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22 July 2019 HERPETOLOGICAL INVENTORY OF THE STIKINE RIVER REGION, ALASKA, 2010–2018
Joshua T Ream, David Zabriskie, J Andrés López
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Abstract

We conducted 7 y of herpetological inventories in the Stikine River Region of Southeast Alaska between 2010 and 2018. We observed a total of 2555 individuals representing 6 amphibian species in 5 families at more than 30 sites. This study did not document any reptiles. Among sampled sites, Shakes Hot Springs and Twin Lakes Warm Springs exhibited the greatest density of amphibians across all study years, and both served as breeding habitat for 1 or more species. The Twin Lakes, Shakes Hot Springs, and Paradise Slough sites exhibited the greatest species diversity, with 4 amphibian species recorded at each site. We also compared occurrence and breeding activity to historical data to elucidate possible changes in site-specific assemblages over time. We report new distribution records for the Long-toed Salamander (Ambystoma macrodactylum), and confirmed recent presence of this species at Twin Lakes, where it was thought to have been extirpated. We also confirm the presence of Columbia Spotted Frogs (Rana luteiventris) on Wrangell Island. We were unable to verify the presence of the Northwestern Salamander (Ambystoma gracile) or the Common Gartersnake (Thamnophis sirtalis) in this region. The observations reported here provide baseline amphibian population data for comparison with future surveys.

Joshua T Ream, David Zabriskie, and J Andrés López "HERPETOLOGICAL INVENTORY OF THE STIKINE RIVER REGION, ALASKA, 2010–2018," Northwestern Naturalist 100(2), 102-117, (22 July 2019). https://doi.org/10.1898/NWN-19-06
Received: 21 February 2019; Accepted: 2 April 2019; Published: 22 July 2019
KEYWORDS
amphibians
assemblages
breeding activity
geographic distribution
relative abundance
Stikine River
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