Amphibians Are Moving, And BEAT Is There To Help

The great migration is on. Each spring, frogs and salamanders come out from their over-wintering retreats and migrate to their breeding pools. The big night is usually in late March or early April, and is typically on a rainy and relatively warm night. This year in Monterey, near Lake Buell, that night was Monday, April 4.

The problem is that the journey to the spring ponds in which these amphibians breed is often a perilous one, fraught with traffic. Amphibians make terrible pedestrians. So one of the annual rites of spring for environmentalists is to spend one or more evenings playing crossing guard for the hopping and crawling pilgrims as they try to reach their mates.

On the evening of April 4, three of us from BEAT – Jane, Bruce, and Rene – were ready to help. We worked as quickly as we could, finding woodfrogs, spotted salamanders, Jefferson salamanders, and other amphibians, scooping them up in our hands, and carrying safely to the side of the road that sloped down to the breeding pond. Despite our efforts, a large percentage of the slow-moving critters fell victim to the traffic.

How dangerous was the road crossing? We worked from 7:30pm to just after 10:30pm. When we were done we tallied those we weren’t able to save from the traffic. Dead on the road were 29 spotted salamanders, 2 Jefferson salamanders, 108 woodfrogs, 6 newts, and 80 spring peepers. So was our effort worth it? We successfully managed to pick up and carry the following across the road: 52 spotted salamanders, 281 woodfrogs, 74 spring peepers, 5 Jefferson salamanders (a state-listed species), and 2 newts. As we worked, we could hear the peepers and woodfrogs, newly arriving at their breeding grounds, beginning to call to their mates.

If you know of an area where amphibians migrate across roads, consider spending an evening lending a hand. Amphibian populations are declining, not just in our area, but worldwide. Recently, scientists conducted a Global Amphibian Assessment. They found that 32% of amphibian species were threatened, and at least 43% were experiencing some form of population decrease. The primary cause for the decline is habitat destruction. In our area, the small vernal pools in which many of these frogs and salamanders breed are themselves threatened. BEAT will be presenting at least two workshops that will explain how to identify these pools and how to certify them with the state so that they receive some protection from development.

If you plan to go out and be a crossing guard for amphibians, be sure to bring a flashlight and please wear light colored clothing. The migration often occurs on dark and dreary nights. And consider adding data from amphibian migrations to the database maintained by the state. You can access the database at http://linkinglandscapes.info/roads/home.html.