download the FrogLog 14 - Amphibian Specialist Group

CIS Working
Group Report
Published
The work of the DAPTF regional
group covering the CIS has been
collated and published in a 159 page
paperback Amphibian Populations in
the Commonwealth of Independent
States: Current Status and Declines,
edited by S.L. Kuzmin, C.K. Dodd, Jr.
and M. M. Pikulik. The book consists
of a collection of papers from a team
of over 40 authors, containing up to
date information concerning the
amphibian status and declines in the
CIS. It also contains data on the
distribution, life history, morphology
and biochemisty of affected species.
Published by Pensoft, copies can
by ordered through Dr. Lyubomir D.
Penev, 1, Chekhov Str., 208, #6, 1113
Sofia, Bulgaria. Tel/fax: 03592-
736188/715314, email:
pensoft@main.infotel.bg or Sergei I.
Golovatch, Institute for the Problems
of Ecology and Evolution, Russian
Acad. Sci., Leninsky Prospect 33,
Moscow V-71, Russia, fax: 07095-
9545534/9522592, email:
sevin@sovamsu.sovusa.com.
Sri Lanka:
First National
Herpetological
Conference
In Sri Lanka the First National
Conference on Herpetology was held
on July 30th 1995 at the University of
Peradeniya. W.R. Breckenridge, cochair
of the Working Group in Sri
Lanka, explained the objectives of the
DAPTF and also put forward the
strategy of the Sri Lankan Working
Group, which includes initiating local
groups throughout Sri Lanka,
preparing field identification keys and
the compilation of a bibliography of Sri
Lankan amphibian work. The Working
Group is currently studying
amphibians in protected areas and
also anthropogenic threats to
amphibians.
The conference was jointly
organised by the University of
Peradeniya, the Amphibian and
Reptile Research Organisation of Sri
Lanka, the Department of Wildlife
Conservation and the Global
Environmental Facility.
For further information contact:
W.R. Breckenridge, Department of
Zoology University of Peradeniya,
Peradeniya Sri Lanka.
Pacific
Northwest
Update
The US PNW (Oregon and
Washington states) Regional Group of
the DAPTF has become a working
group within the Pacific Northwest
Amphibian and Reptile Consortium
(PNARC). The latter has been formed
to provide an open forum for regional
herpetofaunal issues. Although the
Consortium encompasses many
aspects of herpetology, the initial
emphasis is on the ecology and
conservation of native species.
Additional PNARC working groups
include those devoted to developing
standardized inventory and monitoring
methodologies for regional
herpetological surveys. PNARC
membership represents professional
and amateur biologists.
A PNARC workshop is planned
for March 20-21, 1996, at the LaSalls
Stewart Center, Oregon State
University, Corvallis, OR, in
conjunction with the 1996 annual
meeting of the Society for
Northwestern Vertebrate Biology,
March 21-22.
A high proportion of the 31 native
amphibian species in the PNW are
cases for concern: more than half of
the native species in Oregon are State
listed as 'sensitive', while almost half
of the native species in Washington
are listed by the State as being 'of
special concern'.
A three-year study of the
distribution of the leopard frog, Rana
pipiens, in eastern Washington by
W.P. Leonard and K.R. McAllister has
shown a significant reduction in range
since the late 1950's. This study
indicates that this formerly widespread
species is now limited to two
populations in the state.
Introduced Rana catesbeiana are
thought to be responsible for losses of
some native amphibians, such as the
red-legged frog Rana aurora.
Ongoing studies are directed towards
assessing the impact of Rana
catesbeiana on native species and
also eradication of the introduced frog.
Amphibian survey programs
have also revealed new breeding sites
of the spotted frog (Rana pretiosa)
which is now considered rare in the
western US portion of its range.
The southern torrent
salamander, Rhyacotriton variegatus,
is being evaluated for listing as a
threatened species pursuant to the US
Endangered Species Act of 1973.
Five species of rare endemic
salamanders (the Shasta salamander
[Hydromantes shastae], the Del Norte
salamander [Plethodon elongatus], the
Siskiyou Mountains salamander [P.
stormi], the Larch Mountain
salamander [P. larselli], and Cascade
Range populations of the Van Dyke's
salamander [P. vandykei]) have been
designated 'Survey and Manage' by
the Northwest Forest Plan. This
classification requires surveys of
federal sites prior to ground disturbing
activities, and the management of
known sites of these animals to
maintain existing populations, to avoid
endangered species listing, and to
preserve management options for the
future. Inventory protocols and
management guidelines to protect
occupied locations in federal forests
are being drafted.
Deana Olson (Pacific Northwest
Research Station, USDA Forest
Service, 3200 SW Jefferson Way,
Corvallis, OR 97333, USA.
Email: olsond@ccmail.orst.edu
Joint
DAPCAN/
NAAMP
Meeting
A joint meeting of the Task Force on
Declining Amphibian Populations in
Canada (DAPCAN) and the North
American Amphibian Monitoring
Program (NAAMP) has been
convened at the Canada Centre for
Inland Waters in Burlington, Ontario
(September 27-October 1, 1995).
For information contact either of
the following: NAAMP Conference,
Sam Droege, National Biological
Survey, 12100 Beech Forest Drive,
Laurel, Maryland, U.S.A. 20708 tel.
(301) 497-5840; fax (301) 497-5784;
e-mail: frog@nbs.gov
Stan Orchard, DAPCAN, National Coordinator
for Canada, #235F-560
Johnson Street, Victoria, British
Columbia, CANADA V8W 3C6
email: Stan.Orchard@vonline.com
Student
Monitoring of
Amphibian
Populations
Student researchers, middle through
high school age, from 30 schools
across the United States are studying
amphibian populations to contribute
information to establish baseline data
on local amphibian populations.
Students communicate with each
other and experts via the internet.
This interdisciplinary unit was
designed as part of a distance
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