Reexamination of Herpetofauna on Mormon Island, Hall County, Nebraska, with Notes on Natural History

7 Introduction Many grasslands along rivers in the Great Plains have been converted to agricultural lands during the last century (Sidle et al., 1989) or lost to woody encroachment due to suppression of wildfires and alterations to hy-The Platte River valley in central Nebraska is an important migratory stopover site for waterfowl (Sharpe et al. portions of the river designated as critical habitat for Whooping Cranes (United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), 1978). Grasslands and wet meadows also provide breeding sites for declining populations of Most research and conservation efforts in the Platte River valley emphasize migratory birds and their habitats, but relatively little is known about the use and importance of such habitats for non-migratory vertebrates (NRC, 2005). Other vertebrates , such as herpetofauna, are important components of the ecosystem because many are predators or prey of migratory birds (e. Herpetofauna represent a unique group of vertebrates with life-history traits that connect them to contrasting habitats during their lifetime. Those with bipha-sic life histories, such as toads and frogs, require aquatic habitats for oviposition and tadpole development, whereas adults of some species mainly reside in terrestrial habitats. Many reptiles also require mesic habitats for certain life history functions. Reptiles have porous egg shells that imbibe water unlike those of birds. For reptilian eggs, the hydric environment can influence development and hatching success of turtles (Pack-ard et al. Northern Prairie Skinks (Plestiodon septentrionalis) were larger at hatching with increased levels of soil moisture. Foraging and overwintering behaviors of reptiles also are tied to aquatic/terrestrial interfaces. Many garter snakes are terrestrial but forage on prey species from aquatic habitats, such as fish, frogs, tadpoles, and sala-The Platte River in central Nebraska, USA, was historically surrounded by mixed grass and tallgrass prairies and wet meadows, but many of those habitats were lost or altered during the last century with unknown effects on animals that reside in them. Researchers first surveyed herpetofauna on part of a large island preserve in the Platte River, Mormon Island, Hall County, Ne-braska, in 1980 when the land was protected for conservation. They documented 10 species, including three species of amphibians and seven species of reptiles. We inventoried herpetofauna after 30 years of conservation management on Mormon Island and adjacent Shoemaker Island. We captured four species of amphibians and 11 species of reptiles, including five species not detected in the previous survey. New species documented on the …