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<br />minnow, Southern redbelly dace, flathead chub, Northern leopard frog, plains leopard frog,
<br />Couch's spadefoot, New Mexico spadefoot, Texas homed lizard, rnassasauga, yellow mud turtle,
<br />and common kingsnake (Colorado Division of Wildlife http://wildlife.state.co.uslT&Ellist.asp;
<br />USFWS http://www.r6.fws.gov/c04.html; Colorado Natural Heritage Program
<br />http://ndis .nrel.colostate.edu/ndis/rareplants/rnasterlist.htrnl ).
<br />
<br />3.3.5 Riparian Fauna
<br />
<br />Otero and Bent Counties is located in the transition area between the Rocky Mountain and
<br />Great Plains ecoregions that results in a diverse assemblage of terrestrial animal species. Many
<br />zoologists consider the lOOth meridian to be the general dividing line between eastern and
<br />western species, and representatives of both groups occur in the study area.
<br />
<br />Amphibians frequently encountered in the Arkansas River floodplain include tiger
<br />salamander, Woodhouse's toad, and Plains leopard frog (Hammerson 1982). Plains spadefoot is
<br />found in areas with sandy soil. Common reptiles in the area include Western box turtle, collared
<br />lizard, short-homed lizard, Eastern fence lizard, Great Plains skink, coachwhip, Western hognose
<br />snake, Plains garter snake, bullsnake, and Western rattlesnake (Hammerson 1982).
<br />
<br />Wetland- and riparian-dependent bird species breeding along the Arkansas River Valley
<br />include Great Blue Heron, Mallard, American Coot, Killdeer, Eastern Kingbird, Blue Grosbeak,
<br />Red-winged Blackbird, and Yellow-headed Blackbird (Kingery 1998). Other commonly
<br />encountered species breeding in the general area include American Kestrel, Swainson's and Red-
<br />tailed Hawks, Ring-necked Pheasant, Scaled. Quail, Northern Bobwhite, Great Homed Owl, Barn
<br />Owl, Burrowing Owl, Western Kingbird, Black-billed Magpie, American Robin, Northern
<br />Mockingbird, Mourning Dove, Red-headed Woodpecker,.Brown Thrasher, Blue Grosbeak, Say's
<br />Phoebe, Western Kingbird Loggerhead Shrike, Western Meadowlark, Homed Lark, Cliff and
<br />Bam Swallows, Bullock's Oriole, Common Grackle, Lark Sparrow, House Sparrow, and House
<br />Finch (Kingery 1998).
<br />
<br />The Great Plains Reservoir system and John Martin Reservoir provide valuable wetland
<br />and deepwater habitats for migrating and wintering shorebirds and waterbirds. Together, these
<br />reservoirs represent the largest concentration of surface water in the western Great Plains
<br />between the Platte River (approximately 200 miles to the north) and the ephemeral playa lakes of
<br />west Texas. Migratory shorebirds and waterbirds commonly found in the area include Cattle
<br />Egret, Great Blue Heron, Canada Goose, Snow Goose, Northern Pintail, Blue-winged and
<br />Cinnamon Teal, Bufflehead, Ruddy Duck, American Coot, Double-crested Cormorant, American
<br />White Pelican, Black-necked Stilt, American Avocet, Lesser Yellowlegs, and Western Sandpiper
<br />(Kingery 1998).
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