Chihuahuan Desert National Parks Reptile and Amphibian Inventory
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National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Chihuahuan Desert National Parks Reptile and Amphibian Inventory Natural Resource Technical Report NPS/CHDN/NRTR—2011/489 ON THE COVER Trans-Pecos Ratsnake (Bogertophis subocularis subocularis) at Big Bend National Park, Texas. Photograph by Dave Prival. Chihuahuan Desert National Parks Reptile and Amphibian Inventory Natural Resource Technical Report NPS/CHDN/NRTR—2011/489 Authors: Dave Prival and Matt Goode School of Natural Resources University of Arizona Editors: Ann Lewis Physical Science Laboratory New Mexico State University M. Hildegard Reiser Chihuahuan Desert Inventory & Monitoring Program National Park Service September 2011 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 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. Data in this report were collected and analyzed using methods based on established, peer-reviewed protocols and were analyzed and interpreted within the guidelines of the protocols. 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 Chihuahuan Desert Network website (http://science.nature.nps.gov/im/units/chdn/index.cfm ) and the Natural Resource Publications Management website (http://www.nature.nps.gov/publications/nrpm/). Please cite this publication as: Prival, D., and M. Goode. 2011. Chihuahuan Desert National Parks reptile and amphibian inventory. Natural Resource Technical Report NPS/CHDN/NRTR—2011/489. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. NPS 960/110293, September 2011 ii Contents Page Figures........................................................................................................................................... vii Tables ............................................................................................................................................. ix Acknowledgments.......................................................................................................................... xi Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1 Methods........................................................................................................................................... 3 Foot Searches ........................................................................................................................... 3 Incidental Observations ........................................................................................................... 4 Road Cruising .......................................................................................................................... 4 Pitfall Traps ............................................................................................................................. 4 Turtle Traps ............................................................................................................................. 5 Search Effort ............................................................................................................................ 6 Nomenclature ........................................................................................................................... 7 Results ............................................................................................................................................. 9 Overall Results ......................................................................................................................... 9 Amistad National Recreation Area ........................................................................................ 10 Species List ....................................................................................................................... 12 Species Curve.................................................................................................................... 15 Number of Individuals ...................................................................................................... 15 Comparison of Search Methods ........................................................................................ 15 Undocumented Species ..................................................................................................... 19 Big Bend National Park ......................................................................................................... 22 Species List ....................................................................................................................... 22 Species Curves .................................................................................................................. 30 iii Contents (continued) Page Number of Individuals ...................................................................................................... 30 Comparison of Search Methods ........................................................................................ 30 Undocumented Species ..................................................................................................... 34 Carlsbad Caverns National Park ............................................................................................ 37 Species List ....................................................................................................................... 39 Species Curve.................................................................................................................... 41 Number of Individuals ...................................................................................................... 43 Comparison of Search Methods ........................................................................................ 43 Undocumented Species ..................................................................................................... 46 Fort Davis National Historic Site .......................................................................................... 48 Species List ....................................................................................................................... 49 Species Curve.................................................................................................................... 52 Number of Individuals ...................................................................................................... 54 Comparison of Search Methods ........................................................................................ 54 Undocumented Species ..................................................................................................... 56 Guadalupe Mountains National Park ..................................................................................... 59 Species List ....................................................................................................................... 60 Species Curve.................................................................................................................... 63 Number of Individuals ...................................................................................................... 63 Comparison of Search Methods ........................................................................................ 63 Undocumented Species ..................................................................................................... 68 White Sands National Monument .......................................................................................... 71 Species List ....................................................................................................................... 72 iv Contents (continued) Page Species Curve.................................................................................................................... 74 Number of Individuals ...................................................................................................... 74 Comparison of Search Methods .......................................................................................