Blanding's Turtle Joe Crowley

Ontario's Reptile and Amphibian Atlas

Ontario’s reptiles and amphibians are becoming increasingly rare. In fact, three quarters (18 of 24) of Ontario’s reptile species are listed as species at risk.

We need volunteers to submit their observations of reptiles and amphibians found throughout Ontario. Observations can be submitted via an online form, an Excel spreadsheet (useful for submitting multiple observations) or a printable data card that can be mailed in.

Submit your observations online now:

Online observation form

You can download the spreadsheet and printable form using the following links:

Excel reporting spreadsheet (xls: 104kb)
Printable reporting card (PDF: 27kb)

Reptiles and amphibians are collectively known as herpetofauna and are a unique part of Ontario’s biodiversity. An earlier atlas, called the Ontario Herpetofaunal Summary Atlas, provided extensive information about where many of the province’s reptiles and amphibians occurred. However, much of that information now needs to be updated. Furthermore, many populations of rare reptiles and amphibians are still being discovered. We need this information to monitor changes in the ranges of reptile and amphibian species and fluctuations in their population numbers. We also rely on this data to determine if a species is at risk and to identify and manage important habitat for rare reptiles and amphibians.

Bullfrog

Ontario Nature has begun work on a new Ontario Reptile and Amphibian Atlas project in partnership with the Eastern Ontario Model Forest (EOMF), the Ministry of Natural Resources’ Natural Heritage Information Centre (NHIC), and other government agencies and nongovernmental organizations.

The objective of the atlas project is to improve our knowledge of the distribution and status of Ontario’s reptiles and amphibians by collecting observation submissions from the public, carrying out field surveys and amalgamating existing databases.

Atlas presentations and workshops

Each summer we deliver presentations and training workshops for groups that are interested in participating in the atlas project. Our presentations provide an overview of the local reptiles and amphibians, techniques and tips for surveying for reptiles and amphibians and an overview of the atlas project. Workshops, intended for groups of at least 10 people, provide hands-on training while surveying an area of local interest.

How you can get involved

Help support the atlas project by submitting your sightings (from this summer, previous years or future years). Remember, we're looking for observations of all reptile and amphibian species, not just the rare ones.
Book a presentation or contact us to organize a local survey event in your area.
Inquire about potential partnership opportunities with the atlas project.
Join our atlas mailing list to receive newsletters and calls to action.
Attend an upcoming atlas event or workshop.

Please contact us at atlas@ontarionature.org to find out more about these opportunities.

The Eastern Ontario Herpetofaunal Atlas

Over the winter of 2008/2009, the Eastern Ontario Model Forest developed an Eastern Ontario Herpetofaunal Atlas, which was the pilot project for our province-wide atlas project. Atlas information that is unique to eastern Ontario, including project content and up-to-date range maps can be found here.

Assistance for this project was provided by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Canada.