The Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey (CWF) on behalf of New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife Endangered and Nongame Species Program...

I've been working out the kinks with some staff to get NAFHA's data into the state's system. All you need to do is review the link below, comment, and vote to release your data (if you choose). There is a ten day comment period, followed by your own personal vote (remember, this is YOUR data), then a release.

Here's the link to the main forum: Comments are encouraged the actual data request page on nafha.org.

The main forum link:

viewtopic.php?f=12&t=8680

The NAFHA data request page:

http://www.naherp.com/user/view-data-re ... p?dr_id=10

Thanks for spearheading this Bob. Let's get on this folks, this why we do what we do. I personally will review my data for accuracy and release my entries.
Having "worked" and corresponded with Conserve NJ in the past, I trust that good things can come from sharing
the fruits of my labor.

Probably makes more sense to ask here: what that status of Fowlers Toad is in NJ?

I thought it was species of concern Nate. I see less and less each year.

Congrats on getting this done, CWF/ENSP are good people, I would trust the data is used appropriately.

AMPHIBIANS
American Green Treefrog - Hyla cinerea (other)
Blue-spotted Salamander - Ambystoma laterale (E)
Carpenter Frog - Rana virgatipes (SC)
Eastern Mud Salamander - Pseudotriton m. montanus (T)
Eastern Tiger Salamander - Ambystoma t. tigrinum (E)
Fowler's Toad - Bufo fowleri (SC)
Jefferson Salamander - Ambystoma jeffersonianum (SC)
Longtail Salamander - Eurycea l. longicauda (T)
Marbled Salamander - Ambystoma opacum (SC)
Northern Spring Salamander - Gyrinophilus p. porphyriticus (SC)
Pine Barrens Treefrog - Hyla andersonii (T)
Southern Gray Treefrog - Hyla chrysoscelis (E)

REPTILES
Bog Turtle - Glyptemys muhlenbergi (E)
Corn Snake - Elaphe g. guttata (E)
Eastern Box Turtle - Terrapene c. carolina (SC)
Eastern King Snake - Lampropeltis g. getula (SC)
Italian Wall Lizard - Podarcis sicula (other)
Northern Copperhead - Agkistrodon contortrix mokasen (SC)
Northern Diamondback Terrapin - Malaclemys t. terrapin (other)
Northern Pine Snake - Pituophis m. melanoleucus (T)
Queen Snake - Regina septemvittata (E)
Spotted Turtle - Clemmys guttata (SC)
Timber Rattlesnake - Crotalus h. horridus (E)
Wood Turtle - Glyptemys insculpta (T)

Why didnt you do that in the proposal???



If Fowlers is SC, I would think spadefoot would be too.

I had all the species put in table format but when Don copied it over, it was lost. I was surprised too. I thought spades would be SC as well, just because of their "hard to find" nature.

Spadefoots are similar to scarlet snakes maybe. Just so fossorial that its tough to evaluate in any way. Spadefoots are interesting in my opinion. This year I saw spadefoots breeding (in September) at a spot I've never seen them at before in five years and I visit the area 1x a week. There was 1,000s of tadpoles swimming at this spot.

Good luck with the mud salamanders and queen snakes.

Re: Fowlers

This is why we stress to record everything...i.e. redbacks and fowlers. Fowlers are a species of concern in Pa, and surprisingly now in NJ.

I'm assuming fowleri are declining outside of the Pine Barrens?

This is great, I really wish I had some NJ records to contribute.

While reading the proposal I started thinking that our data would be great to have for the State's "Landscape Project" and was glad to see they included it in there. This program has a lot of weight when it comes to habitat protection for a whole slew of wildlife. I reviewed a lawsuit a few years ago that ultimately went to the State's Supreme Court where data from this program was used to deny permits to develop an area, which was upheld by the court (protected short-eared owls were found nearby I think). We use a similar program in PA (PNDI review tool) to see if any protected species might be found near project sites.

This is another example of why including accurate GPS info with our submitted records is important, especially for rare species.

Folks need to be sure that they have coordinates in their records... I just went back and corrected a few of my old records when the gps tool was not available.

FYI - any new records added since that date of the data request will not be included. If you want them included in the release you need to PM psyon the record #s and he will add them to the request.

Yeah, this is something I was unaware of. I want to have my records caught up to date before they get released.

Ok, all of my past records have been updated (except for 18 fowleri records from before 2010). If anyone reading is planning on releasing their data, I would suggest the following before the 10 day period is up (10/31):

1. Go back through your old records and make sure they all have latitude, longitude, coord method, and datum filled in. It also helps to briefly skim for other errors too... I found a few. What I did was searched my records one species at a time. It took me about an hour and a half to get everything updated, and I have a lot of records so hopefully it won't take you that long.

2. If you are a procrastinator like me, go update all your Jersey records that you haven't submitted yet VERY SOON. *I am missing five separate trips to Jersey still that I will hopefully have entered by the weekend.

3. PM psyon and tell him you have updated your pertinent records for Michael Davenport's data request and ask him to update it in time for the release.

If you agree with this data release, that's what you need to do to ensure your records are used to their highest capabilities. If you have any questions, ask away. Let's make sure we do this right!

A very quick way to do this is to use the CSV export function now available on the DB. Then sort by the categories Bob mentions above.

For example, sort by latitude and all the records missing lat/lon will be grouped together and you will quickly be able to go to the record to update it. (this is way easier then going through the DB and opening every one of your records).

Where were you two hours ago with that tip? ...or maybe I just need to get more sleep.

Try it now, I bet you will find a couple that you missed.

I'm good now (except for the fowleri). That was much easier though. I didn't bother updating any non-vouchered records.

I still add the gps to the unvouchered records, the google earth tool is cool to look at!

Alright, I'm all caught up and will PM psyon in a few to let him know to update my records for the upcoming release. One last thing people might want to do is a quick check for coordinate errors. This isn't going to proofread your data, but its a good quick check to see if you simply screwed up or duplicated a record in a different county without changing GPS or whatever... Anyway, click the link and if you have errors in which the GPS coords don't fall within the county you designated, they will be listed.

http://www.naherp.com/search.php?error=1

That is a great tool but remember, there is a margin for error. Records near borders will show up on that list.

Last call. If you've added records to get them in before voting for data release begins, make sure to PM psyon and let him know to update your records. He's the man and is very dedicated to this. He's updated mine already.

I have 2350 records, all with GPS, and none of them show up on that list (even the ones near borders).

I have several that are literally "feet" from state and county borders.