Monitoring protocol amphibians, reptiles & bats (in NP Kornati & protected landscape)

Fabrice Ottburg, AlterraWUR1

Dusan Jelic, SINP1

Marija Kuljeric, CHSHyla2

Dina Kovac, Udruga BIUS3

Sanja Drakulic, Udruga BIUS3

1 = Amphibians, reptiles and bats

2 = Amphibians and reptilels

3 = Bats

Continuation of development of montoring plans

Planning in time

Optimal and minimal numbers of transects and plots needed

Human capacity

Materials needed

Etc.

ASSIGNMENT

General points

Accessible islands. Depends on circumstances like weather, available port etc.

Base camp is in Vruje on Kornat (main island)

On Kornat the distance to workplace can be covered by foot

Island Lavsa, used to have a fresh water pond

Renovate the pond and local people are interested

Island V. Smokvica

There is a port, easy to reach

Retiles (snakes, Montepellier Snake (Malpolon monspessulanus) by Zlatko

Wall lizard, 2 species, on all island. This group of reptiles gets the lowest priority

Other island who will be visit in 2009 are Levrnakar (good acces), Piskera and Ravna Zakan

Monitoring protocol amphibians

1 Fresh water ponds and 2 are closed

1 Kornat, Tarac and 1 dried out near by Knezak?

1 dried out pond on the island Lavsa

There is interest to re store the two other ponds

Beside ponds there are little water tanks (concrete) for collecting rainwater.

There are old and new water tanks. The new ones often have a lid with a lock on it. There for these water tanks are not accessible for the Common tree frog (climbing)

Experiment with mapping the water tanks and look for three frogs

In May with students after this a proposal with management actions

Monitoring protocol for the Common Three Frog

We have two find out in which period the males are calling

April, May? A lot depends of the weather

Goal for 2009 is to make a schedule for inventory method during the season (like schedule below). The Croatian and Dutch situation are more or less the same. Some adjustments might be needed

Aug NovJuneMayAprMar

Visual

observation juvenile

Visual

observation larvae

Visual

observation eggs

Calling males

DecOctSepJulyFebJanCommon tree frog

(Hyla aborea)

Aug NovJuneMayAprMar

Visual

observation juvenile

Visual

observation larvae

Visual

observation eggs

Calling males

DecOctSepJulyFebJanCommon tree frog

(Hyla aborea)

Inventory method during the season

Aug NovJuneMayAprMar

Visual

observation juvenile

Visual

observation larvae

Visual

observation eggs

Calling males

DecOctSepJulyFebJanGreen Toad

(Bufo viridis)

Inventory method during the season

Orange, only by moisturizing conditions

The monitoring will be done like the schedule below for the Green Toad. Practice will show of adjustments must be made after 2009

Monitoring plan for the Green Toad

Inventory method is the same in Croatia

YYYXXXMarsh Frog(Rana ridibunda)

YYYX0YYellowbellied Toad(Bombina variegata)

0YYX00Crested Newt (Triturus cristatus)

YXYY0XCommon spadefoot(Pelobates fuscus)

YYYY0XCommon tree frog (Hyla aborea)

Visual

observation

juvenile

Visual

observation

larvae

Visual

observation

eggs

Visual

observation

adult

Counting Splash

Calling males

X = Preferred method

Y = Additional method

O = Not applicable

Difference:

Pond number

Species/stage

Type observations

Numbers

Presence

Remarks

Species

Numbers

Management

Water type

Size of water

Depth

Ponds holding water

Presence of fish

Croatia has the same type of field forms,

manual for inventory and monitoring

Monitoring protocol reptiles

1 transect takes between 1 and 2 hours

At both sides 5 meters wide

Transect length

500 m long for FourLined Snake (Elaphe quatuorlineata)

2000 m long for Leopard Snake (Elaphe situla)

5001000 m long for Cat Snake (Telescopus fallax)

500 m long for Montepellier Snake (Malpolon monspessulanus)

500 m long for European Glass Lizard (Pseudopus apodus Ophisaurus apodus), a limbless lizard

500 m long for Gecko's in settlements

TRANSECT

Monitoring protocol reptiles

Try to make combinations. On transect can be good for several species

For Cat Snake also look in (old) wells, dry walls and sandy/rocky roads

For FourLined Snake look vegetation and settlements

For Leopard Snake look in both types (vegetation/rocks)

Transect is situated in such a way to include the favorable sites

Transect isnt changed during monitoring

Transect is plotted in a field map

Lizard have no priority, but if you monitor them

Wall lizards, transect length of 200 m

Italian wall lizard (Podarcis sicula) and Karst wall lizard

TRANSECT

Snakes

1X Middle of March, 1X April, 2X in May

European Glass Lizard

1X Middle of March, 1X April, 2X in May, 1x September

Wall lizards

1X Middle of March, 1X April, 2X in May, 1x September

Also search in wells for Gecko's (Turkish Gecko Hemidactylus turcicus)

Biggest problems are cats

Action in 2009 search for European Pond Terrapin (Emys orbicularis)

FIELD VISIT

Example of field map with all the transects

Monitoring reptiles

Field form

Location

Date

Weather

Species

Numbers

Remarks

Etc.

OBSERVATIONS

Field form

Location

Date

Weather

Species

Numbers

Remarks

Etc.

Croatia has the same type of field forms

Material

Net

Torch

Container

Gloves

Pencil

Chest waders

Etc.

Amphibians/Reptiles

Adder (Vipera berus bosniensis),

Also in Croatia

Personal, # transects, # plots

Snakes and limbless lizard

1 plot has tree transect (see figure)

3 plots, with 3 people

3 plots on Kornat

1 plot on Lavsa

1 plot on V. Smokvica

Wall lizard, 1 transect, 1 person a total of 510 transects

Gekko, only on the 4 big settlements on Kornat, 1 person/transect.

10 m10 m 5 m5 m

1plot

Monitoring plan Bats

MAPPING CAVES

Mapping caves is the first priority May 2009

The focus will be on the main island Kornat

If possible, than other islands will be visit as well

(Specially when there is information about bats)

7 people available for 2009

The work can be done during the day

Beside caves also looking for bats in a banded houses

There is 1 GPS and may be one more will be bought

Maps

Monitoring plan Bats

MIST NET

There are 3 mist nets available and 2 more will be bought this year

Work can be done during the night (dawn and dusk)

Mist nets in SeptemberNovember (October migration)

Migration: monitoring by ponds and caves you need 4 people, 3 days for caves

By pond 3 persons (if there is more than 1 net), 5? days. Depends on beau fort? en night temperature ?

1x in May, 1x in July and 3x in SeptemberNovember

There is no standard for mist nets. Which size and how wide? We have two check if there is a standard

Monitoring plan Bats

BAT DETECTOR

Count bats when they fly in and out of the caves

Work can be done at dawn (fly in) and dusk (fly out)

Count both moments!

For counting you can use a counter. For big colony's make photographs

Beside photographs film can be a good alternative for counting (not available)

Transect by ponds

There is one bat detector. It cant record the bat sounds.

There isnt a computer program who can analyses which species you have found