Low-lying metal drift fences can be used to sample populations of turtles, lizards, snakes, frogs, salamanders and other small animals. The fence is placed where animals entering and exiting their habitat will encounter the obstruction. When they move right or left of the fence, they fall into one of the buckets buried at periodic intervals on both sides of the fence. Students must check drift fences once a day during normal weather and two to three times a day during hot weather to avoid harm to the animals. Cover the buckets when the fence is not in use.
Students can tape record frogs call to identify the species that occur in a wetland area.
Late spring and summer frog call recording will probably produced the best results. Various frog call identification guides and tapes are available to assist students. Dip netting aquatic areas in another way to assess the fauna that live in your wetland. It is an easy way to catch small reptiles, fish, amphibians and aquatic insects. Dip nets with small mesh are needed to keep small species from slipping through the netting.