High Country Life

As they weave their way through thickets of willow, hunters make their way near beaver ponds and streams covered with silted-up beaver waste, searching for boreal toads whose population in Colorado’s Southern Rockies has been decimated by chytridiomycosis fungi that have devastated amphibian populations worldwide.

Mountain systems exhibited expected patterns for species richness trends; however, higher elevations had significantly less species shared between elevations – perhaps an indicator of ineffective dispersal among animals that inhabit those regions.

Frogs

Frogs are one of the most prolific amphibians found within the park and are a favorite among many visitors. Frogs serve as an indicator of ecosystem health and are among the first species affected when their environment becomes polluted with chemicals like herbicides or road salt.

Frog habitat typically comprises shallow pools and streams at lower elevations, where most frogs spend most of their lives. When rain occurs they typically become more active aboveground while retreating underground to rest during late summer/early fall months.

Amphibians and reptiles alike inhabit dry environments like sand dunes and playas, burrowing deep underground to escape the heat of the sun and conserve water. While reptiles have scales or shells to protect themselves from dehydration, amphibians rely on permeable skin to absorb liquid from their environment – therefore striking a delicate balance between temperature regulation and water conservation needs (Bartelt et al. 2010).

Amphibians are cold-blooded vertebrates that start out life as aquatic larvae with gills before transitioning to terrestrial adults with four legs and breathing air through lungs. Unlike reptiles, amphibians do not possess an automatic internal system to regulate body temperature and so rely on external sources of warmth such as the sun to stay alive.

Contrary to their name, toads do not possess tails; they belong to the order Urodela (without tail). With permeable skin that absorbs both water and gasses through it, toads are highly susceptible to environmental changes and must seek moist habitats or aestivate in order to survive.

Toads possess sticky toe pads that allow them to adhere securely to surfaces. Their round, sticky toe pads help them stick and they feed opportunistically, snacking on both plant and animal matter; most commonly insects and small mammals. Some even eat their own eggs! These creatures are oviparous; laying their eggs either directly into water bodies, or on land nearby them, then waiting until spring or summer arrives to allow the eggs to hatch naturally.

Toads

The State-Endangered Boreal Toad (Bufo boreas) of Colorado is its sole alpine toad species, living in lakes, ponds and marshes at elevations between 8,000-12,000 feet. One of only three amphibian species (others being frogs), this toad’s existence at such high altitudes can be attributed to its double-loop circulatory system which delivers fully oxygenated blood to its lungs while its thick skin keeps moisture at bay preventing dryout.

Amphibians inhabit many environments, from high-elevation mountain ponds and wet meadows, to basin playas and prairie stock ponds. One reason they require moisture is due to their eggs’ soft and jelly-like consistency which dries out rapidly if left exposed; to ensure survival most amphibians lay their eggs underwater or attach them to aquatic plants before returning back into the water in search of mates.

Frogs and toads once abundant worldwide are now struggling, due to a combination of global climate change, habitat loss and an infectious fungal pathogen called Chytrid Fungus that has caused their declines.

Even with these challenges, it’s still not too late to save these iconic animals. Frogs and toads can be saved through conservation strategies; you can help by recording your sightings of these amphibians on iNaturalist.

Toads rely heavily on moisture for survival and reproduction. Conservation and management strategies such as protecting their habitats from predators and pathogens and decreasing predator numbers may provide relief, while they need our assistance fighting the spread of the deadly Chytrid Fungus that threatens them across Colorado and beyond.

Toads are particularly vulnerable to the chytrid fungus, which can kill them even when they’re not actively looking for a mate. But some toads have managed to survive in areas that don’t contain the disease – suggesting some genetic resistance against it might exist within their populations. This development is encouraging and efforts to reintroduce them have begun.

Salamanders

People may be amazed to find that the lizard-like creatures they find in their garage, basement or window well aren’t dangerous Gila Monsters; rather they’re lungless salamanders seeking moisture-rich environments during dry summer nights to survive dryness and heat stress. Our most commonly seen salamander reaches 3 to 5 inches total length with 12 costal grooves (gill-like markings on their skin).

Salamanders are carnivorous reptiles that primarily feed on insects and other slow-moving prey, including fish, slugs and snails; occasionally larger types will consume frogs and mice as well. As with other reptiles, salamanders lay eggs; however some species – like the Alpine Newt and Fire Salaamander – give birth live offspring.

Due to their delicate skins, most salamanders spend most of their lives dormant and inactive. But when conditions become sufficiently damp, some species such as the mudpuppies and sirens emerge to breed; such salamanders have earned the name “mudpuppies”.

Amphibians possess permeable skins that allow them to absorb and lose water rapidly, necessitating constant conservation efforts over their lives in order to replenish it quickly. One effective strategy for doing this is living near bodies of water while conserving or retaining it through behaviors such as burrowing into the ground or hiding beneath rocks and logs during dry spells.

Salamanders rely on their skin’s ability to produce toxins as a defense mechanism against predators and chemicals encountered, while others rely on an intricate respiratory system to breathe through humid environments; lungless salamanders have membranes similar to lung tissue in their mouths for this purpose, while others use rough skin or gill-like structures as mobility devices in wet habitats.

The Pacific Northwest is home to an unparalleled diversity of salamander species. On the other hand, Wyoming only features one salamander species – western tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum). To learn more about local amphibians visit Jewels of Appalachia exhibit at Reptile Discovery Center or come out on Salamander Saturday on May first!

Snakes

Snakes are long, scale-covered vertebrates without arms that breathe using a specialized lung system. Most species are carnivorous; those like the venomous vipers are known for being able to kill prey with just one bite! Others can be either herbivorous or omnivorous in diet; many species even hatch eggs live after mating to become live young; depending on species type they may laying eggs before dying off later or becoming live babies again; all snakes belong to tetrapoda family tree of four-limbed reptile ancestry descended from four-limbed reptile ancestry.

Snakes do not possess eyes, yet they still possess an advanced sense of smell and hearing as well as being capable of sensing vibrations through their skin. Their thick scales keep their bodies moist and cool while their double-loop circulatory system delivers oxygenated blood directly to their organs and extremities.

Most snakes are viviparous, producing live offspring; however, some venomous vipers and garter snakes produce eggs for their young to hatch from. Once mature enough to do so, their offspring leave their parents as adults to fend for themselves on their own.

Slithering through loose soil and leaf litter, snakes are adept hunters that feed in open environments by hunting large numbers of vertebrates such as amphibians and reptiles that they consume as prey. Snakes play an essential part of an ecosystem as a food source.

Coe is home to several snake species, such as the Lycodon rapacities or common western rattlesnake which can reach three feet in length and has dark gray upperside and bright orange or salmon underside, eating amphibians and reptiles for sustenance.

Snakes shed their skin through an evolutionary process known as Ecdysis by rubbing themselves against hard surfaces such as rocks. This causes tears in their outer layer of skin which then slowly peel off over a period of days.

Snake populations can be severely affected by many different factors, including habitat loss due to development, agriculture and forestry practices, roadkill, competition with invasive weeds and diseases. Aquatic invasive species also pose a major threat, as introduced fish and invertebrates compete with and spread disease among native wildlife populations; some such as American bullfrogs and African clawed frogs have dislocated natural communities of amphibians thus decreasing biodiversity.