The Amphibian Foundation joins the Striped Newt Repatriation Project!!

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Beautiful Fall Line Sandhills WMA (Aug 2017)

We are honored and excited to be invited to contribute to the Striped Newt Repatriation Project. This collaborative effort, lead by Ryan Means of the Coastal Plains Institute is focused on the release and  monitoring of captive bred Striped Newts (Notophthalmus perstriatus) into protected and managed habitat in the southeastern coastal plain.

This season, the Amphibian Foundation and the Detroit Zoo join Jacksonville Zoo, Memphis Zoo, Central Florida Zoo and Lowry Park Zoo in maintaining captive breeding populations of the 3 remaining populations of Striped Newts. AF staff went into the field with Ryan, John Jensen from Georgia Department of Natural Resources and Pierson Hill from Florida Fish and Wildlife at Fall Line Sandhills Wildlife Management Area to collect wild Stripe Newt larvae. The goal was to collect 25 larvae in order to establish captive breeding colonies at the foundation and Detroit Zoo ... the mission was successful!

One of the highlights of the trip was this honkin Gopher Frog, just about ready to leave the water.

Greg Brashear, the Amphibian Foundation's Turtle Conservation Coordinator with a lifer Chicken Turtle (Deirochelys)

We were clearly excited to assist in this project!
Metamorphic Barking Tree Frog (Hyla gratiosa)
Leslie Phillips of the Amphibian Foundation and John Jensen (GA DNR) capture a Striped Newt
John Jensen with a Gopher Frog, which is also a focal conservation species of GA DNR and the Amphibian Foundation
Another shot of John and the Gopher Frog. We were all pretty amazed at how beefy it was.
Pierson Hill of FFWCC with his ability to wield that huge steel net, was able to net 3 newts with one swipe — three times!
Ryan Mean, Leslie Phillips and John Jensen
Ryan and Leslie inspecting the larvae
Larval Central Newt (Notophthalmus viridescens) can be confused for the Striped Newt. These species are sympatric (occurring in the same geographic region) and occasionally syntopic (occurring in the same habitat).
Me and Ryan Means as I am finding my lifer (first ever) Striped Newt (photo by John Jensen)
And here I am with my first ever Striped Newt! (photo by Ryan Means)
It's always amazing working with John. Georgia is lucky to have him looking after our native reptiles and amphibians. (photo by Ryan Means)
The Striped Newt sampling crew at Fall Line Sandhills WMA (August 2017) Ryan Means (CPI), Leslie Phillips (AF), Mark Mandica (AF), Pierson Hill (FFWCC), John Jensen (GA DNR), Ryan Myers (AF) and Greg Brashear (AF) (photo by Ryan Means)

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