SREL Reprint #2967

Innovative techniques for sampling stream-inhabiting salamanders

Thomas M. Luhring and Cameron A. Young

Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Drawer E, Aiken, SC 29802 USA

Introduction: Although salamanders are excellent indicators of environmental health, the ability to catch them efficiently without substantially disrupting their habitat is not always practical or even possible with current techniques. Ripping open logs and raking leaf packs onto shore (Bruce 1972) are examples of such practices that are disruptive but widely used by herpetologists who have no other means of efficient collection. Drift fences with pitfall traps are effective in catching animals moving within or between habitats but are time consuming and require an initial financial investment and constant upkeep to maintain functionality and prevent animal fatalities (Gibbons and Semlitsch 1981). One current alternative to drift fences is the use of coverboards (Grant et al. 1992), which require less maintenance and sampling effort than drift fences. However, coverboards do not integrate captures over a long time period and often result in a lower number of captures per trap (Grant et al. 1992).

SREL Reprint #2967

Luhring, T. M. and C. A. Young. 2006. Innovative techniques for sampling stream-inhabiting salamanders. Herpetological Review 37:181-183.

This information was provided by the University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (srel.uga.edu).