OCR Text |
Show Amphibians and Reptiles A survey of the Bonneville Unit area has indicated the presence of seven species of frogs and toads, seven species of lizards and eleven species of snakes ( Attachment E), With few exceptions the species inhabiting this area have wide distributions and are versatile in their adaptive abilities « , . The specific distribution of the amphibians and reptiles is a function of geographical and climatic factors„ An increase in elevation rapidly reduces the number and kinds of species that can exist. Amphibians prefer moist habitat along edges of impounded waters and streams. They are not adapted to large open areas of water. Rapidly fluctuating shorelines can adversely affect these creaturese Lizards seek the drier areas, often in low brush habitats,, The distribution of snakes is wider, covering both moist and dry locations. The highland areas, including the lands along and adjacent to the proposed Strawberry Collection System, the Strawberry Reservoir Enlargement and the upper portion of the Diamond Fork area, support the clouded tiger salamander, mountain toad, western chorus frog, western leopard frog, sagebrush lizard, and the mountain shorthorned lizard. The variety of snakes in this area is relatively large including the Rocky Mountain rubber boa, wandering garter snake, Mormon or yellow- bellied racer, western smooth green snake, Great Basin gopher snake, Utah milk snake, and the Great Basin rattlesnake. The habitats of the proposed Hayes Reservoir and lower Diamond Fork area contain some of the highland species but some mountainous species are replaced by valley representatives. The mountain toad is replaced by the woodhouse toad and the western spotted frog is fairly abundant. The highland species of lizards also occur but generally in larger numbers. The rubber boa and smooth green snake disappear while the Great Basin night snake becomes common. The cultivated and heavily grazed areas do not contain many species of reptiles, however a few species occupy fields and streams ides. The proposed Jordanelle Reservoir area in the upper Provo Canyon contains species similar to those inhabiting the higher elevations along the collection system except that a few valley species such as the woodhouse toad and the western spotted frog ascend to this elevation,, The few records available for the amphibians and reptiles of the Utah Lake, Mona Reservoir, and Jordan River areas ( The Wasatch Front) indicate that most of the species presently found in the desert valleys west of Utah Lake originally occupied these Unit areas. In recent years, intensive 144 |