DOCSLIB.ORG

Diet of the Cascades Frog (Rana Cascadae) As It Relates to Prey

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Diet of the Cascades Frog (Rana Cascadae) As It Relates to Prey DIET OF THE CASCADES FROG (RANA CASCADAE) AS IT RELATES TO PREY AVAILABILITY IN THE KLAMATH MOUNTAINS OF NORTHWEST CALIFORNIA By Monty Daedalus Larson A Thesis Presented to The Faculty of Humboldt State University In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree Masters of Science In Natural Resources: Wildlife May 2012 ABSTRACT Diet of the Cascades Frog (Rana cascadae) as it relates to prey availability in the Klamath Mountains of Northwest California Monty Larson Frogs in the family Ranidae are considered generalist predators that consume prey as it is encountered in the environment. However, few studies have attempted to quantify the types and relative amounts of prey available to these frogs so a thorough understanding of their foraging ecology as it relates to prey availability is lacking. This study examined the diet of R. cascadae as it relates to prey availability in a Klamath Mountain basin in northern California during their active season of 2007. Based on the analysis of 275 stomach samples, Rana cascadae consumed 3052 prey items from 110 invertebrate taxa confirming that this species is a generalist predator. However, an Index of Relative Importance indicated that five prey categories were most important in the diet: Acrididae, Aranae, Formicidae, insect larvae, and Tipulidae. Differences in diet were detected between sexes, life stages, and seasons. Adult females consumed more Acrididae in the summer than males or Juveniles. Adult male and juvenile frogs showed selection for insect larvae and Tipulid flies during the summer. In the spring adult females and juveniles also selected Tipulid flies and adult males selected Elaterid beetles. All life-stages and both sexes appeared to avoid very small prey (<4mm3). Shifts in prey use with changes in ontogeny were documented, with frogs consuming more large prey and less small prey as they grew. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This project was partially funded by a grant from the HSU Wildlife Graduate Student Society. My study would not have been possible without the inspiration of my good friend Justin Garwood. Justin and I spent many nights sitting at the little blue table in the Alps discussing research possibilities and the ecological phenomena we were observing while carrying out Justin’s masters’ research. I could not have carried out this study without the support of my advisor, Dr. Hartwell H. Welsh, Jr. who provided encouragement and direction in the writing of my thesis as well as a Forest Service vehicle so that I could travel to and from the trailhead; a car being one of many resources I lacked. I’d also like to thank Dr. Micheal A. Camann for providing me with all of the invertebrate sampling equipment I used to carry out this study and for hours of help teaching me to identify the invertebrates the frogs and I captured. I’d like to thank the fisheries group of Redwood Sciences Laboratory for allowing me to use their microscope; I’d still be measuring bugs if they hadn’t. I am tremendously indebted to the Herpetology group of Redwood Sciences Laboratory. Clara, Garth, and Karen were always there to answer whatever questions I had or just to talk to. Finally I’d like to express the greatest appreciation, and deepest love to Kasey. She has been with me from the start of this project and has provided me with the encouragement, support, and love that carried me through. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................... iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ...................................................................................................... iv LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................................vii LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................. viii LIST OF APPENDICIES ........................................................................................................ x INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................... 1 STUDY SITE ........................................................................................................................... 4 MATERIALS AND METHODS ............................................................................................ 8 Frog Surveys ......................................................................................................................... 8 Gastric Lavage .................................................................................................................... 10 Invertebrate Sampling ........................................................................................................ 10 Invertebrate Identification.................................................................................................. 12 Statistical Analyses ............................................................................................................ 13 RESULTS ............................................................................................................................... 19 Prey use ............................................................................................................................... 19 Use versus Availability ...................................................................................................... 24 Female spring .................................................................................................................. 