Biodiversity in the Klamath Region

Herps of the Klamath

Can you imagine what life would be like if you breathed through your skin? Or what if you had a sticky tongue that you flicked out to catch food? Would you like it if you could swallow animals whole? This is the way many amphibians and reptiles live their lives. Frogs, toads, salamanders, lizards, snakes and turtles are amazing animals, and even though they won’t turn into a prince if you kiss them, they are still extremely fascinating. The poison arrow frog found in the Amazon rainforest, has a toxic skin that has been used by humans for years to kill monkeys and other forest animals. Here in the Klamath Region, our rough-skinned newts also have toxic skin and show their bright orange belly to predators when they feel threatened. The western fence lizard has a blue belly which it displays to attract a female or to warn males not to enter its territory. And the western skink will lose its tail if it is attacked. Whether these herps are swimming through the water looking for insects or slithering around trying to escape predators, they have been around for millions of years and are extremely valuable to their community. Young amphibians (tadpoles) are found swimming around eating algae recycling the nutrients in the water. They are a good food source for fish or larger animals also found in the water. Adult amphibians take on the role of being an important predator of insects controlling insect populations.

Although both reptiles and amphibians are important, scientists are concerned with amphibian populations because of recent declines all over the world. Amphibians are sensitive species that respond negatively to even small changes in their environment. Scientists don’t know exactly why populations are declining but they think it is from a variety of reasons such as habitat destruction, ultraviolet radiation, agricultural pollutants, and the introduction of fish to their habitats. Striped Racer

In an effort to learn about causes of amphibian declines, and to try and protect them and their habitats, biologists studied amphibians and reptiles in the Klamath Region. They hoped to find out which species were found at the parks, and how abundant they were.

An Outreach and Education Project made possible by the National Park Service, Klamath Network Inventory and Monitoring and Southern Oregon University