National Park Service Southern Colorado Plateau U.S. Department of the Interior Inventory and Monitoring Network Natural Resource Program Center Fort Collins, Colorado Inventory of Amphibians and Reptiles for Twelve National Parks in the Southern Colorado Plateau Network Trevor B. Persons and Erika M. Nowak USGS Southwest Biological Science Center, Colorado Plateau Research Station Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 April 2008 ON THE COVER Western Terrestrial Garter Snake from Walnut Canyon National Monument Photo by Trevor B. Persons PLEASE CITE THIS DOCUMENT AS: Nowak, E.M., and Trevor B. Persons. 2008. Inventory of Amphibians and Reptiles for Twelve National Parks in the Southern Colorado Plateau Network. Final report to the National Park Service, Southern Colorado Plateau Network, Flagstaff, AZ. Inventory of Amphibians and Reptiles for Twelve National Parks in the Southern Colorado Plateau Network Aztec Ruins National Monument Bandelier National Monument Chaco Culture National Historical Park El Malpais National Monument El Morro National Monument Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Petroglyph National Monument Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument Sunset Crater National Monument Walnut Canyon National Monument Wupatki National Monument Yucca House National Monument Authors Trevor B. Persons and Erika M. Nowak USGS Southwest Biological Science Center, Colorado Plateau Research Station, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 Project Manager Anne Cully National Park Service, Southern Colorado Plateau Network, P.O. Box 5765, Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ 86011 Editor Jean Palumbo Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 Funding provided by: the National Park Service through the Colorado Plateau CESU, Cooperative Agreement # 1200-99-009 (Task J1242030439) April 2008 U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Natural Resource Program Center Fort Collins, Colorado Contents List of Tables …………..……………………………………………………… iii List of Figures……….….……………………………………………………… iv List of Photos............................................................................................ vi Abstract………………….……………………………………………………. vii Acknowledgments………………………………………………….………... viii Introduction...…………………………………………………………………. 1 Study Area……………………………………………………………………. 2 Methods….…………………………………………………………………… 2 Results: Park Accounts Aztec Ruins National Monument.……………………….….…………. 9 Bandelier National Monument……………………..….………….…… 13 Chaco Culture National Historical Park……….………..….…………… 17 El Malpais National Monument………………..….......……..…….….. 21 El Morro National Monument…….................................................... 25 Glen Canyon National Recreation Area…………………...…………… 29 Petroglyph National Monument……………………………………….. 33 Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument……..…………………… 38 Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument……………….. .………… 42 Walnut Canyon National Monument……….…………………….…… 45 Wupatki National Monument……………………… …………………. 49 Yucca House National Monument…………………...………..………. 53 Discussion Overview of Inventory Results…………………………………………. 58 Sampling Effort and Efficacy of Methods………………………….…... 58 Estimates of Inventory Completeness………………………………….. 61 Inventory Completeness of Different Taxonomic Groups…………….... 62 Evaluating Inventory Completeness through Species Accumulation…… 63 Literature and Museum Specimen Data Searches……………………... 63 Voucher Specimens………………………………………………….… 64 Considerations for Future Inventory Effectiveness of Different Methods of Inventory……………………..... 66 Future Inventory Work………………………………………………… 66 National Park Service i Suggestions for Long Term Monitoring ............................................ 67 Species of Special Concern……………………………………………. 68 Literature Cited………………………………………………………............. 71 Appendices ………………………………………………………………….. 79 Appendix A: Field Data Form ...................................................................... A1 Appendix B: Amphibians and Reptiles Collected at Each of 11 Southern Colorado Plateau National Park Areas During Herpetofaunal Inventories in 2001-2003................................................... ..... B1 Appendix C: Amphibians and Reptiles in the Southern Colorado Plateau Network Parks: Species accounts of amphibians and reptiles that have been documented, or may possibly occur in the parks inventoried for this report....................................................... C1 Appendix C-1: Aztec Ruins National Monument………..………. C2 Appendix C-2: Bandelier National Monument.…………………. C6 Appendix C-3: Chaco Culture National Historical Park.…………. C12 Appendix C-4: El Malpais National Monument .……………….. C15 Appendix C-5: El Morro National Monumen ….