Whistler Biodiversity Project

WHISTLER BIODIVERSITY PROJECT

Shrew-mole, photo © Bob Brett

Progress update from the Whistler Biodiversity Project July 2007

Range extensisons

Submitted by Bob Brett July 11, 2007

We discovered two range extensions for animals in June 2007: Red-legged Frog (Rana aurora) and Shrew-mole (Neurotrichus gibbsii). We also have a little news regarding Coastal Tailed Frogs and Bullfrogs, but first I’d like to acknowledge all the expert help from amphibian specialist, Elke Wind.

Red-legged frogs are blue-listed by the Conservation Data Centre. They have been found frequently during the expansion of the Sea-to-Sky highway (Hwy. 99) south of Whistler but this is the first time they have been confirmed within the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW). We found them in an intriguing basalt ecosystem with dry lodgepole pine-reindeer lichen communities interspersed with a dense concentration of small ponds. This area is just north of Brandywine Provincial Park at 500m asl. We intend to target Red-legged Frogs for further surveys over the coming year to determine if they extend north into the main part of the Whistler Valley. [E-Fauna atlas page coming soon.]

Red-legged Frog, photo © Bob Brett

Our lucky (for us) sighting of a dead Shrew-mole is the first record north of Squamish. Shrew-mole is now the 57th mammal known to be native in Whistler. We thank Nick Panter at the Royal BC Museum for confirming the identification. The site was again just north of Brandywine Provincial Park in a moist, second-growth forest. [Visit the E-Fauna Shrew-mole atlas page]

With the addition of Red-legged Frogs, we have now confirmed all nine species of amphibians suspected to occur here. We are also happy to report that, to date, we have not encountered any Bullfrogs and are guardedly optimistic that educating homeowners and golf courses will help prevent them from establishing here.

We will focus amphibian work this year to further describe the distribution of Coastal Tailed Frogs in Whistler Valley. Last year we found them in 16 of 43 reaches sampled. The main limitations to their presence appeared to be temperatures <7 degrees C and fish presence. [E-Fauna atlas page coming soon]

Further sampling this year will target rare plants, invasive plants, snails and slugs, and fungi. We will also host our first BioBlitz from noon to noon on August 11-12th.