Notes from the Field: Resilience and Progress for Amphibians and Reptiles in 2024
If 2024 were a field notebook, it would be full of insightful observations, data on our progress, a couple crossed-out mishaps, and a note scratched in the margin: ‘Keep going even when times are tough–we’re onto something big.’
This year, together with you and the rest of our partners, we made remarkable strides in protecting some of the nation’s most threatened amphibians and reptiles. From high mountain bogs to coastal wetlands, our team worked tirelessly to restore habitats, headstart vulnerable species (captive raise and release them), and engage communities.
Our field journal this year includes records from our teams on the ground in PARCAs (Priority Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Areas) from Arizona to Virginia.
A Few Notes from the Southern Appalachians PARCAs
Despite Hurricane Helene’s impacts in the Southern Appalachian PARCAs, we recently wrapped up a successful bog turtle field season.
Shortly before the hurricane, we were able to give these federally Threatened, tiny turtles a strategic boost in North Carolina and Virginia. We protected dozens of bog turtle nests with wire cages this year and released the quarter-sized hatchlings after they emerged. At the same time, we worked with partners to raise bog turtles in captivity for later release. With these actions, we’re giving these long-lived turtles their best odds of thriving for many years to come.
Also, both before and after Helene, we carried out several restoration projects in these PARCAs, which brought life back to many of the once-abundant bogs this species needs, including the largest known historic bog turtle site, along with the habitats of countless other species, including Hickory Nut Gorge green salamander and eastern hellbender.
By necessity, storm cleanup was and will continue to be a big part of our efforts here, but our main focus is returning these ecosystems to a healthy state through invasive species removal, canopy thinning, hydrology improvements, and other vital actions.
Snapshot from the Francis Marion PARCA
In South Carolina’s Francis Marion PARCA, alongside our partners, we achieved unprecedented success in gopher frog headstarting this year, releasing more than 1,300 froglets (young frogs) with a record-breaking 94% hatching success rate.
In addition, we continued to restore critical wetlands the frogs need for breeding, and it paid off. Gopher frogs have moved in; we’ve detected them calling from these new ponds.
Plus, they’re laying eggs in big numbers throughout the PARCA, the largest since we began the program in 2019, a surefire sign their populations are increasing here.
Because we’ve been conducting long-term monitoring of gopher frogs, other amphibians, and reptiles in the PARCA, we have invaluable baseline data, which not only informs conservation actions but enables us to assess the impact of catastrophic events and set recovery goals.
In fact, this is why we’ve ramped up our efforts monitoring northern pinesnakes here through expanded radiotelemetry efforts, which allow us to track their movements via radio signals.
We use the vital information we collect to target our restoration and protection efforts in key areas, not only to provide healthy habitats in the locations species use most but to connect populations and promote gene flow.
Quick Look at the Southern Coastal Plains and Gulf Coast PARCAs
Our work in the beautiful forests of Georgia and Florida has focused on the recovery of the federally-listed Threatened frosted flatwoods salamander this year, one of the most critically imperiled amphibians in the US.
In 2024, we raised and released more than 350 headstarted salamanders, and we’ve expanded our headstarting capacity to increase this number in 2025.
Of course, however, the sites where they’re being released must be able to support them. Their populations have plummeted due to habitat loss—less than three percent of the longleaf pine ecosystems they need remain.
That’s why we’re working here to restore both the upland forest habitats they need for most of the year and the temporary wetlands they use during the first stages of their lives.
Some Notes from the Sugar Sands PARCA
In Texas, the federally-listed Endangered Houston toad is barely holding on in the unconnected pockets of habitat that remain, and for such a rare species, that’s a recipe for disaster. It’s found in a narrow area nestled between Houston, Austin, and Dallas and nowhere else in the world.
Its decline is due to the widespread degradation and destruction of the Post Oak Savannah ecosystem because of fire suppression and other issues related to the urban and agricultural development of the region.
The majority of its historic habitat is on private lands, which is where we centered our efforts this year. We brought together private landowners and conservation experts to restore and maintain the open savannah landscapes essential for the toad’s survival.
Through outreach programs combined with conservation incentives, ranchers, farmers, and other landowners were provided with the technical assistance and funding they needed to restore and maintain crucial habitats, all while improving the quality and economic viability of their land.
Records from the Southwestern PARCAs
In the stunning mountain ranges, riparian corridors, and desert grasslands of the Gila and Bootheel PARCAs of New Mexico and Cochise PARCAs of Arizona, we focused our efforts on three Threatened species: the Chiricahua leopard frog, northern Mexican gartersnake, and narrow-headed gartersnake.
We supported partners who are headstarting Chiracahua leopard frogs and contributed to a captive breeding program for the narrow-headed gartersnake. These efforts give them a lifeline, helping to stabilize their populations while we work to address the issues that have caused their declines.
Because these species have faced widespread habitat loss here, we helped restore several wetlands through site manipulation, invasive species removal, and the installation of pond liners to improve water retention. And we’ll continue these efforts and more because these wetland oases in an otherwise arid landscape provide crucial habitats that the amphibians and reptiles of the region rely on for breeding, foraging, and shelter.
Making Our Final Notes
We’ll soon be jotting down a few final notes and filing 2024’s field notebook away for safekeeping – while retaining the lessons learned and carrying on the successes of the year. As we start a new notebook in 2025, we hope you’ll do your part to help carry out our national strategy, implemented locally, for amphibians and reptiles.
Will you please click here to invest in the future of these imperiled species in the new year and beyond?