INVENTORY OF AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES AT THE WILLIAM FLOYD ESTATE, FIRE ISLAND NATIONAL SEASHORE
Natural Resource Report NPS/NCBN/NRTR—2010/380

Robert P. Cook
National Park Service
Cape Cod National Seashore
Wellfleet, MA 02667
Robert_Cook@nps.gov

David K. Brotherton and John L. Behler
Department of Herpetology
Wildlife Conservation Society
Bronx Zoo
Bronx, NY 10460-1099
dkb4112@yahoo.com

September 2010

U.S. Department of the Interior
National Park Service
Natural Resource Program Center
Fort Collins, Colorado

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Executive Summary

Under a National Park Service (NPS)/Wildlife Conservation Society Cooperative Agreement, we inventoried amphibians and reptiles at the William Floyd Estate (WFE), in Mastic, New York from April to September 2002. Six standardized sampling methods were used; anuran calling surveys, egg mass counts, visual encounter surveys, coverboards, turtle trapping surveys, and minnow trapping surveys. We also recorded animals encountered outside of standardized surveys as incidental encounters, including some after 2002.

Eleven species were recorded representing 46% (11/24) of the historically-occurring species. These included one frog species, two salamander species, four turtle species, and four snake species. Spring peeper, eastern red-backed salamander, eastern box turtle, and eastern garter snake were the most abundant and widely distributed species in each taxonomic group. The spring peeper was the only anuran recorded. Its current presence at WFE is the result of a recent experimental translocation. Three four-toed salamanders found in 2002 were the first records of this species here, although we believe it was present all along. An eastern milk snake and painted turtle, found by NPS staff in 2004 and 2008 respectively, were the only records of these species. The only “listed” species found was eastern box turtle (Species of Special Concern). Incidental encounters recorded 7 of 11 species, followed by stream visual survey (5), woodland visual> survey and coverboards (4), field visual survey (3), turtle trap survey (2), and anuran calling survey and minnow trap survey (1). Seven species were recorded in fields, five in woodland and freshwater stream, four in freshwater marsh, and one each in freshwater and brackish ponds.

The herpetofauna of WFE has experienced significant declines. Only nine of the 24 species that occurred historically appear to have stable population trends. Of the15 species that have declined, 11 appear extirpated: nearly all the anurans, three snake species that feed on anurans; and the eastern mud turtle. Exact causes for the decline and extirpation of many species are not certain, but WFE has been subjected to a number of severe stressors, particularly DDT in the 1950’s, salt water intrusion following the natural creation but artificial maintenance of the Moriches Inlet, and residential development of the adjacent landscape. These, plus other less well documented stressors, such as acid precipitation, mercury deposition, and diseases have all likely contributed. The relatively small patch size of WFE is also likely an important factor in the loss of species. In contrast, the nearby Carmen’s River system, with over 4000 acres of similar upland and wetland habitat preserved along 6.6 miles of river has not experienced a similar loss of species, despite being subjected to many of the same stressors as WFE.

WFE is well known for its eastern box turtles and a number of seminal papers on them are based on research conducted here. Of special interest in this survey was a box turtle first captured in 1921 at a minimum age of 20 years by naturalist J. T. Nichols. Its re-capture in 2002 makes it a centenarian. WFE now exists as an isolated, moderately-sized habitat island in an urbanized landscape. Its ability to support species with large area requirements and complex habitat needs is uncertain. Data collected in this survey suggest that recruitment into the box turtle population is declining and estimated population size and density was relatively low. More intensive study of WFE’s box turtle population is needed to provide better estimates of population size and structure, and take advantage of historic data to estimate trends in survival and other population.

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