habitat management guidelines for amphibians and reptiles of the southwestern united states

205 Pages·2016·0English

HABITAT MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES
FOR AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES OF THE
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PARTNERS IN AMPHIBIAN AND REPTILE CONSERVATION
HABITAT MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES
FOR AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES OF THE
SOUTHWESTERN UNITED STATES
TECHNICAL PUBLICATION HMG-5
PURPOSE AND INTENDED USE OF THIS
DOCUMENT
The goal of the Habitat Management Guidelines for lines are suggestions made and reviewed by groups
Amphibians and Reptiles of the Southwestern United of professionally trained herpetologists and wildlife
States (Southwest HMG) is to provide private land- biologists from private, state, and federal organiza-
owners, state and federal land agencies, wildlife man- tions. Some of the guidelines presented here may not
agement agencies, and other interested stakehold- apply to every species in every situation due to the
ers (collectively termed “resource managers”) with taxonomic and ecological diversity of amphibians and
regional information on the habitat associations and reptiles in the southwestern U.S. The authors and edi-
requirements of amphibians and reptiles. This is done tors of the HMGs suggest consulting a local herpetolo-
by listing possible threats to the animals and their habi- gist before making significant land-use changes when
tats and providing guidelines to manage lands to be implementing the suggested guidelines to ensure
compatible with or beneficial to amphibian and reptile local issues and species are adequately addressed.
conservation goals. These HMGs developed by Partners in Amphibian and
Reptile Conservation (PARC) are not legally binding
Many amphibian and reptile populations in the United or regulatory, and they do not in any way attempt to
States and its neighboring countries are vulnerable to limit landowner rights. They are suggested actions for
the effects of habitat loss and degradation. A significant landowners and managers who are considering the
challenge is to ensure the persistence of amphibians needs of amphibians and reptiles in the course of their
and reptiles through thoughtful management of private land and resource management activities. References
and public lands and the resources they contain. When and specific sources of regional HMGs can be found
applied on the ground as general management prin- at www.parcplace.org.
ciples, the Southwest HMG will promote conservation
of amphibians and reptiles and their habitats by: Additional copies may be obtained through PARC. Visit
• Keeping common amphibian and reptile species the PARC website for more information about placing
common orders. Donations to PARC help defray the costs of
• Reducing the further decline of imperiled species development, printing, postage, and handling, and can
• Maintaining existing habitats be made by check, credit card, or money order.
• Guiding restoration of degraded habitats
ISBN X-XXXXXXX-XXXX-X-X. © 2016. Partners in
Landowners and other resource managers will benefit Amphibian and Reptile Conservation. Printed in the
from using this document because implementation of United States of America.
the guidelines will provide ecological benefits beyond
amphibian and reptile conservation. Even if only some Suggested Citation: Jones, L.L.C., K.J. Halama,
of these guidelines are implemented, the cumulative and R.E. Lovich (editors). Habitat Management
effect will likely be positive. Guidelines for Amphibians and Reptiles of the
Southwestern United States. Partners in Amphib-
The general information and specific management ian and Reptile Conservation, Technical Publication
guidelines presented here are based on the best HMG-5, Birmingham, AL. XXX pp.
