Amphibians

Amphibians are an important part of Devils Tower’s aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Many reptiles, birds, mammals, and fish prey on larval and adult amphibians. Amphibians, in turn, eat a variety of vertebrate and invertebrate species.

Amphibians are sensitive to disease, pollution, drought, variations in annual snowpack, and the arrival of nonnative species. Such sensitivities make them indicators of environmental change. Amphibians often congregate in large numbers for breeding or overwintering. As a result, they can be adversely affected by localized disturbance or the loss of individual breeding or overwintering sites. Amphibian populations that are affected by one or more of these stresses may exhibit changes in their distribution or abundance. These changes can, in turn, have cascading effects on other aspects of the ecosystem.

Declines in amphibian populations are occurring globally in areas where habitat destruction is pervasive, but also in protected areas. About one-third of all amphibian species are believed to be threatened with extinction.

Amphibians - (Amphibia)

LEGEND:
C = Common
F = Fairly Common
U = Uncommon
R = Rare
* = Often Seen by Most Visitors
? = Status Unknown
X = Formerly Occurred Here
N = Not Native to the Area

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Mole salamanders - (Ambystomatidae):

• Tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum melanostictum) R

Toads - (Bufonidae):

• Great plains toad (Bufo cognatus) U
• Woodhouse's toad (Bufo woodhousei woodhousei) C

True frogs - (Ranidae):

• Northern leopard frog (Rana pipiens) C

Spadefoot - (Scaphiopodidae):

• Plain spadefoot U

• Boreal Chorus Frog