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From 2004 to 2006, we used a variety of sampling techniques to survey the amphibians of Savannah National Wildlife Refuge (SNWR), a large protected area straddling the lower portions of the Savannah River on the border between South Carolina and Georgia. We documented 22 amphibian species—15 frogs and 7 salamanders—with a possible 23rd species present. Species richness was lower than what might be expected from amphibian field guides of species inhabiting the adjacent Coastal Plain, likely due to a lack of specialized habitats, such as temporary ponds and upland pine forest. Amphibians occupied a variety of habitats and appeared tolerant of the mildly acidic and low-oxygen conditions of many of the wetlands. Although additional species may be found at SNWR, this initial survey provides a historic baseline for monitoring amphibian populations as areas adjacent to the refuge are disturbed, the climate changes, and multi-use management objectives are implemented within refuge boundaries.

We sampled a population of two species of hylid treefrogs using 90 vertical ground-placed PVC pipes of 3 diameters positioned along a 1500-m transect at a forest-open pond ecotone in north-central Florida in order to identify potential capture biases. We recorded 1,981 treefrog observations (778 unmarked, 1,203 recaptures) in 8 months. Our results identified species-specific seasonal and weather-related variation in capture by pipe diameter and pipe location. These biases may limit the usefulness of this sampling technique when monitoring long-term treefrog population status and trends.