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 Population Trends ...........................................................................................................................8 Habitat Requirements............................................................................................................10 Breeding habitat and tadpole habitat.............................................................................................11 Adult upland habitat......................................................................................................................14 Adult overwintering habitat ..........................................................................................................14 Landscape Pattern .........................................................................................................................16 Movement and Activity Patterns ............................................................................................18 Reproduction and Survivorship..............................................................................................22 Breeding Biology ..........................................................................................................................22 General:.........................................................................................................................................22 Breeding Calls...............................................................................................................................23 Breeding Phenology ......................................................................................................................25 Population Demographics......................................................................................................27 Food Habits...........................................................................................................................30 Community Ecology...............................................................................................................31 Basic Community Ecology............................................................................................................32 Natural Predators...........................................................................................................................33 Introduced predators......................................................................................................................36 Competitors...................................................................................................................................38 Parasites and Disease ....................................................................................................................39 Symbiotic and Mutualistic Interactions.........................................................................................41 CONSERVATION .............................................................................................................................. 41 Conservation Status ..............................................................................................................41 Federal Endangered Species Act...................................................................................................41 Bureau of Land Management........................................................................................................41 Forest Service................................................................................................................................41 State Wildlife Agencies.................................................................................................................41 Natural Heritage Ranks .................................................................................................................42 Biological Conservation Issues..............................................................................................42 Extrinsic Threats ...........................................................................................................................42 1. Protection of Known and potential breeding sites .............................................................43 2. Control of Introduced predaceous fish...............................................................................44 3. Protection of Overwintering sites. .....................................................................................45 4. Protection of Water quality................................................................................................46 5. Protection of migratory pathways......................................................................................54 6. Control of introduced infectious diseases..........................................................................55 7. Control of road-related mortality.......................................................................................55 8. Control of other habitat disturbances.................................................................................56 Page 1 of 104 Smith and Keinath – Rana pipiens January 2004 9. Control of over collection..................................................................................................56 10 Stratospheric ozone levels and ultraviolet penetration .....................................................57 Abundance and Abundance Trends...............................................................................................57 Distribution Trends .......................................................................................................................60 Intrinsic Vulnerability ...................................................................................................................61 CONSERVATION ACTION ................................................................................................................ 63 Existing or Future Conservation Plans...................................................................................63 Conservation Elements..........................................................................................................63 Inventory and Monitoring .............................................................................................................63 Acoustic monitoring ...............................................................................................................64 Drift fences and pitfall traps ...................................................................................................65 Quadrat and patch sampling ...................................................................................................66 Cover boards...........................................................................................................................67 Marking techniques ................................................................................................................67 Visual encounter surveys (adults and eggs)............................................................................70 Funnel trapping.......................................................................................................................72 Population and Habitat Management ............................................................................................72 Captive Propagation and Reintroduction ......................................................................................74 INFORMATION NEEDS ..................................................................................................................... 75 TABLES AND FIGURES ..................................................................................................................... 83 Table 1: States and provinces in which the northern leopard frog is found, historical abundance (if known), present abundance (if known), and the population trend (where known)...........83 Figure 1: Map of Natural