24 Female summer ............................................................................................................... 25 Female fall....................................................................................................................... 28 Male spring ..................................................................................................................... 31 Male summer .................................................................................................................. 31 Male Fall ......................................................................................................................... 31 Juvenile spring ................................................................................................................ 36 v Juvenile summer ............................................................................................................. 36 Juvenile fall ..................................................................................................................... 36 Frog size .............................................................................................................................. 41 DISCUSSION......................................................................................................................... 46 LITERATURE CITED .......................................................................................................... 51 APPENDICIES ...................................................................................................................... 57 vi LIST OF TABLES Table Page Table 1. Comparison of prey category volumes of stomach samples collected from Rana cascadae by season, sex, and life-stage. Statistical comparisons were made using Multi Response Permutation Procedure. Significant comparisons are shaded. The study was conducted in 2007 in the upper Deep Creek Basin Trinity Alps Wilderness, California. .............................................................................................. 21 Table 2. Seasonally important prey categories in 275 stomach samples of Rana cascadae based on Indicator Species Analysis. Only prey categories with indicator values > 20 are shown. The study was conducted in 2007 in the upper Deep Creek Basin Trinity Alps Wilderness, California. ........................................................................ 23 Table 3. Comparison of proportions of prey items collected from Rana cascadae stomach samples to proportions of prey categories from both pitfall trap samples and sweep net samples using Multi-Response Permutation Procedure analysis. The study was conducted in 2007 in the upper Deep Creek Basin Trinity Alps Wilderness, California. .............................................................................................. 25 Table 4. Comparison of female Rana cascadae stomach samples in spring, summer, and fall with availability samples using Indicator Species Analysis. Only prey categories with significant Indicator Values are shown. The study was conducted in 2007 in the upper Deep Creek Basin Trinity Alps Wilderness, California. ...... 26 Table 5. Comparison of male Rana cascadae stomach samples in spring, summer, and fall with availability samples using Indicator Species Analysis. Only prey categories with significant Indicator Values are shown. The study was conducted in 2007 in the upper Deep Creek Basin Trinity Alps Wilderness, California. ...... 32 Table 6. Comparison of juvenile Rana cascadae stomach samples in spring, summer, and fall with availability samples using Indicator Species Analysis. Only prey categories with significant Indicator Values are shown. The study was conducted in 2007 in the upper Deep Creek Basin Trinity Alps Wilderness, California. ...... 37 vii LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page Figure 2. Meadow patches where Rana cascadae stomach content and invertebrate sampling occurred
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Pond-Breeding Amphibian Guild
    Supplemental Volume: Species of Conservation Concern SC SWAP 2015 Pond-breeding Amphibians Guild Primary Species: Flatwoods Salamander Ambystoma cingulatum Carolina Gopher Frog Rana capito capito Broad-Striped Dwarf Siren Pseudobranchus striatus striatus Tiger Salamander Ambystoma tigrinum Secondary Species: Upland Chorus Frog Pseudacris feriarum -Coastal Plain only Northern Cricket Frog Acris crepitans -Coastal Plain only Contributors (2005): Stephen Bennett and Kurt A. Buhlmann [SCDNR] Reviewed and Edited (2012): Stephen Bennett (SCDNR), Kurt A. Buhlmann (SREL), and Jeff Camper (Francis Marion University) DESCRIPTION Taxonomy and Basic Descriptions This guild contains 4 primary species: the flatwoods salamander, Carolina gopher frog, dwarf siren, and tiger salamander; and 2 secondary species: upland chorus frog and northern cricket frog. Primary species are high priority species that are directly tied to a unifying feature or habitat. Secondary species are priority species that may occur in, or be related to, the unifying feature at some time in their life. The flatwoods salamander—in particular, the frosted flatwoods salamander— and tiger salamander are members of the family Ambystomatidae, the mole salamanders. Both species are large; the tiger salamander is the largest terrestrial salamander in the eastern United States. The Photo by SC DNR flatwoods salamander can reach lengths of 9 to 12 cm (3.5 to 4.7 in.) as an adult. This species is dark, ranging from black to dark brown with silver-white reticulated markings (Conant and Collins 1991; Martof et al. 1980). The tiger salamander can reach lengths of 18 to 20 cm (7.1 to 7.9 in.) as an adult; maximum size is approximately 30 cm (11.8 in.).
