S.H. Anderson
J.M. Parker
2003
<p><span>We studied </span>habitat<span> use and </span>movements<span> of a </span>repatriated<span> population of federally endangered </span>Wyoming<span> </span>toads<span> (Bufo baxteri) after the breeding season at Mortenson Lake, Albany County, </span>Wyoming<span>, USA. We followed 8 adult </span>toads<span> using telemetry (n = 68 relocations) during periods of activity and observed 59 post-metamorphic juvenile </span>toads<span> (n = 59 locations). Adult </span>toads<span> used </span>habitat<span> with a greater mean vegetation canopy cover (mean = 52.6%) than juveniles (mean = 39.20%). We found adults farther from the shoreline (mean = 1.32 m) than juveniles (mean = 1.04 m). Substrates used by </span>toads<span> had a mean surface temperature of 20.31°C for adults and 23.05°C for juveniles. We found most adult and juvenile </span>toads<span> on saturated substrates. All adult </span>toads<span> sampled did not move outside of a 30 x 500 m area along the east-to-south shore where they were captured. </span>Toads<span> were active diurnally through the end of October. We found </span>toads<span> torpid at night. We compared our results to a similar study of the historic population and found that adult </span>toads<span> of the current population used denser vegetation than those of the historic population. Unlike many bufonids, terrestrial stages of the </span>Wyoming<span> </span>toad<span> appear to depend on saturated substrates. The best logistic regression predictors of adult and juvenile </span>toad<span> presence were surface temperature and distance to shore. Survey transects within the moist margin of the lake (≤10 m from water) and after substrates have reached temperatures ≥20°C will likely yield more detections.</span></p>
application/pdf
10.2307/3802784
en
Wildlife Society
Habitat use and movements of repatriated Wyoming toads
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