MOM or in the Glass Mountains (TPWD, 2018b). Due to the relatively low elevation of the study area, it is unlikely for Wright's water-willow to be present.
Although not included on TPWD state county lists, the NDD database provides records for four other species, three of which are associated with montane or higher elevation habitats in geographically specific regions outside of the study area. None of these species are expected to occur within the study area. The other record includes the neglected sunflower (Helianthus neglectus) in Reeves and Ward counties, near the study area. This species inhabits sandy soils on rolling hills and is often associated with mesquite-sage woodlands (TPWD, 2018c). Four of five records were along IH 20 and SH 18, near Monahans, Texas, east of the study area. The other record in the NDD for the neglected sunflower was in Reeves County at the junction of US 285 and SH 302, north of the study area (TPWD, 2018b). This species is likely to occur wherever suitable habitat exists.
3.5.2 Fish and Wildlife
3.5.2.1 Terrestrial Wildlife A wide variety of vertebrate species including amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and birds occur throughout the study area. These animals are addressed below in two groups: commonly occurring (i.e., "common") species; and species that are considered threatened, endangered, or rare by TPWD or USFWS. The information about common wildlife species presented in Tables 3-4 through 3-11 is generally based on reference sources that provide species distribution information on a county-by-county basis. It was assumed that species known to occur within Pecos, Reeves, and/or Ward counties may be expected to occur within the study area, where suitable habitat is present.
Habitat types for the wildlife discussed below are grouped into seven general categories: woodland; desert; shrubland; open; water; cultivated; and urban. Woodland habitat is home to species that live on or in the ground within forested areas or are arboreal in nature; woodland areas include riparian forest areas found in stream floodplains and can overlap water habitats to some extent. Deserts are in arid regions, and may contain a mix of grassland, shrubland, or open habitat. Shrubland habitat is dominated by woody vegetation but is generally low-growing and lacks taller trees. Open habitat includes
Page 3-40 Halff Associates 100 l. MEM LPN grasslands or arid/semi-arid rocky areas. Cultivated areas consist of row crops, orchards, or grain fields; hay meadows would be considered grassland habitat. Water habitat is for all aquatic species, as well as those which live exclusively near water (e.g., frogs or wading birds). Urban habitats are favored by those animals, which thrive in man-made environments and succeed in disturbed areas.
Amphibians According to Conant and Collins (1998) and the Center for North American Herpetology (CNAH, 2018), one caudate species (i.e., salamanders and newts) and 16 anuran species (i.e., frogs and toads) may be found in the study area (Table 3-4). Salamanders and newts are restricted to aquatic or moist habitats, but some frogs/toads inhabit more arid environments. All species require water during reproduction, either during the act of mating or for rearing young. Amphibians are ectothermic (i.e., "cold blooded," lacking the ability to internally regulate body temperature) and are particularly vulnerable to pollution, because they respire through their skin.
TABLE 3-4. AMPHIBIAN SPECIES WITHIN THE STUDY AREA. Common Name Scientific Name Habitat Preference(s) Order. Anura (frogs and toads) Barking frog Craugastor augusti Desert Blanchard's cricket frog Acris blanchardi blanchardt Water Canyon treefrog Hyla arenicolor Water —Woodland Cliff chirping frog Eleutherodactylus marnockii Open Couch's spadefoot toad Scaphiopus couchii Open Great Plains narrowmouth toad Gastrophryne olivacea Open — Water Great Plains toad Anaxyrus cognatus Open — Cultivated Northern cricket frog Acns crepitans Water Mexican spadefoot toad Spea multiplicata Water — Open Plains spadefoot toad Spea bombdrons Open Red-spotted toad Anaxyrus punctatus Open Rio Grande leopard frog Lithobates berlandieri Water Spotted chirping frog Eleutherodactylus guttilatus Water — Open Texas toad Anaxyrus spectosus Open — Cultivated Western green toad Anaxyrus debilis insidior Open — Desert Woodhouse's toad Anaxyrus woodhousii Open— Desert — Water Order: Caudata (salamanders and newts) Barred tiger salamander Ambystoma mavortium Water Sources: Conant and Collins, 1998; CNAH, 2018; Dixon, 2013