    [Show full text]
  • State of Sierra Frogs
    State of Sierra Frogs A report on the status of frogs & toads in the Sierra Nevada & California Cascade Mountains State of Sierra Frogs A report on the status of frogs & toads in the Sierra Nevada & California Cascade Mountains By Marion Gee, Sara Stansfield, & Joan Clayburgh July 2008 www.sierranevadaalliance.org State of Sierra Frogs 1 Acknowledgements The impetus for this report was the invaluable research on pesticides by Carlos Davidson, professor at San Francisco State University. Davidson, along with Amy Lind (US Forest Service), Curtis Milliron (California Department of Fish and Game), David Bradford (United States Environmental Protection Agency) and Kim Vincent (Graduate Student, San Francisco State University), generously donated their time and expertise to speak at two public workshops on the topics of Sierra frogs and toads as well as to provide comments for this document. Our thanks to the other reviewers of this manuscripts including Bob Stack (Jumping Frog Research Institute), Katie Buelterman, Dan Keenan, and Genevieve Jessop Marsh. This project was fortunate to receive contributions of photography and artwork from John Muir Laws, Elena DeLacy, Bob Stack, Ralph & Lisa Cutter and Vance Vredenburg. Photo credits are found with each caption. This work was made possible by generous grants from the Rose Foundation for Communities and the Environment and the State Water Resources Control Board. Funding for this project has been provided in part through an Agreement with the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) pursuant to the Costa-Machado Water Act of 2000 (Proposition 13) and any amendments thereto for the implementation of California’s Non-point Source Pollution Control Program.
    [Show full text]
  • Managing Diversity in the Riverina Rice Fields—
    Reconciling Farming with Wildlife —Managing diversity in the Riverina rice fields— RIRDC Publication No. 10/0007 RIRDCInnovation for rural Australia Reconciling Farming with Wildlife: Managing Biodiversity in the Riverina Rice Fields by J. Sean Doody, Christina M. Castellano, Will Osborne, Ben Corey and Sarah Ross April 2010 RIRDC Publication No 10/007 RIRDC Project No. PRJ-000687 © 2010 Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation. All rights reserved. ISBN 1 74151 983 7 ISSN 1440-6845 Reconciling Farming with Wildlife: Managing Biodiversity in the Riverina Rice Fields Publication No. 10/007 Project No. PRJ-000687 The information contained in this publication is intended for general use to assist public knowledge and discussion and to help improve the development of sustainable regions. You must not rely on any information contained in this publication without taking specialist advice relevant to your particular circumstances. While reasonable care has been taken in preparing this publication to ensure that information is true and correct, the Commonwealth of Australia gives no assurance as to the accuracy of any information in this publication. The Commonwealth of Australia, the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC), the authors or contributors expressly disclaim, to the maximum extent permitted by law, all responsibility and liability to any person, arising directly or indirectly from any act or omission, or for any consequences of any such act or omission, made in reliance on the contents of this publication, whether or not caused by any negligence on the part of the Commonwealth of Australia, RIRDC, the authors or contributors. The Commonwealth of Australia does not necessarily endorse the views in this publication.
    [Show full text]
  • Species Assessment for the Northern Leopard Frog (Rana Pipiens)
    SPECIES ASSESSMENT FOR THE NORTHERN LEOPARD FROG (RANA PIPIENS ) IN WYOMING prepared by 1 2 BRIAN E. SMITH AND DOUG KEINATH 1Department of Biology Black Hills State University1200 University Street Unit 9044, Spearfish, SD 5779 2 Zoology Program Manager, Wyoming Natural Diversity Database, University of Wyoming, 1000 E. University Ave, Dept. 3381, Laramie, Wyoming 82071; 307-766-3013; [email protected] prepared for United States Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Wyoming State Office Cheyenne, Wyoming January 2004 Smith and Keinath – Rana pipiens January 2004 Table of Contents SUMMARY .......................................................................................................................................... 3 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................. 3 NATURAL HISTORY ........................................................................................................................... 5 Morphological Description ...................................................................................................... 5 Taxonomy and Distribution ..................................................................................................... 6 Taxonomy .......................................................................................................................................6 Distribution and Abundance............................................................................................................7
    [Show full text]
  • Petition to List the Relict Leopard Frog (Rana Onca) As an Endangered Species Under the Endangered Species Act
    BEFORE THE SECRETARY OF INTERIOR PETITION TO LIST THE RELICT LEOPARD FROG (RANA ONCA) AS AN ENDANGERED SPECIES UNDER THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT CENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY SOUTHERN UTAH WILDERNESS ALLIANCE PETITIONERS May 8, 2002 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The relict leopard frog (Rana onca) has the dubious distinction of being one of the first North American amphibians thought to have become extinct. Although known to have inhabited at least 64 separate locations, the last historical collections of the species were in the 1950s and this frog was only recently rediscovered at 8 (of the original 64) locations in the early 1990s. This extremely endangered amphibian is now restricted to only 6 localities (a 91% reduction from the original 64 locations) in two disjunct areas within the Lake Mead National Recreation Area in Nevada. The relict leopard frog historically occurred in springs, seeps, and wetlands within the Virgin, Muddy, and Colorado River drainages, in Utah, Nevada, and Arizona. The Vegas Valley leopard frog, which once inhabited springs in the Las Vegas, Nevada area (and is probably now extinct), may eventually prove to be synonymous with R. onca. Relict leopard frogs were recently discovered in eight springs in the early 1990s near Lake Mead and along the Virgin River. The species has subsequently disappeared from two of these localities. Only about 500 to 1,000 adult frogs remain in the population and none of the extant locations are secure from anthropomorphic events, thus putting the species at an almost guaranteed risk of extinction. The relict leopard frog has likely been extirpated from Utah, Arizona, and from the Muddy River drainage in Nevada, and persists in only 9% of its known historical range.
