REPTILES
Field Days with Foresters, Rattlesnakes, and Hellbenders by Jeff Hall, NC Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation W ildlife Resources Commission staff held a workshop on Septem- ber 18th for foresters with Weyerhaeuser Company to discuss
management of timber lands with the primary focus of conservation of reptiles and amphibians within managed forest landscapes. The day included a field outing so foresters would get hands on experience with various trapping techniques while also having the opportunity to eval- uate different habitat types and discuss management of isolated wet- lands and associated amphibians. Workshop participants were treated to captures of several turtle, frog, and snake species during the day. Staff look forward to continuing further collaborative efforts with forestry companies on management actions that benefit reptiles and amphibians. Field work during this quarter focused on several SGCN reptiles and amphibians across the state including Carolina Pigmy Rattlesnakes, Timber Rattlesnakes, and Eastern Hellbenders. Timber Rattlesnake site assessments were particularly successful in yielding shed skins for use in future genetic analyses. Working collaboratively with National Parks staff at a site in Dare County, staff were able to locate four Timber Rat- tlesnake sheds and three live rattlesnakes in one field day! Late August and late September yielded record amounts of rainfall. After each storm, staff visited as many amphibian breeding sites as possible to check for out-of-cycle breeding by Gopher Frogs and other SGCN amphibians. On September 23rd, staff were treated to finding five hatching Gopher Frog egg masses at a site in Brunswick County. This discovery was an important breeding event as the pond at this site had last held enough water to induce breeding in 2021.
JEFF HALL/NCWRC
JEFF HALL/NCWRC
Top right: foresters at workshop with large Snapping Turtle. Middle: Image of an adult Timber Rattlesnake encountered in Dare County during surveys. Bottom: A Gopher Frog breeding pond in Brunswick County.
JEFF HALL/NCWRC
29 2024 Wildlife Diversity Program Annual Report
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