available science, peer-reviewed expert opinions, and
published literature from dozens of experts. The “Maxi-
mizing Compatibility” and “Ideal” management guide-
HABITAT MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES FOR AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES OF THE SOUTHWESTERN UNITED STATES i
AUTHORS
The Habitat Management Guidelines for Amphibians and Reptiles of the Southwestern United States is the
result of contributions from the following persons:
EDITORS/AUTHORS Mark Fisher Erin Muths
Lawrence L. C. Jones Senior Scientist Zoologist
Southwest Zoologists’ League Deep Canyon Desert Research Center U.S. Geological Survey
Tucson, Arizona Natural Reserve System, University of Fort Collins Science Center,
California, Riverside Colorado
Kenneth J. Halama
Director, Motte Rimrock Reserve and Robert Fisher Priya Nanjappa
Emerson Oaks Reserve Supervisory Research Biologist [assuming Appendix G]
University of California Natural U.S. Geological Survey
Reserve System Western Ecological Research Center Esther Nelson
Department of Biology San Diego, California Wildlife Biologist
University of California, Riverside USDA Forest Service
Matt Goode Pecos, New Mexico
Robert E. Lovich Research Specialist
San Diego, California School of Natural Resources and Joshua M. Parker
Environment Instructor
CONTRIBUTING AUTHORS University of Arizona, Tucson Fresno City College, California
Jim Asmus
Wildlife Biologist David Grandmaison Mickey Ray Parker
Resource Enforcement and Wildlife Biologist Wildlife Biologist
Compliance Section Superior National Forest School of Natural Resources and
MCI-West Environmental Security Duluth, Minnesota Environment
Camp Pendleton, California University of Arizona, Tucson
Bryan T. Hamilton
Brian Aucone Wildlife Biologist Gad Perry
Senior Vice President for Animal Care 100 Great Basin National Park Professor
and Conservation Baker, Nevada Natural Resources Management
Denver Zoo, Colorado Texas Tech University, Lubbock
Mike Lannoo
Cameron Barrows Professor of Anatomy and Cell Biology David S. Pilliod
Research Ecologist Indiana University School of Medicine, Research Ecologist
Center for Conservation Biology Terre Haute U.S. Geological Survey
University of California, Riverside Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem
Jeffrey Lovich Science Center
Steve Beaupre Research Ecologist Boise, Idaho
Professor U.S. Geological Survey
Department of Biological Sciences Southwest Biological Science Center Raymond Semlitsch
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville Flagstaff, Arizona Professor
Division of Biological Sciences
Richard Bireley Kim Lovich University of Missouri, Columbia
Senior Environmental Research Curator Herpetology and Ichthyology
Scientist San Diego Zoo Global, Stephen F. Spear
California Department of Pesticide California Associate Conservation Scientist
Regulation The Orianne Society
Sacramento, California Clark R. Mahrdt Athens, Georgia
Wildlife Biologist
Polly Conrad San Diego Natural History Museum, Drew Stokes
Wildlife Biologist California Field Biologist
Wildlife Diversity Division San Diego Natural History Museum,
Nevada Department of Wildlife, Las Danny Martin California
Vegas Great Plains Reptile Monitoring Project
Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory Brian Sullivan
Robert Cox Colorado State University, Fort Collins Professor
Associate Professor School of Mathematical and Natural
Department of Natural Resources Steve Morey Sciences
Management Biologist Arizona State University, Tempe
Texas Tech University, Lubbock U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Portland, Oregon Michael D. Wilcox
Joshua R. Ennen Senior Biologist/Ecologist
Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Amec Foster Wheeler Environment &
Institute Infrastructure.
Chattanooga, Tennessee Riverside, California
Jen Williams [assuming Appendix G]
ii WWW.PARCPLACE.ORG
HABITAT MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES FOR AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES OF THE SOUTHWESTERN UNITED STATES
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The Long-nosed Leopard Lizard is found in all four deserts of the Southwest
HABITAT MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES FOR AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES OF THE SOUTHWESTERN UNITED STATES iii
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Most of the Southwest is typified by an arid, hot climate, but not without exception. Despite these seemingly harsh conditions, reptiles—and even amphibians—
reach their highest diversity in the Southwest. The Tiger Rattlesnake (inset) is an example of a species that finds its home in the arid Southwest.
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Even areas that are dry most of the year, such as the Willcox Playa in the northwestern Chihuahuan Desert, will become breeding habitat for a number of arid-
adapted amphibian species, including this Chihuahuan Green Toad (inset). This species becomes surface active and breeds in temporary ponds created during
summer rains.
iv WWW.PARCPLACE.ORG
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Purpose and Intended Use of this Document ........... Deciduous Forests ...............................................
Preface ....................................................................... Evergreen Forests ................................................
Introduction ................................................................ Alpine and Subalpine ...........................................
How to Use these Guidelines .............................. Rock Features ......................................................
Developing a Management Plan .......................... Caves, Karst, and Underground Mines ...............
Reptiles and Amphibians of the Southwest ........ Canyons ...............................................................
Natural History of Amphibians and Reptiles ....... Intermittent Streams and Ephemeral Ponds .......
