Dear Ecologgers, If you have expertise on reptile and amphibian taxa in California, please visit http://arssc.ucdavis.edu to contribute to a revision of the Species of Special Concern list before August 31, 2009.
Californias list of Amphibian and Reptile Species of Special Concern (ARSSC) is a critical component of the management and protection of amphibians and reptiles in the state. The current California ARSSC list is undergoing a complete revision to better reflect those taxa that require some measure of conservation to stabilize populations and avoid future listing under the California Endangered Species Act. To date, the ARSSC revision team has developed a set of risk metrics, compiled a list of nominee taxa, and completed a preliminary risk assessment for each nominee based on literature reviews and locality information. Now, we need your help to make sure that we have the most accurate and complete list possible of SSC for potential inclusion in the final list. The best list will require input from as many knowledgeable biologists as possible. If you have data, well-documented field experience, or unpublished observations that are relevant to Californias amphibian and reptile fauna, we invite you to share them with us. Further details, risk assessments, and instructions for submitting feedback are available at http://arssc.ucdavis.edu. The public comment period closes August 31st, 2009. Bob Thomson (rcthom...@ucdavis.edu) Amber Wright (anwri...@ucdavis.edu) Brad Shaffer (hbshaf...@ucdavis.edu) Center for Population Biology University of California Davis, CA 95616
