US EPA

8041820 

Journal Article 

BREEDING SITE FIDELITY AND TERRESTRIAL MOVEMENT OF AN ENDANGERED AMPHIBIAN, THE HOUSTON TOAD (BUFO HOUSTONENSIS) 

Vandewege, MW; Swannack, TM; Greuter, KL; Brown, DJ; Forstner, MRJ 

2013 

Yes 

Herpetological Conservation and Biology
ISSN: 1931-7603 

8 

2 

435-446 

WOS:000327354800016 

The Houston Toad (Bufo [Anaxyrus] houstonensis) is a federally endangered species endemic to east-central texas, USA. understanding movement patterns of this species during different life stages is critical for development and implementation of landscape-scale recovery initiatives. We used breeding survey, terrestrial movement, telemetry, and juvenile dispersal data to characterize B. houstonensis movement patterns. B. houstonensis were found to exhibit a high level of breeding site fidelity within and among years, with the majority of recaptured adult toads remaining within 75 m of the pond of initial capture. however, long-distance dispersal (up to 777 m) was observed for adults, which suggests that connectivity among local subpopulations could be maintained through occasional dispersal of individuals. additionally, our movement data and the rarity of captures outside of woodlands support the assumption that B. houstonensis prefer forested habitat. to maximize the potential for long-term persistence of toad populations, we recommend that land managers focus on maintaining and restoring a matrix of ponds in forested communities that support and provide connectivity among critical habitats. 

Bufo houstonensis; connectivity; dispersal; Houston Toad; juvenile; adult; site fidelity; Texas