Mount Rainier National Park Amphibian Inventory 2001-2003 Non-Sensitive Version
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National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Mount Rainier National Park Amphibian Inventory 2001-2003 Non-sensitive Version Natural Resource Technical Report NPS/NCCN/NRTR—2013/696.N ON THE COVER Top left: Ensatina eschscholtzii; Top right: Plethodon larselli; Bottom left: Pseudacris regilla; Bottom right: Ambystoma gracile, Mount Rainier National Park Photographs by: Michael Layes, Mount Rainier National Park Mount Rainier National Park Amphibian Inventory 2001-2003 Non-sensitive Version Natural Resource Technical Report NPS/NCCN/NRTR—2013/696.N Barbara Samora National Park Service North Coast and Cascades Network Inventory and Monitoring Program Mount Rainier National Park 55210 238th Ave. E. Ashford, WA 98304 Michael Layes National Park Service Mount Rainier National Park 55210 238th Ave. E. Ashford, WA 98304 Rebecca Lofgren National Park Service North Coast and Cascades Network Inventory and Monitoring Program Mount Rainier National Park 55210 238th Ave. E. Ashford, WA 98304 February 2013 U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Fort Collins, Colorado The National Park Service, Natural Resource Stewardship and Science office in Fort Collins, Colorado, publishes a range of reports that address natural resource topics. These reports are 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 Technical Report Series is used to disseminate results of scientific studies in the physical, biological, and social sciences for both the advancement of science and the achievement of the National Park Service mission. The series provides contributors with a forum for displaying comprehensive data that are often deleted from journals because of page limitations. 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 informal peer review by subject-matter experts who were not directly involved in the collection, analysis, or reporting of the data. 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 North Coast and Cascades Network (http://science.nature.nps.gov/im/units/nccn/reportpubs.cfm) and the Natural Resource Publications Management website (http://www.nature.nps.gov/publications/nrpm/). Please cite this publication as: Samora, B., M. Layes, and R. Lofgren. 2013. Mount Rainier National Park amphibian inventory 2001-2003: Non-sensitive version. Natural Resource Technical Report NPS/NCCN/NRTR— 2013/696.N. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. February 2013 ii Contents Page Figures............................................................................................................................................. v Tables ............................................................................................................................................. ix Appendices ..................................................................................................................................... xi Executive Summary ..................................................................................................................... xiii Acknowledgments....................................................................................................................... xvii Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1 Study Area ...................................................................................................................................... 3 Methods........................................................................................................................................... 7 Lentic Surveys ......................................................................................................................... 7 Lotic and Riparian Surveys ..................................................................................................... 7 Terrestrial Surveys ................................................................................................................... 8 Opportunistic Surveys ............................................................................................................. 9 Results ........................................................................................................................................... 11 Lentic Surveys ....................................................................................................................... 11 Species Presence and Diversity ........................................................................................ 11 Elevation ........................................................................................................................... 15 Western Toads .................................................................................................................. 15 Lotic and Riparian Surveys ................................................................................................... 20 Dicamptodon Species........................................................................................................ 24 Van Dyke‘s Salamander ................................................................................................... 27 Terrestrial Surveys ................................................................................................................. 30 Larch Mountain Salamander ............................................................................................. 32 Reptiles .................................................................................................................................. 36 iii Contents (continued) Page Project Data ........................................................................................................................... 37 Discussion ..................................................................................................................................... 39 Voucher Specimens ............................................................................................................... 39 Western Toad ......................................................................................................................... 39 Pacific Giant Salamanders ..................................................................................................... 42 Coastal Giant Salamander ................................................................................................. 44 Cope‘s Giant Salamander ................................................................................................. 45 Cascade Torrent Salamander ................................................................................................. 45 Woodland Salamanders ......................................................................................................... 45 Van Dyke‘s Salamander ................................................................................................... 46 Larch Mountain Salamander ............................................................................................. 47 Cascade Torrent Salamander ............................................................................................ 48 Other Species and Concerns ............................................................................................. 49 Summary ....................................................................................................................................... 51 Literature Cited ............................................................................................................................. 53 iv Figures Page Figure 1. Map of Mount Rainier National Park. ............................................................................ 4 Figure 2. Mount Rainier National Park amphibian survey locations. ............................................ 5 Figure 3. Amphibian species documented in Mount Rainier National Park lentic surveys (all life stages).................................................................................................................. 12 Figure 4. Total number and life stage of Cascades frogs (Rana cascadae) documented during lentic surveys. ............................................................................................... 12 Figure 5. Total number and life stage of Pacific treefrogs (Pseudacris regilla) and northern red-legged frogs (Rana aurora) documented during lentic surveys. ............................. 13 Figure 6. Total number and life stage of northwestern salamanders (Ambystoma gracile) documented during lentic surveys. .................................................................................. 13 Figure 7. Total number and life stage of long-toed salamanders (Ambystoma macrodactylum) documented