A Herpetofaunal Survey of the Confluence of the Canadian and Arkansas Rivers: Constructing a Baseline Inventory for the Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge

Oklahoma has a long herpetological history, but there are still many gaps in our un-derstanding of amphibian and reptile distribution in the state. From 2000 to 2002, we conducted baseline herpetofaunal inventories in the Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Haskell, Muskogee, and Sequoyah counties. We observed 11 amphibian species and 35 reptile species on the refuge. Based on historic records, an additional 21 species of amphibians and reptiles occur in the three counties sampled. These additional species may still yet be observed on the refuge. When compared to historic observations, our inventory on the refuge could account for ≤ 37 county distributional records. Our results also indicate the importance of riparian corridors to maintaining herpetological diversity. © 2006 Oklahoma Academy of Scienc