Basking turtles and snakes must be approached furtively to avoid scaring them. Frogs along shore can be scanned with binoculars from a distance so as not to startle them into the water. Listen as well as look. Frog and toad calls are excellent clues to identification. Moisten hands before handling animals.
Dry hands can wipe off the protective slime that covers some amphibians.
Plastic trays and bags can serve to temporarily house animals while they are being identified. Teams plot the location of each animal on their section maps. When the searchers return at the end of the survey their sightings are plotted on a map so everyone can see the distribution patterns of the animals that were observed. Toads are often abundant but can still present a challenge to correctly identify. The only way to distinguish between these two is to hold them in the hand.