    [Show full text]
  • Factors Related to the Distribution and Prevalence
    Biological Conservation 144 (2011) 2913–2921 Contents lists available at SciVerse ScienceDirect Biological Conservation journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/biocon Factors related to the distribution and prevalence of the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in Rana cascadae and other amphibians in the Klamath Mountains ⇑ Jonah Piovia-Scott a,b, , Karen L. Pope c, Sharon P. Lawler a,d, Esther M. Cole e, Janet E. Foley b a Center for Population Biology, University of California – Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA b Department of Veterinary Medicine and Epidemiology, University of California – Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA c United States Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station, 1700 Bayview Drive, Arcata, CA 95521, USA d Department of Entomology, University of California – Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA e Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California – Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA article info abstract Article history: The fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), which causes the disease chytridiomycosis, has Received 5 May 2011 been associated with declines and extinctions of montane amphibians worldwide. To gain insight into Received in revised form 29 July 2011 factors affecting its distribution and prevalence we focus on the amphibian community of the Klamath Accepted 22 August 2011 Mountains in northwest California. The Cascades frog (Rana cascadae), one of the most common amphib- Available online 5 October 2011 ians in these mountains, experienced increased mortality as a result of Bd exposure in laboratory trials and has experienced recent, dramatic declines in other parts of California. We surveyed 112 sites in Keywords: the Klamaths, all of which supported R.
    [Show full text]
  • Conservation of the Northern Leopard Frog Are Contradictory Management Objectives
    United States Department of Agriculture Conservation Assessment Forest Service for the Northern Leopard Rocky Mountain Region Frog in the Black Hills Black Hills National Forest National Forest South Custer, South Dakota Dakota and Wyoming April 2003 Brian E. Smith Conservation Assessment of the Northern Leopard Frog in the Black Hills National Forest, South Dakota and Wyoming Brian E. Smith Department of Biology Black Hills State University 1200 University Street Unit 9044 Spearfish, SD 57799-9044 [email protected] Dr. Brian E. Smith is an assistant professor of biology at Black Hills State University in Spearfish, South Dakota. He is a conservation biologist who primarily studies reptiles and amphibians. He earned his doctorate from the University of Texas at Arlington in January of 1996 and has studied the herpetofauna of the Black Hills since then. He also conducts research on the conservation biology of reptiles in the Caribbean. He is the author of several scholarly and popular publications on the herpetofauna of the Black Hills and the Caribbean. Table of Contents INTRODUCTION.........................................................................................................................................................1 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .............................................................................................................................................2 CURRENT MANAGEMENT SITUATION.................................................................................................................2 Management
    [Show full text]
  • Northern Red-Legged Frog,Rana Aurora
    COSEWIC Assessment and Status Report on the Northern Red-legged Frog Rana aurora in Canada SPECIAL CONCERN 2015 COSEWIC status reports are working documents used in assigning the status of wildlife species suspected of being at risk. This report may be cited as follows: COSEWIC. 2015. COSEWIC assessment and status report on the Northern Red-legged Frog Rana aurora in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. xii + 69 pp. (www.registrelep-sararegistry.gc.ca/default_e.cfm). Previous report(s): COSEWIC. 2004. COSEWIC assessment and update status report on the Red-legged Frog Rana aurora in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. vi + 46 pp. (www.sararegistry.gc.ca/status/status_e.cfm). Waye, H. 1999. COSEWIC status report on the red-legged frog Rana aurora in Canada in COSEWIC assessment and status report on the red-legged frog Rana aurora in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. 1-31 pp. Production note: COSEWIC would like to acknowledge Barbara Beasley for writing the status report on the Northern Red- legged Frog (Rana aurora) in Canada. This report was prepared under contract with Environment Canada and was overseen by Kristiina Ovaska, Co-chair of the COSEWIC Amphibian and Reptile Species Specialist Subcommittee. For additional copies contact: COSEWIC Secretariat c/o Canadian Wildlife Service Environment Canada Ottawa, ON K1A 0H3 Tel.: 819-938-4125 Fax: 819-938-3984 E-mail: COSEWIC/[email protected] http://www.cosewic.gc.ca Également disponible en français sous le titre Ếvaluation et Rapport de situation du COSEPAC sur la Grenouille à pattes rouges du Nord (Rana aurora ) au Canada.