Ecoregional Context of the Southwest ................ Rivers and Perennial Streams .............................
Habitats Important to Amphibians....................... Lakes, Ponds, and Reservoirs .............................
and Reptiles in the Southwest
Small Water-retention Structures ........................
Management Guidelines for Conservation
Cienegas, Bogs, Wet Meadows,
Challenges ..................................................................
and Swamps ........................................................
Habitat Conversion ..............................................
Springs and Seeps ..............................................
Dirt Roads and Trails ...........................................
Marine and Estuary ..............................................
Major Roads and Highways ................................
Agricultural Lands ................................................
Surface and Groundwater Use ............................
Urban and Suburban Areas .................................
Herbicides, Insecticides, Piscicides,
Golf Courses ........................................................
and other Pesticides ............................................
Appendices
Livestock Grazing ................................................
A. Amphibian and Reptile Species
Fire Management and
of the Southwest
Vegetation Restoration ........................................
B. Developing a Management Plan .....................
Timber and Vegetation Management ..................
........................................................................
Energy Development ...........................................
C. Non-native, Invasive Species of
Mining, Oil, and Gas ............................................ Concern to Amphibians and Reptiles
International Border Security ............................... of the Southwest .............................................
Exploitation .......................................................... D. Disinfection Guidelines for Individuals
Subsidized Predators .......................................... Working in Freshwater Habitats ......................
Non-native and Invasive Species ........................ E. Southwest PARC Priority Species ..................
(2012 list)
Disease ................................................................
F. References and Resources .............................
Climate Change ...................................................
G. Conservation Programs and Options .............
The Basics: General Management Guidelines ..........
Acknowledgments ..........................................
across Habitat Types .................................................
Management Guidelines for Specific
Habitat Types .............................................................
Desert Scrublands ...............................................
Desert Woodlands ...............................................
Dunes ...................................................................
Grasslands ...........................................................
Shrub and Shrub Steppe .....................................
Coastal Sage Scrub and Chaparral .....................
Thornscrub ...........................................................
Bosques and Gallery Forests ..............................
Deciduous and Mixed Woodlands ......................
Juniper and Pinyon-Juniper Woodlands .............
Evergreen Woodlands .........................................
HABITAT MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES FOR AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES OF THE SOUTHWESTERN UNITED STATES v
SIDEBARS
SIDEBARS
What is Southwest Partners in Amphibian Trade of Southwestern Amphibians
and Reptile Conservation ........................................... and Reptiles ...............................................................
What is the Amphibian and Reptile Rattlesnake Festivals .................................................
Conservancy? ............................................................ The North American Monsoon ...................................
Amphibians and Reptiles Need Love, Too ................ Landscape Conservation Cooperatives .....................
Adaptive Management ............................................... Habitats within Habitats .............................................
Taxonomy and Nomenclature .................................... Creosote Bush: Pillar of the American
Survey, Inventory, and Monitoring ............................. “Hot” Deserts .............................................................
Safety First! ................................................................ Those Amazing Sand Dune Specialists! ....................
Nuisance Reptiles/Relocating .................................... Apachean Ecoregion: Hotbed of Biodiversity ............
Venomous Reptiles .................................................... Disease: Contributor to Amphibian Decline ...............
What to do in Case of Snakebite ............................... Hibernacula ................................................................
Habitats and Landscapes .......................................... Those Amazing Cave Salamanders! ..........................
Don’t Look Up—Look Down! ..................................... Habitat Models to Guide Management .....................
Herpetology ................................................................ Decisions: A Case Study with Midget
All-female Whiptails: Weeds of the Faded Rattlesnake .....................................................
Lizard World? ............................................................. Head-starting and Translocation the
Construction Activities ............................................... Relict Leopard Frog ...................................................
Southwest PARC’s Flat-tailed Horned Wetland Loss in the Southwest .................................
Lizard Biomonitor Training ......................................... Conservation Advances: Kemp’s Ridley
Lizard in a Battleground: The Case of the Sea Turtle ...................................................................
