1. Terrestrial Salamander Monitoring Project

2. Rationale for Fieldwork
amphibians are powerful indicators of environmental health
studies suggest that amphibians are declining world-wide

3. Target Species
red-back salamanders
lead-back salamanders

4. Incidental Species spotted salamanders blue-spotted salamanders
marbled salamanders
wood frogs
garter snakes

5. Redback

6. Leadback (redback pictured for comparison)

7. Spotted Salamander

8. Marbled Salamander

9. Blue Spotted Salamander

10. Red Spotted Newt

11. Wood Frog

12. Garter Snake

13. terrestrial salamanders – general characteristics
terrestrial salamanders (red-back and lead-back) have completely done away with their aquatic larval stage
terrestrial salamander biomass may exceed biomass of all other vertebrate groups in temperate forests

14. terrestrial salamanders – specific characteristics
extremely efficient at converting food to biomass
longevity of 20 years
low biotic potential, intense protection of young … reproductive strategy?
no lungs – respire through skin, must avoid dessication
cold-blooded
territorial and aggressive

15. populations are impacted by …
logging
development and filling of wetlands
insect defoliation
soil disruption
climate change

16. Are populations in decline?
terrestrial salamanders are critical to forest biodiversity
given their longevity and relatively low biotic potential, changes in population may indicate significant environmental changes underway

17. Fieldwork Protocol site selection target species
artificial cover objects (ACO’s)
transects

18. other variables that may affect population counts
time of year
time of day
weather conditions
- temperature
- cloud cover
- recent precipitation
- relative humidity

19. how to handle salamanders
avoid over-handling, the “baggie technique”
detached tails
body length
tail length