Chapter 3 North Carolina Species
of upland habitat by Collinses’ Mountain Chorus Frogs and their movements when away from breeding habitats. Nighttime visual encounter surveys conducted at aquatic breeding sites have been used to collect morphological data. Audio surveys for calling frogs, conducted since 2008, have collected distribution information in western North Carolina, and more than 20 new breeding habitats in south-central Cherokee County and western Clay County have been detected. Telemetry techniques could be used to find out more about their movements and habitat use in these areas. • Populations of the River Frog in North Carolina appear to have been extirpated (Beane 1998, NCBP 2025). Historically, it was found in the southeastern Coastal Plain, with the historic range extending from the Lumber and Cape Fear River systems in the southern Coastal Plain and southward into SC, GA, FL, AL, and MS. (NCBP 2025) . From 2010 to 2024, EBCI biologists conducted surveys continuously for up to 12 anuran species using acoustic devices with five species recorded acoustically and six visually. EBCI biologists opportunistically inventory new areas, focusing on wetlands within Tribal Trust Lands, and document frog species’ numbers and activity over time. Local questions include timing of peak breeding to determine if there are shifts relative to changes in precipitation, temperature, humidity, and other environmental conditions over time. 3.2.2 Comparison of 2015 and 2025 Priority Species The 2025 Amphibian Taxa Team evaluated 98 species and identified priority species for SGCN, knowledge gaps, and management concerns as noted below. The following table provides a comparison of changes to the number of SGCN and priority species among the 2015 SWAP, the 2020 Addendum 1, and the 2025 SWAP. A comparison with the 2005 SWAP is not included because a different method was used to evaluate and identify SGCN for that version of the Plan.
Amphibian SGCN and Priority Species by Evaluation Categories and Comparison Among SWAP Versions
Knowledge Gaps
Management Needs
SWAP Date
SGCN
2025
53 51 49
62 58 56
44 42 42
2020 Addendum 1
2015
Some species are a priority in more than one of the three evaluation categories. These changes do not necessarily indicate a change in the concern status of these species; they are more likely to reflect an increase in our knowledge base for the species.
There have been significant scientific advances in direct DNA sequencing methods that enabled tests of previous hypotheses of phylogenetic relationships (Che et al. 2012) . This new information
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2025 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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