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Herpetology Monitoring Program
Reptiles and amphibians (herps) are good indicators of ecosystem health due to their close association with aquatic habitats and their sensitivity to different stresses. Evidence exists linking global herp declines to habitat destruction, and possibly degraded water quality, deforestation, highway construction, and urban development. What role these factors and other potential stressors (contaminants, introduced species, climate change, ultraviolet radiation, disease, and atmospheric deposition) play in the loss of these animals has not been determined. To help answer these questions we monitor herp populations at Otter Point Creek. This baseline data will provide a better picture of species diversity, distribution, habitat preferences, relative abundance, and overall health of herps in our area. Volunteers assist with research through the following programs: the North American Amphibian Monitoring Program Calling Surveys, the Great Herp Search, Visual Encounter Survey, Coverboard Study, and the Box Turtle Study. Additionally, high school and college interns conduct projects designed to answer specific questions about our herp populations. Please visit the Turtle Telemetry page for more information about our turtles!
Update:
Currently, we’re collecting data for Visual Encounter and Coverboard Studies. These studies hope to gather data on species diversity and abundance in our park, as well as noting changes over time. Three coverboards are placed in each of fourteen predetermined sites approximately 25 m by 25 m around Leight Park. Volunteers search the surface, vegetation, under rocks and log, and in crevices minimizing their disturbance. Any species found under the coverboards are listed on the coverboard data sheets; all other species found in the site are listed on the visual encounter data sheets.
As of July 2008, the following species have been found at Leight Park:
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