Do you like slimy, cold, and adorable? I do! Frogs and
salamanders abound in many of our State Parks, and late winter
and early spring is one of the best times to find them.
Amphibians are excellent indicators of ecosystem health, and
tracking trends in their populations or productivity can help
showcase changes in the environment before other species do.
Besides, who can resist these eyes? Photo Credit: Sara Viernum
This past February OPRD’s wildlife program hosted surveys for
lentic breeding amphibians at four of our parks. A “lentic
breeding amphibian” is one that spends its adult life on the
earth but lays its eggs in ponds or other still water places,
like red-legged frogs (Rana aurora) and northwestern salamanders
(Ambystoma gracile). With the help of interns from Oregon State
University, we donned waders, datasheets, and the mighty Swamp
Stick to set out in the wetlands, marsh, and ponds at Beaver
Creek Natural Area, Bower’s Rock State Park, Champoeg State
Park, and Wapato Access. What, you might ask,