Category: Southeastern US

Salvaging the Frosted Flatwoods Salamander’s Breeding Season in Florida and Georgia

In dry depressions in the Florida Panhandle, ARC Biologists and partners have been building miniature wetlands by hand.

Farmers as Stewards: Private Lands Conservation for Salamanders and Ecosystems

A large, brown amphibian salamander rests on the rocky bottom of a stream, partially submerged in clear water with sunlight creating patterns on its body—a serene scene highlighting the need for Conservancy efforts.

“What happens on one property does not stop at the fence line. Streams connect neighbors and entire watersheds, and if everyone assumes someone else will take care of them, these systems continue to degrade.”

Where Restoration Meets Recovery: Protecting Amphibians and Reptiles in the Florida Panhandle

Tall, slender pine trees stand in a misty forest with grass and low plants covering the ground. The fog creates a soft, muted atmosphere, evoking the tranquil beauty protected by ARC, the Amphibian and Reptile Conservancy.

“It’s challenging and overwhelming at first, but the visual, quantifiable results are really satisfying, not to mention vital for the wildlife here.” That’s how Nicole Dahrouge, ARC Project Coordinator, described restoring habitats in the PARCAs (Priority Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Areas) of Florida’s Panhandle.

Being Proactive to Improve the Fate of Imperiled Species under the Endangered Species Act

Two people wade through waist-deep water in a forested wetland, gathering plant samples and data for the Conservancy. One carries equipment on their back, while sunlight filters through the trees—ideal habitat for amphibian research.

Conservation works best when it addresses issues before they become crises, rather than scrambling to respond to them. Too often, efforts begin only after populations have plummeted and habitats have vanished, when recovery becomes far more costly and difficult.

The Power of Landowners: Amphibian and Reptile Protection Beyond Property Lines

A small pond reflects the blue sky and clouds, surrounded by dry, leafless trees and brush. This serene conservancy may shelter reptiles or amphibians, with a hill rising in the background under a mostly clear sky.

A recent journal article makes it clear: preventing extinctions and ensuring healthy ecosystems will require the use of every possible conservation tool, deployed widely across property lines. This is a departure from the conservation strategy of the past, even from just a few decades ago. Historically, protecting nature has often meant focusing our efforts in the public lands we’ve set aside for this purpose. Now, we’re starting to realize how misguided that notion is.

From Discovery to Disaster: Recovering the Recently Described Hickory Nut Gorge Green Salamander After Hurricane Helene

A small, dark-colored amphibian with light spots rests on a white paper towel inside a clear plastic container, placed on dry, brown soil with some sticks and leaves nearby.

There is perhaps no other species on Earth that I feel more connected to than the Hickory Nut Gorge green salamander (Aneides caryaensis). That connection goes beyond a simple fondness or professional interest; it’s personal, deep, and shaped by a history I never could have predicted.

Drought Resistant: Helping Amphibians Weather the Storm When There’s No Storm

Two amphibians are partially submerged in dark, reflective water, with one frog resting on top of the other. Both have golden eyes and appear closely positioned, surrounded by small bubbles on the water's surface.

“We’ve missed hearing our gopher frogs call,” said Sydney Sheedy, ARC Assistant Field Project Manager in the Francis Marion PARCA (Priority Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Area), South Carolina. “Even the more common frog species here have been quieter than usual. It’s just so dry.”

What We Know–and Don’t–About Helene’s Impacts on Reptiles and Amphibians

An underwater view of a large, brown amphibian salamander with a long tail resting among rocks and pebbles on a streambed. The water is clear, revealing variously sized stones and sandy patches.

Millions of people across the Southeastern US are coming together to begin to overcome the impacts of Helene.
And it’s this joining of forces that’s going to be critical for our recovery. No one can do it alone. The uniting of communities and collaboration among government agencies, nonprofits, and other groups are going to be imperative to start healing from the damages that we’ve sustained, both in terms of human losses and also the casualties of our wildlife and wild places.

