TECHNOLOGY CORNER

By Elizabeth Shadle, The Longleaf Alliance

Tools of the Trade – Saving Reticulated Flatwoods Salamanders, One Egg at a Time

Drift fence checks. Photo by Samantha Dillon.

Upon entering a longleaf pine ecosystem, many are drawn upward to take in the large, elegant pine canopies sprawled against the blue sky. However, if one stops to take in the whole ecosystem, they may be surprised to find numerous small but crucial animals specializing in these ecosystems. Wildlife species specializing in longleaf habitats provide biodiversity and beauty to the landscape. The Longleaf Alliance is dedicated to supporting conservation and restoration efforts that support and aid in the recovery of endemic (native and not found anywhere else!) longleaf species under threat.

One key species of interest is the reticulated flatwoods salamander (Ambystoma bishopi or RFS for short), an imperiled species in need of restoration of fire-maintained pine flatwoods for continued survival. These salamanders rely on terrestrial and aquatic habitats to support their complex life cycles (egg hatched out to aquatic larvae metamorphosed to terrestrial salamander). These salamanders spend their time developing in seasonal wetlands and climb out of the water onto longleaf pine stands as newly developed adults.

As RFS populations continue to decline, a team of wildlife biologists emerged to aid their recovery, supported through a collaboration between The Longleaf Alliance and partners in the Gulf Coastal Plain Ecosystem Partnership Landscape, including the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and federal agencies. The AMBBIS Team (short for Ambystoma bishopi), first established in 2018, has grown to

include a lead wildlife biologist, two wildlife technicians, and a crew of four seasonal restoration technicians. To better depict what is involved in the restoration and conservation of an endangered species, this article will walk you through a field season and highlight the work of TLA’s AMMBIS Team. These tasks aid in our ability to monitor, conserve, and protect this unique salamander and its beautiful home in longleaf flatwood wetlands. Life as a Wildlife Biologist As a biologist, you quickly learn there is no It is vital to understand rare species’ life history habits and typical day-to-day schedule because it gather population estimates to assist conservation. There are a few remaining populations of varies on numerous factors. Most are out of the rare, reticulated flatwoods salamander. RFS breed during your control, such as weather and seasons. the winter months, and our schedule primarily works around their breeding cycle. We perform various tasks, including drift fence monitoring, egg searching, dip-netting, cattle tank rearing (head-start), and releasing (see timeline graphic).

Monitoring

The salamanders move from upland longleaf pine forests to seasonal wetlands where they deposit their eggs during the breeding season. So each fall through spring, we set up and run drift fences to capture this migration. Drift fences are long durable sheets of thin galvanized aluminum flashing. Two fences divide the uplands from two wetlands. Along each side of the fence, we have three wire funnel traps with an opening

Dip-netting. Photo by Natalie DePalma.

at either end. The traps allow individual animals to enter but not leave until released by one of our trained wildlife biologists. If an individual encounters a drift fence, it will move alongside it to find a way around until it enters the funnel traps. Like many other wildlife species present in longleaf flatwoods, RFS are nocturnal, meaning they typically move at night. To ensure maximum animal safety, we check the traps each morning before sunrise, followed by numerous checks after sunset in the evenings.

Another technique we commonly use to monitor populations of this rare salamander is called dip-netting. This involves walking along edges of filled wetlands and using a very large net to sample who is home. While dip-netting, we gently but swiftly stick our nets into the water in hopes of catching any unexpecting young wildlife. We always take note of other animals in the wetlands to get a better idea of what prey and predators may be lurking. One cannot help but marvel over the food webs in longleaf pine flatwoods and how there is so much connection between the trees, animals, and even us. Dipnetting is a common method used in many projects to collect data and can be done in one’s backyard. All you need are high boots, a net, and some patience. Dip-netting has been one method the team has bonded over as it often requires the most time together, and there is something astonishing when we find a salamander baby swimming in a wetland!

Head-starting

Aside from drift fence checks, we spend a chunk of time on hands and knees searching for tiny salamander eggs in seasonal wetlands as the water recedes. RFS lay eggs in small clusters or individual eggs spread throughout grass clumps. Each egg is about the size of your pinkie nail! Our supplies needed for this task include a spoon (to carefully excavate the eggs), flagging, GPS unit, headlamp, and strong attention to detail as it takes concentrated effort to find the hidden eggs. Once eggs are located, we collect as much data as possible, including location, vegetation type, and number of eggs. Data collection informs future searches and furthers our understanding of this rare, elusive animal.

Each year, we collect a subset of eggs from a few knownoccupied sites to rear in our head-starting program.

Head-starting

Aside from drift fence checks, we spend a chunk of time on hands and knees searching for tiny salamander eggs in seasonal wetlands as the water recedes. RFS lay eggs in small clusters or individual eggs spread throughout grass clumps. Each egg is about the size of your pinkie nail! Our supplies needed for this task include a spoon (to carefully excavate the eggs), flagging,

Driving out to the site, I get ready to complete the daily evening check of our opened drift fence. I arrive as the sun is setting and make sure I have all my supplies ready. Our team has a large black case to hold everything, including a camera, Rite in the Rain® notebook, pencil, soil probe, measurement tools, and of course, headlamps. Typically, we all carry a rain jacket because fieldwork does not stop for rain. In fact, rainy nights caused by fall cold fronts are often best for RSF activity because the wet weather encourages salamanders to move from the uplands to wetlands. Our target is to catch any moving adult salamanders. In the still, dark night, I can hear frogs calling, insects chirping, and mosquitos buzzing. I focus on the task at hand and carefully make my way up to the drift fence. With only my headlamp beam guiding me, I walk along one side and investigate each trap before walking along the other side to check those traps. I see movement in the last trap and freeze in excitement! In the past, we’ve caught a wide range of animals, from large crayfish to snakes, frogs, salamanders, and even a mouse. I hope for a reticulated flatwoods salamander so I can process it by collecting data such as sex, length, and weight of body. Unfortunately, this time it’s a lone southern leopard frog, not our target species. We still collect information on other animals caught, so I record my notes for the night and release the toad on his merry way. This past season, 2020-2021, I never personally encountered an adult RFS along the drift fence line. However, other members of our team were able to find a few individuals. At times it can be frustrating working with a rare species that spends most of its time underground. But that is one of the many things I love about being a wildlife biologist, the endless joy of always searching, learning, and conserving. I cannot let myself get discouraged as I know there will be many more nights of drift fence surveys.

Flatwood wetlands near salamander breeding sites. Photo by Samantha Dillon.

Life stages of the reticulated flatwoods salamander - eggs, larvae, and adult. Photos by Elizabeth Shadle and Jessica Sandoval.

GPS unit, headlamp, and strong attention to detail as it takes concentrated effort to find the hidden eggs. Once eggs are located, we collect as much data as possible, including location, vegetation type, and number of eggs. Data collection informs future searches and furthers our understanding of this rare, elusive animal.

Each year, we collect a subset of eggs from a few knownoccupied sites to rear in our head-starting program. Head-starting is a common conservation technique used for endangered species, in which eggs (or young larvae) are raised in artificial control tanks and then released into the wild. This method allows for a higher proportion of young animals to reach maturity without risk of desiccation (drying out from lack of water), predation, or other natural deadly causes. Rearing salamanders requires a myriad of time and effort. This method would not be possible without our team, partners, and of course, the salamanders!

Large blue cattle tanks serve as artificial wetlands to mimic salamander habitat. Each fall, we set up the 320-gallon tanks to include all the basic necessities: food, shelter, water, and oxygen. This process involves collecting local leaves, adding water, mesh lids, collecting food for the salamanders, lots of heavy lifting, and an eye for organization. This past season we fit 29 of those large blue plastic tubs into a single area while allowing room for us to walk through and access each tank. Our work does not end after set up; we diligently monitor the tanks, watch the eggs develop into larval salamanders, and keep predators out until the salamanders are ready for release. After a few months, each individual salamander is removed from the tanks, measured, and marked (so we know who everyone is if we find them again in the wild!). We tediously sort through leaf by leaf to ensure no one gets left behind. Now swimming on their own, the salamanders are released back into the wetlands before they dry. This allows the swimming late-stage larvae time to complete metamorphosis and climb onto land where they will bunker down for spring – fall months until the wetlands refill and it’s the breeding season again.

The Work is Not Finished

Head-starting tasks are completed by late spring, and we celebrate knowing over 200 new baby RFS are swimming around in the wild, helping increase population numbers.

Cattle tanks used for rearing reticulated flatwoods salamanders. Photo by Samantha Dillon. Salamander field work timeline. Graphic by Elizabeth Shadle.

Southern leopard frog found along the drift fence. Photo by Elizabeth Shadle.

However, the work does not stop there. As biologists and conservations, we are also managers and planners, trying to continue to take the next step in learning more about this endangered species and restoring habitat for them. Some of the other vital tasks include restoring longleaf pine ecosystems. The restoration of longleaf pine flatwoods and the wetlands throughout is vital to the survival of RFS. This project and the restoration (through hand-clearing, chainsawing, and prescribed fire) thus far would not have been possible without our fabulous seasonal crew team members, the Ecosystem Support Team (EST), and the Wetland Ecosystem Support Team (WEST).

Also essential to our job is data entry. Throughout all these field “tasks,” we collect data that can be used to help us better understand the species, as well as quantify restoration work. So far, the team on this project has treated over 47 acres of land, discovered six new wetlands occupied by these salamanders, and released 712 salamanders back into the wild.

One egg reared at a time, in hopes we continue witnessing the connection between these small yet beautiful salamanders to the large yet elegant longleaf pines.

Field Work Packing List

l Headlamp, extra batteries, long sleeves (to keep mosquitoes off) l Masking tape, sharpies, and pencils l Rite in the Rain® field notebook l Flagging tape l High rubber boots (need to be bleached if coming from another property) l Water, plenty! l Snacks l Rain gear, never know when a pop-up rain storm is going to hit, we’re in Florida after all. Plus, we try to go out on rainy nights as salamanders are more likely to move during that time.