With spring comes your chance to get involved in reptile and amphibian conservation by taking part in the Reptile and Amphibian Reporting Program. RAARP is a volunteer-based activity, part of the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department's Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program, in which people report sightings of reptiles and amphibians to help biologists determine the distribution of species in New Hampshire. All observations, from spotted salamanders to spotted turtles, will help!
The full report of 2008 observations made by RAARP volunteers has just been released and can be seen at wildnh.com. Last year was a record-setting year for RAARP. More than 200 volunteers submitted a total of 774 reports of reptile or amphibian sightings. This information is entered into a database maintained by Fish and Game; a grand total of 7,565 records of reptile and amphibian sightings throughout the state have been recorded since the program started in 1992.
The reptile and amphibian page of the Fish and Game website, has everything you need to get started as a volunteer, including: • Species identification pages for the state's turtles, salamanders, snakes and frogs – with descriptions photos and town distribution maps. You can even listen to and learn the different frog calls.• Forms for reporting RAARP observations (by mail or e-mail). • Field techniques and other guidance on identifying and photographing reptiles and amphibians in the wild.
You can also call N.H. Fish and Game's Wildlife Division at 271-5859 to request a RAARP volunteer information package to be mailed to you.
Then hit the field, swamp, pond or wetland and see what you can find!
March and April are great times to get out and listen to wood frogs and spring peepers and maybe even find spotted salamanders as they emerge from their underground wintering sites, move down woodland slopes and reach vernal pools to court and lay eggs.
In May, June and July, look for snakes basking in the sun and turtles crossing roads. Turtle nesting season extends from late May through early July.
NH Fish and Game
