Researching Amphibian Numbers in Alberta (RANA)
Last Review/Updated: October 21, 2005
Alberta Conservation Association / Alberta Environment / University of Alberta
The RANA project (Researching Amphibian Numbers in Alberta) was initiated in 1996 and has two objectives: (1) to collect detailed information on amphibian populations in Alberta, and (2) to promote public knowledge of amphibians by allowing a hands-on experience.
There are five RANA sites in the province: Lesser Slave Lake Provincial Park, Meanook Biological Station, Beaverhill Lake, Kananaskis Country, Cypress Hills Provincial Park, Hinton and Saskatoon Island Provincial Park. Representative ponds are fenced (plastic or silt fencing) and pitfall traps (aluminum cans sunk into ground) are placed every 10 meters inside and outside along this fencing. The fencing directs the amphibians to the traps where they fall in and a funnel guides them to the bottom of the trap. Traps are checked daily and animals that are caught are identified, aged, measured, weighed, and released. Over the long-term, these sites can provide valuable information on populations and productivity. This can help us better understand how amphibian numbers in Alberta are doing.
If you would like more information about the RANA project or would like to visit one of the sites, please contact: Robin Gutsell, Alberta Sustainable Resource Development, Fish and Wildlife Division; telephone (780) 962-7412 or email: robin.gutsell@gov.ab.ca.
Introduction | Identifying
Amphibians | Biology of Amphibians | Global
Decline
Amphibian Monitoring Project | RANA
Project
