards 334998 4703693 335001 4703751

East Woodland Woodland Time Constrained 

Search 335006 4703706

Historic / Administrative Coverboards 334939 4703785 334907 4703728

Historic / Administrative Field Time Constrained Search 334889 4703792 335030 4703814

Historic / Administrative Incidental Encounter 334936 4703777

Marsh Anuran Calling Survey 334936 4703777

Marsh Minnow and Turtle Trap Surveys 334930 4703769

Marsh Marsh Time Constrained Search 334958 4703769 334972 4703685

Saugus River Channel Stream Time Constrained Search 334958 4703647 334993 4703834

Saugus River Channel Minnow Trap Surveys 335018 4703821

Stream / Seep Stream Time Constrained Search 334921 4703727 334918 4703730

Stream / Seep Incidental Encounter 334922 4703724

The Department of the Interior protects and manages the nation’s natural resources and cultural heritage; provides scientific and 

other information about those resources; and honors its special responsibilities to American Indians, Alaska Natives, and affiliated 

Island Communities.

NPS 444/105740, September 2010
National Park Service

U.S. Department of the Interior

Natural Resource Program Center

1201 Oakridge Drive, Suite 150

Fort Collins, CO 80525

www.nature.nps.gov

EXPERIENCE YOUR AMERICA TM