Uncovering the Secrets of One of the Most Elusive Snakes in the Eastern US

A coiled gopher snake, a striking reptile with yellow, black, and brown scales, lies on the ground among dry pine needles and gray moss.

How do you study an uncommon, secretive snake that spends most of its time underground and tends to flee when approached?

Northern pinesnakes are a rarely encountered species in the South Carolina Lowcountry, the location of the Francis Marion PARCA, or Priority Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Area. These beautiful snakes with dark blotches scattered along their backs and sides not only inhabit this PARCA; they’re native to several Eastern US states.

Safeguarding a New Yet Age-Old Salamander Species

A person’s hand gently holds a small amphibian—a slender salamander with a dark body and bright yellow spots—against a background of mossy, rocky crevices.

Recently, the US Fish and Wildlife Service announced some good news: The Hickory Nut Gorge green salamander (Aneides caryaensis) is under consideration for listing under the Endangered Species Act.

Protecting Alabama’s Ancient Wild Legacy in the Bankhead PARCA

A calm river flows beside a tall, rocky cliff covered in green vegetation, with trees and bushes lining the top and right side. The water reflects the greenery and rocks, offering an ideal habitat for amphibians under a bright sky.

In the Bankhead PARCA (Priority Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Area) of Alabama, about an hour northwest of Birmingham, two incredibly specialized species share the region’s numerous aquatic habitats: the flattened musk turtle and the Black Warrior waterdog. These two highly endangered

Gopher Frog Recovery: At the Edge of a Precipice

A camouflaged amphibian with mottled brown and green skin sits on the ground among grass and twigs, partially hidden by surrounding vegetation.

On a hot summer afternoon in the Francis Marion Priority Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Area (PARCA), Coastal Plains Program Coordinator Ben Morrison and Assistant Field Project Manager Sydney Sheedy drive down a bumpy dirt road surrounded by longleaf pine trees. They’re heading to Sunset Pond, a not-even-on-the-map ephemeral wetland that represents one of the last healthy few of its kind in the forest, unchoked by invasive species and still reliably filling with water for part of the year.

Bounty of Habitats for Rare Species: Protecting & Restoring the Francis Marion PARCA

Three people stand in a wet, grassy area of a forest managed by the Conservancy, with one person bending down to examine the water—perhaps searching for a reptile. Tall trees and dry grass surround them under natural daylight.

Bounty of Habitats for Rare Species: Protecting & Restoring the Francis Marion PARCA Outside Charleston, South Carolina stretches the Francis Marion National Forest–a 259,000-acre classic Lowcountry spread of upland forest, bottomland hardwood swamp, maritime forest, salt marsh, and longleaf pine forest.

Recovering the Frosted Flatwoods Salamander

A small, curled black and white reptile with a pattern of stripes and spots on its body lies on wet, muddy ground—a unique sight often noted by ARC Conservancy field researchers.

Longleaf pine ecosystems once blanketed the Southeast, covering over ninety million acres from Texas to Virginia. Many varied species, from red-cockaded woodpeckers and quail to eastern diamondback rattlesnakes and dusky gopher frogs, evolved to live among the frequently burning, grassy, sun-soaked savannas.

Crown Jewel of Louisiana’s Biodiversity: Conservation of the Pearl River Basin PARCA

A quiet swamp with still, reflective water, surrounded by tall cypress trees with exposed roots and autumn foliage. Fallen leaves float on the surface while an elusive reptile glides silently beneath, hinting at nature’s hidden wonders.

Just east of New Orleans, there’s a diversity of reptiles and amphibians that are as wild and colorful as Mardi Gras. The animal that comes to mind for most people when they think of Louisiana is the American alligator—and while there are certainly alligators, there are also some 140 species of other amazing amphibians and reptiles that call the state home, from diamondback terrapins to Gulf Coast waterdogs to pine snakes and gopher tortoises. Unfortunately, 51 of those are listed as species of greatest conservation need.

