RedBackedSalamanderIn order to better understand the impact of new home construction on Adirondack wildlife, the Wildlife Conservation Society’s (WCS) been keeping track of small mammals and herps (reptile and amphibians) at a new construction site near the Upper Saranac Lake.

A team of researchers surveyed the site for herps and small mammals before construction.  Now that construction is underway, they’ve done more surveys.  They’ll be completing at least one more survey after construction is finished, too.

In order to make sure their study reflects changes due to the impacts of construction, the team also surveys herps and small mammals at a nearby control site.  It’s similar to the construction site – without the disturbance. The survey for herps consists of timed searches.  Starting at the same time, each team member spends ten minutes collecting as many herps as possible from a particular area.  They then gather together to weigh and measure the herps, and release them back to where they were found.  The researchers repeat this around two more times.

Kinna Ohman joined WCS researchers Kendra Ormerod, Alan Belford, and Carrianne Pershyn for a morning herp survey at this control site.

For the first round, Kinna started with Carianne and her survey plot. (remember, you can expand the slideshow by clicking the arrows on the bottom right!)