Survey of the reptiles and amphibians of the montane forests near Tenterfield on the north coast of New South Wales

Abstract

Surveys were conducted in the area that formally encompassed the forests managed by the New South Wales Forestry Commission (Tenterfield Management Area). Surveys consisted of searches for reptiles along 35 transects, roadside searches, pitfall trapping and targeted surveys. Targeted searches were conducted for amphibians beside creeks, fire dams and swamps. A total of 33 species of reptile and 16 species of amphibian were detected. The highest species richness and density of reptiles occurred in eucalypt forests that contained rock outcrops. Closed forest had the lowest reptile species richness and density. Analysis of the abundance of two species of skink (accounting for 73% of observations) recorded during transect searches found that the Grass Skink Lampropholis delicata had greater abundances on logged plots than on unlogged plots whereas Calyptotis scutirostrum did not differ in its abundance across treatments. The Glandular Frog Litoria subglandulosa and Pugh's Frog Philoria pughi, species currentl...