The Pearl River Basin PARCA, or Priority Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Area, is the crown jewel of Louisiana; it holds 109 amphibian and reptile species and 98% of the species of greatest conservation need in the state. That makes our work here—from the dark and primordial bottomland hardwoods swamps to the open pineland savannahs—vital.

Combating Invasives to Give Native Species Back Their Competitive Edge

A calm pond reflects the blue sky and clouds, surrounded by sparse vegetation, leafless trees, and low hills—an ideal habitat for an amphibian basking under a bright, clear sky.

When you visit a new country, chances are you don’t want to eat at the same burger chain you have near your house, buy your souvenirs at a big box store from the US, and go to an American movie. You want to experience the cuisine, hear the language, and see the art that that particular country offers because those things reveal the fabric of a place’s history and culture.

We can use this concept to understand native ecosystems and invasive species. Just like you can find American burger chains around the world, there aren’t many ecosystems left that haven’t been impacted by invasive species. As humans have spread across the globe, we’ve taken all sorts of species with us—from house cats to flowers to reptiles—and put them where they didn’t historically occur. That has caused problems for our native species (the locals, if you will), and we are at risk of homogenizing our ecosystems and losing the icons of our natural diversity.

Protecting Our Natural Heritage in the Southern Appalachians

A scenic view of forested mountains under a partly cloudy sky, with a layer of white fog settled in the valleys—an ideal habitat for reptile and amphibian species, protected by local conservancy efforts.

Author Barbara Kingsolver best captured the spirit of the Southern Appalachians when she said, “the flag of Appalachia should be a salamander.” For many, these mountains are embodied by a cool mountain creek, where every rock flip reveals a salamander. In fact, the Southern Appalachian Mountains—including parts of West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia—contain some of the most important places for amphibian and reptile conservation in the world. Within the ridges, valleys, and streams are dozens of habitat types supporting a vast number of imperiled species that need our help, from our smallest turtle to the heaviest salamander in North America.

Black Warrior Waterdog and Flattened Musk Turtle

A small waterfall cascades into a clear, tranquil pool surrounded by lush green trees, rocks, and moss in a forest setting—a perfect habitat for amphibian and reptile life, with sunlight filtering through the leaves.

Meet two of Alabama’s strangest, most specialized reptiles and amphibians.

In the Black Warrior River watershed of Alabama, two rare, mysterious, and little-known species swim the waters. One, the Black Warrior waterdog, is an amphibian, and the other, the flattened musk turtle, is a reptile. Both are highly endangered, and both are tailor-made for the habitat that they share, making our work in the Bankhead Priority Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Area (PARCA) west of Birmingham a two-for-one conservation opportunity. This PARCA is positively teeming with life; Alabama is a global hotspot of aquatic biodiversity. By restoring these imperiled and highly biodiverse waterways, we can recover these two amazing species, protect countless other species, and create healthier water for the people who depend on these rivers for consumption and recreation.

Small Turtles, Big Future: Southern Population of the Bog Turtle

A small black baby turtle with light markings on its face walks on pale green, mossy ground at the Conservancy, with soft sunlight filtering through blurred foliage in the background.

When we think about the future for the bog turtle, Glyptemys muhlenbergii, we should first consider the past. If we could hit rewind, and look back in time—millions of years back in time—there would be a vast stretch of land full of muddy bogs and fens, from upstate New York down to Georgia. Within those grassy, flooded meadows fed by springs would have hidden thousands upon thousands of one of our favorite reptiles in the world: the bog turtle.

When they are born, bog turtles are the size of a quarter. As adults, they’re only four inches. They are mysterious and secretive, spending most of their time buried in mud. Everything about them encapsulates a slow and steady approach to life; they reach sexual maturity late, lay only a few eggs a year, and can live for at least sixty years. Some of the older individuals have shells as smooth as glass, worn down from years of burrowing in the habitat for which evolution shaped them over the course of fifteen million years.

Want to stay up to date with our work? Sign up for our mailing list!