    [Show full text]
  • Amphibian Cascades Frog SOC X X Mountain Meadows, Bogs, Ponds Or
    Taxa Species Species SMU/ESU/D Federal State BM CP CR EC KM NR WC WV NS Special needs Limiting factors Data gaps Conservation actions Key reference or plan, if available Common Scientific PS/Group Listing listing Name Name Status status Amphibian Cascades SOC X X Mountain meadows, bogs, ponds or potholes Montane species vulnerable to genetic Habitat requirements and how they may vary by Maintain connectivity of habitat. Monitor effects of fish http://www.fs.fed.us/psw/publications/documents/ frog above 2,400 feet elevation. Requires access isolation. Experiencing substantial elevation within the species' range. Habitat stocking and water quality on populations. Carefully manage psw_gtr244/psw_gtr244.pdf to permanent water. Lays eggs in shallow reductions in southern parts of range characteristics that could enhance migration livestock grazing in occupied wet meadows. Use prescribed sunny edges of ponds, or on low vegetation (e.g., CA). Potentially sensitive to and gene flow. Feeding habits. Effects of burning or hand-felling of trees periodically to set plant near ponds where warm sunlight speeds egg waterborne pathogens. pathogens airborne environmental pollution. succession. If reintroductions are warranted, use individuals development. Larvae may “school” in large Feasibility studies on reintroduction at historic from nearby populations and consult results of feasibility masses. sites. studies. Conservation actions in Oregon are particularly valuable given reductions in other parts of range. Amphibian Cascade X X Cold, fast-flowing, clear, permanent headwater Larvae take several years to reach sexual Basic inventory, abundance and population Maintain stream buffers to maintain cool water Howell, B.L. and N. M. Maggiulli. 2011.
    [Show full text]
  • Conservation Genomics of Cascades Frogs (Rana Cascadae) at the Southern Edge of Their Range Bennett Ah Rdy University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
    University of Wisconsin Milwaukee UWM Digital Commons Theses and Dissertations August 2018 Conservation Genomics of Cascades Frogs (Rana cascadae) at the Southern Edge of Their Range Bennett aH rdy University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.uwm.edu/etd Part of the Genetics Commons, Natural Resources and Conservation Commons, and the Other Environmental Sciences Commons Recommended Citation Hardy, Bennett, "Conservation Genomics of Cascades Frogs (Rana cascadae) at the Southern Edge of Their Range" (2018). Theses and Dissertations. 1817. https://dc.uwm.edu/etd/1817 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by UWM Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of UWM Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. CONSERVATION GENOMICS OF CASCADES FROGS (RANA CASCADAE) AT THE SOUTHERN EDGE OF THEIR RANGE by Bennett M Hardy A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Biological Sciences at The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee August 2018 ABSTRACT CONSERVATION GENOMICS OF CASCADES FROGS (RANA CASCADAE) AT THE SOUTHERN EDGE OF THEIR RANGE by Bennett M Hardy University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2018 Under the Supervision of Dr. Emily K. Latch Cascades frogs (Rana cascadae) in the southern Cascades Range of California have been declining over the last 30 years, primarily due to the fungal pathogen, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). In the Lassen Region of the southern Cascades, at least six of the eleven remaining localities face extirpation within 50 years. These small and isolated populations are prone to negative genetic effects including reduced diversity and increased inbreeding which could potentially exacerbate declines.
