Amphibians & Reptiles

The ecology and environmental conditions of amphibians and reptiles, and the factors contributing to reports of amphibian declines and malformations, are current USGS research concerns. Listed below are selected USGS research efforts and general information about amphibian and reptilian species.

• Amphibian and Reptile Research in Southeastern and Caribbean Ecosystems at the Florida Integrated Science Center (FISC)

  • Southeast Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (SEARMI) - major research project at FISC, which includes monitoring amphibians on DOI properties throughout the southeastern United States and research on the factors which influence amphibian distribution and abundance.
  • Guide to Southeastern Amphibians and Reptiles - in its Frog and Toads and Salamander sections you can find species information and photos.
    
    
• Amphibian Malformations and Declines (NWHC) (also related to Wildlife Health)
  
  
• Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (ARMI) research in the Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center (NRMSC) - focus on three major themes: disease, fire, climate change.
  
  
• Amphibian Monitoring Techniques at Shenandoah and Big Bend National Parks, a PRIMENet Project (PWRC)
  
  
• Amphibians and Reptiles of Central Ecosystems: Accounts, Descriptions, Software Products, and Other Resources from the Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center (NPWRC)
  
  
• Arizona Black Rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis cerberus) Fact Sheet. Download the File. (213 KB, PDF) (SBSC)
  
  
• Desert Tortoise Research at the Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center - assistance to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service with monitoring status and trends of tortoise populations in the Mojave Desert. (NRMSC) (also related to Imperiled Species)
  
  
• Desert Tortoise Research at the Western Ecological Research Center (WERC) (also related to Imperiled Species)
  
  
• Diamondback Terrapin in the Chesapeake Bay. Science Brief for Resource Managers. Download the File. (80 KB, PDF) (PWRC)
  
  
• Farm Ponds as Critical Habitats for Native Amphibians (UMESC)
  
  
• Field Guide to the Reptiles and Amphibians of Coastal Southern California (WERC)
  
  
• Impact of Invasive Species on Reptiles and Amphibians (WERC)
  
  
• Inventory of Amphibians and Reptiles at Mojave National Preserve. USGS Open-File Report. Download the File. (2212 KB, PDF) (SBSC)
  
  
• Marine Turtles (NWHC)
  
  
• West Nile Virus (NWHC) (also related to Birds, Invertebrates, Mammals: Large Species, Mammals: Small Species, Wildlife Health)
  
  
• Wetland Management for Amphibians in the Willamette Valley, Oregon. Fact Sheet. Download the File. (256 KB, PDF) (FRESC)

	Research Highlight The Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (ARMI) is an innovative, multidisciplinary program that began in 2000 in response to a congressional directive for the Department of the Interior to address the issue of amphibian declines in the United States. more...