COLORADO HERPETOFAUNAL ATLAS Sponsored and managed by the Colorado Division of Wildlife and developed by Camp, Dresser & McKee, with the advice and assistance of Geoffrey A. Hammerson (author of Amphibians and Reptiles in Colorado) & Joseph T. Collins (director of The Center for North American Herpetology).
Many salamander, frog, turtle, lizard, and snake populations are declining rapidly throughout the western United States. In Colorado, some species have become scarce or no longer occur within their historical range. For example, Northern Leopard Frogs formerly were common and widespread in the mountains of the Front Range, but now they are very scarce. Similarly, subalpine wetlands throughout the Southern Rockies formerly hosted many robust populations of toads, but today they are few and highly localized. Northern Cricket Frogs have not been found in Colorado since 1979. What's going on? Insufficient information. The factors responsible for these declines include habitat loss and degradation, competition with non-native species, pollution, excessive harvest or mortality on roads, and disease, but often the causes are unknown. Often we have insufficient information to determine whether a decline is cause for alarm or simply part of a natural fluctuation pattern. A major problem is that for most species we do not have enough information to know whether they are declining, increasing, or maintaining stable populations. This information gap makes it impossible to undertake appropriate and timely protection and management actions. The Colorado Herpetofaunal Atlas was initiated as a means of assembling and displaying information that will facilitate assessments of the distribution, abundance, and conservation status of reptile and amphibian populations throughout Colorado. Access it at http://ndis.nrel.colostate.edu/herpatlas/coherpatlas/ posted courtesy of HerpDigest.org: The Only Free Weekly E-Zine That Reports on The Latest News on Herpetological Conservation and Science. Go to www.HerpDigest.org to subscribe.
