Amphibian and reptile tunnels, also known as herp tunnels, are a type of wildlife crossing that is positioned beneath a roadway. The tunnels allow amphibians and reptiles to cross roads without the risk of being crushed by a vehicle. They have been used by toads, frogs and salamanders. The tunnels are used to get to their Big Night, a mass courtship ritual which is known as a salamander congress.
In areas that do not have tunnels, municipalities enlist volunteers to hand-carry reptiles across roadways. Some governments in the United States and Europe build herp tunnels which are large enough to accommodate reptiles like turtles. Snakes also use tunnels to cross roads.
In the United States, the first amphibian tunnels were the Henry Street salamander tunnels. The tunnels were built in 1987 and they are in Amherst, Massachusetts. [1] [2] After the success of the Henry Street tunnels, the state of California built salamander tunnels under roads. [3] In Davis, California a tunnel was built under a busy road to help toads cross the road. [4] The United States Geological Survey has published a document stating that amphibian and reptile tunnels are best practices. They have created a guide which advocates for the use of more tunnels. [5]
In other areas of the United States volunteers help amphibians cross roads by hand. In New Hampshire people still hand-move salamanders. The Harris Center for Conservation Education organizes a salamander Crossing Brigade made up of volunteers each year. [6] In New Jersey volunteers assist salamanders and other amphibians crossing roads. [7] New York state has a similar volunteer salamander assist project. [8] The tunnels are used by the salamanders to get to vernal pools so that they can court mates on their Big Night. The courtship of the salamanders is known as a salamander congress. [9]
Other countries have been creating amphibian tunnels to reduce amphibian mortality. In Sweden, officials created under road passages with double-sided guiding fences. [10] In Germany, amphibian tunnels have been created to help frogs safely cross roads. [11] In Europe, these tunnels are sometimes referred to as "herp tunnels" the name for the study of amphibians and reptiles: herpetology. The European herp tunnels followed the same design as the Henry Street tunnels: fences and tunnels beneath roads. [12]
In Canada the city of Guelph, Ontario, has built tunnels to help reptiles cross roads. The tunnels are used by amphibians but they are large enough for snapping turtles. In addition other slow moving reptiles like garter snakes, brown snakes use the tunnels. [13] In Britain tunnels were built under a roadway to help adder snakes cross the road. The tunnels have a grate on top so that sunlight can enter the tunnel for the cold-blooded reptiles. [14]
In 2022 a senior housing developer in Davis was ordered to build tunnels for toads. The city Planning Commission required an 18 in (460 mm) wooden boardwalk above the waterline inside of two 8 ft (2.4 m) wide underground culverts. [15]
Herpetology is a branch of zoology concerned with the study of amphibians and reptiles. Birds, which are cladistically included within Reptilia, are traditionally excluded here; the separate scientific study of birds is the subject of ornithology.
The Credit River is a river in southern Ontario, which flows from headwaters above the Niagara Escarpment near Orangeville and Caledon East to empty into Lake Ontario at Port Credit, Mississauga. It drains an area of approximately 1,000 square kilometres (390 sq mi). The total length of the river and its tributary streams is over 1,500 kilometres (930 mi).
The fauna of Canada consist of approximately 200 mammal species, over 460 native bird species, 43 amphibian species, 43 reptile species, and 1,200 fish species. The biology survey of Canada cites that there are approximately 55,000 species of insects, and 11,000 species of mites and spiders.
Herping is the act of searching for amphibians or reptiles. The term, often used by professional and amateur herpetologists, comes from the word "herp", which comes from the same Greek root as herpetology, herpet-, meaning "creeping". The term herp is a shorthand used to refer to the two classes of ectothermic tetrapods.
Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge is located on part of the former Loring Air Force Base, in Aroostook County, Maine. It was established in 1998, when 4,700 acres (19 km2) were transferred from the United States Air Force to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. This refuge also administers some 2,400 acres (970 ha) of wetland conservation easements throughout Aroostook County. It is close to the Aroostook State Park where visitors can camp, hike, fish, and cross-country ski. In a portion of Maine where the landscape is dominated by agricultural crops such as potatoes and broccoli, Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge protects valuable wildlife habitat. The variety of habitat types attracts a diversity of wildlife species.
Wapack National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge of the United States located in southern New Hampshire. It was the state's first refuge and was established through a donation by Lawrence and Lorna Marshall in 1972. The 1,672-acre (677 ha) refuge is located about 20 miles (32 km) west of Nashua, New Hampshire and encompasses the 2,278-foot (694 m) North Pack Monadnock Mountain.
J. Whitfield "Whit" Gibbons is an American herpetologist, author, and educator. He is Professor Emeritus of Ecology, University of Georgia, and former Head of the Environmental Outreach and Education program at the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL).
The fauna of Illinois include a wide variety of mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, fish and insects.
Wyoming is home to 12 amphibian species and 22 species of reptiles.
There are 14 species of amphibians and 5 species of reptiles known to occur in Mount Rainier National Park.
Missouri is home to a diversity of flora, fauna and funga. There is a large amount of fresh water present due to the Mississippi River, Missouri River, and Lake of the Ozarks, with numerous smaller rivers, streams, and lakes. North of the Missouri River, the state is primarily rolling hills of the Great Plains, whereas south of the Missouri River, the state is dominated by the oak-hickory Central U.S. hardwood forest.
The Henry Street salamander tunnels are two amphibian tunnels in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States, built in 1987 to assist salamander migration between their overwintering grounds and their breeding grounds, an annual courtship event known as the Big Night. Previously, spotted salamanders were often crushed by vehicles as they crossed Henry Street. They winter on its east side and cross westward in the spring to breed in what is known as a salamander congress in the vernal pools that form there.