……………….. C20 Appendix C-6: Glen Canyon National Recreation Area............... C24 Appendix C-7: Petroglyph National Monument......................... C30 Appendix C-8: Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument........ C34 Appendix C-9: Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument......... C39 Appendix C-10: Walnut Canyon National Monument................. C41 Appendix C-11: Wupatki National Monument ............................ C46 Appendix C-12: Yucca House National Monument.................... C51 Appendix D: Species Lists and Accounts for Southern Colorado Plateau Network Parks Not Inventoried for This Report......................... D1 Appendix D-1: Grand Canyon National Park............................. D1 Appendix D-2: Mesa Verde National Park................................. D6 Appendix D-3: Petrified Forest National Park............................. D9 Appendix D-4: Rainbow Bridge National Monument.................... D12 Appendix E: Amphibian and Reptile Specimen Records for SCPN Parks............ E1 Appendix F: Common and Scientific Names of Amphibians and Reptiles Found in Southern Colorado Plateau Network Parks............................. F1 Appendix G: Conservation Status of Sensitive Reptile and Amphibian Species Found in Southern Colorado Plateau Network Parks................... G1 Appendix H: NPSpecies Database Field Terms and Definitions......................... H1 ii Inventory of Amphibians and Reptiles in Southern Colorado Plateau National Parks List of Tables Table 1. Number of individuals of each species observed with each survey method during a herpetofauna inventory of Aztec Ruins National Monument, 2001- 2003…...………… 10 Table 2. Amphibian and reptile species known or expected to occur at Aztec Ruins National Monument……………………………………………………………….........................… 11 Table 3. Number of individuals of each species observed by each survey method during a herpetofauna inventory of Bandelier National Monument, 2002- 2003……................. 13 Table 4. Amphibian and reptile species known or expected to occur at Bandelier National Monument…………………………………………………………………………………… 14 Table 5. Number of individuals of each species observed by each survey method during a herpetofauna inventory of Chaco Culture National Historical Park, 2002-2003………… 18 Table 6. Amphibian and reptile species known or expected to occur at Chaco Culture National Historical Park………..…………………………………………………………….… 19 Table 7. Number of individuals of each species observed by each survey method during a herpetofauna inventory of El Malpais National Monument, 2002-2003 .………………. 22 Table 8. Amphibian and reptile species known or expected to occur at El Malpais National Monument………..………………………………………………………………………….. 23 Table 9. Number of individuals of each species observed by each survey method during a herpetofauna inventory of El Morro National Monument, 2001- 2003……….............. 26 Table 10. Amphibian and reptile species known or expected to occur at El Morro National Monument…………. ……………………………………………………………………….. 27 Table 11. Number of individuals of each species observed by each survey method during a herpetofauna inventory of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, 2003…………….... 30 Table 12. Amphibian and reptile species known or expected to occur at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area……………………………………………………………………………… 30 Table 13 Number of individuals of each species observed by each survey method during a herpetofauna inventory of Petroglyph National Monument, 2001-2003…..…………… 34 Table 14. Amphibian and reptile species known or expected to occur at Petroglyph National Monument……….……… ………………………………………………………………….. 35 Table 15. Number of individuals of each species observed by each survey method during a herpetofauna inventory of Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument, 2001-2003……………………………………………………………………………………………… 39 Table 16. Amphibian and reptile species known or expected to occur at Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument………………………………………………………………… 40 National Park Service iii Table 17. Number of individuals of each species observed by each survey method during a herpetofauna inventory of Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, 2001-2003 …………………………………………………………………………………………….. 42 Table 18. Amphibian and reptile species known or expected to occur at Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument .……………………………………….……………………….. 43 Table 19. Number of individuals of each species observed by each survey method during a herpetofauna inventory of Walnut Canyon National Monument, 2001-2003………… . 46 Table 20. Amphibian and reptile species known or expected to occur at Walnut Canyon National Monument…..……………………………………………………………………… 46 Table 21. Number of individuals of each species observed by each survey method during a herpetofauna inventory of Wupatki National Monument, 2001-2003………………….. 50 Table 22. Amphibian and reptile