Amphib VES!

Last night I went on my first amphibian VES (visual encounter survey) with GVI Amazon, I was really excited as with my time here in the Ecuadorian rainforest I would like to learn as much as possible about working with frogs and toads. We left base around 7.30pm as most amphibians are nocturnal.

When we got near to the surveying transect which had been set up during the week, everyone had to keep quiet to not disturb anything around us. Our survey had a 250 meter section that was marked out with blue string. Myself and another intern, Flexi, slowly surveyed 3 meters on each side of the string. Fraser, a staff member took lead in front of us while another staff member, Lexi stayed behind us with survey recording equipment. This consisted of calipers to measure SNV (snout to vent length), scales to weigh and a camera to document species.



We use plastic see through bags to catch amphibians to prevent any disease spread. Once any bag has had contact with any amphibian we safely burn the bags. On our nights survey we managed to spot and process a Pristimantis kichwarum which is a small frog which is recognized by its rounded toe pads and a distinct M or W shape on its head. We also found a Pristimantis altamazonica and a favorite of mine, Amereega bilinguis which is a colourful poison dart frog. It is red on top, blue underneath and has yellow armpits and crotch area. The last two species we caught were Anolis trachyderma which are like little lizards. On any walks in the forest is a really good experience as you always get to see really cool bugs and insects.

Naomi Sanders, GVI Amazon Long-term Conservation Intern, July-December 2012

Amphib VES!