RECOMMENDATIONS 



1) Monitoring of the Coeur D'Alene Salamander should be conducted following the specific 

 protocols in the Conservation Assessment (Cassirer et al. 1994). This includes monitoring the 

 Sweathouse Creek site every 10 years. Because there is currently but a single site known for the 

 Forest, this location could be checked annually in a nonintrusive manner. Other potential sites on 

 the BNF should be visited and searched for this species. Such sites would include spray zones 

 around falls on Bass, Mill, Boulder, and Bear creeks (see Center et al. 1988). Best time to search 

 is in early fall, when runoff is low, and after dark, when the salamanders are most surface-active. 



2) Long-term monitoring of typical marsh-pond habitats should be set up at two or three sites in a 

 district in order to evaluate relative numbers and breeding success of the more common species: 

 Long-toed Salamander, Spotted Frog, Western Toad, Pacific Chorus Frog, Western Terrestrial 

 Garter Snake and Common Garter Snake. Particular attention needs to be given to the Western 

 Toad and the Pacific Chorus Frog. Survey sites should be at both low and high elevations. It 

 should be borne in mind, however, that mark-recapture studies provide the best estimates of 

 population trends of amphibians (Blaustein et al. 1994); if resources are available, mark- 

 recapture studies are strongly encouraged for incorporation into any monitoring program. Heyer 

 et al. (1994) provide suggestions and guidelines for developing monitoring programs and mark- 

 recapture studies. 



3) Due to time constraints and the large area covered, the 1995 survey should not be regarded as 

 a definitive index of the distribution of all amphibians and reptiles in the BNF area. The 

 secretive habits of many amphibians and reptiles, and our lack of knowledge regarding their 

 reproductive behavior makes it difficult to assess their overall status. Long-term monitoring 

 and/or frequent surveys are the only tools we have for assuring their existence into the future. 

 We recommend that additional surveys be conducted, concentrating on: A) potential Western 

 Toad and Pacific Chorus Frog breeding sites; B) low-elevation, xeric habitats for reptiles; C) 

 high-elevation wetlands, and C) any historical amphibian sites not yet revisited. In particular, 

 additional wetland surveys should be done on any small ponds and lakes which lack fish and dry 

 up in at least some years; such areas at all altitudes need additional surveys. These areas, 

 particularly those that are quite small and dry up every year, are often missed because many do 

 not appear on USGS maps. 



4) The life history and ecology of amphibians in Montana is poorly known for most species. 

 Only perhaps for the Tailed Frog and Coeur d'Alene Salamander are information presently 

 available to do habitat suitability models and perhaps population viability analyses. For the 

 Spotted Frog we are lacking information on which habitats successful reproduction is taking 

 place, as opposed to where breeding is attempted. For the other species of amphibians and all 

 reptiles we are far from having sufficient data for habitat suitability models or population 

 viability analyses. Long-term monitoring will give us needed information on timing of and 

 habitat requirements for successful breeding. 



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