Wildlife Diversity Program Quarterly Report for July–September 2025
Surveys for Gray Treefrogs and Wetland Habitat Enhancement Through Prescribed Fire
by Aubrey Heupel Greene, Central Region Herpetologist
O n a hot summer night, staff surveyed the northern Piedmont, listening for the song of one frog in particular – the Northern gray treefrog (NGT; Hyla versicolor) . In North Carolina, this spe- cies is easily (and often) confused with the more common and widespread Cope’s gray treefrog (CGT; Hyla chrysoscelis) because the two species are physically identical and can only be distin- guished in the field by their breeding calls. The CGT, found throughout the state, has a rapid, buzzing trill, whereas the NGT call is a much slower, melodic trill. The NGT is a Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) in North Carolina due to its very limited range within the state – only a few counties in the northern Piedmont. Reliable records are sporadic and relatively few because NGT must be heard and recorded (not just photographed) to confirm identification. This July, we conducted pilot surveys at historic sites and other suitable habitats in Rockingham and Caswell counties. We detected NGT calling at seven sites, often co-occurring with CGT. Given our findings, we will conduct additional surveys next sum- mer to cover more sites and habitats to help determine range extent in North Carolina and what habitats the species is using. In July we helped Land and Water Access staff with a pre- scribed fire on Sandhills Game Land that included an important breeding wetland for several SGCN amphibians. Most years, ephemeral (temporary) wetlands in the Sandhills are dry or nearly dry by the end of July, so a mid-summer fire would run through the wetland basin and remove dead vegetation and keep woody vegetation in check. Removal of dead and woody vegetation is necessary to maintain wetland function and suitability for amphib- ians. However, heavy rain in early July this year kept wetlands full longer so the prescribed fire couldn’t fully burn the basin. Fortu- nately, we still got good coverage outside of the wettest areas and we hopefully knocked back the ring of sweetgum that surrounds much of the wetland. We want to say thank you to those who have submitted softshell turtle sightings so far this year! We have received nearly 90 reports since April and continue to receive sightings almost weekly. We greatly appreciate your willingness to take the time to submit reports when you see these animals. Please keep them coming at NC Wildlife Softshell Turtle Reporting , this information is very helpful to us!
AUBREY HEUPEL GREENE/NCWRC
AUBREY HEUPEL GREENE/NCWRC
Left: Cope’s gray treefrog from North Carolina. Right: Northern gray treefrog from Iowa.
AUBREY HEUPEL GREENE/NCWRC
THE NATURE CONSERVANCY
Above: Prescribed fire in the wetland basin. Below: Drone image showing the extent burned around a wetland during a prescribed fire the previous day.
14
KAREN SZAFRAJDA/MACULAY LIBRARY
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator