AMPHIBIAN AND REPTILE CONSERVATION ISSUES IN SOUTH CAROLINA: EXOTICS PLANNING

1. AMPHIBIAN AND REPTILE CONSERVATION ISSUES IN SOUTH CAROLINA: EXOTICS PLANNING HIGH PRIORITY SPECIES/HABITATS

2. CUBAN TREEFROG BRAHMINY BLIND SNAKE TEXAS HORNED LIZARD CUBAN BROWN ANOLE SAVANNAH MONITOR GREEN IGUANA BOA CONSTRICTOR BURMESE PYTHON MEDITERRANEAN GECKO NILE MONITOR

3. CONSERVATION ISSUES COMPREHENSIVE WILDLIFE CONSERVATION STRATEGY 50 SPECIES S.C. AMPHIBIAN AND REPTILE SPECIES OF GREATEST CONSERVATION NEED

4. FEDERALLY LISTED SPECIES FLATWOODS SALAMANDER FT LOGGERHEAD TURTLE FT GREEN TURTLE FT KEMPS RIDLEY FE HAWKSBILL FE LEATHERBACK TURTLE FE BOG TURTLE FT/SA ALLIGATOR FT/SA SOUTH CAROLINA TECHNICALLY DOES NOT HAVE A STATE THREATENED DESIGNATION … THE DESIGNATIONS UNDER OUR STATE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT ARE: STATE ENDANGERED SPECIES IN NEED OF MANANGEMENT WE USE STATE THREATENED OFTEN BECAUSE IT’S IN LINE WITH THE FEDERAL DESIGNATIONS STATE LISTED SPECIES CAROLINA GOPHER FROG SE WEBSTER’S SALAMANDER SE DWARF SIREN ST PINE BARRENS TREEFROG ST GOPHER TORTOISE SE SOUTHERN COAL SKINK ST SPOTTED TURTLE ST

5. WHY THESE SPECIES? BELIEVED TO BE DECLINING PERIPHERAL TAXONOMIC ISSUES DATA DEFICIENT HABITAT RESTRICTED RARE RARE HARVEST/TAKE

6. CONSERVATION ACTIONS INVENTORY AND RESEARCH: Basic Survey, Life History, Ecology, Limiting Factors MONITORING MANAGEMENT: Habitat Management, Species Management, Regulatory EDUCATION HABITAT PROTECTION

8. AMPHIBIAN DECLINES: HABITAT LOSS CLIMATE CHANGE INVASIVE SPECIES DISEASE/PATHOGENS AMPHIBIANS = BAIT

9. 3.1 Tons 2003 EBAY Amphibian Biomass Kilograms

10. HOUSE BILL H.3121 FRESHWATER TURTLE HARVEST

11. FLATWOODS SALAMANDER DIRK STEVENSON FEDERALLY THREATENED STATE ENDANGERED

12. CAROLINA GOPHER FROG STATE ENDANGERED

13. GOPHER TORTOISE STATE ENDANGERED USFWS RECENTLY PETITIONED TO LIST AS FEDERALLY ENDANGERED FIRE SUPPRESSED PERIODIC GROWING SEASON FIRE

14. State Endangered in SC Declining Range-wide Habitat Loss* Take Identified through planning as a Species in Need of Conservation LONG LIFE DELAYED REPRODUCTION HIGH EGG/JUVENILE MORTALITY We know a fair amount about the Distribution of the gopher tortoise In SC, and we’ve protected Significant tortoise habitat and populations. We don’t know much about the life History/demography of the tortoise In SC.

15. PINE BARRENS TREEFROG STATE THREATENED WEBSTER’S SALAMANDER STATE ENDANGERED

16. MALE PATCHNOSE SALAMANDER NEW TO SCIENCE! FEMALE THIS SPECIES WAS FIRST DISCOVERED IN GEORGIA, RIGHT ACROSS THE STATE LINE FROM BRASSTOWN CREEK HERITAGE PRESERVE. TO DATE IT IS ONLY KNOWN FROM A FEW SITES IN GEORGIA AND BRASSTOWN CREEK HP IN SC.

17. EASTERN DIAMONDBACK RATTLESNAKE WADE KALINOWSKY REPORTED TO BE DECLINING RANGEWIDE TARGETED TAKE –HIDES, VENOM INCIDENTAL TAKE HABITAT LOSS COMPLEX LIFE HISTORY LONGLEAF PINE SPECIES

18. IF WE CAN CONSERVE RATTLESNAKES, SHARKS, BEARS AND OTHER SPECIES THAT HAVE THE AUDACITY TO THREATEN HUMAN LIFE … WE CAN CONSERVE ANYTHING!

19. GO FORTH … FIND THEM, CATCH THEM, PHOTOGRAPH THEM, RECORD THEM IF YOU CAN … AND MOST LET SOMEONE … ME, MARK, WHIT, KRISTA ETC. KNOW! I HAVE A WEB-BASED HERP DATABASE IN DEVELOPMENT THAT CAN BE USED TO STORE RECORDS BY SITE WITH PICTURES AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION …