Maryland Amphibian and Reptile Atlas - Montgomery County

03/07/2014

Spring is around the corner!

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums invites you to "Spring Forward for Amphibians with FrogWatch USA!"

Take advantage of Daylight Savings Time, and"Spring Forward" for amphibians through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) FrogWatch USA citizen science program! Celebrate the season by taking action and engaging in conservation in your community.

Read more:
http://www.aza.org/PressRoom/detail.aspx?id=33187

02/04/2014

Part of a nationwide program to collect data on the amphibians

01/29/2014

Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation

12/10/2013

How do frogs and toads survive the winter weather and freezing temperatures of late? Read on to find out!
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=how-do-frogs-survive-wint

Rick Emmer is the lead keeper of The RainForest at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and an avid observer of amphibians. He provides the following answer. Frogs are amazing animals. Despite their fragile appearance and inoffensive ways, they have countless strategies to deal with the most severe climates....

11/15/2013

Nice little feature on the Atlas: http://cnsmaryland.org/2013/11/07/volunteers-searching-maryland-for-reptiles-amphibians

Volunteers across Maryland are tracking down and identifying all the state’s different types of reptiles and amphibians. It’s part of the Maryland Amphibian and Reptile Atlas.

08/27/2013

The copperhead has been confirmed in only 12 quad-blocks in Montgomery County to date. There are a little over 60 blocks total assigned to the county to be surveyed.

http://www.martinsvillebulletin.com/article.cfm?ID=38701

08/22/2013

Freeze tolerance has been documented previously in wood frog, spring peeper, and species in the gray treefrog complex, but did you know that the level of tolerance in each species can vary by locality? The study featured in this article compared wood frogs from a population in Alaska to a population in Ohio and found that the Alaskan frogs can stand substantially colder temperatures. Read on and enjoy!

Scientists have figured out how Alaskan wood frogs can freeze solid and stop breathing—yet still bounce back to life.

08/21/2013

Bethany Holbrook from our New York office takes us along on a bog turtle survey and shares why this small turtle's decline has big messages for wetlands.

08/13/2013

Interesting study results from Pittsburgh: "Pesticide Tolerance in Amphibians: Induced Tolerance in Susceptible Populations, Constitutive Tolerance in Tolerant Populations," first appeared online in Evolutionary Applications.

"Amphibian populations are declining worldwide, and pesticides and insecticides are one hypothesized cause... so this discovery has promising implications for the persistence of amphibian populations."

Read more by visiting: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/07/130729133124.htm


Photo of wood frog (Lithobates sylvaticus) tadpoles in Maryland by Rachel Gauza.

Amphibians exposed to insecticides early in life -- even those not yet hatched -- have a higher tolerance to those same insecticides later in life, according to a recent study.

07/16/2013

New state amphibians for North Carolina!

Here in Maryland we have many "state organisms" but no state amphibian! Who do you think should join the ranks of our beloved state reptile, the diamond-backed terrapin, Baltimore Checkerspot (butterfly), Baltimore Oriole, and Maryland Blue Crab?

Maybe the Maryland State Amphibian nomination should go to the Valley and Ridge Salamander (Plethodon hoffmanii)? The species distribution is limited to the valley and ridge physiographic province and can only be found in select portions of the Appalachian Mountains in PA, MD, WV, and VA. Then again, there are many other salamander species that fit the orange and black motif. Hmm...

http://www.dnr.state.md.us/wildlife/Plants_Wildlife/herps/Caudata/fieldguide_OrderCaudata.asp

North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission

06/03/2013

FrogWatch USA Monday Monitoring Report:
Lots of activity from mid and late season breeders, especially east of the Mississippi River! Green frogs and American bullfrogs are starting to dominate some of the choruses.
Pop quiz: The two species sound very distinct, but who can tell the difference between the two subadults pictured below?

05/22/2013

Northern cricket frogs were heard in Beltsville CE this week - we need volunteers to survey neighboring blocks to document the species!
http://www.dnr.state.md.us/wildlife/Plants_Wildlife/herps/Anura/EasternCricketFrog.asp