Rare East Side Salamanders

Two salamander species are found in the Bishop BLM Field Office jurisdiction: Hydromantes platycephalus (Mount Lyell salamander) and Batrachoseps campi (Inyo Mountains slender salamander). Both species are California Species of Special Concern and B. campi is a BLM Sensitive Species.

Hydromantes platycephalus was discovered accidentally in 1915 in pitfall traps set to survey mammals on Mt. Lyell in Yosemite. Salamanders in the southern portion of the range in Long and Owens Valleys were believed to be a different species but were recently shown to be the same (Rovito 2010). Found from 4,000 to 12,000 feet, a couple individuals have been located on BLM lands. I am yet to find one, but hope to by resurveying the locations.

Batrachoseps campi wasn't discovered until 1973 and is only known from 16 canyons and springs in the Inyo Mountains. The canyons are difficult to survey, with steep, rocky waterfalls I had a hard time getting up. Fortunately, at one location I found an individual beneath a rock at the foot of a steep face. Nothing like locating a rare salamander to make a biologist's day!

	heading up the wash
	success!

Rovito, S. 2010. Lineage divergence and speciation in the Web-toed Salamanders (Plethodontidae: Hydromantes) of the Sierra Nevada, California. Molecular Ecology 19: 4554-4571. (pdf)

Greater Sage-grouse Lek Surveys

It's that time of year! The snow has melted off the meadows, so the Greater Sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) are gathering at their traditional lek sites in Long Valley and Bodie. The hens initially come for a bite to eat, but the males are soon attempting to outdo each other for attention. It's quite a sight to see!

In cooperation with the California Department of Fish and Game, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, and the U.S. Forest Service, we're able to conduct "saturation counts," with at least one person surveying each lek. Because the birds can move between them, this gives us a fairly accurate estimate of their population. We're able to count each lek using a spotting scope from a distance away so we can view the entire area and not disturb the birds.

If you can't get over to the east side to see this amazing display, here is a video clip from the Montana NRCS website.

	view of strutting males through a spotting scope
	two males displaying at "Long Valley lek 9"