AUTHORS: Amanda R. Bryant, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (Presenting); Chelsea Kross, US Fish and Wildlife Service; Elliot Lassiter, University of Arkansas; Ethan Royal, University of Arkansas; J.D. Wilson, University of Arkansas;
ABSTRACT: Crawfish Frogs historically occurred within all ecoregions of Arkansas with the majority of populations concentrated in tallgrass prairie habitats within the Ozark Highlands and the Arkansas Valley. This species’ need for large areas of prairie and grassland habitat with adjacent suitable breeding wetlands makes them especially vulnerable to habitat alteration and fragmentation. Widespread land use conversion for agriculture and urban development is considered the primary cause of declines in this species, particularly in the Ozark Highlands. In an effort to conserve this species within Northwest Arkansas, two State Wildlife Grant funded projects were recently completed. The first focused on distribution and occupancy and as a result of these efforts, Crawfish Frogs were detected within ten protected areas along with several other detections on private lands. However, no individuals were detected at several previously known populations within the Ozark Highlands. Due to the rapid urbanization and fragmentation of the Ozarks, the most stable populations of this species occur within the Arkansas Valley and around a protected network of smaller prairies preserves as well as Fort Chaffee. The second SWG project focused on terrestrial habitat use in this prairie network to determine if these currently protected areas are sufficiently large to protect remaining populations. This research found that Crawfish Frogs in this area migrate roughly half as far from their breeding wetlands as those in Illinois and Texas and also identified key breeding wetlands on private lands adjacent to currently protected areas. It also identified currently protected areas that would benefit from artificial breeding wetland creation. This research is being used to guide targeted acquisition of these breeding wetlands and to increase our capacity to protect this species and ensure continued health of these populations.
