Spring 2023 Nighttime Herp Survey at Mendon Ponds Park in Monroe County, NY

The nights of March 25th, April 5th, April 14th, April 28th, April 29th, and April 30th. Weather generally varied between 45-55 degrees Fahrenheit, with light to heavy rain during the survey times and the previous days. The coldest temperature was 38 degrees Fahrenheit and several of the days had thunderstorms and windspeed warnings. The roads in the park and a few easily accessible trails were surveyed. A very large snapping turtle was also encountered but it did not make it into the observations as it moved out of camera shot too quickly.
Reptiles:
1 Common Snapping Turtle
2 DeKay's Brown Snakes
Amphibians:
Greater Than 55 Eastern American Toads
Greater Than 34 Green Frogs
Greater Than 32 Spotted Salamanders
Greater Than 29 Red-Spotted Newts
Greater Than 27 Spring Peepers
Greater Than 24 Eastern Red-Backed Salamanders
Greater Than 17 Wood Frogs
17 Blue-Spotted/Jefferson Salamander Unisexual Complexes (Appeared to be mostly a Blue-Spotted/Blue-Spotted Dependent population, with a small Jefferson/Jefferson Dependent population)
10 Northern Slimy Salamanders
7 Gray Treefrogs
2 Bullfrogs
2 Northern Leopard Frogs

Posted on May 2, 2023 12:57 AM by a1dan_see