Master Herpetologist Program Summer Field Trip: Amphibians!

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This weekend, we embarked on the Amphibian Field Trip with this summer semester's Master Herpetologist Program, and we did really well! Especially considering that a hot summer day in Atlanta is not typically the best conditions in which to find amphibians.

For the Amphibian Field Trips, we go to Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve in Dekalb County, which is one of my favorite places to look for amphibians in metro Atlanta. It is also a repatriation site of ours for Spotted Salamanders (Ambsytoma maculatum) where the data suggests we have successfully reintroduced the species, which hadn't been seen on the preserve in 20 years. Unfortunately, we didn't find any on Saturday, but the summer is a terrible time to look for them. We did, however, conduct a 2 hour field survey of the property.

Future Master Herpetologist, Barb (left) and Emma a Summer Intern at AF met before the field trip to conduct a 'stream clean-up of the creek at Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve. They removed 12 trash bags worth of garbage from the creek!
Slimy Salamanders (Plethodon glutinosus) dominated the survey, and we found multiple salamanders in young as well as adult life stages.
One highlight of the field trip/survey was the abundance of Narrowmouth Toads (Gastrophryne carolinensis).
Another Narrowmouth Toad, a species that is usually heard and not seen. Today we found at least a half dozen, all visually. The species was not calling that morning (though other species were)
Erin Frew, AF volunteer and Teaching Assistant for the course found an Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina) carapace.
DJ Welch, a Master Herpetologist student and AF Volunteer showing off a Narrowmouth Toad
A spectacular view of the largest ephemeral wetland on the property. In this pond we have detected (over the years) Spring Peepers (Pseudacris crucifer), Upland Chorus Frogs (Pseudacris feriarum), Southern Leopard Frogs (Rana sphenocephala) and Eastern Narrowmouth Toads (Gastrophryne carolinensis) breeding.
Some of our fabulous AF Staff who are also taking the Master Herpetologist course this summer: Erin Frew (left), Abby Needle (middle) and DJ Welch (right).
In-action shot of Barb collecting trash from the creek at Clyde Shepherd.

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