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carried in a pocket is essential for night collecting. A strong flashlight may be 
used; however it has the disadvantage of being carried by hand. A headlamp 
leaves both hands free to capture specimens and place them in containers. 
Headlamps may be obtained at hardware and sporting goods stores. Most 
amphibians and reptiles are not disturbed by artificial light and may easily be 
approached and netted or grabbed by hand. Frogs will usually continue to 
call even when the beam of the light is directly on them. Care has to be taken 
to approach them with as little disturbance as possible however, as both noise 
and surface waves on water will sometimes cause them to dive for cover. 
Dip nets. These may be purchased from biological supply houses or 
made at home. A rust-proof metal hoop is fixed to a wooden pole, and a net 
is sewed onto the hoop. The edge around the hoop should be covered with 
a strip of cloth. The netting should be sufficiently sturdy to withstand rough 
usage, and the mesh should be fine enough to retain small tadpoles and 
salamander larvae. A net which is wider at the bottom than at the hoop and 
fairly deep is the most effective kind. This hinders the more robust frogs 
from jumping straight out. 
Nets of larger hoop diameter, coarser mesh, and longer pole length may 
be made for turtles. 
Seine . A seine is often effective for aquatic adults and larvae. It re- 
quires two people to operate a seine effectively. Care must be taken to keep 
the lower edge on the bottom to prevent the escape of animals beneath it. 
In small creeks and streams it should be fixed across the channel ; with it in 
place the collectors then move towards it from a point upstream, turning over 
every stone and other loose object in their path. Specimens and debris will 
be swept downstream into the seine by the current. A seine is not effective in 
areas of heavy vegetation because the bottom tends to roll up when dragged 
through rooted plants. For such situations, devices described by Strawn 
(1954) and Goin (1942) may be the most practical. 
Electric shocker . Anderson and Smith (1950) and Gunning and Lewis 
(1957) describe electrical shockers that are said to be effective for catching 
amphibians and reptiles. 
Hook and line. Many of the larger aquatic species can be taken with a 
hook and line. Large adult and larval salamanders and turtles may be 
caught occasionally with lines baited with meat or fish. Lagler (1943, p. 22) 
gives instructions for set-lines for turtles. A wire leader must be used. The 
mudpuppy ( Necturus nwculosus), an eastern aquatic salamander, is often 
taken in the winter by fishing through holes in the ice. 
The larger frogs will take a hook with a piece of cloth attached to it. 
This should be cast in front of them and flicked to simulate a moving insect. 
Guns. In some situations it is impossible to approach specimens closely 
enough to catch them by net or by hand. A .22 pistol or rifle, loaded with 
.22 dust shot, is effective for frogs, lizards, and snakes. The barrel should be 
bored smooth to obtain the full benefit of the shot pattern. For turtles, a 
.410 shotgun must be used. Care must be taken to shoot at close enough 
range to kill the specimen but not so near that it will be severely damaged. 
This method is especially recommended for rattlesnakes but should be used 
for other species only as a last resort, because the likelihood of damaging 
specimens is great. For areas where the use of a gun is prohibited, other 
devices have been used for collecting lizards and frogs. Shot may be fired 
