natural areas inventory - Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority

Anurans which include frogs and toads were identified using calling surveys from roadways during thebreeding season and incidental observations during field surveys. In addition intentional searches for theFowler’s toad were completed along the Lake Erie shoreline at night.Salamanders, newts, snakes and lizards were identified using coverboard surveys, incidental observationsin specific habitat areas and from road kills. Turtles were observed during specific boat and canoesurveys, along roads, incidentally during field surveys, specific targeted area surveys and road kills.Date, time, location, UTM and photographs were collected to document species presence. All data wereinputted into a GIS database and distribution maps were compiled for each species. Spatial data gaps werevisually identified based upon historic survey effort. Species expected and not found were also identifiedfor further search effort. A list of suspect historic records is also provided. A list of regionally significantspecies was determined for species considered common in the province but have a locally restricteddistribution or are of conservation concern in the Niagara NAI study area (Figure 1).Common and scientifc names follow the Crother list (Crother et al, 2000; 2001; 2003; 2008).Definitions:Global and provincial status definitions are used throughout the document as per Committee on the Statusof Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) and Committee on the Status of Species at Risk in Ontario(COSSARO/SARO) (http://nhic.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/nhic/glossary.cfm). The following terms are usedto describe the distribution and significance in the Niagara study area (Figure 1). The term “abundant”was not used because we did not assess abundances for the purpose of this study.WidespreadLocalizedRegionallySignificantExtirpatedIntroducedData DeficientSARAny species that is widely distributed in the study areaAny species that is not widely distributed (found in