Dunes Sagebrush Lizard ............................................ Backyard Natives Habitat ..........................................
vi WWW.PARCPLACE.ORG
HABITAT MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES FOR AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES OF THE SOUTHWESTERN UNITED STATES
PREFACE
Habitat Management Guidelines for Amphibians and nated public/private partnerships.” The emphasis is on
Reptiles of the Southwestern United States is a produc- partnerships, as we seek to work with everyone to find
tion of Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation solutions to common issues. PARC is not a funding
(PARC). PARC’s mission is “to conserve amphibians, or government agency. It does not create or dictate
reptiles, and their habitats as integral parts of our policy, and it is non-regulatory. Rather, PARC provides
ecosystem and culture through proactive and coordi- guidelines based on sound science. PARC’s objective
Each Habitat Management Guide covers several ecoregional provinces (see page 14). Striped areas represent overlap between adjacent Guidelines.
HABITAT MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES FOR AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES OF THE SOUTHWESTERN UNITED STATES vii
PREFACE
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Portrait of a male Eastern Collared Lizard
is to increase communication and cooperation among Development of the PARC Habitat Management
many diverse groups who have a common interest in Guidelines (HMGs) began shortly following the orga-
amphibians, reptiles, and their habitats. PARC pro- nization of PARC in 1999. The initial PARC Habitat
vides ideas for individuals, agencies, companies, and Management Technical Working Group consisted of
organizations to help conserve and manage habitats Kurt Buhlmann, Erin Clark, Robert Fisher, Whit Gib-
occupied by amphibians and reptiles. The diversity of bons, Randy Gray, John Jensen, Bruce Kingsbury, the
partners makes PARC the most comprehensive con- late Laura Mazanti, Joe Mitchell, Earl Possardt, Klaus
servation effort ever undertaken for amphibians and Richter, and Monica Schwalbach. This group concep-
reptiles. At the core of PARC is the philosophy that we tualized the need for HMGs as PARC products and
all must work together. There is no “us versus them.” It agreed that at least five regional documents would be
is all “us.” To learn more about PARC, please visit our needed for the United States, including the Midwest,
website at http://www.parcplace.org. Southeast, Southwest, Northeast, and Northwest. The
Technical Working Group, chaired by Monica Schwal-
This book is part of a five-volume series covering the bach, organized a workshop in Chicago that was
contiguous United States and parts of Canada. Each held in February 2001. At that meeting, 85 individuals
volume covers a regional geographic area largely representing the five regions worked for three days on
based on ecoregions, but also state boundaries. The concepts, habitats, and early drafts of the documents
Southwest volume was written with the intent of even- for each region. Subsequently, the Midwest HMG was
tually making it available to the public as modules via the first to be published in 2002, followed by the North-
the PARC website. As such, some redundancy among east and Southeast HMGs in 2006, and Northwest
sections was required to ensure that key points were HMG in 2008. Habitat Management Guidelines for the
captured for those that may not read the document in Southwest is the fifth in the series.
its entirety.
viii WWW.PARCPLACE.ORG
HABITAT MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES FOR AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES OF THE SOUTHWESTERN UNITED STATES
This document is the product of extensive efforts made
by many people and contains the contributions of indi-
viduals from diverse backgrounds including academic,
private, government, and industrial. An unpublished
version, the “Arid Lands HMG” was produced in 2004.
It was a product of a development team that included
M. Goode, L. Woods, J. Mac Aller, J. Smeltzer, R.
Averill-Murray, P. Rosen, C. Schwalbe, and T. Hare.
This current version is a follow-up as an official HMG
for the Southwest PARC Region. Lead technical coor-
dinators and editors for these guidelines are Lawrence
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L. C. Jones, a biologist from Tucson, Arizona; Kenneth Sre
J. Halama, a biologist with the University of California ke
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Natural Reserve System; and Robert E. Lovich, a her-
petologist in San Diego, California. For consistency
among sections common to other HMGs, part of this
document was modified from previous HMGs. This
HMG was completed as an edited version, with many
contributors adding to the content. Authors of sections
written by invited contributors are acknowledged in the
sections. The Acknowledgments section lists others
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aspects needed for the production of the HMG. Con- alif
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Editors of the Southwest Habitat Management Guidelines (top to bottom):
Larry Jones, Ken Halama, and Rob Lovich
HABITAT MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES FOR AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES OF THE SOUTHWESTERN UNITED STATES ix