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Project Updates...
Thank you to our 189 volunteer atlassers, who submitted 6190 records over the five years of the atlas, as well as many recent historical records! They were keen and dedicated, and the atlas could not have been done without them.
They also took hundreds of photographs of the animals they saw, many of which are posted on this website.
What happens next?
The data collection phase ended on Sept 30, 2003. The fall and winter have been spent checking, editing and analyzing the records, and gathering information that will help to interpret the data. First drafts of the text are being prepared by several authors.
The Atlas of the Amphibians and Reptiles of Nova Scotia will be published in 2005, and will map and interpret both the atlas and historic data, and summarize all other new information about each species.
The project website is still accessible, and the database can be searched and mapped, but entry of new records will be temporarily disabled. This year the website will be modified to serve as a data repository for the continued monitoring of amphibians and reptiles in Nova Scotia.
The Nova Scotia Herpetofaunal Atlas
... is documenting the distribution and abundance of Nova Scotia's amphibian and reptile species (collectively referred to as 'herps'). Information was collected for five years (1999-2003) by volunteer atlassers. This data will provide a baseline against which we can make future comparisons, and can be used to document rare species occurrences, analyze population trends, examine habitat requirements and aid in conservation planning and land use management.
Currently, there is a world-wide concern over the serious decline of herp populations, especially amphibians. Many of the potential causes are human induced: destruction, alteration, and fragmentation of their habitat that creates barriers to herp movement, road kills, pesticides, fertilizers, acid rain, and the pet trade.
Our individual actions and land use decisions influence Nova Scotia herp populations. The NS Herp Atlas Project provides an opportunity for members of the community to participate in research. As major contributors, Nova Scotians have a stake in the success of the project; their involvement will lead to increased appreciation of herps and greater awareness of the threats faced by reptile and amphibian populations.