    [Show full text]
  • Ecology of the Cascades Frog (Rana Cascadae)
    Ecology of the Cascades Frog ( Rana cascadae) and Interactions with Garter Snakes and Nonnative Trout in the Trinity Alps Wilderness, California By: Justin M. Garwood and Hartwell H. Welsh Jr. December 2007 Final Report To: California Department of Fish and Game National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Habitat Conservation Planning Branch Bring Back The Natives Grant Program 1416 Ninth Street, Suite 1280 and 1120 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 900 Sacramento, CA 95814 Washington, DC 20036 Amphibian Specialist Group i Cascades Frog Ecology in California Cover Photos: Adult female Cascades frog ( Rana cascadae ), aquatic garter snake ( Thamnophis atratus ) captured in Echo Lake basin regurgitating an Eastern brook trout ( Salvelinus fontinalis ), surveying Atlantis meadows west of Red Mountain summit, Trinity Alps Wilderness, California. ( Photos: J. Garwood ) ii Cascades Frog Ecology in California ECOLOGY OF THE CASCADES FROG ( RANA CASCADAE ) AND INTERACTIONS WITH GARTER SNAKES AND NONNATIVE TROUT IN THE TRINITY ALPS WILDERNESS, CALIFORNIA December 2007 FINAL REPORT TO THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME AND NATIONAL FISH AND WILDLIFE FOUNDATION DFG CONTRACT NO. P0385107 NFWF CONTRACT NO. 2004-0075-000, Bring Back The Natives Grant Administered By: Humboldt State University Sponsored Programs Foundation P.O. Box 1185 Arcata, CA 95518-1185 PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS: Justin M. Garwood and Hartwell H. Welsh, Jr. USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Research Station Redwood Sciences Laboratory 1700 Bayview Dr. Arcata, CA 95521 STATE OF CALIFORNIA CONTRACT MANAGER Betsy Bolster Staff Environmental Scientist Department of Fish and Game Wildlife Branch 1416 Ninth Street, Suite 1280 Sacramento, CA 95814 iii Cascades Frog Ecology in California ECOLOGY OF THE CASCADES FROG ( RANA CASCADAE ) AND INTERACTIONS WITH GARTER SNAKES AND NONNATIVE TROUT IN THE TRINITY ALPS 1/ WILDERNESS, CALIFORNIA December, 2007 By Justin M.
    [Show full text]
  • Foothill Yellow-Legged Frog Comments
    The Center for Biological Diversity submits the following information for the status review of the foothill yellow-legged frog (Rana boylii) (Docket #FWS-R8-ES-2015-0050), including substantial new information regarding the species' biology, population structure (including potential Distinct Population Segments of the species), historical and recent distribution and status, population trends, documented range contraction, habitat requirements, threats to the species and its habitat, disease, and the potential effects of climate change on the species and its habitat. The foothill yellow-legged frog has experienced extensive population declines throughout its range and a significant range contraction. Multiple threats continue unabated throughout much of the species’ remaining range, including impacts from dams, water development, water diversions, timber harvest, mining, marijuana cultivation, livestock grazing, roads and urbanization, recreation, climate change and UV-radiation, pollution, invasive species and disease. The species warrants listing as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Contact: Jeff Miller, [email protected] Contents: NATURAL HISTORY, BIOLOGY AND STATUS . .. 2 Biology. .2 Habitat . .. .4 Range and Documented Range Contraction . 4 Taxonomy . 9 Population Structure . 9 Historical and Recent Distribution and Status . 15 Central Oregon . .15 Southern Oregon . 18 Coastal Oregon . .20 Northern Coastal California . 25 Upper Sacramento River . 40 Marin/Sonoma . 45 Northern/Central Sierra Nevada . .47 Southern Sierra Nevada . .67 Central Coast/Bay Area . 77 South Coast. 91 Southern California . .. 94 Baja California, Mexico . .98 Unknown Population Affiliation. .99 Population Trends . .. .103 THREATS. .108 Habitat Alteration and Destruction . .. 108 Dams, Water Development and Diversions . .. .109 Logging . .. .111 Marijuana Cultivation . .. .112 Livestock Grazing . .. .112 Mining . .. .. .113 Roads and Urbanization .
    [Show full text]