National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Saratoga National Historical Park Amphibian and Reptile Inventory March-September 2001 Natural Resource Technical Report NPS/NETN/NRTR—2012/562 Saratoga National Historical Park Amphibian and Reptile Inventory March-September 2001 Natural Resource Technical Report NPS/NETN/NRTR—2012/562 Robert P. Cook1, David K. Brotherton2, Brad C. Timm3, and John L. Behler2 1 National Park Service Cape Cod National Seashore Wellfleet, MA 02667 2 Department of Herpetology Wildlife Conservation Society Bronx Zoo Bronx, NY 10460-1099 3 Department of Environmental Conservation University of Massachusetts, Amherst Amherst, MA 01003 March 2012 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 formal peer review by subject-matter experts who were not directly involved in the collection, analysis, or reporting of the data, and whose background and expertise put them on par technically and scientifically with the authors of the information. 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 Northeast Temperate Network website (http://science.nature.nps.gov/im/units/netn/) and the Natural Resource Publications Management website (http://www.nature.nps.gov/publications/nrpm/). Please cite this publication as: Cook, R. P., D. K. Brotherton, B. C. Timm, and J. L. Behler. 2012. Saratoga National Historical Park amphibian and reptile inventory: March-September 2001. Natural Resource Technical Report NPS/NETN/NRTR—2012/562. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. NPS 374/113257, March 2012 ii Contents Page Figures........................................................................................................................................... vii Tables ........................................................................................................................................... viii Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................ x Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................................... xii Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1 Study Area ...................................................................................................................................... 3 Methods........................................................................................................................................... 5 Sampling Overview ................................................................................................................. 5 Marking, Measurement, and Aging/Sexing of Captured Animals .......................................... 5 Anuran Calling Surveys (ACS) .......................................................................................... 9 Egg Mass Counts (EMC) .................................................................................................. 10 Time-constrained Search (TCS) ....................................................................................... 10 Stream TCS ....................................................................................................................... 10 Woodland TCS.................................................................................................................. 11 Field TCS .......................................................................................................................... 11 Pond TCS .......................................................................................................................... 12 Coverboards (CB) ............................................................................................................. 12 Turtle Trap Surveys (TTS) ................................................................................................ 13 Minnow Trap Surveys (MTS) ........................................................................................... 13 Incidental Encounters (IE) ................................................................................................ 14 Quantifying Overall Abundance ....................................................................................... 14 Environmental Variables .................................................................................................. 15 Data Management ............................................................................................................. 15 iii Contents (continued) Page Results ........................................................................................................................................... 17 Overview of Park Herpetofauna ............................................................................................ 17 Survey Method Summaries ........................................................................................................... 29 Anuran Calling Surveys ......................................................................................................... 29 Egg Mass Counts ................................................................................................................... 29 Time-constrained Search ....................................................................................................... 35 Stream TCS ....................................................................................................................... 35 Woodland/Field TCS ........................................................................................................ 35 Pond TCS .......................................................................................................................... 35 Coverboards ........................................................................................................................... 42 Turtle Trap Surveys ............................................................................................................... 42 Minnow Trap Surveys ........................................................................................................... 46 Incidental Encounters ............................................................................................................ 46 Discussion ..................................................................................................................................... 51 Community Analysis, Factors Affecting Species Presence and Absence, and Important Habitats ................................................................................................................. 51 Species at Risk ....................................................................................................................... 56 Population Trends .................................................................................................................. 56 Stressors ................................................................................................................................. 59 Recommendations for Management and Future Inventory and Monitoring ................................ 65 Monitor/Prevent/Mitigate External Threats and Stressors .................................................... 65 Monitor/Prevent/Mitigate Internal Threats and Stressors ...................................................... 65 Maintain Habitat Diversity .................................................................................................... 65 iv Contents (continued) Page Minimize Direct Mortality From Mowing Operations .......................................................... 66 Minimize Direct Mortality From Vehicles ............................................................................ 66 Additional Inventory and Monitoring .................................................................................... 67 Species Accounts: Species Likely Present Historically at or Adjacent to Saratoga NHP..............................................................................................................................................