During a two year population ecology study in a cave environment, 15 Eurycea (ZTyphlotriton) spelaea were observed ingesting bat guano. Furthermore, E. spelaea capture numbers increased significantly during the time that grey bats (Myotis grisescens) deposited fresh guano. We investigated the hypothesis that this behaviour was not incidental to the capture of invertebrate prey, but a diet switch to an energy-rich detritus in an oligotrophic environment. Stable isotope assays determined that guano may be assimilated into salamander muscle tissue, and nutritional analyses revealed that guano is a comparable food source to potential invertebrate prey items. This is the first report of coprophagy in a salamander and in any amphibian for reasons other than intestinal inoculation. Because many temperate subterranean environments are often energy poor and this limitation is thought to select for increased diet breadth, we predict that coprophagy may be common in subterranean vertebrates where it is not currently recognized.

Subterranean ecosystems harbor globally rare fauna and important water resources, but ecological processes are poorly understood and are threatened by anthropogenic stresses. Ecosystem analyses were conducted from 1997 to 2000 in Cave Springs Cave, Arkansas, situated in a region of intensive land use, to determine the degree of habitat degradation and viability of endangered fauna. Organic matter budgeting quantified energy flux and documented the dominant input as dissolved organic matter and not gray bat guano (Myotis grisescens). Carbon/nitrogen stable isotope analyses described a trophic web of Ozark cavefish (Amblyopsis rosae) that primarily consumed cave isopods (Caecidotea stiladactyla), which in turn appeared to consume benthic matter originating from a complex mixture of soil, leaf litter, and anthropogenic wastes. Septic leachate, sewage sludge, and cow manure were suspected to augment the food web and were implicated in environmental degradation. Water, sediment, and animal tissue analyses detected excess nutrients, fecal bacteria, and toxic concentrations of metals. Community assemblage may have been altered: sensitive species‐grotto salamanders (Typhlotriton spelaeus) and stygobro‐mid amphipods—were not detected, while more resilient isopods flourished. Reduction of septic and agricultural waste inputs may be necessary to restore ecosystem dynamics in this cave ecosystem to its former undisturbed condition.

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We provide an updated checklist and comprehensive distributional record of Grylloblatta (Grylloblattodea: Grylloblattidae) in North America. These distribution records are based upon a thorough review of the literature, as well as unpublished data of the authors and colleagues. Thirteen species of Grylloblatta are currently described, with up to 16 additional taxa awaiting formal description. Distributional data shows that endemism of Grylloblatta is high and geographic range size is typically small: the median geographical area of 13 species and six putative species is 179 km 2 . It is clear that there is a general lack of knowledge of species range limits and local population sizes; for example, three Grylloblatta species are known from just a single locality and less than 15 specimens each. Conservation status ranks are suggested in order to update the IUCN Red List and national Natural Heritage Network Database. Finally, we describe the natural history and seasonality of Grylloblatta, discuss their unique biogeography, and provide recommendations for future surveys of grylloblattid species by highlighting known distributional gaps.

Here we review the thirty year recovery effort and conservation status of the Ozark cavefish, Amblyopsis rosae. We summarized the historic and current range of the species, and report county range extensions for both A. rosae and its confamilial Typhlichthys subterraneus. Ozark cavefish survey data spanning almost a century were analyzed for temporal trends using the Mann-Kendall Test/Sen's Slope Estimator Method. Results were inconclusive because variance was high and the majority of data sets were not sufficiently large to detect a trend. However, the two largest populations (Cave Springs Cave and Logan Cave, Benton Co., Arkansas) have stabilizing or increasing survey counts. While the number of active cavefish sites has decreased over 50% since 1990, the number of surveyed individuals has not. Reasons for endangerment were reanalyzed since federal listing; the primary threat has shifted from overcollection to habitat degradation. We analyzed the progress of recovery task implementation, and we critically evaluated the basis of delisting criteria. Recovery Task 1, the hydrogeologic delineation of subterranean habitats, is almost complete. Recovery Task 2 prescribes protection and management for Recovery Caves, and important progress has been made. Recovery Task 3 involves the development and implementation of monitoring programs in Recovery Caves. Several important studies have been performed, and indicate that many cavefish populations are experiencing chronic, low-level exposure to a suite of anthropogenic contaminants. Delisting conditions are largely unattainable as currently worded. We suggest that recovery criteria be amended such that habitat protection goals are attainable, that the list of Recovery Caves can be periodically updated, and that the recovery Environ Biol Fish (2010) 87:55-88 population goal is increased and distributed between more sites.

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In 1996-1997, CDFW staff performed a survey of the all the wildlife agencies in the USA for data and policy on environmental impacts of domesticated ferrets (Jurek and Ryan 1999). Results from that survey were used by California Fish and Game Commission to uphold the ban on ferret ownership. Requests by pro-ferret groups to remove the ban precipitated the need for newer survey data as part of the preparation of an environmental impact report. Biologists at California State University at Sacramento (G. O. Graening, Principal Investigator) performed a survey of State agencies to address this data gap and the results are presented next. Dr. Eric Loft (CDFW Wildlife Branch Chief) approved the concept of the agency survey, and delegated oversight of the survey to Dale Steele (CDFW Program Manager, Species Conservation & Recovery).The goal of this study was to replicate and update the Jurek and Ryan (1999) survey. In our review of the agency responses to the Jurek and Ryan (1999)'s questionnaire, it became apparent that many wildlife agencies did not want to, or could not, respond to the questionnaire because another agency in their State (agriculture or health agency) regulated ferrets and thus, kept the pertinent records or policies. Therefore, an attempt was made to get a response from each State's health agency and agriculture agency, not just their wildlife agency. Some questions were added or modified to address concerns expressed by the California Fish and Game Commission or CDFW. Another modification was the addition of questions that allowed the agency respondent to estimate a range (in order of magnitude) using their professional opinion, such as a range in the number of ferret attacks on humans per year, where such exact data were not available to them. The questionnaire was disseminated in hardcopy and it was also produced as a Microsoft Word 2003 document using password-protected form fields and an Adobe Acrobat 9 Portable Document Format (PDF) password-protected form, both of which allowed respondents to type in their responses via computer, but not alter the questions, and submit the finished survey by email. A copy of the blank questionnaire is provided. The questionnaire was distributed by US Postal Service and electronically by email; return envelopes (pre-paid Federal Express air bills) addressed to the CSUS Department of Biological Sciences were provided with the mailed questionnaires to facilitate questionnaire submittal. Logs were kept of all correspondence with governmental officials (available upon request). Email correspondence was saved in its native format (Microsoft Outlook file format ".msg") and printed to PDF. All survey responses and logs were submitted to CDFW (via Dale Steele) for their own interpretation of raw data.Completed questionnaires received as email attachments were saved in their native formats and also printed to PDF and questionnaires received by US Postal Service or by Federal Express were digitally scanned to PDF (available upon request). Some States sent separate respo...

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