7 6 Jeffrey C. Beane 



ion that fishing and frogging had declined, and that various species of wildlife 

 were not as frequently observed as in past years. While frogs were generally 

 found to be common during this survey, there were occasions when far fewer 

 were observed than expected. As an example, during four hours of night canoe- 

 ing on a stretch of the Northeast Cape Fear River in Duplin County on 6 Sep- 

 tember 1992, a total of only three anurans were observed. Little is known about 

 the sensitivity of the river frog to environmental changes. 



Finally, Pechmann et al. (1991) pointed out the difficulties sometimes 

 involved in distinguishing true amphibian declines from natural population fluc- 

 tuations, and Hairston and Wiley (1993) emphasized the value of long-term stud- 

 ies in determining whether supposed amphibian declines were genuine. While 

 the apparent absence of R. heckscheri in North Carolina could represent a natur- 

 al fluctuation, the lack of a single record in more than 22 years suggests other- 

 wise. Still, conclusive documentation of extinction can be difficult for any 

 organism, and more field work is needed to determine the river frog's true status 

 at the northern edge of its range. It is hoped that biologists working in south- 

 eastern North Carolina will make every effort to collect and report all possible 

 evidence of R. heckscheri in the state. 



ACKNOWLEDGMENTS-- This survey was possible only through the efforts of 

 many. Funding was provided by a grant from the North Carolina Wildlife 

 Resources Commission's Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Fund, by the North 

 Carolina State Museum of Natural Sciences, and by participating individuals. I 

 especially thank Ann Berry Somers, who gave generously of her time and 

 resources, assisting with much field work as well as providing equipment, fund- 

 ing, and invaluable encouragement and friendship. Additional assistance with 

 field work and the use of various equipment was provided by Jeff Alexander, 

 Stanley L. Alford, Charles D. and Carolyn L. Beane, Fred Berry, Alvin L. 

 Braswell, Cheryl K. Cheshire, David G. and Martha R. Cooper, Randy L. 

 Craven, Robert A. Davis, Darrell L. DeTour, Kelly and Ralph Eanes, John T. 

 Finnegan, Robert S. Flook, Larry and Roseanne Francis, Beth Gatlin, Kim 

 Helms, Novella Hopkins, Stephanie J. Horton, Jim and Jane Hunt, Dale and Joe 

 Jackan, Barbara J. and Raymond W. Johnson, Scott Jones, Samuel Kennedy, Bill 

 Lillard, William M. Palmer, Robert Pegram, David Pike, Patty Purcell, Bobby F. 

 Roberts, William H. Rowland, Jr., Vincent P. Schneider, Stephen D. Smith, Chris 

 Spauer, Ronald W. Sutherland, Thomas J. Thorp, Paul Thrift, Janice M. Weems, 

 James and Joseph Zawadowski, the North Carolina Division of Environmental 

 Management, and J. H. Carter III and Associates Environmental Consultants. 

 David and Donna Scott provided lodging for field crews and assisted in many 

 other ways. Private access to waterways was permitted by Eugene Shaw, 

 Tommy Spivey, and the staff of Rhodes Pond Fishing Camp. Tom Squier made 

 special efforts to generate media publicity. Much support was provided by the 



