Species marginal, historical, or potentially present within the Miles City District, BLM 



This section lists 1) species whose affinities are generally restricted to montane habitats of the 

 western third of the state, 2) species not documented in over 30 years from within the boundaries 

 of the former Miles City District, and 3) species that might still be documented from within the 

 boundaries of the former district. None of the species discussed in this section, except perhaps 

 species from the first category, are very likely to be recorded from lands under BLM stewardship 

 in the former Miles City District. Even the marginal species are unlikely to be recorded on the 

 very small tracts that occur in the far southwestern counties (Stillwater, Sweet Grass, and 

 Wheatland) without concentrated and repeated survey effort. 



1) Marginal Species 



Western Toad (Bufu boreas). There are 3 records in the Miles City District, from Carbon 

 County (West Fork Rock Creek in the Beartooth Mountains), Sweet Grass County (near Big 

 Timber) and Wheatland County (near Hariowton). This species is a typical montane form found 

 in intermontane valleys to treeline, and unlikely to be found very far from mountain habitats. 

 Adults are distinguished from other Montana toads by lacking cranial crests 



Columbia Spotted Frog {Rana luteiveutris [=pretiosa]). There are 3 records from the Beartooth 

 Mountains (East Rosebud Creek) and Crazy Mountains (Big Timber Creek) in the far western 

 region of the Miles City District in Carbon and Sweet Grass counties. This species is found in 

 western Montana in intermountain valleys to treeline, and is unlikely to be encountered far from 

 mountains. An isolated population is reported from the Big Horn Mountains in Wyoming 

 (Dunlap 1977), and may occur in the portions of this range that cross the border into Montana in 

 Big Horn County. Columbia Spotted Frogs can be distiguished from Northern Leopard Frogs by 

 noting a) spot pattern (smaller on spotted frogs with a light point in the middle of a dark spot, 

 while leopard frog spots are larger, with a dark middle surrounded by a lighter halo), and b) 

 ventral leg color (undersides of spotted frog legs are reddish-orange while those of leopard frogs 

 are white to cream-colored). 



Rubber Boa {Charina bottae) There is only 1 record of this species in the Miles City District, 

 from along the Boulder River in the Absaroka Mountains of Sweet Grass County. This is the 

 only boa in Montana and cannot be confiised with any other native snake. The eyes and scales are 

 very small, the tip of the tail is blunt and similar to the head-end. The back is uniform brown or 

 dull green, and the belly cream to tan. 



2) Historical Species 



Canadian Toad {Bufo hemiophrys) This species has been documented (confirmed) only once in 

 the Miles City District and in Montana Two adults were collected at a pothole 1 mi W of 

 Flaxville, Daniels County, on 30 July 1966 (Black and Bragg 1968) Because no additional 

 records have been reported in > 30 years, the species is considered historical in Montana There 

 have been few additional surveys in the far northeastern counties, so the species may yet reappear. 

 The Flaxville site was visited in 1998 (Appendix 1), but only Northern Leopard Frogs were 



49 



